I Figured Out A Way To Get Mike Back In The Band

[gbranton]

White rich jews playing the blues.

Nice rhyme, could be an album title.

[gbranton]

Nick Simmons, from the Bruce Kulick album BKIII:

[ZahZoo]

Well, I knew about the first Charvel Art series that were costing about $25,000, but don't recall those on eBay. It was a set price and I guess sold through EVH Gear weren't they? I don't remember any '04 tour guitars being sold, just from the last two DLR tours.

There's 3 distinct versions Ed has produced with Fender and Charvel...

In 2004 he started the Limited Edition deal that he designed unique striping and played one per tour stop then auctioned on E-Bay with a starting bid of $5150.00. He continued this thru the 2007/8 and current tour. You can see pics of Ed doing the striping and a gallery from 2004 at http://www.evh-guitars.com/

Also in 2004 they came out with a production version from Charvel that included 3 models... red/white/black. black/white, & black/yellow. I think the MSRP on those were around $2300. Decent players but really just about a $600 guitar if you took away the EVH branding and paint scheme.

Then in 2007 Fender produced a limited run of the Frankenstein replica that had the $25,000 MSRP.

[CROWBAR]

There's 3 distinct versions Ed has produced with Fender and Charvel...

In 2004 he started the Limited Edition deal that he designed unique striping and played one per tour stop then auctioned on E-Bay with a starting bid of $5150.00. He continued this thru the 2007/8 and current tour. You can see pics of Ed doing the striping and a gallery from 2004 at http://www.evh-guitars.com/

Also in 2004 they came out with a production version from Charvel that included 3 models... red/white/black. black/white, & black/yellow. I think the MSRP on those were around $2300. Decent players but really just about a $600 guitar if you took away the EVH branding and paint scheme.

Then in 2007 Fender produced a limited run of the Frankenstein replica that had the $25,000 MSRP.

Hmm, I was certainly around back then, but my memory on all this is foggy I guess. I do recall former Atomic Punks guitarist Russ Parrish making fun of Ed for selling guitars on eBay though:

[Terry]

Word is he received $5,000 per show. Paltry? Perhaps. But after 80 shows it ain't half bad for a chump.





As we are just now seeing old interviews where Michael bashed Dave hardcore...do you really blame Dave for this attitude in 2004?

It's not really a case of blaming Dave for anything, but rather illustrates that Dave doesn't really seem to care too much if Anthony is in the band or not these days in keeping with Roth's attitude toward Mike in the post-1996 years up to 2007 and beyond.

Another example of this is the amount of times Mike was mentioned in Roth's autobiography Crazy From The Heat, which was...what...once by name? All of this makes one suspect that, like Eddie, Roth considers Mike a bit lucky to have been in Van Halen in the first place...perhaps more lucky than creative (didn't Roth used to tell the story in interviews during the late 1990s after the 1996 debacle about how he designed/choreographed Mike's bass solo and told Mike what to do because Mike couldn't think of anything on his own?).

I'm not necessarily saying I consider Mike's contributions to CVH to be of the same caliber as that of his former bandmates, but from the track record in print it would seem Anthony's former bandmates don't have near the regard for Anthony's past contributions as they do for what Wolfgang brings to the band now. All of which underscores my contention that Mike rejoining the band probably isn't even being considered by the brothers or Dave.

[WolfieVanHalen]

You would rather sit thru another single note bass solo with those mesmerizing onstage antics.

[Never was]

Why downgrade the bass position? Wolfie is a better player.

You really want the background vocals the band is LA based throw a rock out the window and you will hit a struggling singer with pipes better than anyone in the band. Stick em under the stage with the keyboard player and consider that itch scratched.

I understand the nostaglia of original members but beyond that there is no reason to do it.

Even from a compostion standpoint Anthony really has never been a contributor over the course of 30 years. How going forward can a 20 year old son of a musical genius not clear that bar which was left laying on the ground by Anthony.

Love Anthony's hot rods, seems to be an overall good guy and wish him well but his return would be a downgrade.

[TJMKID]

I'm not necessarily saying I consider Mike's contributions to CVH to be of the same caliber as that of his former bandmates, but from the track record in print it would seem Anthony's former bandmates don't have near the regard for Anthony's past contributions as they do for what Wolfgang brings to the band now. All of which underscores my contention that Mike rejoining the band probably isn't even being considered by the brothers or Dave.

I think Dave and Ed are basically thinking simple business strategy these days ---- if they had strong instincts that bringing back Sobolewski would allow them to book bigger venues or double ticket prices ---- you can bet your ass he'd be back in a heartbeat and Wolf Man would be relegated to "rhythm guitarist".

The almighty dollar trumps nepotism any day of the week.

[TJMKID]

Why downgrade the bass position? Wolfie is a better player.

You really want the background vocals the band is LA based throw a rock out the window and you will hit a struggling singer with pipes better than anyone in the band. Stick em under the stage with the keyboard player and consider that itch scratched.

I understand the nostaglia of original members but beyond that there is no reason to do it.

Even from a compostion standpoint Anthony really has never been a contributor over the course of 30 years. How going forward can a 20 year old son of a musical genius not clear that bar which was left laying on the ground by Anthony.

