Billy Sheehan Interview: Talks DLR

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  • indeedido
    Veteran
    • Feb 2004
    • 2293

    Billy Sheehan Interview: Talks DLR

    Saw this today, thought it was cool enough to share.

    From his days with Talas and David Lee Roth to his time spent with Mr. Big and Steve Vai, bassist Billy Sheehan has performed and recorded with some gigantic names in rock. But no other outlet allows Sheehan to flex his bass muscle quite like NIACIN. After a seven-year hiatus, the band — which features Sheehan on bass plus keyboardist John Novello (Chick Corea, Ritchie Cole) and drummer Dennis Chambers (Santana, Parliament) — is back with a new album, KRUSH, a tour de force of sonic blues goodness.


    Highlights:


    Let’s discuss your David Lee Roth days. What’s your best memory of that first album, Eat 'Em And Smile?

    It was an amazing time. I was in Talas at the time, and I remember saying the only band I’d ever leave them for would be Van Halen. So when Dave called me to start a band, I said, “Close enough!” [laughs]. The original guitar player was supposed to be Steve Stevens, but it didn’t quite work out, so I told Dave I knew another “Steve." I had been in touch with Steve Vai prior to that, and we brought him in, and he was just perfect.

    We put a bunch of songs together in Dave’s basement, hung out and told stories. It was the most wonderful, raucous time. The tour was amazing and a coming-of-age for me personally. I had struggled for decades and finally achieved the success I had hoped for. I remember we played Buffalo in the same auditorium where I saw Jimi Hendrix play. That same day, the mayor declared it “Billy Sheehan Day" in Buffalo, New York [laughs].

    Did you notice any controversy or hostility toward the new band after Dave’s acrimonious departure from Van Halen?

    There were some people who showed a bias for one band or the other, but I tried to discourage that as much as possible. Our crowd was so enthusiastic and happy. I was sad about the fact that there was a fight. I love Van Halen.
    This space for rent.
  • hambon4lif
    Crazy Ass Mofo
    • Jun 2004
    • 2810

    #2
    Billy's just a class dude!
    I have this weird feeling that somewhere in the course of this thread, someone will throw their worthless, irrelevant opinion of him being a scientology nutjob or whatever.
    Dave calling on Billy was a crucial step in putting the EEAS band together.

    He's just a phenomenal player!
    'Nuff said!

    Comment

    • DLR Bridge
      ROCKSTAR

      • Mar 2011
      • 5478

      #3
      They worked up the tunes for EEAS in Dave's basement. Something tells me that's a magical place.

      Comment

      • DONNIEP
        DIAMOND STATUS
        • Mar 2004
        • 13373

        #4
        I just wish we had video of those early jam sessions at Dave's house. I can just see Dave explaining to the guys how they're gonna take over the world, laying out the vision...and the blow
        American by birth. Southern by the grace of God.

        Comment

        • DLR Bridge
          ROCKSTAR

          • Mar 2011
          • 5478

          #5
          I had no idea he was a scientologist nut job. He is a great player, but I never cared for his bass sound. Too chorusy. I picked up one Niacin CD. The one that has Mean Street on it. Pretty bad ass.

          Comment

          • twonabomber
            formerly F A T
            ROTH ARMY WEBMASTER

            • Jan 2004
            • 11272

            #6
            Grimes and I went to a Sheehan clinic back in '95 or so. We asked him all the DLR questions, of course I don't remember any of them now.

            I had nearly cut off my left middle finger (ended up just severing the tendon) at work about a month before and had this fixture strapped to my wrist and hand...Sheehan said "it must be tough to play with that thing on."
            Writing In All Proper Case Takes Extra Time, Is Confusing To Read, And Is Completely Pointless.

            Comment

            • ELVIS
              Banned
              • Dec 2003
              • 44120

              #7
              What ultimately led you to your decision to no longer work with David Lee Roth following the release of (1988's) "Skyscraper"? Was there the proverbial "creative differences," or was it something on a more personal level?

              Billy: "Dave took a chance. He decided to try a new direction with the music. In a way, he was right because he wanted to mix dance beats into the music. He was like, 'We need to be more dance-orientated.' And I was like, 'That's great', but it just wasn't me. I just couldn't get up there and do that kind of thing. So I was gone, but in a way he was right because dance music did become the next giant thing and now that's pretty much all there is. I call it karaoke aerobics. It's basically people doing karaoke because they're singers who don't really sing on their records and just get pitch-corrected. And then they get eight to twelve people to do aerobics next to them and that's ninety percent of the music that you see on TV now. So in a way, he was right, but the problem with doin' a switch like that when you're a rocker guy is that the rockers are going to hate you because you've turned on them and the dance guys are going to hate you because you were once a rock guy. So unfortunately, he fell between the cracks, but in a way he was right. He accurately predicted that dance music was going to come in. It did, but at the same time, we had a lot of other great music by a lot of other great bands. I just think he threw the dice and they just didn't come up with the number he needed."



