New Van Halen Album (2 Viewers)

[slayer666]

VH have seemingly lost the ability to write a good and catchy chorus. I wouldn't waste the money to go see them even if they were coming here, and I am someone who saw them three times in the 90s (twice with Hagar and once with Cherone).

And you saw them when they really sucked (Van Hagar and the abomination with Gary Cherone as the front man).

 

[Ghost Rider]

VH have seemingly lost the ability to write a good and catchy chorus. I wouldn't waste the money to go see them even if they were coming here, and I am someone who saw them three times in the 90s (twice with Hagar and once with Cherone).

And you saw them when they really sucked (Van Hagar and the abomination with Gary Cherone as the front man).

False. They were great all three times I saw them, although both EVH and AVH were limited on the Balance tour because of Eddie's hip and Alex's neck. But the Right Here, Right Now show we show was great, and the Cherone show was surprisingly great. He did a great job of singing all of the old songs, and it was a rare VH tour that featured tons of material from every era.

 

[Rayderr]

VH have seemingly lost the ability to write a good and catchy chorus. I wouldn't waste the money to go see them even if they were coming here, and I am someone who saw them three times in the 90s (twice with Hagar and once with Cherone).

And you saw them when they really sucked (Van Hagar and the abomination with Gary Cherone as the front man).

False. They were great all three times I saw them, although both EVH and AVH were limited on the Balance tour because of Eddie's hip and Alex's neck. But the Right Here, Right Now show we show was great, and the Cherone show was surprisingly great. He did a great job of singing all of the old songs, and it was a rare VH tour that featured tons of material from every era.

Also saw them on the Carnal Knowledge tour. Awesome show. And I think the Carnal Knowledge album is one of VH's best. I've personally never understood the whole Team Roth vs. Team Hagar thing with the fans.

 

[Eastwood]

I like that Eddie seems to have buried his keyboard.

 

[slayer666]

I've personally never understood the whole Team Roth vs. Team Hagar thing with the fans.

Seriously?

 

[jwb]

I've personally never understood the whole Team Roth vs. Team Hagar thing with the fans.

Seriously?

I've warmed up to the Hagar stuff over the years, but when it happened, I was definitly against it and disliked it out of principle. To be fair, I also kinda disliked Dave's solo stuff after a listen or two. That was a sad time for VH fans.

 

[Eastwood]

To be fair, I also kinda disliked Dave's solo stuff after a listen or two. That was a sad time for VH fans.

Just curious, did you dislike his first 2 solo albums? I think Eat Em And Smile is as good as any VH record. Skyscraper was good too (but not Van Halen good). After that, I think it went downhill quick, but I'm always shocked at those who didn't think EAAS wasn't a fantastic record.

 

[Rayderr]

I've personally never understood the whole Team Roth vs. Team Hagar thing with the fans.

Seriously?

Seriously. I think both singers put out a lot of great stuff with VH. Gary Cherone on the other hand....

 

[Al Czervik]

Here's the

preview.

 

[bigbottom]

Here's the

 

[Rayderr]

Here's the

Most promising so far.

 

[Apple Jack]

I've personally never understood the whole Team Roth vs. Team Hagar thing with the fans.

Seriously?

Seriously. I think both singers put out a lot of great stuff with VH. Gary Cherone on the other hand....

The Dave vs. Sammy debate is largely just the Dave camp. I think many of the diehard DLR VH fans, myself included, find that the Eddie thing works best with a sarcastic wink. Sammy was too earnest for me. Or at least tried to sell earnest. And too poppy. I liked it enough when I was 13. Now, not so much. The Dave stuff is what holds up for me. I haven't listened to anything Sammy has done with them on purpose since OU812. What was that? 25 years ago?

 

[Eastwood]

2 full songs on youtube right now. LOVE this album. People can nitpick Dave's voice or the lack of Anthony's vocals, but no denying Ed is 100% back, sounds like he did in the 70s.

