This Fuckin' Kid

[Nitro Express]

Wolf needs a charismatic partner. Keeping it the Wolf Van Halen show is going to run flat.

[Nitro Express]

Totally agree. That’s why I say musically, he needs to switch up and improve. He’s got a cult following who will hang in there. If smaller crowds are all he needs, I’m sure he’ll stick around for a while. I just don’t ever see him putting out something with the success of Jump and moving to the next level.

I’m not even sure if he has a cult following. He’s benefiting from being in the wake of his dad. He get’s big opening gigs because of that and people want to see him out of curiosity. That’s going to fade away and then what?

[Nitro Express]

Wolfgang needs to hire a personal trainer and get his diet under control and get some exercise. This means breaking life long bad habits but it’s as much about the presentation as it is music. I also wonder how good of a manager Wolfie’s uncle really is. Sammy Hagar was successful because he had excellent management. Clearly Wolfgang has a passion and talent for music but he’s going to fade away unless he really wants to get serious about being a top tier entertainer. It’s not just music it’s the whole image you are selling. Wolfgang also has the problem of he’s not charismatic and he’s the frontman. People love charisma and if your personality is boring well they lose interest. I’m not really seeing any rocket sauce in the mix. Wolfgang would have to partner with someone with charisma to make it. His dad had to do that. Van Halen’s just aren’t good front personalities.

[DLR Bridge]

Totally agree. That’s why I say musically, he needs to switch up and improve. He’s got a cult following who will hang in there. If smaller crowds are all he needs, I’m sure he’ll stick around for a while. I just don’t ever see him putting out something with the success of Jump and moving to the next level.

[Rikk]

I think the jury is still out on that one. Sure, many of us in here find his brand of music to be a droll rehash of a deeply forgettable era in the annals of rock known as Nu Metal. This is of course why he’s such a good fit for this Creed tour, which I will be ignoring when it passes through town. But make no mistake, he will be picking up the remaining hangers-on fans of this genre by tours end. If I’ve got anything positive to say about the guy these days, it’s that touring your ass off is the way to go if you want a career in music, and even though he certainly doesn’t need the money, he is no doubt putting in the work to keep his name out there. Credit where credit is due.

The biggest problem with the furthering of his career is the manner in which he creates music. It is stiff, over processed and without believable life. I can see knocking out demos for songs by playing everything, then presenting your ideas to a band to then put their own imprint on their instrumental parts. That’s how bands work. His whole “I do everything like the way Dave Grohl once did” was a tired act out of the gate. I don’t know that his present followers necessarily agree with that yet, but unless he makes a refreshing change to his process, they’ll soon catch on that he’s simply writing the same three or four songs over and over, get bored and move on.

Wolfgang has some talent...but nothing that jumps off the page or says anything new, the way his dad did.

Wolfgang's 1st album hit #12.

His 2nd album hit #29.

He's already lost so much of the Van Halen fan sympathy vote that occurred with his 1st album. Add to that all the fans he's turned off by insulting them repeatedly on his Twitter (X) page...he's not going to keep going UP. He's going to keep going DOWN.

[Rikk]

Hagar had a slightly naturally higher vocal key he sang in than Dave did. They were both basically tenors. Hagar's voice was maybe a half-step higher than Dave's was.

I never quite understood how that meant Hagar's voice was therefore better.

It didn't. In any way.

I'm a vocalist with a multi-octave range. My mom also sings...and she always questions me on why I don't do a lot of worn-out vocalist tropes, like:
. Showing off skills with vibrato.
. Always wanting to find a really high note near the end when I write a song.

She doesn't understand why I've cultivated a whiskey rasp in my voice. I've cultivated it because I like how it sounds. I don't like Whitney Houston, Steve Perry-style singers. That kind of singing lacks balls, in my humble opinion. It's like masturbating.

Many of my favorite singers did NOT have great technical skill as a vocalist (it's the attitude in their sound):
. Iggy Pop
. Marc Bolan
. Jim Morrison
. Ronnie Van Zant
. Paul Rodgers (ok, actually, he really is a very talented singer)

Maybe my favorite vocalist of all-time is Chris Cornell...but NOT because he had such vocal range...but because of the character in his voice.

(Sammy Hagar has a pretty big vocal range...but he's a walking cliché-regurgitator...he uses all these stupid "working class" tropes that sound insincere, like "It's my life, get off my ass, get outta my face." Dude has talent...but he never has anything interesting to say. He's not an artist...he doesn't put in the work.)

