1984 Fan Documentary - 5 Part Miniseries

[Silexxx]

Here's the first trailer.

Same channel that made the Steve Vai fan doc while ago.

Episode topics will be:

EP1: Building 5150 Studios
EP2: The Road to the US Festival
EP3: The Making of the 1984 Album
Ep4: The 1984 Tour
EP5: Van Halen Breaks Up

[ZahZoo]

Looking forward to this! It should include material, photos, etc that haven't been seen before plus more inside info on the band's business mess during this era.

[ZahZoo]

The guy who created this mini-documentary also created an AI generated David Lee Roth voice sample... here's a taste...

[AlanCBerry]

Thanks for posting!!

[ZahZoo]

Happy to spread the word... It's darn nice to see something new coming out about the band even if it's a fresh look at historical aspects. As has been the case the last quarter century... the fans are far more productive and motivated than the band themselves!

[Vinnie Velvet]

Arguably the most pivotal year in VH history. Its great to examine it.

How the band imploded after ten years of first building themselves up through the clubs, then finally getting a record deal to extensive sold out tours, platinum albums and finally the big album and singles that broke them into the mainstream and established their iconic status.

[Terry]

As a fan, at the time for me 1984 wasn't an album I immediately liked as much as what came before. Most of that, ironically, had to do with the lead-off (and the band's biggest) single, Jump. I was never quite as over the moon about it as so many others were, in large part because I didn't want the band to start making synths and keyboards a more prominent part of the sound. Also, I found Jump to be...a bit too mannered and radio-friendly in terms of Van Halen and what I liked best about the band. I wasn't much of a fan of I'll Wait, either. Panama WAS a great song far as the singles off that album went, but I never liked Panama quite as much as Hot For Teacher, Girl Gone Bad, House of Pain, Drop Dead Legs and Top Jimmy. Back when it was released, I found myself listening to the second side of the album more than the first and physically skipping the needle over I'll Wait when I did so.

However, in 1984 the band appeared to still be firing on all cylinders and still presented a united front. The demoting of Michael Anthony and the offstage fracture between Roth and the rest of the band were either not known at the time or managed well enough in terms of the public front or pr angle that everything seemed primed for the band to do another record and tour after the 1984 album/tour cycle was over. Even when CFTH first came out, it came off as something Roth did as a lark to me. My reaction at the time wasn't one of "oh, Dave's gonna leave the band soon," or that a split was coming.

Which was what made the split in 1985 and Ed's asshole comments in Rolling Stone so surprising. It seemed like Van Halen were still basically at the top of their game. It wasn't a case of someone in the band dying a la Led Zeppelin. Nor was the band sounding old and tired musically a la Black Sabbath circa Never Say Die.

I gave Van Hagar more than a fair shot...even after 5150 (which I hated), I gave OU812 and F*U*C*K* both a careful listen. By then it was abundantly clear to me that the band for me ended in 1984 and nothing the band was ever gonna do with Hagar was gonna reach what Van Halen with Dave did. Those 2 BOV1 tracks with Roth gave a glimmer of those past triumphs. So did parts of ADKOT. But the best the band had to offer ended in 1984. When I think of Van Halen, I'm thinking of 1978 to 1984. What the band did after Dave left was (obviously, by default) something else, but these days I don't even consider it to be 'Van Halen' after 1984, and the only stuff post-1984 to my ears that gets close are the two Roth BOV1 tracks and the ADKOT album...but even with THAT stuff...after 1984, Van Halen never quite reached the 1978-1984 summit again.

[Seshmeister]

I'll Wait was probably a bigger warning than Jump. Jump is all keyboards but it's still kind of unique, the clever vocal melody and the off beat pre-chorus make it special. We're all bored out of our minds with it for decades now but it's not just some throwaway synth crap.

I'll Wait is more like formulaic AOR with a good guitar solo which became the Van Hagar model.

[Vinnie Velvet]

As a fan, at the time for me 1984 wasn't an album I immediately liked as much as what came before. Most of that, ironically, had to do with the lead-off (and the band's biggest) single, Jump. I was never quite as over the moon about it as so many others were, in large part because I didn't want the band to start making synths and keyboards a more prominent part of the sound. Also, I found Jump to be...a bit too mannered and radio-friendly in terms of Van Halen and what I liked best about the band. I wasn't much of a fan of I'll Wait, either. Panama WAS a great song far as the singles off that album went, but I never liked Panama quite as much as Hot For Teacher, Girl Gone Bad, House of Pain, Drop Dead Legs and Top Jimmy. Back when it was released, I found myself listening to the second side of the album more than the first and physically skipping the needle over I'll Wait when I did so.

However, in 1984 the band appeared to still be firing on all cylinders and still presented a united front. The demoting of Michael Anthony and the offstage fracture between Roth and the rest of the band were either not known at the time or managed well enough in terms of the public front or pr angle that everything seemed primed for the band to do another record and tour after the 1984 album/tour cycle was over. Even when CFTH first came out, it came off as something Roth did as a lark to me. My reaction at the time wasn't one of "oh, Dave's gonna leave the band soon," or that a split was coming.

Which was what made the split in 1985 and Ed's asshole comments in Rolling Stone so surprising. It seemed like Van Halen were still basically at the top of their game. It wasn't a case of someone in the band dying a la Led Zeppelin. Nor was the band sounding old and tired musically a la Black Sabbath circa Never Say Die.

I gave Van Hagar more than a fair shot...even after 5150 (which I hated), I gave OU812 and F*U*C*K* both a careful listen. By then it was abundantly clear to me that the band for me ended in 1984 and nothing the band was ever gonna do with Hagar was gonna reach what Van Halen with Dave did. Those 2 BOV1 tracks with Roth gave a glimmer of those past triumphs. So did parts of ADKOT. But the best the band had to offer ended in 1984. When I think of Van Halen, I'm thinking of 1978 to 1984. What the band did after Dave left was (obviously, by default) something else, but these days I don't even consider it to be 'Van Halen' after 1984, and the only stuff post-1984 to my ears that gets close are the two Roth BOV1 tracks and the ADKOT album...but even with THAT stuff...after 1984, Van Halen never quite reached the 1978-1984 summit again.

It all came down to control and certain people being let go.

The factors that led to the eventual breakup:

- Ed building his own studio
- Dave doing CFTH
- Ed not wanting to work with Ted anymore
- Ed and Al (mostly Al) dumping Noel as their manager
- Ed, Al, Dave (Mike I guess didn't have much of a say) not agreeing on virtually anything and no one there to help steer the ship

[AlanCBerry]

One week from today, I will release the first two episodes of my Van Halen fan documentary. I'm not making any money from this project, but I'd greatly appreciate folks subscribing to my YouTube channel.
Van Halen documentary Relase date poster.jpg

[Von Halen]

One week from today, I will release the first two episodes of my Van Halen fan documentary. I'm not making any money from this project, but I'd greatly appreciate folks subscribing to my YouTube channel.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]17298[/ATTACH]

Definitely!

[Geno]

Can hardly WAIT to watch this. I was just watching some live videos of the Hagar/Roth "The Other Guys" Tour. ROTH ON!!

[AlanCBerry]

Have you ever been so wasted you got a David Lee Roth tramp stamp? ������
David Lee Roth Tramp Stamp.jpg

[ZahZoo]

Episode 1

[ZahZoo]

Episode 2