What is up with VH??

[78/84 guy]

I now more than ever think Dave should walk away after finish the next album and tour. 8 Dave albums are enough. Van Halen can get Hag back and be the Journey band again in their 60's. That bore fest would work for them for the next 10 years. VH with Dave is a young man sport. As we may have seen on the last tour. I'll give them one more shot. But at the end of it Dave should go back to his own projects. I would love to hear the John 5 stuff.

[ELVIS]

What is up with VH??

Time...

Luck...

Mojo...

Coolness factor...

Edwad's ability to write a new song...

Dave's voice...

Etc...

[VHscraps]

A boxset is going to end up on a torrent site before it's even released.

They would sell some but still quite small beer compared to the massive sums generated by US tours.

That plus Ed's historic problem with what he sees as sloppy live performances by Roth plus the thought of sending money to Mike Anthony and undermining his son's position is my guess why this hasn't happened.

That's a fair point.

But on the other hand, look at what bands with stellar back catalogues are doing - when they release a box set it is not just the CDs in a box. And they can make money by selling something it probably costs not very much to produce AND that can't be distributed by torrent sites - i.e., something aside from the music itself. Some added value.

The way to do it is like the Stones did with Exile on Main Street. What you had with that was a package available in a variety of formats, and priced with a range of potential fans and consumers in mind - the iTunes version, the basic CD, the expanded CD with new songs, the CD with the DVD, the 180g vinyl, and the Super Deluxe version which has the vinyl, the CDs, DVDs and a book, and postcards and comes in a fantastic slip case and looks like a work of art.

In other words - if digital media has devalued music, which Ed clearly thinks that it has, you need to add value somewhere else to get people to buy it. I dunno - even this crap Dave was spouting about it being an 18-month turnaround to do an album because they did all the cover design, t-shirts and whatever. That's just bullshit in my view - they need people who do that for them, or who facilitate and manage the artistic legacy of what was one of the greatest and most successful bands of any generation.

It's sad, because whereas the likes of the Stones can basically sell on their legend to generation after generation of listeners through DVD film releases, 'official bootlegs', and these extravagant versions of official albums that are like a time capsule from the period in which the album was released - and you get the whole fucking myth of 'the greatest rock and roll band in the world' - Van Halen's legacy is in the pits. It is simply being pissed away as the years pass. I can;t tell you how many times I have said 'Van Halen' to someone and they conjure up a picture of Bon Jovi - I mean, how the fuck can anyone not differentiate Dave Roth from Jon Bon Jovi? Answer - because Van Halen have just pissed away their legacy.

The 35th anniversary of VH1 and the 30th anniversary of '1984' should have seen lots of deliveries to households all over the world of something like this:

I recently bought the super deluxe version of Exile on Main Street, and it is a beautiful thing - y'know ... it is this simple: you make an object that is worth fucking owning. Not something like that stupid pissy 6-CD box set that Warners released last year. That, to me, suggested the band has zero motivation on mining their back catalogue by - for instance - producing deluxe versions with vinyl / cd / unreleased material from the period (whether a handful of live songs, or whatever studio outtakes or alternate versions there are).

What Van Halen need to do in order to do that, though, is either find some kind of manager who can say, 'hey, fellas, you are missing a trick here - y'see that U2 Achtung Baby super deluxe selling at 300 bucks? I reckon some of your fans would shell out for the goods ...'. They then get some cash income for minimal effort - we get some of the good stuff we want.

But they had that twit Irving Azoff as a so-called 'manager'. He is probably just content to take his cut of the tour proceeds - zero interest in managing the band's legacy, 'cos he doesn't have a stake in it. What a bunch of jerks.

[sonrisa salvaje]

I now more than ever think Dave should walk away after finish the next album and tour. 8 Dave albums are enough. Van Halen can get Hag back and be the Journey band again in their 60's. That bore fest would work for them for the next 10 years. VH with Dave is a young man sport. As we may have seen on the last tour. I'll give them one more shot. But at the end of it Dave should go back to his own projects. I would love to hear the John 5 stuff.

I completely agree with you. I am ready for some solo Roth. I also wouldn't mind seeing Dave in a club setting again up close and personal. Arena shows are cool and all with VH but you have to pay an arm and a leg just to get close. I've seen Roth on every tour he has done except for ALAE. Those club shows he did on the YFLM tour are still some of the best ones i've seen.

