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Top 100 Heavy Metal and glam rock acts from the MTV era - it's still real to me (1 Viewer)
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Mookie Gizzy
Footballguy
Ratt was my favorite hair metal band. Lay it Down >>>>>>>>>>> Way Cool Jr
DJackson10
Footballguy
18. Dokken / Lynch Mob
Album by album, 1983 debut, Breaking the Chains was pretty good, couple or few top notch tracks anyway. Look at these dinguses. Then... three kickass albums, 1984-1987.
Tooth and Nail
Into The Fire
Alone Again
Under Lock and Key
It's Not Love this looks dangerous
Unchain The Night
Back for the Attack
Kiss of Death
Dream Warriors Patricia Arquette, welcome
Heaven Sent
Is this mostly just George Lynch, and glorified Joe Lynn Turner at the front?
Well, yes, mostly, but Don has his charms for me and there is stuff in his post-Lynch catalog that I like. This is one of the few acts and on both sides that I'll still check out anything new they do. It's been a while for Don and I hope he's alright tbh..
George Lynch though, what a ####### machine he has been, holy hell
But back to ~1990, real quick, they just don't like each other and it's an ego struggle and being the superior talent I'd say George was probably in the right, but it's too bad they couldn't make it work. It seemed like they had momentum, should I start using synonyms?, after Beast from the East..
Walk Away bye!
Lynch Mob was pretty good
Tangled In The Web
Don solo was not so great [1000 Miles] and he got slapped legally when he tried to restart a new Dokken on his own.. hate when you lose legal ownership of your own name!
But wait, there's more.
A pop group has a hit with In My Dreams
Dokken has had some good stuff with and without Lynch back on board for a payday. Most notably Erase the Slate with Reb Beach. But if anybody requires a post-Lynch Dokken deep dive, I've got you covered
Lynch's career has been truly impressive.
For Lynch Mob, personally I liked the second album better
I Want It big dumb ### banger
Some of that, he did some bad Soundgardeny stuff with Dokken, solo stuff, cranking out records pretty much every year with a rotating lineup of people he likes to work with, I think he must be living the dream and good for him. GOOD FOR YOU GEORGE ####### LYNCH
Where Do You Sleep At Night
KXM - Breakout
Sweet & Lynch
Now that we're between Dokken and Priest, sit tight for some recommended Saturday Afternoon Viewing
Never got into Lynch Mob but loved Dokken. Into the Fire is the NWA theme to open their shows. I loved Breaking the Chains and the music video for it. Very underrated band.
DJackson10
Footballguy
17. L.A. Guns
The overall story of L.A. Guns doesn't have much to do with Tracii Guns, or Axl and Izzy, or whoever is trotting around using the name whether they have any right to be.
Most interesting, from ancient history, and still only mildly, is that every member of the GNR classic lineup did rotate through L.A. Guns at some point, and not usually together.
But really, at least from our perspective, the story has been Phil Lewis all along. Part of the original London glam-rock band GIRL, with Phil Collen, that band would fall apart when Collen left for Def Leppard. Lewis bounces around, makes a few more records with various projects to limited success.. and gets hooked up with Tracii and L.A. Guns
Phil on getting w Guns
Early Phil, post-Girl material.. Tormé .. I guess in London they didn't know Mel.. this isn't bad.. love this album cover .. Tormé
All Around the World
Mystery Train
GIRL ~ Hollywood Tease - a song L.A. Guns would re-record, but here they are the Phils
The day L.A. Guns hired Phil Lewis, was the day Phil Lewis hired L.A. Guns as his backing band. He's not flashy but he's the secret to their success, and their driving force.
The first album crushed, and while it couldn't quite hope to hang with the first, the follow-up Cocked & Loaded was pretty excellent too.
One More Reason
Electric Gypsy seriously be careful you guys
Cry No More/One Way Ticket
Rip And Tear
Never Enough
1991, Hollywood Vampires, wasn't bad
Kiss My Love Goodbye earworm, coulda been a hit track?
