Van Halen has been my favorite band since that fateful day back in 1978 when my brother popped the selftitled 8 track in and I heard the opening to Runnin With the Devil. I was 6. They are still my favorite to this day. I never got to see them with Dave, I was 11 - 12 when they were touring in 1984 - 85 and then he split. My first concert ever was July 29, 1986. Van Halen at the Brendan Byrne Arena in NJ, part of a 4 night stand. BTO opening. They were awesome.
I was not allowed to see them when they came to the Garden in 1988 for the OU812 tour because it was a fuckin school night! Dammit! Cabo Wabo is my favorite song with Sammy. I did get to see Roth solo for the first time in 1988 on his Skyscraper tour. That kicked ass too. Roth's band was great. Steve Vai can fuckin play. Eat Em and Smile is still one of my favorite albums. Great videos too. Gimme a bottle of anything...and a glazed donut...to go...
Since then I have seen Van Halen about 7 or 8 times, Roth solo about 6 times and Sam solo once ( the tour when Roth and Hagar played with each other). I saw Van Halen with Cherone at the Garden. An unknown band at the time, Creed, opened. I thought Creed was good and I still like their first album. Even though Cherone did not fit in that band, and there are only a couple of good songs on VHIII, the concert was great for this reason... I FINALLY got to see and hear Van Halen play all the old Roth era songs live. To hear Eddie play Mean Street live, And the Cradle Will Rock live and all the other classics was insane. Did Cherone do it justice? no...but the music was enough for me singing my ass off along with the rest of the crowd. Sam never gave you the classics from the Roth era outside of his staple 4 songs. Jump, Panama, You Really Got Me and Ain't Talkin ' 'Bout Love. In 2004 they did play Somebody Get Me a Doctor, but Mikey sang it and it was great!
To this day I want to see the original line-up. I thought I was gonna get my chance in 1996 until VH had the whole MTV music awards fiasco. The 2 songs they made with Roth for that Best Of album kicked ass and I was pumped. Me Wise Magic and Can't Get this Stuff No More are great tracks.
I digress....
So, to sum it up, Van Halen with DLR was and still is my favorite band of all time. It is the best back yard barbecue music of all time. Fair Warning is my favorite VH album. I still loved them with Sam even though it was not the same. The music was still there and Sam did an admirable job. He was able to pull off something that not many singers or bands have ever really been all that successful with outside of a very few. A second singer took over for a VERY popular band and made them more successful then they ever were. My favorite VH w Sam album is ou812 followed closely by FUCK....
One of these days my wish will come true...I just think it may be too late for it to be any good if it does happen...the music will be there...but Roth?? I dunno how good he would be able to pull it off these days...but I guarantee you I would be there...
van halen started to suffer after eddie got married.
from their first release up till fair warning,each record got a little heavier and darker.....
then he got married and they came out with diver down....
it's been downhill since then.
his tone changed and the music became pop syrup.
for unlawful carnal knowledge was something i thought would pull them from eddies sappiness,but unfortunatly his drunken stupour didnt allow that to happen.
the only reason the stuff with dave seems better is because most of it was pre married eddie.
Comments
I was not allowed to see them when they came to the Garden in 1988 for the OU812 tour because it was a fuckin school night! Dammit! Cabo Wabo is my favorite song with Sammy. I did get to see Roth solo for the first time in 1988 on his Skyscraper tour. That kicked ass too. Roth's band was great. Steve Vai can fuckin play. Eat Em and Smile is still one of my favorite albums. Great videos too. Gimme a bottle of anything...and a glazed donut...to go...
Since then I have seen Van Halen about 7 or 8 times, Roth solo about 6 times and Sam solo once ( the tour when Roth and Hagar played with each other). I saw Van Halen with Cherone at the Garden. An unknown band at the time, Creed, opened. I thought Creed was good and I still like their first album. Even though Cherone did not fit in that band, and there are only a couple of good songs on VHIII, the concert was great for this reason... I FINALLY got to see and hear Van Halen play all the old Roth era songs live. To hear Eddie play Mean Street live, And the Cradle Will Rock live and all the other classics was insane. Did Cherone do it justice? no...but the music was enough for me singing my ass off along with the rest of the crowd. Sam never gave you the classics from the Roth era outside of his staple 4 songs. Jump, Panama, You Really Got Me and Ain't Talkin ' 'Bout Love. In 2004 they did play Somebody Get Me a Doctor, but Mikey sang it and it was great!
To this day I want to see the original line-up. I thought I was gonna get my chance in 1996 until VH had the whole MTV music awards fiasco. The 2 songs they made with Roth for that Best Of album kicked ass and I was pumped. Me Wise Magic and Can't Get this Stuff No More are great tracks.
I digress....
So, to sum it up, Van Halen with DLR was and still is my favorite band of all time. It is the best back yard barbecue music of all time. Fair Warning is my favorite VH album. I still loved them with Sam even though it was not the same. The music was still there and Sam did an admirable job. He was able to pull off something that not many singers or bands have ever really been all that successful with outside of a very few. A second singer took over for a VERY popular band and made them more successful then they ever were. My favorite VH w Sam album is ou812 followed closely by FUCK....
One of these days my wish will come true...I just think it may be too late for it to be any good if it does happen...the music will be there...but Roth?? I dunno how good he would be able to pull it off these days...but I guarantee you I would be there...
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van halen started to suffer after eddie got married.
from their first release up till fair warning,each record got a little heavier and darker.....
then he got married and they came out with diver down....
it's been downhill since then.
his tone changed and the music became pop syrup.
for unlawful carnal knowledge was something i thought would pull them from eddies sappiness,but unfortunatly his drunken stupour didnt allow that to happen.
the only reason the stuff with dave seems better is because most of it was pre married eddie.