But aging is the greatest thing ever and old people are in much better shape physically and mentally than stupid young people. That's why the Olympics are filled with middle-aged people.

Obligatory "Subby is in much worse shape than ______ so shouldn't have made this post" post.

Mugato: throwing out Michael Anthony for Eddie's farking son on the surface looks like a dick move worthy of Axl Rose. But I might not know the whole story.


Michael Anthony was on Adam Carolla's podcast 6-8 months ago (i'm sure you could find it) and as I recall, he expressed befuddlement about why / how he got booted. I also kind of recall him saying he'd go back if asked but Eddie and Alex had more or less seized control of "Van Halen" (whereas the band had formerly operated on a "everybody gets a say" type ethos) and didn't appear interested in his services.

And Sammy was on not terribly long after, and I kind of recall him saying the same thing, he'd go back if asked but the invite -- at least as of 6 months or whatever it was ago -- hadn't come forward.

Mugato: Eddie's one of my favorite guitar players but without knowing the specifics of the line-up change and please correct me if I'm wrong, throwing out Michael Anthony for Eddie's farking son on the surface looks like a dick move worthy of Axl Rose. But I might not know the whole story.

Yeah, there's no denying Eddie's talent but I pretty much lost all respect for him in the mid-90's when I would read interviews with him in guitar mags...constantly talking shiat, trashing other people, threatening to kick people's asses, pretty much a Lars Ulrich level of self-aggrandizing douchebaggery. That was a long time ago and things could be completely different now, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if he were just older and even more bitter these days.

Mugato: Eddie's one of my favorite guitar players but without knowing the specifics of the line-up change and please correct me if I'm wrong, throwing out Michael Anthony for Eddie's farking son on the surface looks like a dick move worthy of Axl Rose. But I might not know the whole story.

It's not a true reunion without Michael Anthony, IMO.

I had a hard time believing that they had started as long ago as 1972, so I looked up their wiki. And yeah, it's true... even though their first album didn't drop until 1978.

From the wiki...
"The band later changed its name to Genesis, then discovered the name "Genesis" already was being used..."

D'oh!

Shoulda used this version of Jump (new window) for the soundtrack of their promotional trailer.

The fun starts roughly 46 seconds in. Enjoy.

styckx: Is it really still reuniting when you keep doing it?

The Fark headline is incorrect. The actual headline doesn't call it a "reunion", as it isn't. (Vote for me for Smartest comment!!!)

In before "Sammy was better" arsehats.

How did Subby turn "I Can't Drive 55" into that?

Mister Peejay: How did Subby turn "I Can't Drive 55" into that?

It was "Hot for Teacher", chodebreath...

....and Sometimes you let a legacy die with dignity and honor.

Mugato: Eddie's one of my favorite guitar players but without knowing the specifics of the line-up change and please correct me if I'm wrong, throwing out Michael Anthony for Eddie's farking son on the surface looks like a dick move worthy of Axl Rose. But I might not know the whole story.

Find this someplace and read the forward RED (new window)

Mike says the VH Bros. kicked him out because he went on tour with Sammy after the band split.

got the book for Xmas, not a bad read.

rickythepenguin: And Sammy was on not terribly long after, and I kind of recall him saying the same thing, he'd go back if asked but the invite -- at least as of 6 months or whatever it was ago -- hadn't come forward.

Sammy may be willing but they would never take him back. He went around talking about how Eddie lived like a drug addicted pig wallowing in his own filth based on their last attempted "reunion". Frankly I'd say doing that kind of qualifies as asking not to be invited.

And Michael got shiatcanned for being friends with Sammy when the Van Halen boys decreed such a thing was not acceptable, making them massive assholes. Talented assholes, but still assholes.

I can imagine years ago, Mike was over at Eddie's house BSing, and Wolfgang mentions he wanted to learn to play bass. Not guitar like his dad, but bass. Mike probably said, "Cool, I'll show you a few things," unaware that he was grooming his eventual replacement.

People used to debate whether the problem with Van Halen was Roth or Hagar. When they kicked Mike out, it became obvious that Eddie was the problem with Van Halen.

No Michael Anthony, no reunion.

One of the things that was cool about Van Halen (up until the first split with Hagar-there have been two) was that unlike a Rolling Stones or Who or other bad that has been around forever they were still making new music that didn't completely suck.

The Roth tour basically was a time warp, as if Van Halen had no history post 1984. The question is will the new Van Halen with Roth be good (and therefore no longer a greatest hits tour) or will it be 18 pre-5150 songs and two off the new album?

cygnusx13: In before "Sammy was better" arsehats.

In before "Gary Cherone was better" clique.

GibbyTheMole: Shoulda used this version of Jump (new window) for the soundtrack of their promotional trailer.

Why? Because it's out of tune and sounds like crap?

Evilsmurf: cygnusx13: In before "Sammy was better" arsehats.

In before "Gary Cherone was better" clique.

