All-Encompassing Van Halen New Album / Interscope Thread

**Coyote** · 11-22-2011, 05:11 AM

IMO, Sammy can claim anything he wants, as long as he clams up at some point...

**fryingdutchman** · 11-22-2011, 05:55 AM

Originally posted by VHscraps

It didn't bother me when they threw me out. I'm a solo artist.

Uh...yeah, right Sam.

It didn't bother you at all. That's why you start yelling "Van Halen" whenever a camera or microphone is within 300 fucking yards of you...so someone might pick up on it and interview you.

Pretty fucking pathetic when your only avenue of getting any media attention is to keep yammering on about a band you haven't been a member of in over 15 years.

Since you're a "solo artist", why don't you talk about your "solo music?" Oh...that's right, because nobody gives a shit about your lame-ass, margaritaville, tequila-laden bullshit.

**fryingdutchman** · 11-22-2011, 06:01 AM

Originally posted by VHscraps

Are people reading the same interview as me?! Aside from the swipe at Ed, Hagar is saying nothing that (i) I'd disagree with, and (ii) that might not bode well for the new album.

Yup...I read it. I don't see the issue. So what if it's "old" material? VH built its early catalog on covers, which was "old" material...did anybody give a shit then? No...they rocked out to "Dancing In The Streets", "Pretty Woman", "You're No Good", etc....

Did anybody really think that VH was going to write all brand new material? With "10 albums in the can", it makes sense to plunder those archives, pull out the best shit, clean it up...and release it. If we were waiting for brand new material, this fucking record would NEVER be done.

If I get to hear well-produced, polished versions of stuff like "Put Out The Lights", "Big Troubles", and some of the other excellent tracks from the bootlegs and demos, I'll be pretty fucking happy.

**ashstralia** · 11-22-2011, 06:18 AM

i want my first blast of new van halen to blow my mind.

**Nickdfresh** · 11-22-2011, 08:22 AM

Originally posted by lesfunk

As much as I hate to say it, I have to go against the grain and say that there's a lot of truth in that Spammy rant.

They have some of the most loyal fans in rock, and they've been treated so, so bad these last 20 years. I'm a real fan friendly guy.

The fans aren't too happy that they threw Michael Anthony out of the band.

It didn't bother me when they threw me out. I'm a solo artist. I can start a new band. But Mike? He's the most loyal guy, and the best bass player in the world – and the best background singer on the planet. His vocal sound is as much a part of Van Halen as anyone's. When they threw him out, I just thought "WHY? This is so wrong. This is so damned wrong!" Then to go back to Dave, FINALLY – but they threw Mike out first. Once again, it's not a fan friendly band. Eddie could have played a solo album with Wolfie. He could have produced it and gone on tour and played theaters with him. He could have done so many different things. He did not have to make Wolfie the bass player in Van Halen.

I find it interesting that David Lee Roth has barely made a peep in public since he rejoined the band. Before that, he wasn't exactly a press shy guy.

Yeah, this isn't very Dave-like. Obviously, he's trying to make it work. Look, I've been there. It's not an easy camp. It's gotten crazier and wackier, every day. I think that Dave has just learned that if he wants to make it work, he needs to shut up and hang in there and do what he can, and do what they say. It's a very strange situation.

Look, back in the day, Dave was the boss. He was running the damn show. When I came in, I was the boss. I was running the show, but I didn't want that job. It was always, "Well, what do you guys want to do?" They'd be like, "I don't know. What do you want to do?" Then all of a sudden, it became this wicked, freaking dictatorship – and nothing has happened since.

I mean most of that shit sounds pretty believable to me. He isn't even slamming Dave at all. He's saying a lot of the same stuff about Ed we've been saying here for years. Still He should just shut his fucking mouth and go play with his irrelevant chicken band. One thing that Sammy knows is that in order for him to get any press attention he has to mention Van HAlen cuz nobody is interested in him.

You're right, and Sam's right when he says Ed is a weird asshole, that's been verified time and again...

**DLR Bridge** · 11-22-2011, 09:19 AM

On a smaller scale, (sort of) for the last Cheap Trick CD, The Latest, the band reworked some old stuff and it came out fairly crisp and tight. Doubt there was a single dissatisfied Trick'er out there. The song, "When The Lights Are Out" was pulled off the shelf from the sessions for their first LP. "Miss Tomorrow" was actually reworked from Zander's solo album in '93. It's rock n' roll folks. Anything goes at all times and that's as it should be.

On an even smaller scale, the King's X CD, Black Like Sunday, was all newly recorded versions of songs they wrote and played out before they were signed. I'm sure there's lyric and riff tweaks and changes, but all in all, a well played release in my opinion. They even selected the cover art from fan submissions. Could you imagine if VH did the same? (ok, the album's going to be called Mustard On Your Leg. Show us what you've got)

I agree with Fryingdutchman, I would be ecstatic to hear the best of what's been lying around from years gone by. The stuff Ed's referring to when he says "10 albums worth of material" could also include about 6 albums of Peter Gabrielesque snoozers Like "Once" off of III. He can keep that for his personal listening pleasure. Give us the best o' the rest!There's no denying the fact that riffs from the days when there was an unexstinguishable fire in their bellies most definitely deserve their share of proper daylight exposure. Too many sublime riffs, vocal melodies to list. Dave's lyric writing improved markedly as time went on, so I'm hoping for newness in that department, although, "Glitter" oddly enough, has some great lines. Right now, my curiosity is the only thing allowing me (and I'm sure, most of you) to forgive them for the absurd lapse in time and 3/4 original 1/4 inevitable thing. They could've signed to R. Kelly's label for all I care. That still wouldn't have been the worst decision they've ever made. Ha!

