Recent MA interview

[Nitro Express]

Michael Anthony proved the old saying nice guys finish last is true.

[SunisinuS]

But Ringo's "everyman" personae was part of the Beatles' appeal. They already had Pete Best as a drummer, who was good looking and attracted all the girls. They booted him. This has been discussed by Beatles biographers and perhaps is worth revisiting now in this MA discussion.

John Lennon was the "witty one"
Paul McCartney was the "cute one" (again, from biographers, thanks
George Harrison was the "mysterious one"
Ringo Starr was "the everyman"

Fans of the Beatles knew they couldn't be John, or Paul, or George, but perhaps if they played some drums...perhaps...and maybe were in the right place and time, they could have been Ringo. Ringo was that connection to the audience. You rooted for him.

I always saw Classic Van Halen as having the same template:

Dave was the witty one, the John Lennon.
Eddie was the cute one (80's posters in girls rooms)
Alex was the mysterious one
and Michael Anthony was the everyman

I've seen them live with Dave and Sammy and I always connected with Mike as the regular guy.

If all the members of the Beatles were alive and they toured with John, Paul, George...and say Julian Lennon was on drums (say Ringo was booted) something would be missing, wouldn't it? That's how I feel. I dig the new VH album and I'm thankful for it, just thought I'd share these thoughts.

The Beatles should open for Van Halen.

[vandeleur]

The Beatles will never get back together and David Lee Roth will never again sing with Van Halen

[Carmine]

Top two luckiest people in rock n' roll history:

1)Adam Clayton
2) Michael Anthony

I'd suggest that Sammy "Mayor McCheese" be added as #1...

[loucap81]

I can't go that far and here's why--he wrote his own music. It was as boring and generic as could be, but he did have a career before Van Halen. Now yeah, he wouldn't have achieved the financial success without Eddie Van Halen but then again, neither would have Michael Anthony.

[Carmine]

I can't go that far and here's why--he wrote his own music. It was as boring and generic as could be, but he did have a career before Van Halen. Now yeah, he wouldn't have achieved the financial success without Eddie Van Halen but then again, neither would have Michael Anthony.

If Hagar hadn't been lucky enough to get the VH job after Dave left...his career would have been parallel to that of Billy Squire...

[atomicpnk47]

All his success is atributed to his time with Van Halen....He pretty much won the lottery.

[mh5150]

If Hagar hadn't been lucky enough to get the VH job after Dave left...his career would have been parallel to that of Billy Squire...

I have seen this somewhere before. Ohhh that's right I Say it all the time.

[Nickdfresh]

If Hagar hadn't been lucky enough to get the VH job after Dave left...his career would have been parallel to that of Billy Squire...

Billy Squire, for all his innate gayness and cliche jerkoff tryhardism, gets much more airplay than any solo Hagar. At least here, in my experience...

[ELVIS]

Here too...

Ad some of his songs hold up much better than a lot of 80s crap...

[jhale667]

If Hagar hadn't been lucky enough to get the VH job after Dave left...his career would have been parallel to that of Billy Squire...

Nah, at least Squire's talented...

[gbranton]

I think Billy SQUIER is head and shoulders above Hagar. Many of his songs (if not the videos) hold up very well. But then again, who made great videos in the '80's? Not too many artists. Unfortunately he trusted someone and got burned and ended up making a horrific video that killed his career, which we've discussed at length in another thread. I think it's a real shame that all most people know about him begins with "The Stroke" (one of my least favorites) and ends with the awful "Rock Me Tonight" video.

[loucap81]

Maybe Hagar would have ended up like Billy Squier but he still would have had a career. Michael Anthony would have no career on his own since he can't write music. Hence he is far luckier than Hagar.

[jhale667]

I think Billy SQUIER is head and shoulders above Hagar. Many of his songs (if not the videos) hold up very well. But then again, who made great videos in the '80's? Not too many artists. Unfortunately he trusted someone and got burned and ended up making a horrific video that killed his career, which we've discussed at length in another thread. I think it's a real shame that all most people know about him begins with "The Stroke" (one of my least favorites) and ends with the awful "Rock Me Tonight" video.

There's better songs than "The Stroke" on that disc - one of my old cover bands used to do "Too Daze Gone", which is fun, and what was the one on there dedicated to John Lennon?

[gbranton]

There's better songs than "The Stroke" on that disc - one of my old cover bands used to do "Too Daze Gone", which is fun, and what was the one on there dedicated to John Lennon?

I count about eight songs on "In the Dark" that to me were better than "The Stroke". That song was just too simple and repetitive and I have grown sick of it over the years. I get that way about any artist that I like and feel are under appreciated but that people only know "that one song".

The John Lennon song was "Nobody Knows".