The Van Halen Thread

[devstorm]

After listening to Trouble With Never a couple dozen times now, Im noticing a Hendrix, Crosstown Traffic resemblance.. anyone else notice this?

[RLP4ever]

Yea, right on, dev. I remember getting a definite Hendrix vibe the very first time I heard the song. But I couldn't a place a finger on the exact song that made is seem so. Yea, Crosstown Traffic it is, dev (though I vaguely remember initially feeling it was like Foxy Lady in a sense)

I really think the rhythm section, throughout the album, is amazing. Wolfie and Alex seem to be in a tight, terrific lock-step in all the songs--making them sound heavier, and decidedly more dense & dynamic. The 'songwriting' is very skilful and makes the album apt for many repeat listens, as many of us seem to have already done. I have to confess how I'm a bit surprised at how much criticism Tattoo has copped, from many people, so far. I'd easily agree that almost all of the other songs on Truth are much better, but I still like Tattoo quite a lot, think it's a really cool tune, in its own way.

And I have to insist how I'm absolutely awed at Eddie's playing; how searingly sharp, focused, varied and resurgent it sounds, from start to finish. Listening to ADKT, it reminds me why EVH remains, in many ways, my all-time favourite guitar player on the planet.

[Thelemech]

I am loving the remasters of the first six VH albums ...that I just discovered about a week ago at my local cd store - can you believe I have gotten the remasters of VH/VH2/WACF/1984 alll for 5 bucks each - brand new! What A great band!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RLP4ever]

^
Thelemech, are these the 2000 remasters? I ask because I have them, too. Gosh, only 5 bucks each for brand new discs? That's incredible. What a steal, really! And I can confirm the remasters are excellent buys.

Right now, I'm listening to the 'DLR Band' album of '98. I had forgotten what a seriously cool album that is, from start to finish. I seem to like it now more than I did, back in '98. Somebody asked me last night whether I really intended to land up at ALL the venues and dates (on my personal itinerary) of the current tour that I posted on this thread, earlier. INDEEDIDO!

[Thelemech]

^
Thelemech, are these the 2000 remasters? I ask because I have them, too. Gosh, only 5 bucks each for brand new discs? That's incredible. What a steal, really! And I can confirm the remasters are excellent buys.

Yes they are the 2000 remasters - that I previously was unaware of! I still cannot believe I only paid 5$ each brand spanking new! The only ones they did not have - Fair Warning and Diver Down, I will special order them. They sound great.

Hey RLP4ever I hope you are enjoying your trip and the heavy doses of Van Halen you have been consuming!!!!!

[RLP4ever]

^ Oh ok, just as I had thought. Good on ya, those 2000 remasters totally rule! And yea, don't forget to snap up both FW and DD.

And you bet that I'm having a superb time here in the States, following VH around at the shows I have included in my plans. I just got back from Toronto yesterday----and a thrilling night there (on Sat) with the band. Wolfie's birthday was on the 16th, the day before they played, and we were treated to a very cool, updated, but brief version of '316'. I have to check to see where I'm headed next. Buddy, I hope you find a way to see VH, too.

[Sabbathman]

So much for Van Halen too...?

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ne...dates-20120517

[devstorm]

I love the speculation/rumor mongering going on here...

A source with knowledge of the tour tells
Rolling Stone
that Van Halen's members "hate each other." Adds the source, "The band is arguing like mad. They are fighting."

Especially after this appears:

According to TMZ.com, VAN HALEN decided to postpone 31 of its previously announced summer concerts because the guys in the band felt like the current schedule was "too much, too fast" and they were "losing their focus." The site quotes a source "close to the band" as saying "They're simply burned out" and adding, "They want to make sure their concerts are not a routine ... they want every performance to be special." The members of the group want to take some time to "recharge their engines" and return to the road with a renewed energy and enthusiasm.


As for rumors that Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth are feuding,TMZ.com's source states, "It's total B.S."

I've read that Wolfgang is picking the set lists each night, and he's very enthusiastic for deep album cuts like Outta Love Again, The Full Bug etc. My theory is that good ol uncle Alex is pooped from playing like he's 24 well into his mid 50's. Just speculation on my part.. I guess we'll see what happens after the "Break."

[RLP4ever]

post deleted

[devstorm]

[Pink Led Rush]

Well that's good to see anyway, we were all thinking they must have started fighting again. haha

[RLP4ever]

^ That, sadly, is exactly what some people would perversely love to see happen.

But you heard it from DLR, (thanks to devstorm's clip above), and it's pretty obvious that the band has wisely decided to take a pause, before returning for a slew of new dates, not too long afterwards. At any rate, I'd be going back to Aus in June, and I've got a bunch of more shows to watch before I leave. I'll be anxiously waiting for VH to decide to come to Australia, even if for a brief tour, later this year.

