More Van Halen "News"

A companion piece to the thread posted last week:

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=15006

SAMMY HAGAR: EDDIE VAN HALEN Has Lost Touch - September 5, 2003

Former VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar recently spoke to Goldmine
magazine about frequent jam partner/VH bassist Michael Anthony's views on the current VAN HALEN situation. "[Michael is] basically like everyone else out there," Hagar said. "He's completely lost touch with any of the VAN HALEN situation. He hasn't talked to any of those guys in maybe, I dunno, a year? Him and I are close now so I know all this stuff. It's
basically, there is not a VAN HALEN. I mean, I hate to break the news to all
these people (laughs), but there is not. Michael Anthony plays with me part time, and if it wasn't for me just being crazy about my wonderful bass player Mona, who I think is the greatest, Mike would be in my band right now. And as far as I'm concerned, if there's no Sammy, no Mike, or no David Lee Roth in VAN HALEN, then there's Eddie and Alex Van Halen, and
that is not VAN HALEN. I'm sure they're capable of putting together a great band, or doing great solo projects, whatever they decide to do. But I don't think that the world is going to buy it as VAN HALEN without at least two or more of the original kind of members. So there really is no VAN HALEN.
When asked about former VAN HALEN manager Ray Danniels' statement that part of the problem was that VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen has been a rock star all his life and he's lost touch, Hagar said, "Oh really? (laughs) That's an understatement. (laughs) He HAS lost touch. Otherwise, he'd be playing music. I mean this guy is a great musician. Not only does he play unbelievable guitar, he plays unbelievable keyboards of any kind
and probably could play any instrument he puts his hands on. And the guy hasn't played music for I don't know how long. Something is really wrong. But yes, I'm really down on Eddie for wasting his life. I mean, maybe I don't know everything, but to me, you're a musician you're a famous and a great one. And your fans have been so loyal to you, you have to at least go and
give a little bit. I mean, you can't be self-indulgent like that. You got a
problem? OK then at least let them know, 'Hey, I can't play music right now.' You know, every time Eddie makes a statement on their web site, it's like 'Yeah, be watchin' man... VAN HALEN's coming out with something new real soon! Any day now." You watch it,' and it's like, PFFT. I mean, lying to people is not cool."

 

Pretty sad.......such a waste of talent.

 

Is Eddie completely cancer free now?

 

dunno, but I know he was smoking in the pics I saw of him!!!!
Idiot!

 

A lot fans on the Van Halen message boards are saying that Eddie is both smoking and drinking again. The man has not only lost his band, but also his wife of 20+ years to divorce. Eddie is in a downward spiral and needs to pull himself out of it very soon.

 

Yes, he was given a 100% clean bill of health, which is good news.

That's terrible.

 

Depression is going to be the next reason, but that to me seems obvious. It really doesn't matter if people want him to make music or not. If he doesn't feel like getting up and doing something, he won't.

There's a lot of great effort he's given us. If he's closed his doors we should be grateful and hope he can keep himself well.

You have to wanna leave the downward spiral. He might not.

 

Depression is insidious! It will take you down in every way. Problem is, the only person who can pull himself out is Eddie.

 

I saw a picture of Eddie recently, and he does not look good. Sad!

 

I believe one reason Valarie left Eddie was his non-stop drinking and smoking. That's just stupidity on Eddie's part.

 

I don't think it's simply stupidity on Eddie's part, but sadly, the overwhelming power of addiction and/or depression. Many of us have witnessed it firsthand, and it's a horrible and painful thing to watch happen to someone you care about.

 

Why don't Alex, Dave, Sammy and Michael find out what Ronnie Montrose is up to these days?

 

the funny thing is that the album that VH made with Eddie totally clean and sober (3) was the biggest piece of shrimp turd they ever made!!!!

 

From what Sammy has said, Eddie began drinking again during the Balance tour of 1995. He said Eddie was a mess during the last shows they played together in Japan.

 

III was terrible. No one wanted to hear Gary on that record. Made me ill.