[Terry]

Hagar had a slightly naturally higher vocal key he sang in than Dave did. They were both basically tenors. Hagar's voice was maybe a half-step higher than Dave's was.

I never quite understood how that meant Hagar's voice was therefore better.

[DLR Bridge]

Singers are about feel and connection to the material. Pure technical ability gets you on singing shows but doesn't make you an artist. A lot of great artists sing but are not technically great singers but just matched to the material perfectly. The lack of any connection to the material is primary reason Sam to me sounds like shit singing Dave's material. Some vocal items like Sam can not reach Dave's low end but mostly even when sang perfectly by Sam simply sounds like shit

People who admire singers based on their abilities are usually unknowingly hoodwinked into thinking they can do it all. They heard Sam hit slightly higher notes and assumed he was an all around better singer, writer and performer. Terrible assumption.

I was listening to Little Guitars today in the car and it dawned on me that in no way could any other singer do this song any justice. Sam would’ve utterly destroyed it.

[DLR Bridge]

Wolf has reached his peak career wise, in relevance, and in hubris. Forward he is not gonna like the journey. I wonder as all plays out how much more bitter tubby will get

I think the jury is still out on that one. Sure, many of us in here find his brand of music to be a droll rehash of a deeply forgettable era in the annals of rock known as Nu Metal. This is of course why he’s such a good fit for this Creed tour, which I will be ignoring when it passes through town. But make no mistake, he will be picking up the remaining hangers-on fans of this genre by tours end. If I’ve got anything positive to say about the guy these days, it’s that touring your ass off is the way to go if you want a career in music, and even though he certainly doesn’t need the money, he is no doubt putting in the work to keep his name out there. Credit where credit is due.

The biggest problem with the furthering of his career is the manner in which he creates music. It is stiff, over processed and without believable life. I can see knocking out demos for songs by playing everything, then presenting your ideas to a band to then put their own imprint on their instrumental parts. That’s how bands work. His whole “I do everything like the way Dave Grohl once did” was a tired act out of the gate. I don’t know that his present followers necessarily agree with that yet, but unless he makes a refreshing change to his process, they’ll soon catch on that he’s simply writing the same three or four songs over and over, get bored and move on.

[Never was]

Wolf has reached his peak career wise, in relevance, and in hubris. Forward he is not gonna like the journey. I wonder as all plays out how much more bitter tubby will get

[Never was]

Singers are about feel and connection to the material. Pure technical ability gets you on singing shows but doesn't make you an artist. A lot of great artists sing but are not technically great singers but just matched to the material perfectly. The lack of any connection to the material is primary reason Sam to me sounds like shit singing Dave's material. Some vocal items like Sam can not reach Dave's low end but mostly even when sang perfectly by Sam simply sounds like shit

[Seshmeister]

Wow! I can't believe that all you motherfuckers still carry the torch. Great to see you guys.

Interesting to see if you will still be brave enough to post here after being destroyed on June 14th...

[Seshmeister]

Templeman said in his book that he thought it was a mistake for the band to continue to call itself Van Halen after Dave left and that problem he had with the band retaining the name was sort of a deal-breaker to him continuing to produce the band after Dave left.

Well it would have made our lives so much easier. Just today I wandered into a fucking situation in my house.

Me: What the fuck is going on? Get that off now!
Her: Sorry what?

On the big TV she is streaming 'Love Walks In' on YouTube with a big picture on the screen of Van Halen from WACF.

Her: It's a best of Van Halen playlist I thought you liked them?

[Terry]

Eloquently put, Scraps! I always felt it sounded a bit like a ploy or marketing tactic myself. Ted does mention in his book that the thought had crossed his mind, but I can’t recall if the thought went any further than that at the time. One things for sure, he couldn’t over state it enough that had he made that switch, it would have been the biggest mistake of his career.

Templeman said in his book that he thought it was a mistake for the band to continue to call itself Van Halen after Dave left and that problem he had with the band retaining the name was sort of a deal-breaker to him continuing to produce the band after Dave left.

I'd imagine a lot of producers in 1977 would have reservations about Roth's vocals. Van Halen were an unknown quantity commercially. It wouldn't have been unreasonable for Templeman to have mused that maybe Hagar - who he had already produced in Montrose - would be a better fit for Van Halen in traditional commercial terms.

[Rikk]

Wow! I can't believe that all you motherfuckers still carry the torch. Great to see you guys.

Blast from the past!

Great to see you, friend.