Crystal Eyes
but it was a letdown, and the band started to fracture
Since around 2001, the Lewis-led L.A. Guns, with healthy and totally different looking Tracii on board for years now, have made a bunch of solid stuff. To me, at this point in time, as far as sheer volume of respectable studio material goes, Phil Lewis and his L.A. Guns have padded their totals.
2005 Electric Neon Sunset
2012 Araña Negra
2017 Christine
I honestly should be a bigger Guns fan then I really am. Solid hard hitting material with the ballads mixed in nicely.
foxco
Footballguy
Love Ratt way more than they deserve probably. They'd be in my top 5 on this list easily. Great guitar sound, Warren DeMartini is an absolute beast, one of the more underrated guys out there. Lots of catchy tunes. Lay it Down is one of the best guitar riffs out there. But Wanted Man, Back for More, Slip of the Lip, You're in Love, I Want a Woman, lots of really good tunes.
Pretty much all of Invasion of Your Privacy rocks for me, even the deeper cuts like Dangerous But Worth the Risk and You Should Know By Now.
Plus one of my favorite concert moments came from a Ratt show. Went to see them when I was 19 at L'amour the Rock Capital of Brooklyn in '90 and worked our way to the 2nd row in general admission.
This is the Detonator tour and it wasn't a great album, but there's a song on their called "Heads I win, Tails You Lose," that Jon Bon Jovi sings backup on. They're playing that song and when the chorus comes up Stephen Pearcy's right in front of me singing, and I'm mouthing the words to Bon Jovi's lines. He catches this, points to me and grins, then runs away and does his thing on the other side of the stage. When the chorus comes back up Pearcy runs over to me and jams the microphone right in my face so I get to sing "Heads I Win" for the crowd - my friends are going crazy clapping me on the back. Best part is there are these girls next to us who must have thought we were friends with the band because all of a sudden one of them is all over me. I'm in the 2nd row sucking face with this tatted up chick who's hot in the never meet your mom way, one of my friends says Pearcy made a comment about us making out but I didn't hear it. So I'm loving this show playing touchy feely half the night, but as soon as it ends the girls realize we have absolutely nothing to do with the band and won't be bringing them backstage or anything and they make cartoon cutouts in the wall they flee so fast. But anyway, I got props from Pearcy, so Ratt, yeah, good band.
Pretty much all of Invasion of Your Privacy rocks for me, even the deeper cuts like Dangerous But Worth the Risk and You Should Know By Now.
Plus one of my favorite concert moments came from a Ratt show. Went to see them when I was 19 at L'amour the Rock Capital of Brooklyn in '90 and worked our way to the 2nd row in general admission.
This is the Detonator tour and it wasn't a great album, but there's a song on their called "Heads I win, Tails You Lose," that Jon Bon Jovi sings backup on. They're playing that song and when the chorus comes up Stephen Pearcy's right in front of me singing, and I'm mouthing the words to Bon Jovi's lines. He catches this, points to me and grins, then runs away and does his thing on the other side of the stage. When the chorus comes back up Pearcy runs over to me and jams the microphone right in my face so I get to sing "Heads I Win" for the crowd - my friends are going crazy clapping me on the back. Best part is there are these girls next to us who must have thought we were friends with the band because all of a sudden one of them is all over me. I'm in the 2nd row sucking face with this tatted up chick who's hot in the never meet your mom way, one of my friends says Pearcy made a comment about us making out but I didn't hear it. So I'm loving this show playing touchy feely half the night, but as soon as it ends the girls realize we have absolutely nothing to do with the band and won't be bringing them backstage or anything and they make cartoon cutouts in the wall they flee so fast. But anyway, I got props from Pearcy, so Ratt, yeah, good band.
DJackson10
Footballguy
Tried to get into these guys and never could. Not sure if they made enough of an impact though IMPO to warrant (pun intended) such a high place here.