Love Anthony's hot rods, seems to be an overall good guy and wish him well but his return would be a downgrade.

You're living in a delusion if you think people are buying VH tickets because Wolfie is a vastly superior player to Sobolewski.

I'd agree that Mike was the distant 4th most important member of the '78-'84 success that carries over to the present day ---- but don't get carried away with Wolfie's influence. Has the kid even composed a single line of original music yet? His Daddy already had a repertoire of 50+ original kick ass rock songs at the same age Wolf is now.

Show me even one nugget of original musical genius coming from Wolfie and I'll buy the hype. Until then, he's just a good technical player who spends most of his free time hanging with his chick and watching hockey.

[CROWBAR]

It's not really a case of blaming Dave for anything, but rather illustrates that Dave doesn't really seem to care too much if Anthony is in the band or not these days in keeping with Roth's attitude toward Mike in the post-1996 years up to 2007 and beyond.

Another example of this is the amount of times Mike was mentioned in Roth's autobiography Crazy From The Heat, which was...what...once by name? All of this makes one suspect that, like Eddie, Roth considers Mike a bit lucky to have been in Van Halen in the first place...perhaps more lucky than creative (didn't Roth used to tell the story in interviews during the late 1990s after the 1996 debacle about how he designed/choreographed Mike's bass solo and told Mike what to do because Mike couldn't think of anything on his own?).

I'm not necessarily saying I consider Mike's contributions to CVH to be of the same caliber as that of his former bandmates, but from the track record in print it would seem Anthony's former bandmates don't have near the regard for Anthony's past contributions as they do for what Wolfgang brings to the band now. All of which underscores my contention that Mike rejoining the band probably isn't even being considered by the brothers or Dave.

Not sure I could agree here. When Dave had his shortlived radio show back in 2006, he made it very clear to his listening audience then that they should all come together, Mike included, and do one final reunion so they could all have closure. Obviously, he wouldn't have said that if he had something against Mike. Fast forward to 2007 and Dave finally got the nod from EVH to be the singer again. It's what Dave had been basically auditioning for throughout the whole 1990's when he toured regularly. His setlist was predominately VH songs then. I think that Ed made him a proposition that he would hire him again but with one stipulation. That being, no Michael Anthony, and he would have to accept his son or else keep on walking. Dave, in turn, showed where his true colors were and what he was really all about: $$$$$$

EVH said "My way or the highway" and Dave agreed. Any integrity that he had leading up to that moment (i.e. his reunion comment) went sailing right out the window. I'm sure that might be right unpopular around these parts but, I no longer have any partiality to any of them now so I don't give a shit. What bugs me is that us older VH fans who were there from the beginning will forever be denied that proper reunion. Hell, at least the Hagar fans got their reunion, even if it was shit. So, I can't help but feel a bit gypped these days. NOW they want to trot out the classics, but without the one guy who helped create those songs. You would think that, with them having a new album out that they would be more than willing to play the majority of it and be proud of it. They're not though, only averaging four new songs per show. You guys can bag on Mike all ya want as I'm concerned, does not matter to me, but I'd much rather see him up there and them doing a final glory tour than young Padi-Wan. He should be doing his own thing anyway. $0.02

[vandeleur]

Show me even one nugget of original musical genius coming from Wolfie and I'll buy the hype

The words ... Hey dad you gotta get Roth back in

[TJMKID]

What bugs me is that us older VH fans who were there from the beginning will forever be denied that proper reunion. Hell, at least the Hagar fans got their reunion, even if it was shit. So, I can't help but feel a bit gypped these days. NOW they want to trot out the classics, but without the one guy who helped create those songs. You would think that, with them having a new album out that they would be more than willing to play the majority of it and be proud of it. They're not though, only averaging four new songs per show. You guys can bag on Mike all ya want as I'm concerned, does not matter to me, but I'd much rather see him up there and them doing a final glory tour than young Padi-Wan. He should be doing his own thing anyway. $0.02

You pretty much nailed it.

Ed deserves all the blame for what us old-school fans are now getting. Dave is about integrity and honoring a legacy and wanted ALL 4 original members to launch a reunion tour both in 1996 and 2007, but even he had to eventually make concessions to Eddie Van Hitler just so he could get himself back in the band.

You get Dave alone in a room and ask him who he'd rather have playing bass and I know he'd say "Bring back Soboleski". That's because Dave cares about the fans and what we've wanted to see for 28 years.

If Eddie wasn't such a dicktator --- he'd let go of the past like he did with Dave and invite Mike back for a proper reunion. Wolf could stay on as "rhythm guitarist" or some shit to make himself look useful. Funny part is that this could still happen --- but ironically, Wolf is probably the only person who could convince his Pops to do it.

[TJMKID]

The words ... Hey dad you gotta get Roth back in

That's not musical genius --- that's the sound of Wolfie looking to stuff his bank account with cash.

[Hardrock69]

Hey now.....considering the music they have written over the years, you have to look at it this way: Any other bassist of professional caliber coule easily have stepped into Mikey's shoes.

Unlike Ed, Al or to some extent Dave, Mikey was easily replaceable.....as putting someone else in there was not going to drastically change the sound.

So it is what it is. No need to discuss this further.

[Never was]

Just as many tix for wolfie as mike which is zero so why downgrade