 

[Eastwood]

The Dave vs. Sammy debate is largely just the Dave camp. I think many of the diehard DLR VH fans, myself included, find that the Eddie thing works best with a sarcastic wink. Sammy was too earnest for me. Or at least tried to sell earnest. And too poppy. I liked it enough when I was 13. Now, not so much. The Dave stuff is what holds up for me. I haven't listened to anything Sammy has done with them on purpose since OU812. What was that? 25 years ago?

Well said Apple Jack. Ironically, I think the first 2 albums with Hagar, as well as Roth's first 2 solo albums, were the only "great" albums either one did without each other. Its like they ran out of the sauce and things slowly went down hill from there for both parties. I'm so happy they are back.

 

[Eastwood]

Loving this song-

Trouble with Never Full Song

 

[BustedKnuckles]

That new Van Halen album really captures the feeling of dunking your head in a bucket of chlamydia mixed with vomit

:X

 

[jwb]

To be fair, I also kinda disliked Dave's solo stuff after a listen or two. That was a sad time for VH fans.

Just curious, did you dislike his first 2 solo albums? I think Eat Em And Smile is as good as any VH record. Skyscraper was good too (but not Van Halen good). After that, I think it went downhill quick, but I'm always shocked at those who didn't think EAAS wasn't a fantastic record.

I did dislike them. Although partially because the first time I heard Yankee Rose was seeing the video, and it just really turned me off, because it was just too over the top "sex symbol" Dave. Not "fun/cool" VH Dave. His over the top persona worked really well in VH, but not so much outside of it. Poor excuse for not liking something musically, I realize, but that's what it was then. It was also right around the time I checked out of current music and got more into late 60's / 70's stoner stuff (hey, I was 19). Listening to it today, I agree w/ you - EEAS not bad at all.

 

[soothsayer]

That new Van Halen album really captures the feeling of dunking your head in a bucket of chlamydia mixed with vomit :X

There's no accounting for taste.

 

[FinHead]

WOW, I never knew they had official videos of some of these old VH songs...

Running With The Devil

 

[tom22406]

Loving this song-

Trouble with Never Full Song

The music sounds good but once Dave starts singing it loses whatever momentum it had.His vocals are flat and just sound bad overall.Eddie does sound much better though so that is a plus.

Blood and Fire is another terrible song and the only saving grace is Eddie on that one with his solo work.

Maybe Ed needs to do solo work only?

 

[Luke Skywalker]

WOW, I never knew they had official videos of some of these old VH songs...

Running With The Devil

I've seen the Running with the Devil one a bunch of times but never the second one.They also did one for Dance the Night Away but I've only seen it once.

 

[saintsfan]

Here's the

I actually like this one. It's not Beautiful Girls, but it's pretty good.First one I've liked, however. Probably not a coincidence that it's the first one that sounded like some high harmony VH.

 

[saintsfan]

2 full songs on youtube right now. LOVE this album. People can nitpick Dave's voice or the lack of Anthony's vocals, but no denying Ed is 100% back, sounds like he did in the 70s.

Eddie can still play. Dave's voice isn't great (it never was) and I do miss MA. However, that's not the biggest problem.The songs aren't memorable. You might hate Sammy Hagar and what he did to Van Halen, but Finish What Ya Started and Dreams had hooks and were memorable. Dance The Night Away was "poppy", but it had a hook. You remembered it.These songs, with the exception so far of She's The Woman, are just Eddie jacking off on guitar. Melodies are non existent. Lyrics awful and nothing memorable about them.And I AM a big DLR Van Halen fan. I want this to be good. It's not. Maybe it's as good as we should expect, but that doesn't mean it fits with the rest of my VH record collection. As I said before, I haven't heard a single song yet off of this album that doesn't get wasted by the three good songs on Balance, and Balance was garbage.

 

[saintsfan]

To be fair, I also kinda disliked Dave's solo stuff after a listen or two. That was a sad time for VH fans.

Just curious, did you dislike his first 2 solo albums? I think Eat Em And Smile is as good as any VH record. Skyscraper was good too (but not Van Halen good). After that, I think it went downhill quick, but I'm always shocked at those who didn't think EAAS wasn't a fantastic record.

