This summer, no one will be safe... (a Van Halen reunion)

Goodness, have you guys listened to "Balance" lately?

"Can't Stop Loving You" is Bolton-esque in its sucktitude.

I like Hagar-era VH, because that's the band I grew up with (I was 10 when "1984" came out) and saw live several times. I've always believed the change in lead singers extended VH's career by 10 years, because DLR's schtick wore as thin as his hair. Hagar's slightly more mature persona was perfect for a band whose audience was hitting adulthood. (Of course, now Hagar is trying to come off as a hipper Jimmy Buffett, so much for maturity)

But the Roth-era band was far better.

 

On our salaries, it's not as if we can afford to go to any of these reunion shows anyway.

 

Never said they weren't great in their day. It's just that touring with a bunch of gravy trainers serving as extra musicians (what, they can't play the songs without these people?) and WITHOUT a guy who was responsible for much of their lasting success, is sort of sad. And it's not truly Pink Floyd, any more than that recent Who tour was The Who. Doesn't change the fact they put out some wonderful music 30 years ago.

Back on topic . . . . .

A Van Halen "reunion" without Michael Anthony is just guys who know each other getting together to try to take people's money. It's not Van Halen. And has David Lee Roth had some kind of miracle surgery that restored his shot voice?

For me, I grew up on the Roth era stuff. I was nine when 1984 came out, but my older siblings had already made sure to indoctrinate me since the debut album came out in 1978. They famously recorded most of their first two albums live, with some obvious overdubs on Runnin with the devil, Jamie's cryin and Ice Cream Man. At their best (the first two albums, all of Fair Warning, a couple other tunes here and there) they sounded like a party that the listener was invited to . . . I guess almost like listening to Howard Stern back when Jackie was there and Fred still spoke.

Like you're a fly on the wall at this great time these people are having in the studio is the best way I could describe it. They weren't innovative, and the only type of music they influenced was cock rock, but man Eddie Van Halen was stupendous, Michael Anthony was solid (and played damn fast on some songs, and damn funky on others), and Alex was really good too. Roth's lyrics ran to partying, getting laid, etc. . . but as Robert Plant said, music is all about enjoyment and having a good time.

It was too bad when they broke up due to Roth and Eddie's egos. I was heartbroken I would never see these dudes live. The sound they had with Sammy on 5150 was so sad as keyboards dominated most songs, and the greatest guitarist of his generation was wasted on only doing solos in these tunes, which basically sounded a lot like Sammy Hagar with yet another backup band. They had a few good tunes, sure. And the best one of the Hagar era was Right Now, the only keyboard tune as they thought they were getting back to rock with the "hilariously" titled FUCK.

I don't know . . . I understand bands must evolve, and the fact is some of the rock songs on 1984 were boring as shit (Girl Gone Bad, House of Pain, ugh), and they had no keyboards. But starting with 5150, they just sounded overproduced in the Hagar era, like they wanted to make music not that their wives would like, but that their mothers-in-law would enjoy.

I heard they were still solid live, though.

 

I loved DLR-era Van halen but I'm far more pumped about a Crowded House reunion. Is this for real? I missed this news somewhow...

 

VH with Roth and VH with Hagar are like two different bands, but there were things I liked about both.

The keyboards on MCMLXXXIV I could've done without, though. Turned a couple of great songs ("Jump" and "I'll Wait") into something a pasty Brit band would've been putting out about that time.

Mind you, I was kind of into those pasty Brit bands (and still am — thank you Fred.) But not with EVH on guitar. Like putting peanut butter on pizza.

 

This is a very bad idea. Eddie is a crazy man, Diamond Dave is way over the hill, no Michael Anthony, a 15-year-old bass player and tickets will probably start at $75. No thanks.

 

I wouldn't walk across the street to see Van Halen w/ DLR and w/o Michael Anthony.......Someone brought it up earlier that Sammy seemed to be genuinely having fun on stage........DLR is so damn arrogant that he actually feels like people pay money to see him, and no one else.

As far as Pink Floyd goes........Roger just completely lost his mind.......Pink Floyd was nothing but weird synthesizers for the better part of the 60's and 70's.

What was their calling card to go see them live? They didn't have one...(By the end of his tenure, Waters was a blathering mess who didn't want to be in the same room with Gilmour, Mason, and Wright,)...unless you wanted to do some acid out in public, and no one gave a rip......Now, people go (not only for the acid now,) but for the actual show.......Not only the show itself, but the actual performance, with the lights, sound, everything that comes.......that if I recall correctly, costs around $1.5 million PER SHOW to pull off just the lighting.

So, while Pink Floyd may or may not have been better with Waters, Pink Floyd will still go down as one of The Top 3 Greats Bands of All-Time, and for my money, Dark Side of The Moon will go down as the greatest album ever......

 

Not a single bad song on F.U.C.K

 

who's going to drive diamond dave's ambulance while he's out on tour?

 

I saw VH on the 1984 tour, I was 16 and DLR was the coolest mofo on the planet. That being said, without Anthony and his Jack Daniels bass, this isn't Van Halen.

Odds on DLR pulling a groin or ripping a hammie while trying to do a spin kick during a song: 4/1
Odds Wolfie walks in on uncle Alex or Dave doing some freaky shit to a groupie: 1/4

 

I completely agree with the notion that DLR seemed to forget there were other people on stage with him when he was in Van Halen. I love the DLR music, but for a show as a band, the Sammy era was much better.

The reunion does suck without Michael Anthony. I really hope they can all pull it together for the HOF induction. I've been waiting for them to be inducted, but now they'll probably just not perform.

Speaking of Crowded House, how can they possibly pull off a reunion without their drummer? He committed suicide a little while back. Some of you with kids like me may remember him more fondly as Paul the Cook in the Wiggles' Fruit Salad video.