EVH - Guitar World June 2015 Cover

[Nitro Express]

I agree, and that's not even fully putting things in perspective like the rampant cyberbullying that happens afterwards. Why do you think that a lot of kids commit suicide when it comes to these things? Having an embarrassing video of you on the internet with a million and one douchebags writing shit like "lol kill yourself" and on Facebook and Twitter have all your classmates call you a whore and a slut and make disgusting rumors up about you....God...

It's a joke. It's not the real world. People say all sorts of shit on the internet they would never say to a person's face. We don't live in the information age we live in the bullshit age. Look do you see any real professional journalism anymore? It's all bullshit and it still goes back to trusting who you know and not some garbage on the internet. I mean read the comment section on anything and it's full of shit. The internet is one big garbage dump and anyone who gives a flying fuck what someone says about them on it is a loser.

[Nitro Express]

Here's what Nelson are up to now...

I hate harps.

[Nitro Express]

Does this mean the "tone chaser" will finally get his good tone back?

You mean that warm, crunchy, tone he used to have that could still chunk and scream? The tone he got out of a bunch of slapped together junk and old stuff? Yeah. I miss that.

[Nitro Express]

He's certainly saying things these days that only piss me off more and more. How does he do it? Better yet, why?

Here's an idea Ed, since none of the 4 current members of the band wanted to take the time to do things right. Pay someone else to go through the shows, let them pick the best performances, and then fucking sign off on it!

I'm also a little surprised at how, apparently, Dave said to just release Tokyo and be done with it. He never struck me as lazy. Something just seems off about a band professionally recording two tours worth of shows and simply saying, eh, that one'll do.

It sure smells like a money grab doesn't it? I think Eddie is more into his EVH brand and helping Wolfie make a album. I think Al and Dave just want to cash in. Look if you are an aging rock star in a fickle business and you may be looking at another 30 years of old age, you start to fill the nest egg when you can. If we were in their shoes you would be doing the same thing.

[So this is love]

If I were living in Jackson Hole, the last thing I would be spending my time on would be on a Roth Army site. Fuck, you live in one of the best ski area in the world.

[Nitro Express]

People are moving in here like crazy. One of the few places in the US that has a housing shortage. Lot's to do around here if you like outdoors stuff. Jackson is more for expert skiers. If you like skiing steep and deep and chutes this is the place. If you want a more well rounded skill hill Park City or Sun Valley are better. It's pretty mind boggling when you think about all the ski resorts in the rocky mountain, sierra, and cascade ranges. There are a lot of good ones.

[DLR Bridge]

It sure smells like a money grab doesn't it? I think Eddie is more into his EVH brand and helping Wolfie make a album. I think Al and Dave just want to cash in. Look if you are an aging rock star in a fickle business and you may be looking at another 30 years of old age, you start to fill the nest egg when you can. If we were in their shoes you would be doing the same thing.

It's not the filling of the nest egg I contest. It's the admittedly lazy manner in which they are going about it. I've been saying for years, "don't they want our money?" referring to the fact that I'd buy nearly anything they threw my way, save a re-re-mastered 6 pack. Ed excused-away doing anything I'd be interested in buying. If the only nest egg filling I am to give him is for an over priced concert ticket, I don't think I'll be giving to him this time around. I'm more excited about the Van Halen Rising book coming out in October.

[Nitro Express]

It's not the filling of the nest egg I contest. It's the admittedly lazy manner in which they are going about it. I've been saying for years, "don't they want our money?" referring to the fact that I'd buy nearly anything they threw my way, save a re-re-mastered 6 pack. Ed excused-away doing anything I'd be interested in buying. If the only nest egg filling I am to give him is for an over priced concert ticket, I don't think I'll be giving to him this time around. I'm more excited about the Van Halen Rising book coming out in October.

I wish they were more like KISS. KiSS gets a lot of criticism but I've listened to enough interviews with people who have worked on their crew to other musicians who have worked with them and the one constant I hear is KISS bust their ass to give the fans what they want. It's more than Gene shamelessly merchandising it. Paul is a different mindset than Gene but both those guys know they are the beans in the can and they are the product and the songs, the show, and everything has to meet their expectations and the fans expectations. I remember Geddy Lee saying the pressure is on because the fans know the past RUSH catalog better than he does and he's got to nail the songs or he's going to hear about it. I think it's like running a restaurant. You are only as good as your last meal served. I mean your customers keep you in business but if you serve high quality meals they like you better keep the quality or else. Serve one bad one or screw up in the service and a person who came in for years might not be back and they tell their friends. It's gone downhill. It's not the same. It sucked. Music and entertainment are the same way. Your fans or customers were be fiercely loyal if you give them what they like or shock them with something new they dig. As soon as you don't deliver the goods they are done with you.

[Romeo Delight]

It's easy to give KISS fans what they want. Their music is not very demanding to play...kind of like rock but paint by numbers.

Put on the makeup and blow some stuff up (real good) and there you have it.