[Terry]

I now more than ever think Dave should walk away after finish the next album and tour. 8 Dave albums are enough. Van Halen can get Hag back and be the Journey band again in their 60's. That bore fest would work for them for the next 10 years. VH with Dave is a young man sport. As we may have seen on the last tour. I'll give them one more shot. But at the end of it Dave should go back to his own projects. I would love to hear the John 5 stuff.

Yeah. Am kinda of the same mind. It's like, well, the reunion came ten years too late, and not everyone who should have been there was there, but I got to see Dave onstage fronting (more or less) Van Halen again a couple of times.

I mean, I suppose Van Halen could keep touring with Roth, as it's not mandatory that I have to go see them. But it'd be a shame if they just keep grinding out concerts. I'll give them 2007-2008, because that was the reunion tour. And 2012 was a tour to support a new album (half of which was remakes, but whatever). But I'd like to see Roth fronting a band in a smaller venue. Van Halen with Dave IS a young mans game. That is exactly right. I sort of arrived at that conclusion halfway through the 2012 Tampa concert. The band are now approaching that point where they're staring to look slightly ridiculous.

Then again, all of the Van Halens were playing extremely well on the last tour. Ed was just great.

I dunno. I'd probably go see them again. I mean, they're a bit past it, but they're Van Halen, you know?

[atomicpnk47]

Yeah. Am kinda of the same mind. It's like, well, the reunion came ten years too late, and not everyone who should have been there was there, but I got to see Dave onstage fronting (more or less) Van Halen again a couple of times.

I mean, I suppose Van Halen could keep touring with Roth, as it's not mandatory that I have to go see them. But it'd be a shame if they just keep grinding out concerts. I'll give them 2007-2008, because that was the reunion tour. And 2012 was a tour to support a new album (half of which was remakes, but whatever). But I'd like to see Roth fronting a band in a smaller venue. Van Halen with Dave IS a young mans game. That is exactly right. I sort of arrived at that conclusion halfway through the 2012 Tampa concert. The band are now approaching that point where they're staring to look slightly ridiculous.

Then again, all of the Van Halens were playing extremely well on the last tour. Ed was just great.

I dunno. I'd probably go see them again. I mean, they're a bit past it, but they're Van Halen, you know?

Yeah it's like an accident along the highway you want to turn your head away but you can't. You have to slow down to check it out.....

[78/84 guy]

Yeah it's like an accident along the highway you want to turn your head away but you can't. You have to slow down to check it out.....

Yep. I will go see them again. As long as Ed can play. I can forgive Dave to a point. Reason number one is he is older. Reason number 2 is I'm not one of the crazy people that think he should be doing back flips off the drum riser anymore ! Reason number 3 is Dave really just has never been a great live singer. Sure the early tours he could bring it. If he wanted, and for sure 07/08. But to me he is more of an entertainer. Doesn't mean I don't want him to try. I guess if the band plays good still I will give them my money a few more times. I enjoyed the 2012 show. Maybe because I was close. Ed was killing and I wanted to spend my time watching him but I still couldn't take my eyes of Dave ! He was having a blast I thought.

[DLR Bridge]

Ed was killing and I wanted to spend my time watching him but I still couldn't take my eyes of Dave !

Careful 78. There are a couple of posters out there who are convinced that making a remark like that is a confession of homosexuality. Brace yourself for a juvenile pissant remark from one of them.

[indeedido]

All everyone wanted was Dave back in VH. Now you want him solo again? He wasn't exactly turning out the music for the last decade +. Playing 300 people clubs isn't fun for someone like Dave. DLR Band was cool but it died. It was a lifetime ago. The last album he did was a dud. Where was the rock?! I'm curious to hear the album with John 5 but in no hurry. Would rather get more CVH. Would rather them get off their dumpers and make more new music.

[sonrisa salvaje]

All everyone wanted was Dave back in VH. Now you want him solo again? He wasn't exactly turning out the music for the last decade +. Playing 300 people clubs isn't fun for someone like Dave. DLR Band was cool but it died. It was a lifetime ago. The last album he did was a dud. Where was the rock?! I'm curious to hear the album with John 5 but in no hurry. Would rather get more CVH. Would rather them get off their dumpers and make more new music.

