Billy Sheehan Interview: Talks DLR

[Zing!]

My version of ALAE has the best of that album with the best of YFLM mixed together. Makes it a much more enjoyable listen.

[VHscraps]

Don't know what you're hearing there, Elvis. To my eyes, 'Skyscraper' is the oddest sounding Dave record - it sound flimsy and wooden, and robs a lot of the Dave charisma from the sound.

ALAE is a lot of fun. But by that time Dave was following trends rather than setting them, and the whole thing was clearly an attempt to get into the Sunset Strip crowd's pockets. I can enjoy it, but it is what it is.

I agree with you BOTH, even if you don't agree with each other!

Whatever its flaws, Skyscraper was a risky move for Dave - he allowed Vai a lot of influence on the sound. But at that time, thinking back to interviews, Dave was thinking of himself in the same kind of bracket as Prince - i.e., he can experiment as much as he feels like. Compared to OU812, released in the same year, Skyscraper contained some risky, radical, gestures.

I think the Ancient Greeks would have called it 'hubris' ...!

But, ALAE - is alright, and at a different time it would have hit more successfully, but it is just pretty safe stuff. The title track sounds a tad like Bon Jovi to me, and that is not good - it, and the album, is only saved by Dave's exuberant vocal performance on a few of the tunes (the fade out to 'Shoot It' - fuckin fade out, man - is a classic Dave moment: "It looks absolutely spectacular from over here, baby").

Some of the other songs are just not that great:

'Sensible Shoes' - an idea in search of a song
'It's Showtime' - ... cliched ...
'Drop in the Bucket' - is it even a song? Or just a guitar workout? I prefer songs to guitar heroes, which is why I'll always point to people overlooking Steve Hunter's co-written tunes and playing on this while mentioning Jason Becker, who the credits would seem to indicate was less important on the album.

But, you know, I still think it's a good album. I like it. But Dave was playing safe, and I reckon the choice of producer was not ideal because I imagine he had a role in song selection.

I'd take YFLM any day over it ...

[ELVIS]

All comes down to timing.

"A Lil Ain't Enough" is one of my fav Dave solo tunes to this day --- but it bombed on the charts because that kind of music lived and died in the 80's.

I agree...

[ELVIS]

Don't know what you're hearing there, Elvis. To my eyes, 'Skyscraper' is the oddest sounding Dave record - it sound flimsy and wooden, and robs a lot of the Dave charisma from the sound.

ALAE is a lot of fun. But by that time Dave was following trends rather than setting them, and the whole thing was clearly an attempt to get into the Sunset Strip crowd's pockets. I can enjoy it, but it is what it is.

Well, I recently sat down and went through all of them...

To me, Skyscraper sounds the most fresh and up-to-date...

EEAS is the Most Van Halen like...

ALAE sounds dated and sounds like it was written by a rock committee...

DLR Band has the best songs but sounds like the demo it is...

YFLM is cool...nobody I know personally has it or likes it, but I do...

Diamond Dave is good in spots, but what Dave did to If 6 was 9 is Blasphemy...

[Warham]

"Sensible Shoes" blows away anything on Skyscraper.

[78/84 guy]

My version of ALAE has the best of that album with the best of YFLM mixed together. Makes it a much more enjoyable listen.

That's not a bad idea. I only like half of Y.F.M. But if I had to choose one I would take A. L. A. E. over Scraper. it's more straight up rock. Skyscraper is good but take's to many weird turns for a rock record. But I like it a lot. Dave has always had a big balls & taken chances. And that's cool with me. Good or bad. Billy should have stayed with Dave. Mr. Big had a few cool songs but he could have done the same with Dave. I don't get the whole Dave wanted to do dance music. ??? Is he still planning to release that album ? Because the follow up album without him rocked harder than Skyscraper IMO. I would love too see that original Dave band play together again.

[78/84 guy]

"Sensible Shoes" blows away anything on Skyscraper.

I agree ! Fucking love that song. Dave does blues good if you can call it that.

[78/84 guy]

I agree with you that ALAE was released at a bad time. Those 80's glory days couldn't go on forever though i wish they did. However, i think a lot of people may not have given the record a chance because they didn't like what they heard on Skyscraper. There are a lot of fair weather type fans out there that give up on an artist as soon as they hear something they don't like. I could be wrong but i don't think that ALAE sold 500k less units than Skyscraper just because of grunge coming in. I think a large group didn't like Skyscraper and never gave ALAE a chance. I would say that had ALAE come before Skyscraper both may have gone platinum. It was a sure thing that the album after Eatem was going to go platinum just off of momentum.

I would say that is very true. I didn't buy it myself until it was out maybe a year. I think that might have been the problem with A.D.K.O.T. also. Van Halen 3 was a what the hell is this moment for most people & said that's enough, I have the old stuff.

[Coyote]

"Mean Street" could hit the radio this week and most kids 15-21 would hate it because you can't dance to it like a Nicki Minaj song.

Somehow I'd bet that demographic would be more comfortable with the lyrical quality they find in a Nicki Minaj tune, like "Come on a cone".

"Now don't you feel a-stupid, yeah, that's egg on your face
If you weren't so ugly, I'd put my dick in your face"

It's shit like that which make me go for the Steely Dan records...

[jhale667]

I'd still love to hear Billy's less-keyboard heavy demos from Skyscraper someday...

[DLR Bridge]

YFLM is cool...nobody I know personally has it or likes it, but I do...

Diamond Dave is good in spots, but what Dave did to If 6 was 9 is Blasphemy...

A hearty "same here" on the YFLM comment.


As for If 6 Was 9, I loved it. I enjoy the mood created. Some thoughtful guitar work in there, too.

For DLR blaspheming on Hendrix, check out his version of Crosstown Traffic. Me no likee.

[78/84 guy]

Nah. Change was due. Lots of weak bands riding the coat tails of bands that were already riding coat tails. Watered down hair bands had to die when they did.

As much as I loved a lot of that stuff I have to agree. It was getting silly.

[DLR Bridge]

As much as I loved a lot of that stuff I have to agree. It was getting silly.

That's why that Hair Metal Bands That Didn't Suck thread was so damn fun! We were discussing who survived the imminent demise of a genre. Not many made through, but the ones that did are walking with a limp!

[Zing!]

As much as I loved a lot of that stuff I have to agree. It was getting silly.

Britny Fox's album around that time (their third?) was extremely silly. Even us metal heads at the time could see the writing on the wall and were wondering if Grunge was the real deal and was here to stay...

[FORD]

Somehow I'd bet that demographic would be more comfortable with the lyrical quality they find in a Nicki Minaj tune, like "Come on a cone".

"Now don't you feel a-stupid, yeah, that's egg on your face
If you weren't so ugly, I'd put my dick in your face"

It's shit like that which make me go for the Steely Dan records...

Hell, even I would pick Steely Dan over that dumb autotuned talking wig-stand.

And I fucking HATE Steely Dan!!