[devstorm]

^ That, sadly, is exactly what some people would perversely love to see happen.

Apparently Sammy is using this break to his advantage to essentially say "I told you it would go bad." Kind of a douchebag move if you ask me. He should just move on with his life, play in chickenfoot & shut his yapper. Actually Chickenfoot would sound miles better if he always kept his yapper shut & got a different singer.

[RLP4ever]

Gosh yea, right on the money about that, dev! In fact, Sammy has always used the slightest pretext available to begin trash-talking the brothers and his former band. The fat fucker behaves like a spurned lover seething with uncontrollable rage and envy and desperately stalking the band ever since-----wishing he'd somehow be taken back so he'd get a proper life again. You must have already read some of the demented and ludicrous stuff Sammy's had to say about the Truth album, Dave and other things VH. It's true, he really should accept he's a forgotten entity, as far as Van Halen is concerned, and really should get on with Chickenshit or retire his cheap big mouth, for good.

And I was also referring to many former 'fans' (or non-fans), or specifically DLR-haters, who are seemingly always praying and betting that the band would implode once again, and things would wind up being a disaster very quickly, preferably in the ongoing tour itself. I have nothing but copious contempt for these folks.

[devstorm]

Yeah I agree. The scorned Lover thing was a point I meant to add in my last post. He pontificates so much about the current state of the band in the press. I mean hell it's been 8 - 10 years since he last performed as a member of the band? Why is he still talking about them? In any other situation Sabbath for instance, what Ozzy, or Dio, or Iommi thought of each others' current situations were mere footnotes if mentioned at all. In Sammy's case it seems the only thing he chooses to talk about, or it's the only topic he's being asked about. I understand maybe putting all that stuff in his book. And from what Ive heard it was surprisingly candid. To me thats cool that he's willing to come clean to such an intimate degree. I guess the brothers' drove him crazy and that's perhaps enough to make mention of. But these latest press statements reminds me of what VH, Sammy & DLR did in 85 - 86 when the first split happened. Except this time, notice VH isn't talking trash about Sammy, Mike or Chickendick whatsoever?

[devstorm]

Latest rumor I'm hearing for the cancellation of the next leg of the tour is sluggish ticket sales. Several of the dates were repeat appearances so I guess they don't want to oversaturate. I'm wondering if their next outing will be some sort of co-headlining event.

[Pink Led Rush]

Latest rumor I'm hearing for the cancellation of the next leg of the tour is sluggish ticket sales. Several of the dates were repeat appearances so I guess they don't want to oversaturate. I'm wondering if their next outing will be some sort of co-headlining event.

Not sure what's up but hopefully that wasn't it. I know my parents didn't buy me tickets because they thought I didn't want to see Kool and the Gang which is true, but I wouldnt have cared in order to see VH. And from what I heard they haven't cancelled the dates, only post-poned them indefinitely.

[Thelemech]

Just bought Fair Warning as a self birthday gift - the 2000 remaster - It sounds fn awesome... I special ordered it.
Now all I need to complete my Van Halen remaster upgrades is Diver Down and honestly I am not in that big of a hurry for that one .

[TYR66]

Just bought Fair Warning as a self birthday gift - the 2000 remaster - It sounds fn awesome... I special ordered it.
Now all I need to complete my Van Halen remaster upgrades is Diver Down and honestly I am not in that big of a hurry for that one .

IMHO , Van Halen , WACF , and Fair Warning are the Best DLR era . 1984 is unique .
but Diver Down isn't bad at all : OK , many covers , some good like Pretty Woman and others reveal a lack of inspiration .

[Thelemech]

IMHO , Van Halen , WACF , and Fair Warning are the Best DLR era . 1984 is unique .
but Diver Down isn't bad at all : OK , many covers , some good like Pretty Woman and others reveal a lack of inspiration .

Yeah those three are my favorite as well but I would include their new release as #4. Diver is not bad it is just my least favorite of the original Van Halen.

[TYR66]

Yeah those three are my favorite as well but I would include their new release as #4. Diver is not bad it is just my least favorite of the original Van Halen.

The Van Halen/ Roth Alchemy works again and again .

[devstorm]

Just bought Fair Warning as a self birthday gift - the 2000 remaster - It sounds fn awesome... I special ordered it.
Now all I need to complete my Van Halen remaster upgrades is Diver Down and honestly I am not in that big of a hurry for that one .