Well sure, there would have to be new music either way. That is the caveat. There wouldn't be any point in Dave going solo again if he is going to work at the pace from DLR Band to the Diamond Dave record. However, based on the amount of time it took to get new music from Van Halen and the prospects of when a new record could be ready, i'm not sure that is the road to travel either. As long as they are working on a new Van Halen record and there is an agreement whereby a new VH record will be realized there is no doubt Dave should stay put for the time being. But i get the feeling Dave is ancy and his creative juices are flowing. This could be the moment where he could generate a couple of solo records in the time it would take to get one new VH record. I just don't want Dave to get to the point where he wastes his remaining years hanging on to something that doesn't generate a lot of activity when he could do more on a lower scale. Lets face it....we are getting to the point where there ain't much time left.

[78/84 guy]

Well sure, there would have to be new music either way. That is the caveat. There wouldn't be any point in Dave going solo again if he is going to work at the pace from DLR Band to the Diamond Dave record. However, based on the amount of time it took to get new music from Van Halen and the prospects of when a new record could be ready, i'm not sure that is the road to travel either. As long as they are working on a new Van Halen record and there is an agreement whereby a new VH record will be realized there is no doubt Dave should stay put for the time being. But i get the feeling Dave is ancy and his creative juices are flowing. This could be the moment where he could generate a couple of solo records in the time it would take to get one new VH record. I just don't want Dave to get to the point where he wastes his remaining years hanging on to something that doesn't generate a lot of activity when he could do more on a lower scale. Lets face it....we are getting to the point where there ain't much time left.

Well said. If he can produce music with VH than by all means stay put. If he is having fun. But hey it's already been 2 years. Let's get the show on the road. I don't love all Dave's solo stuff but it's better than nothing.

[cadaverdog]

I could have answered the original question with one word. Nothing. Eddie, Alex, Wolfgang and Dave. the current members of Van Halen are doing something. Playing with their dogs, playing with their peckers, spending their money, but as a band it doesn't appear they're doing anything. They all should have more than enough money to live out the rest of their lives without working or performing another show. If Dave's got anything left he should find some decent musicians and try to put out a solo album that would serve as his magnum opus. Ed and Alex ? Who cares? Wolfie should move back in with mommy and fuck all her milf and gmilf freinds while she's busy doing her television show. If he gave Betty White a good fucking she might put even him in her will . I'd be surprised if Van Halen put out another album other than an archive album like Zep's Coda or another greatest hits album. Maybe a couple box sets so Van Halen fans don't have to pay for Van Hagar music or vice versa.

[FORD]

Vice Versa?

If you want a Van Hagar box, it's already available..........

[cadaverdog]

Vice Versa?

If you want a Van Hagar box, it's already available..........

If there's an actual Van Hagar box set I wouldn't know about it because I don't buy Van Hagar (or Van Halen) recordings. If I want to listen to either one I have a computer with a decent sound system and decent earphones to listen to music with. I used to have cd's and dvd's but I had to sell them for gas money to get back to So Cal a year or so ago. I've got a small mp3 player hanging from a hook right here but it only has CCR's greatest hits on it because I never got around to downloading any more music on it. I've got a couple 8gb flash drives with nothing on them too. My car has the factory AM/FM CD player in it and it works fine so I haven't had to replace it with a newer one with an audio in put or a USB port. I do like the new stereos with USB ports without CD players that put out lots of power but sell for less than a WalMart cheapie AM/FM/CD stereo do. If I hadn't bought a newer car I'd have put one in my 72 Ranchero before I sold it. It still had the factory AM/FM radio with one speaker on the dash in it but the speaker was shot so you couldn't hear it anyway.

[Heater]

Yep. I will go see them again. As long as Ed can play. I can forgive Dave to a point. Reason number one is he is older. Reason number 2 is I'm not one of the crazy people that think he should be doing back flips off the drum riser anymore ! Reason number 3 is Dave really just has never been a great live singer. Sure the early tours he could bring it. If he wanted, and for sure 07/08. But to me he is more of an entertainer. Doesn't mean I don't want him to try. I guess if the band plays good still I will give them my money a few more times. I enjoyed the 2012 show. Maybe because I was close. Ed was killing and I wanted to spend my time watching him but I still couldn't take my eyes of Dave ! He was having a blast I thought.

Dave was never a great singer live (he never did backflips off the drum riser either) or in the studio as Alex has attested. And yet.....