DJackson10
Footballguy
I really like Geoff Tate. He does a few guest appearances for Supergroup European Power Band Tobias Sammet's (Lead singer of Edgy) Avantasia. I had a thing for QR for awhile before it faded a little. However I still enjoy a lot of their songs.
DJackson10
Footballguy
Scorpions were one of my first favorite Heavy metal Bands. Rock You like a Hurricane just got me. Big City Nights is amazing and their Symphonic Concert in Berlin they have former Mr Big Eric Martin sing on it. Rhythm of Love is absolutely amazing. Scorpions were the first band I started to collect every album besides Motley Crue and Def Leppard when I first started.
Their Wacken Concert awhile back is amazing because during the last half of the show it starts pouring rain when they get to the heavy classics and guitar solos. Klaus is amazing and a frequent guest for Avantasia since both bands are in Germany. I believe Klaus has done a few things with Doro Pesch as well. Still amazing at his age how good Klause is.
Their former Drummer Kottak left the band after an incident in QATAR. Background Kottak got pretty hammered on the flight. Anyway QATAR law states anyone who's not from QATAR cannot consume alcohol or some weird law like that in public or train rides (I think they can in private again weird law). Kottak also apparently full Mooned security at the Airport. Well He was in Jail the entire time Scorpions played their concerts there and had to find a replacement. he was fired shortly after this
DJackson10
Footballguy
So fun story about Ratt. My one coworker when I started working at the supermarket I knew her brother in school (Didn't know at time they were related till a little later) and I kind of crushed hard over her. Pretty blonde with nice assets if you know what I mean. She has a cousin who worked here too who is literally like one of my 2 older sisters I've never had (she had a sister with disabilities so she always took a liking to me easily). Anyway both would defend little DJ at 16 innocent kid when he first started. So the blonde her name is Kelly and her and her cousins and a few friends are going to a concert. They had an extra ticket so I asked what concert. They told me it was RATT (This was mid 2000s before their Infestation album) and said to me "oh you might not like them." I'm like I'll go I want to hang with you guys. So I'm about 17 and I had to convince my mom hard to let me go. I told her that her cousin who my mom liked a two others my mom knew from my work were going so my mom after trying to convince her for a long time said I could go. It was iN AC and we'd spend the night there plus it was a weekend so we spend the entire weekend there with the concert Fri night.
Little did anyone know I was a into Ratt already. and they were playing with Quiet Riot and Firehouse at the Trump Taj Mahal. I got to meet spend some time with Kelly and her sisters BFF named Rose. Now mind you they are all about 10 yrs older then me. They were impressed how many of the songs I knew plus the other stuff. Rose was this amazing Italian looking girl. Lets just say little DJ had his first uh hem Sexual experience that weekend as well. We were all pretty drunk after the concert and continued into Saturday night. It took a lot of stuff to sober up Little DJ to take him home that weekend and make sure Mom didn't find out all the extra curricular that went on. We also managed to get me a fake ID but hardly anyone then was checking ID's. Since I looked like I was at the very least 18 they didn't care much but no one made a fuss. AC gambling age on the floor is 21.
Little DJ had the time of his life that weekend. About 7 yrs later DJ goes to the Pub Rose is working that Kelly's mom owns with others. Before DJ can ask Rose out she's moving to SC. Found out about 3 yrs ago she had a 2 night stand with a black guy in SC and got knocked up. DJ and Kelly's Sisters friend's husband are both pretty unhappy. Rose became a little strange with the Religion stuff to the point she doesn't do a lot of stuff anymore. Her daughter is great and biracial but now Kelly and Her sister and their families are no longer friends with Rose. Rose ended up moving back a year or so ago.
All in all thats the story how RATT helped a young DJ loose his virginity.
DJackson10
Footballguy
Yep DiMartinni is underrated. He didn't go out with the reunited version now because he didn't want to tour anymore
Pearcy is also super underrated as a lead singer
Speaking of Super Underrated I wonder if a certain band who's music was in a Mark Wahlberg movie is on @plinko's list
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Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Empire CD is stuck in my 2008 truck. Thank goodness I like it. Will have to listen to Mindcrime.