The David Lee tracks on GH were strange, but were very cool. Almost spooky. I'd still be listening to that record if they made more than 2 tracks.

Ahhhh - Could'a Should'a Would'a!!

 

I agree on the GH DLR tracks. The song-writing is not spectacular, but the atmosphere is magical. Very eerie indeed.

 

Actually, Hagar recently participated in a Montrose reunion show here in the Bay Area... no idea if that entails any future activity, though.

I think the anticipation was high, and the single (albeit underwhelming) was reasonably well received.

But that album's problems go far beyond Gary Cherone... and unfortunately that carried over to the subsequent tour.

 

I don't fault Gary at all, I like his voice. The problem was lifeless production and meandering, riffless songs with no structure. Josephina was a MESS! Where was that song going?

 

If I wanted to give VH the benefit of the doubt, I'd say you can't always evaluate albums by comparing them to previous work. Sometimes artists like to grow and experiment. It was a new start and maybe they felt like doing something different. Good for them. I'd rather a band dare to do someting different and make a change, rather than play the same old riff based/half cover version stuff. If you take the time to actually listen to the record, there's a lot of interesting and creative stuff going on.

I thought the production was excellent and you could hear everything in the mix, and there were some dynamic contrasts. Compared to the junk out there today, this album was genius.

But held against the first Van Halen album, it need not have ever been made. But EVH could have made a flamenco record and I would have given it the time of day. And compared to what could have been, it was a waste. Waste of years, waste of talent.

Seems the only difference between EVH and Tommy Bolin was that they buried Tommy.

 

I'd like to see a VH BEST OF VOL 2. With 2 new DLR tracks. That would be a great album to tour behind. I don't even think a reunion album would even do that spectacular at this point. It might not even be that good. If they could do a few new tracks on par with BO V. I, that would be nice.

 

Well, I pulled "3" out tonight for a listen......Oh my it's bad.....SO BAD!!!!
I think I tried to like it when it first came out cuz I LOVED Van Halen/Hagar so much......but this thing.....I stand by my previous statement about "meandering songs".....they are DOA!
Sorry.......just a bad record.

 

I'm so glad I never bought this album. I knew it was going to be bomb. Having Gary Cherone be the lead singer in Van Halen has to be the worst band member decision EVER! I remember they played the new VH3 song on rock radio here and they made vomiting and toilet noises during the song. I have never heard that done before or since on the radio.
I love both the Roth and Hagar eras equally as well.

 

I really don't blame Gary....it was EVH....if you ever have the chance to hear it.....the structure of the songs is horrible. Makes you appreciate someone like John Fogerty......a song goes from A to B to C..a nice simple formula.....these songs go from A to.....nowhere!
And lest anyone think I don't like complex music......let me put on my Edgard Varese Ionization CD!!!!

 

Goldmine has the interview with Hagar that the first news item was taken from. He also goes on to say that a lot of the music on "3" were rejects from the "Balance" sessions. Hagar also said that he had to get lawyers involved and was paid some royalties over the song "Can't Get That Stuff No More" (which Roth sang on the hits CD.)

 

I heard that those two songs were just leftover instrumental tracks from when Sammy was around. I am not doubting you, but I never heard anything about him getting royalties off of it. I think some of the guitar playing on those songs is pretty good, but lyrics aren't all that hot. I managed to get a radio edit of one of the tracks and chopped down, the song flows much better.

I have a funny feeling there is some back blood between Dave and Alex because I have heard Alex rip on him several times. I remember Alex ripping on Dave after that whole fiasco saying that they were patient with Dave because it took like two weeks to do the vocals on those two tracks. I also saw a video interview with him saying that (whatever tour they were talking about. I think it might have been an old Monsters Of Rock video I taped off MTV) would have never made it past Cleveland with Roth doing the singing. He also gave a few digs in another interview that Roth had to do his vocals practically one line at a time on the early records. Gee, like every singer in the world can sing a song perfectly all the way through when recording a record....not many can I am sure.