I did dislike them. Although partially because the first time I heard Yankee Rose was seeing the video, and it just really turned me off, because it was just too over the top "sex symbol" Dave. Not "fun/cool" VH Dave. His over the top persona worked really well in VH, but not so much outside of it. Poor excuse for not liking something musically, I realize, but that's what it was then. It was also right around the time I checked out of current music and got more into late 60's / 70's stoner stuff (hey, I was 19). Listening to it today, I agree w/ you - EEAS not bad at all.

I would be thrilled if there was 3 or 4 songs on this album as good as Yankee Rose.

 

[B-Deep]

If just ONE more person disses Gary Cherone i am going to kick some SERIOUS ###

 

[tom22406]

If just ONE more person disses Gary Cherone i am going to kick some SERIOUS ###

Get the funk out,it's more than words.

 

[Luke Skywalker]

Maybe Ed needs to do solo work only?

Baluchitherium

 

[B-Deep]

Who i the one member of Van Halen that no one in the band has ever had anything bad to say about? Gary Cherone

the most BELOVED frontman in VH history

suck it sammy, Gary did it better:

 

[tom22406]

To be fair, I also kinda disliked Dave's solo stuff after a listen or two. That was a sad time for VH fans.

Just curious, did you dislike his first 2 solo albums? I think Eat Em And Smile is as good as any VH record. Skyscraper was good too (but not Van Halen good). After that, I think it went downhill quick, but I'm always shocked at those who didn't think EAAS wasn't a fantastic record.

I did dislike them. Although partially because the first time I heard Yankee Rose was seeing the video, and it just really turned me off, because it was just too over the top "sex symbol" Dave. Not "fun/cool" VH Dave. His over the top persona worked really well in VH, but not so much outside of it. Poor excuse for not liking something musically, I realize, but that's what it was then. It was also right around the time I checked out of current music and got more into late 60's / 70's stoner stuff (hey, I was 19). Listening to it today, I agree w/ you - EEAS not bad at all.

I would be thrilled if there was 3 or 4 songs on this album as good as Yankee Rose.

And let's not kid ourselves here and pretend Vai isn't on another planet when it comes to guitar playing compared to Ed and Sheehan on bass is also light years better that Anthony or even Wolfgang dreams he was.Roth surrounded himself with the best of the best and it really came through sound wise on those albums.

 

[B-Deep]

 

[Joe Summer]

What's everyone's opinion on the fact that the majority of the album is recycled from old demos?

I didn't mind when Eddie would re-use a riff here and there, but it just seems a bit cheap to completely copy a 36-year-old song that wasn't good enough to release back in the day (but now it's the standout track on the reunion album??)

She's The Woman 1976

 

[B-Deep]

What's everyone's opinion on the fact that the majority of the album is recycled from old demos?

I didn't mind when Eddie would re-use a riff here and there, but it just seems a bit cheap to completely copy a 36-year-old song that wasn't good enough to release back in the day (but now it's the standout track on the reunion album??)

They should stop stonewalling us Cheron-o-philes and release Gary's versions of these songs. They will not, however, because everyone knows they blow both of these versions away.

 

[tom22406]

What's everyone's opinion on the fact that the majority of the album is recycled from old demos?

I didn't mind when Eddie would re-use a riff here and there, but it just seems a bit cheap to completely copy a 36-year-old song that wasn't good enough to release back in the day (but now it's the standout track on the reunion album??)

I think it shows the creative juices are drying up for them.Why not release all new material and put the re-works as B sides or bonus tracks?Seems like a moneygrab and not much else.

 

[B-Deep]

What's everyone's opinion on the fact that the majority of the album is recycled from old demos?

I didn't mind when Eddie would re-use a riff here and there, but it just seems a bit cheap to completely copy a 36-year-old song that wasn't good enough to release back in the day (but now it's the standout track on the reunion album??)

oh it is not just a moneygrabit is also a slap in Gary Cherone's face

 

[saintsfan]

To be fair, I also kinda disliked Dave's solo stuff after a listen or two. That was a sad time for VH fans.

Just curious, did you dislike his first 2 solo albums? I think Eat Em And Smile is as good as any VH record. Skyscraper was good too (but not Van Halen good). After that, I think it went downhill quick, but I'm always shocked at those who didn't think EAAS wasn't a fantastic record.

