VH live album - OFFICIAL

[Seshmeister]

http://www.antimusic.com/news/15/April/09Teslas_Frank_Hannon_Thinks_New_Van_Halen_Live_Album_Rules!.shtml

Tesla's Frank Hannon Thinks New Van Halen Live Album 'Rules!'

Tesla guitarist Frank Hannon is praising Van Halen's new album, "Tokyo Dome Live In Concert", following criticism of David Lee Roth's vocals on the project and during their recent performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
"If you are a fan of truly 'LIVE' albums, as I am, and have stated, this album rules!," says Hannon. "Just to hear Eddie's guitar tones on 'Romeo Delight', 'Beautiful Girls', '"Women In Love' alone is worth the $16. As for Dave, well he's included a 6 page book with lyrics to read the words he don't sing and to hear him tell of the spotlight operator in 'Ice Cream Man' is priceless, not to mention all the Japanese BS he rambles.

"I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this CD while driving my 17 yr old to school this morning remembering hearing VH when I was his age and loving it!!!

"For those of us who anxiously waited in line at Tower Records to get 'VHII', 'Women and Children First', and 'Fair Warning'…this album will tickle your fancy…for those who want perfect vocals, buy a One Direction live album!!!"

[ZahZoo]

What it is to me is the band is so tight and performing so well... it's amplifying Dave's vocal flaws considerably.

Another thing that makes the flaws stand out more is somewhat environmental... While the performances are somewhat powerful, the mix and production of this record just doesn't seem to project that. Hard to put my finger on it. Maybe it's the Japanese crowd... it just doesn't feel right for a live record. Then add to that... the whole sight, sound, smell and energy of being at a live show is quite different than sitting in your car, office, or living room while not in a party or concert frame of mind...

[Rikk]

I can't wait to hear the sales figures for this garbage album...

Again, such an exercise would require too much effort.

If the album sucked, I would not give a fuck how it's selling.

And considering I'm enjoying it, I still don't give a fuck how it's selling.

It's got its spot in my iTunes. It's had one-and-a-half listens already.

Fans have moaned and cried for years for:

1) A reunion.
2) A new album.
3) A live album.
4) Archival material from the old days.

Three out of four, so far.

The reunion was worth it... Yeah, it would be better with Mikey, but seriously, the cunt was plenty active years ago in not having Dave be in the band. Yeah, his high vocals are great...but he's actually only a good bass player...not a great one.

The new album rocked. I remember almost every single poster here discussing the songs they loved in 2012. Many of us hoped they would dig out leftovers from the '77 demo and spruce 'em up...and they did. My only complaint concerning A DIFFERENT KIND OF TRUTH is that the sound is too compressed...it really does not possess that brown sound that the six-pack had. Still, it's awesome. I'm glad it exists. It's not rocket science. It's rock 'n' roll. I'm glad it exists. Just like I'm glad I had pizza last night. Just like I'm glad I got laid the other night. I'm glad it exists.

The live album is a fun listen. Yeah, Dave blows on a few songs. Alex's timing is crap on some songs. There is virtually no bass drum to be found on this fucking album. But...I enjoy listening to it in my car, listening to my one-year-old daughter play with her rattle in time to HOT FOR TEACHER's drum opening. No, this album is not KISS ALIVE! It's not LIVE AT LEEDS. But you want a good comparison? Zeppelin's CELEBRATION DAY was a lot of fun. Solid set by a resurrected band. Was it the original Led Zep? Not even close. Was it anywhere near as good as primo live sets by the original band back in the day? Not even 50%. But it was still fun to listen to. Hearing a live version of FOR YOUR LIFE was alone worth the price of admission.

See, these things can be considered inferior to the glory days...but if they didn't exist, we'd all be bitching and wishing they did exist. And they do. So, if you want to bitch:

1) Bitch that the idiot in front of you won't drive faster.
2) Bitch that you came too early.
3) Bitch that the waiter brought you the wrong meal.

But if you want stuff to really be upset about, trust me...there's a lot worse that could happen in this world than a live album coming out with Dave not singing perfectly.

[perrin29]

I don't think Dave's voice is that bad on this record. Sure they could have fixed few things in the studio to make it better (like the whole China Town issue and yelps). But "super, super, super...bad"? Nah.

THIS is super super super...bad

Wow! Like....wow! And people paid well over a grand for that privilege didn't they? DLR sounds like Pavarotti to my ears compared to that. Holy shit.

[TwoFoolsAMinute]

Hell, I listened to it. I enjoyed most of it. If you pick and choose clips from it, you can make it seem really bad. Listen to the whole thing and you'll have a good time. The last three songs with Dave are hard on the ears. He makes a really odd choice with the vocals on DTNA that might actually work if they were to do a reggae arrangement, but they don't. I'm so glad he didn't sing it that way on Kimmel and Ellen. Anyway. there's more good than bad.

They should include a DVD/BD of the Hollywood Blvd show as a bonus disc a la the ADKOT bonus disc.

[ULTRAMAN VH]

If Dave would just sing the songs in the register they were recorded and got some of that 2007 swagger back, no one would be saying anything negative. I remember him walking down the ramp to YRGM during the 07 tour. He was on top of his game and unfortunately Ed was the train wreck. Please Dave, drop the creepy vaudevillian bullshit and get cool again. UGH!!!!!!!