Tick
Footballguy
Way Cool Jr. goes on that Dead Man's Road / Ronnie list of songs I didn't expect to hear from a band back then. Invasion of Your Privacy was the album I listened to most from them - it hit around 9th grade for me (at least that's when I remember it). At first listen to a couple of songs, they're holding up better than White Lion for me.
Doug B
Footballguy
Another precocious teen on the Sunset Strip metal scene. DeMartini quit his freshman year of college to join Ratt at age 18 in 1982.
5-ish Finkle
Footballguy
My sister's first boyfriend was super into Ratt. He, a drummer himself, would swear up and down to whomever was present that Bobby Blotzer was "the best drummer who ever lived. #### Bonham, #### Buddy Rich", etc etc.
Twenty five years later, a buddy of mine living in LA "guaranteed" me that Bobby was now a barber/the guy who was cutting his hair on the reg.
Not sure which one was more full of it. Prolly the BF.
Twenty five years later, a buddy of mine living in LA "guaranteed" me that Bobby was now a barber/the guy who was cutting his hair on the reg.
Not sure which one was more full of it. Prolly the BF.
zamboni
Footballguy
Crosby sure had the tough life after Ratt, which I remember from the VH1 Behind The Music special featuring the band. Had to look up again, but Crosby developed HIV in the early 1990s and died of a heroin overdose in 2002 at age 42. At the time of his death, he allegedly weighed 400 pounds due to a pancreatic condition. On the flip side, he was first on Tawny Kitaen before David Coverdale, OJ Simpson, and Chuck Finley.
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Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
foxco
Footballguy
Ratt had a pretty cool acoustic cover of "Born on the Bayou" with Michael Schenker in for Crosby, starts at about the 3 minute mark.
Todem
Footballguy
He was the second guitarist in Steel Dragon in the Wahlberg flick Rockstar. Tragic story this guy.
scorchy
Footballguy
I've got a picture of me in said Ratt shirt with @plinkoand @Tremendous Upside(
). I was a huge Ratt fan in middle school. I won some dumb game at the local carnival and picked a blue Ratt shirt as my prize. It had the electrocuted rat on the front with Ratt-n-Roll 1984 on the back. I loved it. So did my girlfriend Lesley. Being a sucker, I gave her the shirt and it was soon lost to the graveyard of failed teen relationships. But, as Bret Michaels sang, "It's better to have loved and lost [your favorite band t-shirt] than never to have loved at all."Years later, I was at some vintage store on Melrose in L.A. and spotted the same shirt - thankfully in an XL rather than the original Small. Still pull it for special occasions.
scorchy
Footballguy
Been waiting to write about The Cat Club on Sunset Strip and the Bobby Blotzer talk is my queue.
In the early 2000s, my best friend and I took a week-long trip to LA every year. The highlight was Thursday nights at the Cat Club - owned by Stray Cats' drummer Slim Jim Phantom. The house band was called The Star****ers, and they drew an amazing collection of metal B-listers (and the occasional actual star), sleazy scenesters, and lots of big-haired women when they played every Thursday.
Slim Jim and Gilby Clarke were the only two in the band every time we were there, but at various points saw Tracii Guns, Dizzy Reed, John Carabi, Eric Dover, and Stefan Adika perform with them. Unfortunately, we weren't there when Axl showed up and sang a few songs for them but I did get to see Joey Fatone (sp?) sing lead on a cover of Sweet's Fox on the Run. Star****ers actually didn't play much metal - mainly glam, punk, and 60s/70s classics from the Beatles, Stones, Faces, etc.
We probably saw the band 7 or 8 times, and Ron Jeremy was at the club every single one of them. One time, he and some poor drugged out girl sat at the table next to me and Ron kept nodding off onto my shoulder. He had horrible B.O.