I did dislike them. Although partially because the first time I heard Yankee Rose was seeing the video, and it just really turned me off, because it was just too over the top "sex symbol" Dave. Not "fun/cool" VH Dave. His over the top persona worked really well in VH, but not so much outside of it. Poor excuse for not liking something musically, I realize, but that's what it was then. It was also right around the time I checked out of current music and got more into late 60's / 70's stoner stuff (hey, I was 19). Listening to it today, I agree w/ you - EEAS not bad at all.

I would be thrilled if there was 3 or 4 songs on this album as good as Yankee Rose.

And let's not kid ourselves here and pretend Vai isn't on another planet when it comes to guitar playing compared to Ed and Sheehan on bass is also light years better that Anthony or even Wolfgang dreams he was.Roth surrounded himself with the best of the best and it really came through sound wise on those albums.

Well, I don't know about all that. Vai has always been a EVH wannabe. Technically, he might be better than Eddie, faster, ect. But, nobody thinks Steve Vai created anything of value compared to Eddie. Name a Steve Vai song???Playing guitar is more than just a technical exercise, you know.Sheenan is better than Anthony as a bass player, for sure. Having said that, MA's most irreplaceable skill has never been his bass playing, anyway.

 

[Luke Skywalker]

What's everyone's opinion on the fact that the majority of the album is recycled from old demos?

I didn't mind when Eddie would re-use a riff here and there, but it just seems a bit cheap to completely copy a 36-year-old song that wasn't good enough to release back in the day (but now it's the standout track on the reunion album??)

I liked that riff when it was the intro to "Mean Street".

 

[saintsfan]

What's everyone's opinion on the fact that the majority of the album is recycled from old demos?

I didn't mind when Eddie would re-use a riff here and there, but it just seems a bit cheap to completely copy a 36-year-old song that wasn't good enough to release back in the day (but now it's the standout track on the reunion album??)

That's what I mean. The one song I like is Mean Street, but it's not Mean Street.I understand why VH fans want to like it. I want to like it, too.

 

[tom22406]

To be fair, I also kinda disliked Dave's solo stuff after a listen or two. That was a sad time for VH fans.

Just curious, did you dislike his first 2 solo albums? I think Eat Em And Smile is as good as any VH record. Skyscraper was good too (but not Van Halen good). After that, I think it went downhill quick, but I'm always shocked at those who didn't think EAAS wasn't a fantastic record.

I did dislike them. Although partially because the first time I heard Yankee Rose was seeing the video, and it just really turned me off, because it was just too over the top "sex symbol" Dave. Not "fun/cool" VH Dave. His over the top persona worked really well in VH, but not so much outside of it. Poor excuse for not liking something musically, I realize, but that's what it was then. It was also right around the time I checked out of current music and got more into late 60's / 70's stoner stuff (hey, I was 19). Listening to it today, I agree w/ you - EEAS not bad at all.

I would be thrilled if there was 3 or 4 songs on this album as good as Yankee Rose.

And let's not kid ourselves here and pretend Vai isn't on another planet when it comes to guitar playing compared to Ed and Sheehan on bass is also light years better that Anthony or even Wolfgang dreams he was.Roth surrounded himself with the best of the best and it really came through sound wise on those albums.

Well, I don't know about all that. Vai has always been a EVH wannabe. Technically, he might be better than Eddie, faster, ect. But, nobody thinks Steve Vai created anything of value compared to Eddie. Name a Steve Vai song???Playing guitar is more than just a technical exercise, you know.Sheenan is better than Anthony as a bass player, for sure. Having said that, MA's most irreplaceable skill has never been his bass playing, anyway.

For The Love of God is a masterpiece that Via did,of course it has no lyrics but it really doesn't need them.Vai clearly took what EVH started and ran with it so there is no denying he was a huge influence on Vai early on but what sets them apart is how they have progressed over the years.I am talking strictly playing ability so my opinion in Vai is by far the superior player.As I was saying before I would love for Eddie to spread his wings and do his own thing on some solo projects and don't take this as me saying EVH is not one of the best ever because he is.