              Comment

              • twonabomber
                formerly F A T
                ROTH ARMY WEBMASTER

                • Jan 2004
                • 11272

                #8
                dupe, dammit
                Writing In All Proper Case Takes Extra Time, Is Confusing To Read, And Is Completely Pointless.

                Comment

                • ZahZoo
                  ROTH ARMY WEBMASTER

                  • Jan 2004
                  • 9055

                  #9
                  I guess they're all happy now that Dave's finally getting to do his "dance" thing... 25 years later.
                  "If you want to be a monk... you gotta cook a lot of rice...”

                  Comment

                  • DLR Bridge
                    ROCKSTAR

                    • Mar 2011
                    • 5478

                    #10
                    What else besides Stand Up could one possibly dance to from Skyscraper? My biggest problem with that disc is the Brett Tuggle wussification factor. Those keyboards were no bueno. Vai's Flex-Able production tricks didn't help much either. Kindly put by Billy, but he made the right move. Would've been miserable if he stuck it out.

                    Comment

                    • sonrisa salvaje
                      Veteran
                      • Jun 2005
                      • 2098

                      #11
                      I remember the story about Billy having a hard time getting his Gold and Platinum awards from Warner Bros for Skyscraper and him thinking is was a conspiracy because he had left the band. I think if Billy had just stuck it out he would have enjoyed playing on ALAE. Then again, maybe he would have left for Whitesnake with Vai in some kind of package deal. I never understood what was so great about Mr. Big as opposed to staying with Dave. When i think of Mr. Big i always think of that cheesy ballad they had as a hit ..I'm The One that Wants to Be With You...i think it was. Addicted to that Rush for which they had their first video wasn't a world beater. I think i would have just stayed with Dave. I do agree that Tuggle and Skyscraper's keyboard heavy sound did turn things south but that tour was a massive success.
                      RIDE TO LIVE, LIVE TO RIDE
                      LET `EM ROLL ONE MORE TIME

                      Comment

                      • ELVIS
                        Banned
                        • Dec 2003
                        • 44120

                        #12
                        Skyscraper kicks the shit out of ALAE...

                        Comment

                        • sonrisa salvaje
                          Veteran
                          • Jun 2005
                          • 2098

                          #13
                          Originally posted by ELVIS
                          Skyscraper kicks the shit out of ALAE...
                          April Fool's is over.
                          RIDE TO LIVE, LIVE TO RIDE
                          LET `EM ROLL ONE MORE TIME

                          Comment

                          • Zing!
                            Veteran
                            • Oct 2011
                            • 2363

                            #14
                            Originally posted by ELVIS
                            Skyscraper kicks the shit out of ALAE...
                            Are you talking the tour or the album? If you mean the tour, I think that stands to reason. The Skyscraper tour was huge and they played an unreal number of shows, while the ALAE tour had replacement players and was cut short by Grunge. If you mean the album, then you're fucked in the head.
                            My karma just ran over your dogma.

                            Comment

                            • FORD
                              ROTH ARMY MODERATOR

                              • Jan 2004
                              • 59177

                              #15
                              Originally posted by ELVIS
                              Skyscraper kicks the shit out of ALAE...
                              Unless Billy sent you the REAL version of that album that he says he has, you're full of shit.

                              SkyCrapper was easily Dave's weakest solo record. And yes, I mean weaker than YFLM and the "Diamond Dave" covers album.

                              Too goddamn much cheese. It had only slightly less Velveeta than OUBlowsGoats2 did. And no, I don't buy the "everybody's doing it" excuse. There were albums released in 1988 that weren't buried in synthesizer crap.

                              Next time somebody interviews Billy Sheehan, they should ask him if he knows what FLAC and Bit Torrent are. He needs to leak that damn tape. I'd really like to hear the GOOD version of this album, if it actually exists, like he says it does.
                              Eat Us And Smile

                              Cenk For America 2024!!

                              Justice Democrats


                              "If the American people had ever known the truth about what we (the BCE) have done to this nation, we would be chased down in the streets and lynched." - Poppy Bush, 1992

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