As for Bobby Blotzer, Mrs. Scorchy and I took a pre-baby trip to SoCal when she was 6 months pregnant. We stopped in the Cat Club to see the band and the opening act had Blotzer's son playing in it. We talked to him for a while and I told him my Ratt T-shirt story. He couldn't have been nicer, including giving us lots of parenting advice. He even touched Mrs. Scorchy belly and blessed the kid. So we have that going for us...
In the early 2000s, my best friend and I took a week-long trip to LA every year. The highlight was Thursday nights at the Cat Club - owned by Stray Cats' drummer Slim Jim Phantom. The house band was called The Star****ers, and they drew an amazing collection of metal B-listers (and the occasional actual star), sleazy scenesters, and lots of big-haired women when they played every Thursday.
Slim Jim and Gilby Clarke were the only two in the band every time we were there, but at various points saw Tracii Guns, Dizzy Reed, John Carabi, Eric Dover, and Stefan Adika perform with them. Unfortunately, we weren't there when Axl showed up and sang a few songs for them but I did get to see Joey Fatone (sp?) sing lead on a cover of Sweet's Fox on the Run. Star****ers actually didn't play much metal - mainly glam, punk, and 60s/70s classics from the Beatles, Stones, Faces, etc.
We probably saw the band 7 or 8 times, and Ron Jeremy was at the club every single one of them. One time, he and some poor drugged out girl sat at the table next to me and Ron kept nodding off onto my shoulder. He had horrible B.O.
As for Bobby Blotzer, Mrs. Scorchy and I took a pre-baby trip to SoCal when she was 6 months pregnant. We stopped in the Cat Club to see the band and the opening act had Blotzer's son playing in it. We talked to him for a while and I told him my Ratt T-shirt story. He couldn't have been nicer, including giving us lots of parenting advice. He even touched Mrs. Scorchy belly and blessed the kid. So we have that going for us...
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plinko
Footballguy
Loving the Ratt love!
12. Van Halen / David Lee Roth / Van Hagar
Pretty Woman - "one of the first" videos banned by MTV (first was Queen!) ... nightmare #### happening here..
Panama
It's 1984 and the biggest rock band in the country must have known they had just peaked, at least Eddie did, at least with this current group. I imagine he could have put up with Dave for the rest of his life if there was much more in it.
Dave went solo in bombastic fashion, and 14 year old me thought it was amazing.
Just A Gigolo
Yankee Rose
Van Halen picked up Sammy Hagar (after being turned down by Daryl Hall and Patty Smyth? -- can't be real.. friend of band Billy Sheehan also once said he was offered Michael's job) and carried forth like they knew what they were doing. And they did. And it was good. I didn't like it but it was good.
Dreams forgot about this Blue Angels video
DLR, Eat 'Em And Smile I liked. Again.. 14.. but it's a fun piece. Not a ton of staying power maybe. The follow-up, Skyscraper, same band is still on, had one pretty big hit and it's a good pop song, but the rest is faded on me. Beyond that, he's had his moments, and he helped bring up John 5.
.. My last chance to mention Steve Vai, who always seemed super cool and could rip it up. I liked his solo record around '90 too.. his Zappa-esque earlier solo record is... something.
The Sammy years were a good time for the rest of the Halens, at least from what I could tell, and they were able to rock into their middle ages.
I caught Van Halen on the first reunion tour with Dave, teenage Wolfgang, maybe 2006? It was not spectacular by any sense but dammit it was great to be there! I'm lucky to have done it. Legends.
Tom Breihan's old dilapidated Number Ones on JUMP
12. Van Halen / David Lee Roth / Van Hagar
Pretty Woman - "one of the first" videos banned by MTV (first was Queen!) ... nightmare #### happening here..
Panama
It's 1984 and the biggest rock band in the country must have known they had just peaked, at least Eddie did, at least with this current group. I imagine he could have put up with Dave for the rest of his life if there was much more in it.
Dave went solo in bombastic fashion, and 14 year old me thought it was amazing.
