Does Van Halen even NEED a singer?

I definitely agree!

 

I don't think Eddie would want to play the smaller venues an instrumental project would have him in.

 

They need Kanye

 

That sir, did indeed, make my day!

 

They should do a karaoke tour, with mics hanging down over the audience so they can sing along while VH plays.

 

Van Halen does not need a singer... but they absolutely do need David Lee Roth.

 

But none are younger than 40. The generation born in 1980 and beyond haven't advanced the electric guitar (almost) at all.

 

According to David Lee Roth, what Van Halen needs is motivation.



Go to 1.07. "I've been based in Tokyo for the last two years and I rode my bike to the Tokyo Dome for a concert with 43,000 of our friends. That's the closest I could get the Van Halen's to productive that week."

 

I think an Eddie Van Halen solo record with Alan Holdsworth or someone of that caliber would be an interesting change.

 

Image if Mastodon had a singer of the calibre of Hagar or DLR.

 

It'd be interesting to hear someone with EVH's chops take on some instrumental "post rock" type stuff in a Mogwai or Russian Circles vein, but methinks he's way too musically conservative for that.

 

Since they don't need a singer, what would DLR be doing?

 

They don't have one now.

 

You're not getting his joke. I'm guessing he's saying David's a great frontman, which they need ...even though he's not really a "singer".

 

That was a joke?

 

If Eddie did an instrumental album, I would definitely give it a listen. He's hinted at sort of progressive tendencies with stuff like "Me Wise Magic" and a lot of the stuff on VH3, it'd be interesting to see what he did, freed from the constraints of having to write something a singer could sing over. It'd probably be a bit self-indulgent, but aren't all instrumental guitar albums? Actually, kinda surprised he hasn't done this...Petrucci, Paul Gilbert, Richie Kotzen, etc have all done instrumental LP's while still working with their vocal-driven bands at the same time, and made some cool records.

 

Well, that depends on your opinion of David's singing.

 

I think it's beyond the point of being a subjective opinion anymore....




And that's not even getting into how creepy the dude is looking these days...

 

I'm just a casual Van Halen fan, but as weird as he is, and he's not singing very well these days, I still need David fronting the band.
These days it's a surrealistic combination of Al Jolson fronting a pop metal band. It's a fascinating thing to watch

 

I agree that if I'm going to see Van Halen, I want DLR fronting the band. But there's also a point to be made that when you no longer have the ability to sing anymore, that you probably shouldn't be doing it.

 

Smiling, of course...

 

Agreed. That's the issue facing more than one classic rock vocalist in a well known band these days though. The pipes don't last forever, but the fans do , so where do bands draw the line ? As long as fans keep filling the seats all the bands with this issue will keep going out.

 

They should get Pat Benatar.

 

Dave stills looks like Dave more than Eddie looks like Eddie these days. I was thinking 'who's that guy playing guitar in VH now'?

 

Not all. Some have the self-respect to understand they don't have the chops anymore and stay home rather than embarrass themselves.

I get wanting to continue performing when its in your blood. And, in some cases, people simply need the money. I get that too. But when you become a parody of yourself?