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Larry Rogers
It seems that the members of the reunited Van Halen, fronted this time out by singer Sammy Hagar, really, really dislike former vocalist-jester David Lee Roth.
Although the band's latest greatest-hits package has plenty of Roth's cocky wailing on it, you'll need a magnifying glass to find even one photograph of the flamboyant singer, who helped found Van Haln in 1974.
Roth is referred to only as "DLR" on the band's official web site (www.van-halen.com). And both Hagar and drummer Alex Van Halen couldn't bring themselves to utter Roth's name once during a 90-minute conference call with reporters.
But that animosity won't prevent Van Halen 2004 from performing such Roth-era classics as Ain't talkin' bout love and You Really Got Me when the band brings one of the summer's biggest rock tours to Phoenix tonight. In fact, Van Halen, which also includes co-founders Eddie Van Halen (guitar) and Michael Anthony (bass), has been opening many of its shows with Jump, Roth's most radio-friendly contribution to the band he left in 1985.
In 1996, Hagar had his own acrimonious split with Van Halen after a decade run, but the frizzy-haired vocalist has been welcomed back to record three new song for this year's Best of Both Worlds CD and to serve as master of ceremonies for 50 concert dates.
Hagar, 56, whose main beef reportedly was with Eddie Van Halen, said a vacation to southern California, home of the Van Halen brothers, late last year prompted the reunion.
"I'd been saying tihs for 100 years: 'I'm going to give Alex a call one of these days.' And I finally did," Hagar says. "We talked for so long, it was like, 'Hey, why don't you just come down here?'... We hung out with our families, and it was just awesome."
A few days later, Alex urged Hagar to call Eddie, and the singer took the advice: "I just, boom, called him, and it was great." Hagar hooked up with the brothers at Eddie's home studio, and the three couldn't resist doing what came naturally: jamming.
"We picked up right where we left off, and the moment we hit the studio and started making music (the reunion) was a no-brainer," Alex, 51, recalls.
The group eventually came up with about two hours of new material, according to Hagar, but had time to record only three tracks to spruce up the greatest-hits CD.
The first single is the upbeat It's About Time, which talks about how the four finally reunited after a layoff that included tough times for Eddie: a divorce from the actress Valerie Bertinelli, hip-replacement surgery and a bout with tongue cancer.
"I couldn't help but write those kind of lyrics," Hagar says. "If we tried two years ago, it could have blown up, or, two years from now, it might be too late."
The band is upbeat about Eddie's return to form as one of the guitar gods worshipped by rock fans of all ages. The guitarist, who also underwent alcohol rehab in 1990, is "healthy and he's ready to go," his brother says.
Eddie, 49, who has said he's beaten the cancer, looks as though he's been lifting weights and is showing no shortage of energy onstage, according to recent concert reviews.
In fact, through the band's parade of singers (Roth flirted with returning in 1996 and Extreme alumnus Gary Cherone sang on one ill-fated album and tour in 1998-99), the clasically trained Eddie Van Halen has provided the consistent star power to sell CDs and concert tickets.
The guitarist's crazed fret work on such classics as Hot for Teacher and Eruption influenced a generation of young players, and he's been including a 10-minute solo in this year's show.
For his latest tenure in the spotlight, Hagar has overcome his resistance to performing tunes originally sung by Roth. Hagar, whose voice is higher than his predecessor's, is putting his mark on Panama, Unchained, and Somebody get me a doctor onstage.
"I'd rather be singing something that I wrote and was thinking about than what someone else was thinking about," Hagar says. "But now I look at... a song like Jump, which is a great, great song, or a song like Unchained, a great, great rock track - I look at it as, "Have fun singing it.'"
But Hagar can be forgiven for having even more fun singing his own Vh standouts, including Poundcake, When It's Love and Right Now.
Both the singer and drummer insist that Van Halen isn't looking beyond this tour to the possibility of recording a new album.
"We deal with one thing at a time," Alex Van Halen says.
"I think it can last, and I really hope it can," Hagar adds.
"But, you know, I might come in with the wrong-color shirt on one day, and the whole thing could blow up."