Just A Gigolo
Yankee Rose
Van Halen picked up Sammy Hagar (after being turned down by Daryl Hall and Patty Smyth? -- can't be real.. friend of band Billy Sheehan also once said he was offered Michael's job) and carried forth like they knew what they were doing. And they did. And it was good. I didn't like it but it was good.
Dreams forgot about this Blue Angels video
DLR, Eat 'Em And Smile I liked. Again.. 14.. but it's a fun piece. Not a ton of staying power maybe. The follow-up, Skyscraper, same band is still on, had one pretty big hit and it's a good pop song, but the rest is faded on me. Beyond that, he's had his moments, and he helped bring up John 5.
.. My last chance to mention Steve Vai, who always seemed super cool and could rip it up. I liked his solo record around '90 too.. his Zappa-esque earlier solo record is... something.
The Sammy years were a good time for the rest of the Halens, at least from what I could tell, and they were able to rock into their middle ages.
I caught Van Halen on the first reunion tour with Dave, teenage Wolfgang, maybe 2006? It was not spectacular by any sense but dammit it was great to be there! I'm lucky to have done it. Legends.
Tom Breihan's old dilapidated Number Ones on JUMP
Todem
Footballguy
I remember seeing Ron Jeremy stumbling out of an elevator at the now defunct Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas back in 2001. And you are 100% right.....guy stunk to high heaven. But yet he had two super hot porn stars on both arms......ugh. Guy is nasty.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
I'm trying to imagine a Daryl Hall fronted Van Halen now. Would they have made Oates go front Jackyl or something?
beer 30
Footballguy
Things haven't exactly been getting better for Mr. Jeremy
Nothing to add regarding Van Halen other than if they are at 12, I can't wait to see who the next 11 are. All iterations of Van Halen have rang loud and true in the 30 house from the time I first listened to them in the early 80's till today on the trainer during a workout. Top 5 all time for me.
foxco
Footballguy
VH Dave is my favorite all time band, and I'll take Eat 'Em & Smile over 5150 (though I do enjoy 5150.) Was too young to catch the original band live, had to settle for Sammy VH and Dave and his talent blessed band. Between them I must have seen them a dozen times in my late teens/early twenties. Such great memories.
Caught them on the Dave reunion in '07(?) and it was great to see Dave & Eddie on stage together, but I left feeling a bit bummed. Dave's voice doesn't really hold up and his vaudeville act got a bit creepier as he aged. Pretty sure Eddie was hammered. And no Michael Anthony.
Friend of mine thinks they sold out with 1984 but that's ridiculous IMO. Panama, Drop Dead Legs, House of Pain, Hot for Teacher, these songs are classic VH. If they "sold out" it's for one song, Jump (won't count I'll Wait), and while I never listen to Jump on purpose, it's a good pop rock song.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
I remember liking DLR's covers as a kid, but I'm pretty sure that's because I had never heard any of the originals other that California Girls. Just a Gigolo, in particular, is pretty inessential in terms of adding anything to the Louis Prima original. That's Life isn't even a particularly good Sinatra song and Dave still doesn't add anything.
I remember hating Diver Down when it came out, but at least their Dancing in the Streets had those Van Halen harmonies that make the song sound their own. I hated Pretty Woman with a passion.
I remember hating Diver Down when it came out, but at least their Dancing in the Streets had those Van Halen harmonies that make the song sound their own. I hated Pretty Woman with a passion.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Rare that I feel bad for criminals, but imagine being stuck in the same cell as the stinky hedgehog.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
The "sellout" narrative for 1984 is doubly ridiculous when you remember Diver Down. I understand it was the record company's idea, but Diver Down has FIVE! covers. When you're following up an album that covered Roy Orbison, Martha and the Vandellas and Roy freakin' Rogers with an album that has Panama and Hot For Teacher, which is the sellout?
beer 30
Footballguy
You didn't grow up in Rootstown, OH by any chance, did you? Same thing for me, I was into the glam hair bands, one of my best friends was into the harder stuff and thought the #### I listened to was anathema to the genre. Anyhow, he was a huge VH fan (we did see eye to eye on some bands) and felt the same way about 1984. Had to listen to his bull#### for 6 months after it came out, #####ing about all the keyboards and how they were getting soft and selling out.
