Billy Sheehan approached 5 separate times to join VH

[sonrisa salvaje]

Thank you oh great Sheehan for loving the VH so much that you didn't want to disturb it.
I never did hear for sure why Sheehan and Roth got crossways after making Skyscraper and he got booted. Anyone got the sure fire on that?

[chefcraig]

Billy Sheehan didn't sound right playing CVH with EUASB; his virtuoso style would have mashed with Ed's playing...

It's amazing how Ed has always had such an epic hard-on for the most inoffensive guy in the band. was this all just a salary dumping attempt?

It more than likely goes to something much deeper than a mere salary dispute. If you look at it, the idea of giving Anthony the boot starts sometime around Fair Warning. This could be because of a sense of musical dissatisfaction. Remember, this was around the time guitar magazines were blowing smoke up EVH's bunghole, describing him as the best thing to happen since sliced bread or bottled beer. The guy was also starting to hang with serious musicians like Alan Holdsworth. Perhaps Ed looked at his little rock and roll combo and found it wanting in musical credibility. (This ties in nicely with the perception that EVH is continually forging friendships of convenience, then talking shit about the contestants after the relationship has crashed and burned). He could not replace his brother, so Mike Anthony was then viewed as the weak link and odd man out, a convenient scapegoat for what essentially lies at the root of Ed Van Halen's own insecurities.

Bear in mind, it was during this era that EVH also approached Chris Spedding about a role in Van Halen, which the musician wisely declined.

[Carloscda]

Amazing Anthony was able to stay in the band as long as he did, considering how frequently Ed was thinking about dumping him.

Wow talk about your dysfunctional family!

[Panamark]

he just said "bullshit".

Ah Thankyou ! Makes sense now....

[twonabomber]

I never did hear for sure why Sheehan and Roth got crossways after making Skyscraper and he got booted. Anyone got the sure fire on that?

it was either something with the recording of Skyscraper (things being "mashed in the computer" or the synth bass) or the fact that the bass and guitar solos were a big part of the live show. Musician magazine did a writeup on Vai around the time that Passion and Warfare came out and they mentioned the end of the EEAS band but i don't remember exactly how it went. i'll have to dig the mag up.

[sonrisa salvaje]

Maybe Billy will join Extreme and they can do an album called The Replacements.

[Terry]

It more than likely goes to something much deeper than a mere salary dispute. If you look at it, the idea of giving Anthony the boot starts sometime around Fair Warning. This could be because of a sense of musical dissatisfaction. Remember, this was around the time guitar magazines were blowing smoke up EVH's bunghole, describing him as the best thing to happen since sliced bread or bottled beer. The guy was also starting to hang with serious musicians like Alan Holdsworth. Perhaps Ed looked at his little rock and roll combo and found it wanting in musical credibility. (This ties in nicely with the perception that EVH is continually forging friendships of convenience, then talking shit about the contestants after the relationship has crashed and burned). He could not replace his brother, so Mike Anthony was then viewed as the weak link and odd man out, a convenient scapegoat for what essentially lies at the root of Ed Van Halen's own insecurities.

Bear in mind, it was during this era that EVH also approached Chris Spedding about a role in Van Halen, which the musician wisely declined.

The general consensus with the early 80s music mags that targeted musicians (rather than the general rock fan mags) was that Eddie was clearly the talent of the band, Roth's antics were preventing people from taking Ed seriously as a musician / Ed was wasting his talent by playing with Dave.

Anthony just wasn't really mentioned much in any of those Guitar World / Guitar Player type mags back in the day, from what I recall...other than maybe a brief blurb inside a multi-paged Eddie article.

Think with Sheehan, Ed just wanted someone else in the band who could write. My sense is that Anthony basically followed what Ed was doing...although he did come up with some neat stuff here and there, especially on the Fair Warning album (although how much of that was Anthony's ideas, or how much of it Anthony even played, seems to be in dispute these days).

I will agree that when essaying the CVH stuff on the EEAS tour, Sheehan was a bit too busy on the fretboard at times.