It seems that the members of the reunited Van Halen, fronted this time out by singer Sammy Hagar, really, really dislike former vocalist-jester David Lee Roth.
Although the band's latest greatest-hits package has plenty of Roth's cocky wailing on it, you'll need a magnifying glass to find even one photograph of the flamboyant singer, who helped found Van Haln in 1974.
Roth is referred to only as "DLR" on the band's official web site (www.van-halen.com). And both Hagar and drummer Alex Van Halen couldn't bring themselves to utter Roth's name once during a 90-minute conference call with reporters.
But that animosity won't prevent Van Halen 2004 from performing such Roth-era classics as Ain't talkin' bout love and You Really Got Me when the band brings one of the summer's biggest rock tours to Phoenix tonight. In fact, Van Halen, which also includes co-founders Eddie Van Halen (guitar) and Michael Anthony (bass), has been opening many of its shows with Jump, Roth's most radio-friendly contribution to the band he left in 1985.
In 1996, Hagar had his own acrimonious split with Van Halen after a decade run, but the frizzy-haired vocalist has been welcomed back to record three new song for this year's Best of Both Worlds CD and to serve as master of ceremonies for 50 concert dates.
Hagar, 56, whose main beef reportedly was with Eddie Van Halen, said a vacation to southern California, home of the Van Halen brothers, late last year prompted the reunion.
"I'd been saying tihs for 100 years: 'I'm going to give Alex a call one of these days.' And I finally did," Hagar says. "We talked for so long, it was like, 'Hey, why don't you just come down here?'... We hung out with our families, and it was just awesome."
A few days later, Alex urged Hagar to call Eddie, and the singer took the advice: "I just, boom, called him, and it was great." Hagar hooked up with the brothers at Eddie's home studio, and the three couldn't resist doing what came naturally: jamming.
"We picked up right where we left off, and the moment we hit the studio and started making music (the reunion) was a no-brainer," Alex, 51, recalls.
The group eventually came up with about two hours of new material, according to Hagar, but had time to record only three tracks to spruce up the greatest-hits CD.
The first single is the upbeat It's About Time, which talks about how the four finally reunited after a layoff that included tough times for Eddie: a divorce from the actress Valerie Bertinelli, hip-replacement surgery and a bout with tongue cancer.
"I couldn't help but write those kind of lyrics," Hagar says. "If we tried two years ago, it could have blown up, or, two years from now, it might be too late."
The band is upbeat about Eddie's return to form as one of the guitar gods worshipped by rock fans of all ages. The guitarist, who also underwent alcohol rehab in 1990, is "healthy and he's ready to go," his brother says.
Eddie, 49, who has said he's beaten the cancer, looks as though he's been lifting weights and is showing no shortage of energy onstage, according to recent concert reviews.
In fact, through the band's parade of singers (Roth flirted with returning in 1996 and Extreme alumnus Gary Cherone sang on one ill-fated album and tour in 1998-99), the clasically trained Eddie Van Halen has provided the consistent star power to sell CDs and concert tickets.
The guitarist's crazed fret work on such classics as Hot for Teacher and Eruption influenced a generation of young players, and he's been including a 10-minute solo in this year's show.
For his latest tenure in the spotlight, Hagar has overcome his resistance to performing tunes originally sung by Roth. Hagar, whose voice is higher than his predecessor's, is putting his mark on Panama, Unchained, and Somebody get me a doctor onstage.
"I'd rather be singing something that I wrote and was thinking about than what someone else was thinking about," Hagar says. "But now I look at... a song like Jump, which is a great, great song, or a song like Unchained, a great, great rock track - I look at it as, "Have fun singing it.'"
But Hagar can be forgiven for having even more fun singing his own Vh standouts, including Poundcake, When It's Love and Right Now.
Both the singer and drummer insist that Van Halen isn't looking beyond this tour to the possibility of recording a new album.
"We deal with one thing at a time," Alex Van Halen says.
"I think it can last, and I really hope it can," Hagar adds.
"But, you know, I might come in with the wrong-color shirt on one day, and the whole thing could blow up."
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