[PETE'S BROTHER]

that was eight years ago...

"you must accept as is"

[Vinnie Velvet]

My two cents, for what it's worth...

Believe it or not, I didn't even listen to the fucking thing until this morning (teacher, off for Spring Break...at home, daughter in daycare, listening to a new VH album...nice).

It's fine. I'm glad it exists. I certainly enjoyed DVD bootlegs that did not have better sound than this. If you asked me ten years ago if we'd ever be sold a live album with HEAR ABOUT IT LATER on it, I'd have laughed it off.

I do appreciate that it seems to really be live. If it had Dave crooning through I'M THE ONE with vocal-booth reverb, I would have been annoyed by the falsity being presented. That said, as much as I enjoy the raw sound, and as much as I don't mind Dave bellowing without real musical quality in the odd track (which bothers me none...I've listened to VH bootlegs for years and he never presents a Sinatra in the arena, which one listen to US FESTIVAL will prove), I am annoyed as shit that they had to mix the crowd so loudly. The thing definitely sounds genuine, but I hate the sound of live albums where the crowd is almost drowning out the band. For Christ's sake, this isn't BEATLES AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL. It's a bunch of guys in their sixties, and the audience is not shrieking teenagers bleeding onto the tape.

This is Van Halen's first live album, it sounds raw enough, it has new songs (sorry, I loved ADKOT) and a good mix of old songs (again, see HEAR ABOUT IT LATER). Yes, a band called Van Halen released a monstrosity in 1993. Hell, even putting aside one's feelings for Sammy Hagar, even if one actually liked Sammy Hagar, that is a terrible album. Apparently almost completely re-recorded in the studio, crowd noise that sounds like it came off a sound-FX CD and absolutely no balls in the sound.

This is the real deal. It cost me $13 (because I feel no need to buy AGAIN the same albums I've bought three times already...and the 2000 remasters were perfect, as far as I'm concerned).

And I've got too much going on in my life and have dealt with too much these past two years to get real upset on whether or not Dave sounds that great. This is a nice thing to blare while we're making dinner.

But yes...the real classic live album would have been recorded on the FAIR WARNING tour. It would have been two vinyl records. It would have had a fold-out in the middle with an amazing shot of the FAIR WARNING stage. It would have been killer. But that band is long gone.

I was going to post my review - but I think my bro Rikk here said pretty much what I was going to say.

How ya doin' Rikk!

[binnie]

It's great to see so many old faces around here at the moment.

[chefcraig]

It's great to see so many old faces around here at the moment.

No kidding. Great to hear from Rikk and VV, a pair of guys that never fell for/stood for bullshit. Seriously outstanding and cool.

[private parts]

This should get your blood pressure going one way or another.

[FALCO]

After hearing the "singles" they released, I was definitely not into this CD, especially since I haven't liked DLR's vocal approach since 2012 (as I have said over and over lol)...

However, just watched and listened to Women In Love, Romeo Delight, Mean Street and Beautiful Girls from the Tokyo Dome HD concert someone recorded on YouTube and I have to say that ANY of those tracks should have been the first release (although with a better mix - see below) ... with the exception of one bad "baby pleeeease", Dave is absolutely KILLING it on those tracks... Singing in his range with just the right attitude and sounds as he should...

Also compared the CD recording to that HD concert and have to say I would take the video recording over the horrific mix on the CD any day... A/B'd Romeo Delight and what a difference... cardboard direct feed sound vs. cool atmospheric room mic vibe with that little bit of reverb and just a killer live sound with Dave's voice nicely in the mix!!!

Strange...

FALCO
\m/ \m/

[ZahZoo]

No kidding. Great to hear from Rikk and VV, a pair of guys that never fell for/stood for bullshit. Seriously outstanding and cool.

Nice to see them too!!

Change the word "for" to "in" and you'd have to lose the word never when it comes to here...

[Vinnie Velvet]

No kidding. Great to hear from Rikk and VV, a pair of guys that never fell for/stood for bullshit. Seriously outstanding and cool.

Chef, what's going on, man!

Yeah, all good where VV is concerned.

The only thing that is more annoying than Roth Army members bitching about Dave's vocals is Elvis posting Van Hagar videos here in Main.

THAT is bullshit.

Yeah, that's right fag nuts - stop the Hagar crap.

And I got news for ya. Only Van Hagar fans refer to Michael Anthony as "Mikey". And your ejaculating all over Butterball Bass Player is sickening too ("its not the same without Mikey", "Not seeing a show without Mikey." Mikey, Mikey, Mikey. Fuck off already with that shit.)

So go on Elvis. Listen to "Love Walks In Your Roid-Riddled Ass" to your heart's content. Listen to the manufactured 1993 "live" album so can hear Spammy sing like you think a singer should sing.

That is all.

DAVE OR THE GRAVE, FUCKERS!

VV out.

[Jetstream]

Call it the Titanic or the Bismarck but "Van Halen Live at the Tokyo Dome" had debuted number 5 on the Billboard rock charts and number 20 on the Billboard 200