Rock and roll (all night) or whatever it is for the encore and audience satisfied.

Other than playing every six pack song during the tour...so having 6 different shows each featuring one of the albums and giving Dave 3 days rest between shows for maximum recovery, I an not sure that would even satisfy everyone.

Some people wont be satisfied until they resurrect the exact stage setup for 1984 and Dave take testosterone injections to bulk up. Oh right, and some want either a return of Mikey or Stone on bass.

They need to do more for sure, but whatever it was, it would never be good enough. I think we might hear new cuts on the upcoming tour HOP, GGB, DDL, etc. That would be a good start

[Nitro Express]

Geddy Lee cracked me up when he said how did we write such complicated songs when we were high? Niel Piert says Tom Sawyer is a challenge to play well even after years of playing it. I mean RUSH has it tough. That being said Geddy said KISS are the hardest working band in show business. Yeah the songs might be more simple but I think doing the show right is more difficult than one might think. I think the bottom line is if someone likes doing it they still have the enthusiasm and if it becomes old and a chore you have to be a pretty good actor to cover your attitude. I'm sure KISS and RUSH could retire but I think those guys still go out because they like to do it. VH doesn't seem to be driven anymore. It's like the band has taken a back seat to other things in their lives and that's probably what has happened.

[jhale667]

If Elvis wasn't banned, he'd pretend he knew all the technical details.

Fixed.

I don't think that is a faceplate.

Was indeed. Not just his, all of them - that's how they were constructed.

[Seshmeister]

I wish they were more like KISS. KiSS gets a lot of criticism but I've listened to enough interviews with people who have worked on their crew to other musicians who have worked with them and the one constant I hear is KISS bust their ass to give the fans what they want. It's more than Gene shamelessly merchandising it. Paul is a different mindset than Gene but both those guys know they are the beans in the can and they are the product and the songs, the show, and everything has to meet their expectations and the fans expectations. I remember Geddy Lee saying the pressure is on because the fans know the past RUSH catalog better than he does and he's got to nail the songs or he's going to hear about it. I think it's like running a restaurant. You are only as good as your last meal served. I mean your customers keep you in business but if you serve high quality meals they like you better keep the quality or else. Serve one bad one or screw up in the service and a person who came in for years might not be back and they tell their friends. It's gone downhill. It's not the same. It sucked. Music and entertainment are the same way. Your fans or customers were be fiercely loyal if you give them what they like or shock them with something new they dig. As soon as you don't deliver the goods they are done with you.

The last Rush tour knocked it out the park. By adding a string section and really cool visuals they managed to turn around their set to the point where the new album section was the highlight of the gig.

It's like Roth Radio again at this point he's too exposed and needs more of a show. A big screen and a couple of people standing on either side of him smiling isn't going to cut it a third time for a lot of the people paying $200 and getting a babysitter for the big night out.

[CVH Rulz]

Revealing article (I just finally read).

Ed didn't want a pieced together album:

Van Halen has been aggressive since day one. The rawness of the recording adds to the power. There’s this uncontrolled energy that exists in us that spills over the edges. It’s never really right or perfect, but it creates tension. It’s like, “Okay, who is going to blow it?” [laughs] When you keep waiting for someone to fuck up but no one does, it keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s just raw. It’s the real thing. If people are expecting a perfect live record, well, then it’s not really live anymore.

I was really bummed when I heard from Andy Johns—rest in peace—that Cream’s “Crossroads” [Wheels of Fire] was put together from different shows! That ruined it for me. I thought it was one performance, but it wasn’t. I don’t know if anybody else has ever put out a live album that is really, truly live.

Here it is. Get over it and forget about it...

People ask why we’ve never released the rest of the 1981 Oakland show that we recorded on video. The reason is because we only recorded three songs—“Unchained,” “Hear About it Later” and “So This Is Love.” We actually filmed those three songs for two nights. On “Unchained” I broke a string the first night, and if you watch the video you can see my guitars change just for a few seconds then switch back. We used the second night of audio, so you can’t hear it, but we used video from both nights. The bottom line is we can’t ever release the whole Oakland show because we didn’t film or record the whole show.

Did not know he had cancer 4 times...pilates LOL...

Ah, to be young…. As you get older you get so many more things to deal with in life. I just turned 60, and my main priority now is to maintain my health. I’ve beaten cancer four times and dealt with other health issues. Now it’s all about working out every day and doing Pilates.

OMG...how will you all go on with your lives if they don't do what you want them to and when you want it?

We just take it as it comes. I’d love to do another studio record if everybody else is up for it. At the end of this tour Wolf is going to finish his record. After that we’ll see. We don’t ever plan that far ahead. That’s how the live album came about. The best things aren’t planned that far in advance. We like to keep it loose.

[chefcraig]

His wife bought him that jacket

Yeah, from a back lot sale from the set of "Columbo".

[Seshmeister]

You say that like it would be a bad thing.