**ZahZoo** · 11-22-2011, 09:29 AM

Odd when Hagar says much many here agree on... Proves the blind squirrel finds a nut occasionally...

I don't give a rat's ass when a riff or melody emerged as a brain fart... hell there's a lot from the classic 6-pack that were songs or ideas long before the 1st album was cut. Didn't matter then... don't matter now.

**ZahZoo** · 11-22-2011, 09:37 AM

Originally posted by Antman

VHND has deleted two of my posts. All I said was that I heard the new album is called Collective Sigh. Is there anything wrong with that?

Jeff and team haven't posted their acceptance criteria for their comments section. Since VHND isn't a discussion board, but a "News Desk" and you are posting in a "Comments" section... it's not a big logic leap to think they may not want other news, rumors, etc... in their comment cuntent. Think about it...

**DLR Bridge** · 11-22-2011, 10:05 AM

Originally posted by ZahZoo

Jeff and team haven't posted their acceptance criteria for their comments section. Since VHND isn't a discussion board, but a "News Desk" and you are posting in a "Comments" section... it's not a big logic leap to think they may not want other news, rumors, etc... in their comment cuntent. Think about it...

True, but more often than not, that site refuses to entertain any discussions relating to club days, unreleased live recordings or the original Warner Bros. demo. I think they're watcha call official with an asterisk.

**Zing!** · 11-22-2011, 11:15 AM

My main beef with the VHND is the amount of space they dedicate to Hagar, Chickenfoot, and to a lesser degree Cherone. I can see Mikey getting ink since he was an original member of the band, and also (grudgingly) Hagarita since I guess he spent some time with Van Hagar - but do we really need to know every time the man has Cabo shirts for sale? Or tequila sales? Or sunglasses? This is only one man's opinion, but I could care less about Chickenfoot. I had a copy of their first album burned for me, didn't care for it, listened to samples of their second album, didn't care for it, and, quite frankly, don't care to hear about them every time someone passes gas. They're not Van Halen. If they're doing something Van Halen related (as in getting inducted to the R&R HOF) then that's different. Just my two cents on that score.

I readily admit that reporting on Van Halen alone makes for a massive amount of slow news days where there simply isn't anything to report on for days, weeks, and months at a time - but this IS the VAN HALEN newsdesk. It should be dedicated a little more exclusively to the mighty =VH= and a little less to it's various offshoots.

**chefcraig** · 11-22-2011, 11:21 AM

Originally posted by DLR Bridge

True, but more often than not, that site refuses to entertain any discussions relating to club days, unreleased live recordings or the original Warner Bros. demo.

I'm sorry man, but that is patently untrue. Even a casual look through the site's archives reveals that all of these subjects have been covered thoroughly in the past.

I think they're watcha call official with an asterisk.

No claim has ever been offered by Jeff of the site being an "official" anything, other than stating the merchandise itself is officially licensed and endorsed by the band and/or it's members.

**ZahZoo** · 11-22-2011, 11:49 AM

It's business first and a fan oriented news site...

In order to sell officially licensed VH gear... clearly they have to operate in a manner that doesn't rub the Brothers the wrong way. No easy balancing act I'd figure...

**DLR Bridge** · 11-22-2011, 12:23 PM

What I meant by "refusal to entertain discussions" was that virtually everything I have ever brought to the table that touches on those topics gets hit with a permenant "your post is awaiting moderation". I agree that it is being monitored in the most brother friendly way. But what does throw that all off is the immense amount of CF threads. If Ed and Al had any say on that end, it would be VH only, needless to say.

**Vinnie Velvet** · 11-22-2011, 12:27 PM

The key to the VH songwriting was and is always Dave. Ed and Alex can only conjure up so much in terms of riffs/jams and rough ideas for tunes. It only becomes a 'song' when it gets into Dave's hands.

I suspect it was the same with Sambo - though the results were nowhere near CVH.

**chefcraig** · 11-22-2011, 12:34 PM

Yeah, but those Chickenfood t shirts, coffee mugs, Cds, guitar picks, ect. help keep the lights on and the a/c running. ya know? So if you are going to sell that garbage, err, merchandise, you need to have articles on the front page in order to support it.

Having said that, I don't agree it is necessary to run stories on Sammy Hagar telling anyone that will listen why he is over Van Halen every two weeks or so. In fact, even a small amount of the assbag's nonsense goes a very long way. But the fact is, there has been more news surrounding the blowhard (self initiated or not) for the past couple of years than news of Van Halen over the past decade. The reason that Hagar is so frequently featured at the site is directly attributable to the lack of effort provided by Van Halen themselves. In short, no one is to blame for the situation other than the VH brothers, their snail's pace-slow work ethic and lousy PR.

Unless of course, Ed has some new gizmo or a pair of flip flops to sell you.