Congrats on Fair Warning. Still think it's their best overall. But I can understand not rushing out to grab DD immediately. I only tend to skip over Dancing in the Streets, and Big Bad Bill when I listen to it today. But the rest is fairly solid IMO. I can honestly say IMO there's not a bad album featuring DLR, although 84 is maybe my least fav.

[Thelemech]

Congrats on Fair Warning. Still think it's their best overall. But I can understand not rushing out to grab DD immediately. I only tend to skip over Dancing in the Streets, and Big Bad Bill when I listen to it today. But the rest is fairly solid IMO. I can honestly say IMO there's not a bad album featuring DLR, although 84 is maybe my least fav.

Thank you! I am very pleased with these 2000 remaster series and Fair Warning for me is their second best very close to the awesome WACF!
I own 1984 but it is the least listened to of my Van Halen collection not that it is not great just the most overplayed as it was the first Van Halen that my dad bought me with MJ Thriller in 1984. Still I do want all the 2000 remasters and will in the near future will be ordering DD.

[RLP4ever]

Thelemech, we did speak about the six VH-DLR albums' 2000 remasters before. I'm glad you also find them to be excellent releases.


For me, it's really been like three separate slots for the six DLR-era VH albums. I've always loved Fair Warning & WACF best; VH & VH II next, and DD/1984 last. But not too much separates my gold, silver and bronze medals there. I honestly like both DD & 1984 a lot. Happy Trails is the only song on DD (indeed the ONLY Roth-VH tune) that I don't much like at all. Other than that, although we all agree that the album would be altogether better had it contained fewer covers, I still think the covers were all good-to-great Van Halenized tunes. We can argue over the choice of covers, but I insist they were all executed excellently. But what actually makes DD a very fine record, in its own right, are the VH originals: Hang 'em High, Cathedral, Secrets, Intruder, Little Guitars are all ace tunes worthy of the Van Halen canon. And oh, The Full Bug is my absolute favourite song on DD, and it's also my Twitter ID.

1984, despite the blatant synth and poppy sound (begun on DD, prior to it), is still a great rock record, with the cool as fuck catchiness of Jump, the swashbuckling anthem of Panama, the very inventive vibe of Top Jimmy, the bewitching Drop Dead Legs, the cult classic Hot For Teacher, and the heat-seeking eloquence of I'll Wait, Girl Gone Bad and the rocking closer, House of Pain. The album was a swell last swing with Dave, at the time.

[TYR66]

Thelemech, we did speak about the six VH-DLR albums' 2000 remasters before. I'm glad you also find them to be excellent releases.


For me, it's really been like three separate slots for the six DLR-era VH albums. I've always loved Fair Warning & WACF best; VH & VH II next, and DD/1984 last. But not too much separates my gold, silver and bronze medals there. I honestly like both DD & 1984 a lot. Happy Trails is the only song on DD (indeed the ONLY Roth-VH tune) that I don't much like at all. Other than that, although we all agree that the album would be altogether better had it contained fewer covers, I still think the covers were all good-to-great Van Halenized tunes. We can argue over the choice of covers, but I insist they were all executed excellently. But what actually makes DD a very fine record, in its own right, are the VH originals: Hang 'em High, Cathedral, Secrets, Intruder, Little Guitars are all ace tunes worthy of the Van Halen canon. And oh, The Full Bug is my absolute favourite song on DD, and it's also my Twitter ID.

1984, despite the blatant synth and poppy sound (begun on DD, prior to it), is still a great rock record, with the cool as fuck catchiness of Jump, the swashbuckling anthem of Panama, the very inventive vibe of Top Jimmy, the bewitching Drop Dead Legs, the cult classic Hot For Teacher, and the heat-seeking eloquence of I'll Wait, Girl Gone Bad and the rocking closer, House of Pain. The album was a swell last swing with Dave, at the time.

very good chronicles of Diver Down and 1984 , RLP !!
I' m very close to your opinion

[RLP4ever]

Haha, cool then, TYR. Too bad, there aren't any high-fivin', or clicking champagne glasses emoticons here. But cheers, and rock on to Van Halen anyway! I know I do

[devstorm]

The band played their 2nd Staples Center show in L.A. last night. I left with mixed opinions. Dave was really off his game last night unfortunately, or maybe he was just playing it very very loose. The band was strong. Although the mix wasn't the greatest. Loved the 30 foot video screen behind them. Decent set list all things considered. They played Hear About It Later which is one of the songs I've always wanted to experience live. And Dave sounded better on that one. It was sort of strange, when he wanted to, he seemed to be able to pull off a good song. Dance the night away for instance he was locked in. Other moments not so much. In the end, I'm glad I went. But if there's a next time I'll try to see them earlier in the tour.