[Nickdfresh]

Good thing Ed buckled down after ridding himself of those tossers he surrounded himself with on the way up --and proved himself a serious musician with his prolific, groundbreaking work since 1985...

[kwame k]

I look at Mikey like Ringo in the Beatles, he may not of been the most talented of the group, may not of played on every song but he was there, played on the early stuff, and you can't listen to most of the CVH songs and not hear him. He's there and is part of the legacy, no matter how much Ed or anyone else wants to obfuscate him.

[Terry]

Good thing Ed buckled down after ridding himself of those tossers he surrounded himself with on the way up --and proved himself a serious musician with his prolific, groundbreaking work since 1985...

Yes, once Ed got rid of the "distraction" that was Roth, he really went on to do some stellar stuff

[Terry]

I look at Mikey like Ringo in the Beatles, he may not of been the most talented of the group, may not of played on every song but he was there, played on the early stuff, and you can't listen to most of the CVH songs and not hear him. He's there and is part of the legacy, no matter how much Ed or anyone else wants to obfuscate him.

Can't deny Mike was a part of CVH...wouldn't want to.

Nucleus of the band, for me, was always Roth and Ed.

The spark of what CVH had was still present in 2008, despite Ed's erratic performance and in spite of Anthony not being there.

I can't say the same thing about the years when Roth wasn't in the band and Anthony was.

[ThrillsNSpills]

On one hand a busy bass player in that band wouldn't fit over what Ed was doing in the old days, but you can also make the argument that he was buried so low in the mix that how would that matter.

Anthony's background vocals on On Fire made gave that track much more kick. Vocally he seemed to click better with Dave than any other background vocalist did afterwards.
I don't see how Ed could discount the guy's harmonies but maybe it wasn't just about the music.
A busy bassist would have been too much back then, since Ed's fills were great enough.

[chefcraig]

On one hand a busy bass player in that band wouldn't fit over what Ed was doing in the old days, but you can also make the argument that he was buried so low in the mix that how would that matter.

Anthony's background vocals on On Fire made gave that track much more kick. Vocally he seemed to click better with Dave than any other background vocalist did afterwards.
I don't see how Ed could discount the guy's harmonies but maybe it wasn't just about the music.
A busy bassist would have been too much back then, since Ed's fills were great enough.

The most moving parallel I can offer to this argument is via something else we all ingest: FOOD. Gimme a minute to make sense of this argument.

If you find yourself driving down the freeway one day, and CVH's ""So This Is Love" comes blurting out of the speakers of the vehicle you are driving, will that NOT make you force your foot down a tad harder on the gas pedal? Yup, the same sort of thing goes back to Grand Funk's "Foot Stompin' Music", you hear it, you drive faster.

What sells both tunes? Simplicity. Now imagine a wonderful afternoon, amongst friends at a BBQ. You are handed a loaded hot dog. What makes it great are the toppings, not the bun. In fact, if the bun itself included all sorts of baked in features, like jalapeno peppers, garlic or other fillings, it would have detracted from the stuff on top (Personally, I enjoy spicy chili, melted cheese and coleslaw).

Having a prog-rock musical experience with Dave Roth shouting over it really does not sound like car drivin' music to me. Nor does it invite a wonderful eating experience. "Me Wise Magic", although an admirable and truly great tune, does not promise an album full of "delightful, crank it while driving" tunes.

As has been pointed out, the EEAS tour pointed to the weaknesses of a virtuoso approach to very simple material. Perhaps it is a thankful thing Sheehan never joined VH. Ultimately, the truth of the argument will never be known.

[Carloscda]

With Ed hating Mike so much to want him out of the band so early no wonder he didn't want Mike in the reunion. And not attending his parents furneral didn't just made him want to not deal with Mike again.

I wonder how Mike feels reading how Ed wanted him out way back then?

[twonabomber]

if you're Michael Anthony, what's worse....knowing EVH doesn't want you in the band, or knowing that Sammy Hagar has your back?