Todem
Footballguy
The non cover tunes on Diver Down are strong though.
Little Guitars a top 5 all time VH song for me.
Hang em High smoked.
And Secrets is such a smooth tune.
I love VH and yeah I prefer DLR to Van Hagar....however 5150/OU812/For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge was a hell of a trifecta for the newer sound of VH. Lot’s of great songs in those three albums.
Balance was an uneven record......but it pumped out:
Feeling and Take Me Back which are awesome awesome VH songs.
If I had to rank the VH albums they look like this:
1. Fair Warning
2. Van Halen I
3. Van Halen II
4. 1984
5. 5150
6. Woman and Children First
7. Diver Down
8. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
9. A Different Kind of Truth
10. OU812
11. Balance
12. Van Halen III
Eddie was one of the biggest influences on my early years of guitar playing. He is on my Mount Rushmore of:
Alex Lifeson
Jimmy Page
Dave Gilmore
Eddie Van Halen
Those 4 had the profound influence on how I approached the instrument as well a song writing.
I saw VH many times starting with the 1984 Tour. That would be the only time I saw them with Diamond Dave and it was glorious. I would see the next three tours as well with Hagar. I saw Alice In Chains open for them in 1991.....talk about a wild show.
Todem
Footballguy
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
I'm pretty sure "OMG, the world's most famous guitarist is into keyboards now!" was a global panic point among fans of the genre.
Todem
Footballguy
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
I remember my older brother calling me up when I was in college just gushing about Poundcake off For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. So I just listened to it on YouTube for probably the first time in at least 25 years. It feels like an iconic, seminal hard rock song of 1987. Unfortunately, it was recorded in 1991 and felt a bit old fashioned even then. But it's very Van Halen. A little sleazy. A little silly. Produced to within an inch of its life. But it still rocks.
foxco
Footballguy
lol I'm NY, but pretty much the exact same thing except I was kinda into everything (from Slayer to VH to Prince). I assume these conversations were going on all around the country (world?) at that time.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I despise the "sellout" garbage that fans (& some critics) vomit out. It pisses me off that fans are gonna tell an artist what they can and can not do. Dead fans are the worst if you mention "Shakedown Street" or "Touch Of Gray" with any kind of affection, but VH fans are a close second.
In fact, VH fans might be worse because they have more targets for parking-lot bullies to aim at, and they can't even agree on when the sellout happened - all the while punching the paneling in their parents' basements sporting Doritos stains on their yellowed underwear.
At least Van Halen covered good songs. How well they covered them is up for debate, but they had taste in their sources.
Bogart
Footballguy
My ex-wife was/is a music chameleon. What ever band her boyfriend/husband/older brothers/etc were into, she was into. The most cringe worthy moments in the car over the years would be when any hair metal would come on the radio, she would yell out, "I love the Scorps so much!!"
foxco
Footballguy
Secrets probably gets my vote as most underrated VH tune. Shows a rare pensive side to DLR, just a terrific song.
Surprised to see Women and Children First so far down on your list.
Doug B
Footballguy
Patty Smyth fronting the three remaining members of Van Halen would have worked, but it would have been entirely different from every rendition of Van Halen we're accustomed to, needless to say. She had the pipes in spades ... it's just that some types of songs (e.g. lots of classic VH) just don't work coming from a woman's perspective. Still would've been an interesting project, IMHO.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
I suppose my thesis seems less compelling when you consider that VH1 had two covers, including Ice Cream Man (which I'm reasonably sure I didn't know was a cover until I was close to 40).
Todem
Footballguy
I wasn’t crazy about the song writing on that one. It has some very high moments but also some low ones.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Your thesis is correct, IMHO, when it comes to 1984 vs Diver Down. I just happen to think VH didn't sell out at all, nor did anyone else.
I mean, no one accuses Helen Reddy of it. DO THEY?