Let's Make This Crystal Clear

[RogueHorseman]

Originally posted by MNFan
Does anyone really remember when DLR left Van-Halen back in the 80's. DLR LEFT! His ego was so overblown that he thought he could do a solo album and movies and that he no longer needed the rest of the band. He was out of his mind to think that he had that much power or popularity. Warner Brothers had the "best of both worlds", DLR solo making money and VH with a new frontman making money. Perfect strategy for the company.

True enough for Warner Brothers, and the reps who called on me at the time said as much. It almost seemed like it could have been a work at the time. The rest is mostly speculation on your part, however. Depending on who one wants to believe; Dave says he left because Ed would not get his drunk ass out of bed to make music until two or three in the afternoon. I have no doubt. Ed says Dave was some overblown ego, slave driving, control freak type A asshole and he fired him. No, wait, he later changed the story -- Dave quit. No, wait, he WAS fired. Whatever, Ed. No doubt Dave DOES have a big ego, but anyway they split. Dave did in fact go on to have great solo success. The movie deal? Who do you think was the creative genius behind all those videos MTV gave heavy rotation play to and remain legendary to this day? Had the rug not been pulled out from under Dave i feel confident in saying the flick would have been a success. He got paid his millions, nonetheless.

Now with that said, DLR did put together some great music after he first left. But neither he or Sammy or Gary Cherone will ever be the lyricist that say someone like Bob Dylan is. Or Neal Pert. Or Sting. Van Halen has always been aobut sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Lyrics take a back seat to the music; all the music, drums, bass and of course guitar.

Dylan? Totally different sets of lifestyles, audiences, motivations, etc. so of course none of them can be compared to such a poet of his time. Still, I feel very safe in saying that Dave is a thousand miles closer to the claim of being a lyrical genius within his genre than one Samuel Roy Hagar is.

Eddie was found by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley from KISS. They wanted to dump Ace and add Eddie but he didn't want any part of that.

True. Not that Simmons "discovered" the band or got them a record deal or anything, though. Yeah, he gave them some studio time to lay down a better demo and talk up Eddie... what we now call "Zero". I have no idea if Eddie turned Gene down out of loyalty, or whatever, but he may have as you've stated.

DLR was brought in and they were signed by Warner Brothers (grudginly as well because WB wanted VH to have Sammy be thier frontman when they first signed)

False. If anything, Van Halen was essentially Daves band in that he was the driving force mananging it. He is the one who burned holes in his shoe leather promoting them all over southern cali, relentlessly. He is the one who knocked on every record execs door in town shopping their demos and inviting them down to check out their act live. Dave was not in any way "brought in" and where you heard that WB wanted Sam to begin with, I'll never know. The story I have heard time and time again is that Ted Templeman heard the zero demo and went down to check them out live and that he and DAVE made a handshake deal backstage after the show.

They pumped out albums faster than anyone else for three or four years. Toured nonstop and raised alot of hell. Eddie actually wrote "jump" for the Women and Children First album and the first major conflict between the ego's of Dave and Eddie appeared. Dave said "noone wants to hear you play the fucking keyboard"...imagine how history would have changed if Ed had said "fuck you noone wants to listen to you sing" Eddie is a musician not just a guitar player. Dave is a frontman (one of the best in history but still just a frontman).

At least you do give Dave some props., I'll give you that. He has said that early on he was cautious to not have any synth stuff on the records for marketing angle purposes. Somehow, I just can't hear Jump on WACF, but maybe it was formed back them. House of Pain was many, many years earlier.

I have all the songs (except Fair Warning-still don't own that one-couldn't tell ya why), including VH3 with GC and an import bootleg that was from '77 (yeah that is 1977-not many of you were alive then) that was done in a couple hotels in Cali...you wanna talk about RAW! Try to find it, it cost me $35 in a lil corner music shop.

If its what I'm thinking of, probably half the members here have that boot and yes it is raw and rockin'. I was very much alive then, BTW... alive and kickin' in the business and chasing babes like there was no tomorrow. LOL.

Ego's are what blew the band apart. Ego's are what brought them back toghether for one best of album and now another. I have tickets to the show in MN already.

Fair enough, and enjoy the show. Lots of us refuse to support it, however, and have every right not to.

live, love, be happy and piece with an i...

[ALinChainz]

Warner wants Dave in there, always have, they know the real deal.

[MNFan]

I will accept my time-line mistakes. My impression was that Gene found Eddie when they were Mammoth. I also think that Jump would not have been what it was on WACF. The music biz wasn't ready for that type of tune from them.

And just because there is a book by DLR doesn't mean that his version is the truth. He has poetic liscence in his songs and I am sure that there is some poetic liscence in his writing. That is like saying Clinton's book is the truth...

Rodeo, I like your version of piece better too...nice

[EmpyreLounge44]

i remember hearing that WB initally wanted VH to have a different singer...I dont remember where and I will try to look it up, but I definitly remember hearing that somewhere.

What kind of deal did Ted Templeman have with DLR backstage? Was Templeman a WB employee? I know he was a producer but I didnt think producers were tied to labels.

Both DLR & Sammy have written some awful lyrics in their day....they both have hits between them though so everyone has down time here and there.

I want piece too

[MNFan]

Gah Rogue not Rodeo...sorry

[EmpyreLounge44]

i dont think Warner cares....VH will be officially dropped all together once they drop their label back like everyone says. VH has too high of an overhead and wont sell millions of records, no matter who the singer is

[Terry]

Doesn't make a lick of difference to me if Ed's smoking, drinking, married or whatever.

Don't really care what Alex has to say. Never did. Outside of Keith Moon, nobody gives a shit about anything a drummer does when he's not behind the kit. And Ed, Al and Sam couldn't find a memorable quote to lob out in an interview with both hands, a roadmap and a flashlight.

Mike who?

Don't even care if Dave, Ed and Al get along as people, either.

Comes down to entertainment. Van Hagar offers nothing in that department. Roth has yet to fail in that capacity. Even seeing him in smaller venues, the guy never fails to give a maximum effort.

Classic Van Halen was a great fusion of musical proficiency (EVH) and showmanship (Roth). Van Hagar was just a case of Ed's musical talent going to waste.

Ed and the rest of Van Hagar talk about how they're all friends again, and how great they get along.........so fucking what? The music is soft and limp.

Apparently, there was always friction between Dave and Ed, and Van Halen's music was nothing short of phenominal.

Guess it just goes to show it's not always the best liked guy who gets the job done.