 

[Nigel Tufnel]

Nobody thinks this album is going to be any good, right?

 

[Rayderr]

Nobody thinks this album is going to be any good, right?

Outside of David Lee Eastwood, no.

 

[Luke Skywalker]

What's everyone's opinion on the fact that the majority of the album is recycled from old demos?

I didn't mind when Eddie would re-use a riff here and there, but it just seems a bit cheap to completely copy a 36-year-old song that wasn't good enough to release back in the day (but now it's the standout track on the reunion album??)

Yeah.I think most people who are truly fans of VH wouldn't mind them releasing a bad album if they were at least trying. I mean, VH3 was overall not a good album, but at least it was ambitious and there was some genuine energy. I think somebody else already said it but this new album just screams "we need some more money".

 

[Joe Summer]

Nobody thinks this album is going to be any good, right?

From what I've heard so far, it's not as bad as I expected. Better than the Cherone album, and better than the worst of the Sammy recordings.But I don't think it's going to have much staying power. I remember when "Me Wise Magic" came out. I played that song over and over and over again. Now? Not even in my top-10 Van Halen songs from the '90s.

 

[tom22406]

I also kinda dig how Vai is helping out a young female guitarist by playing along with her in this.

Orianthi is doing pop music but don't let her fool ya because she has some serious chops.

Now back to the regular VH programming

 

[Eastwood]

Nobody thinks this album is going to be any good, right?

Outside of David Lee Eastwood, no.

I have no problem with this. I will buy this the day it comes out, and listen to it about 1000 times before summer. I've played all the other VH albums (both Dave and Sammy) so many times I'm thrilled to have something new. And I'll never get tired of Ed's guitar and Dave's voice.

 

[soothsayer]

Nobody thinks this album is going to be any good, right?

Outside of David Lee Eastwood, no.

I have no problem with this. I will buy this the day it comes out, and listen to it about 1000 times before summer. I've played all the other VH albums (both Dave and Sammy) so many times I'm thrilled to have something new. And I'll never get tired of Ed's guitar and Dave's voice.

And not that VHLinks is the be all, end all, of Van Halen fans or anything, but on their message board filled primarily with hard core VH rubes, the response to the album is overwhelmingly positive. And that includes many Sammy v. Dave haters and "it'll never be the same without MA" guys. Wolfie is winnings some people over, and even many Sammy fans are on board with this release. It's actually surprising because that board can be very negative at times.

 

[soothsayer]

I've now heard the album in its entirety - amazing. For those judging by the 90-second compressed clips, give the full album a spin when you get a chance. I'm truly impressed by what they've produced after all these years. I can't think of another band essentially re-uniting in their 50s and putting out a disc full of music that rocks just as hard and fast as what they released in their prime. Spare me the "they just recycled demos" bit...99.5% of even Van Halen fans don't care and the casual music fan won't have any idea.

They played a small gig last night in LA for industry types and Eddie was on fire just like at the Cafe Wha? show. I can't wait to see them on tour...

 

[bigbottom]

I saw a clip of Jump from last night's show and it was pretty absurd. But you may be on to something with respect to the album.

 

[Autumn Wind]

I have the album, and it is quite good. If you've already decided it's going to suck, great. But I'm on board. Too bad the tour tickets were so expensive, I'd love to catch them on tour. I guess there's always StubHub.

 

[ericttspikes]

I've now heard the album in its entirety - amazing. For those judging by the 90-second compressed clips, give the full album a spin when you get a chance. I'm truly impressed by what they've produced after all these years. I can't think of another band essentially re-uniting in their 50s and putting out a disc full of music that rocks just as hard and fast as what they released in their prime. Spare me the "they just recycled demos" bit...99.5% of even Van Halen fans don't care and the casual music fan won't have any idea. They played a small gig last night in LA for industry types and Eddie was on fire just like at the Cafe Wha? show. I can't wait to see them on tour...

The album is great.

 

[Autumn Wind]

Oh and by the way, if that is in fact Wolfie playing bass during "China Town," then he has justified his spot in the band.