You're gonna die waiting XD

mjbok: One of the things that was cool about Van Halen (up until the first split with Hagar-there have been two) was that unlike a Rolling Stones or Who or other bad that has been around forever they were still making new music that didn't completely suck.

The Roth tour basically was a time warp, as if Van Halen had no history post 1984. The question is will the new Van Halen with Roth be good (and therefore no longer a greatest hits tour) or will it be 18 pre-5150 songs and two off the new album?

You say that like it's a bad thing. Van Hagar sucked ass.

MilesTeg: [www.livemedinfo.com image 175x225]

Damn. And that picture was from like 5 years ago. Wonder how he looks now.

Roth left Van Halen and got Steve Vai as his guitarist.

Hagar left Van Halen and (eventually) got Joe Satriani as his guitarist.

Cherone left Van Halen and got (back with) Nuno Bettencourt as his guitarist.

Sound to me like when you leave Van Halen you get a free guitarist upgrade as part of the severance package.

Patterson: WE'RE BACK!!!

*SPLASH GONG*

/obscure?

Was that lil' Yimmy on the gong?

/little bit older
//ain't much wiser

Mugato: Martstar: Roth left Van Halen and got Steve Vai as his guitarist.

Hagar left Van Halen and (eventually) got Joe Satriani as his guitarist.

Cherone left Van Halen and got (back with) Nuno Bettencourt as his guitarist.

Sound to me like when you leave Van Halen you get a free guitarist upgrade as part of the severance package.

Joe Satriani might be better technically...maybe. But can he play as well in a rock band? I'd still give that to Eddie.

I honestly don't know enough about Cherone to have a real opinion.

Satch can play well w/a band, but I'm not sure if Chickenfoot is the best example of this. He did do a short stint w/Deep Purple, toured w/Jagger back in the day, and a few other such gigs.

As for Cherone, at the very least the 2nd and 3rd Extreme albums are the best example of his and Nuno's work.

Of course, Eddie's no slouch either, and as an innovator the others definitely owe him. But remember kids, this is an exhibition, not a competition. As always, no wagering.

Saw them in '07 in Vegas and they put on a great show. DLR couldn't hit the high notes like he did back in the day, but that's not too surprising. Looking forward to seeing them on this tour as well.

Saw them in 2001 in DC. Alex looked like he needed CPR by about the fifth song.

GibbyTheMole: Shoulda used this version of Jump (new window) for the soundtrack of their promotional trailer.

Lsherm Why? Because it's out of tune and sounds like crap?

Precisely.

IIRC most of the material for Van Halen III was written for Sammy's vocal range, and when that didn't happen Gary Cherone was kind of a hail mary to save the project. Patch the wound-get the album out. That's why most of that record sounds like Hagar-lite, and even Warner Bros wasn't happy with it pre-release; they were pushed back into the studio until they came up with what they felt was a releasable single in "Without You".

That said, supposedly they recorded an album's worth of material with Cherone after Van Halen III that was never released. Who knows what it sounds like, could be great, probably terrible. Sometimes things just don't work out despite talent and good intentions.

I have heard from reliable sources that on the last tour they used Mike Anthony's backing vocals piped in, probably recorded on earlier tours. It seems plausible; the live footage I've seen had that "sound" in the back-ups and there's no way in hell Wolfie can sing like that and Ed has never been able to sing. Not to mention it took them like eight shows to get the keyboard tracks aligned properly. Ed makes for a horrible dry-drunk.

Being a Rothologist, I'll go if the tickets aren't over priced. Roth should re-unite the "Eat 'Em And Smile" band and make a new album with them and tour.

Most of the "new songs" will be likely old ideas from when Roth was still in the band, which might be the way to go. If they drop a heavy album ala 'Fair Warning' they might actually not embarrass themselves.

rickythepenguin: Mugato: throwing out Michael Anthony for Eddie's farking son on the surface looks like a dick move worthy of Axl Rose. But I might not know the whole story.


Michael Anthony was on Adam Carolla's podcast 6-8 months ago (i'm sure you could find it) and as I recall, he expressed befuddlement about why / how he got booted. I also kind of recall him saying he'd go back if asked but Eddie and Alex had more or less seized control of "Van Halen" (whereas the band had formerly operated on a "everybody gets a say" type ethos) and didn't appear interested in his services.

And Sammy was on not terribly long after, and I kind of recall him saying the same thing, he'd go back if asked but the invite -- at least as of 6 months or whatever it was ago -- hadn't come forward.

DLR explains it quite clearly in his book "Crazy from the Heat" that Ed and Alex as he calls them, think they are the only two band members in the business of being Van Halen and the rest are all hired by them. Once they take a dislike, they start criticizing until they make the person quit or eventually kick them out. He stated he was hurt by the sudden change in attitude before he got fed up with it. The only reason he has been invited back a few times is he makes money for the band and once his use is up he is pushed out again.

DLR's book is not bad. He obviously had a good ghost writer too. He gives a fairly realistic view of what the business is like, how it was like for him being a rock star, forming a band and how the record industry treats entertainers. He downplayed his conquests with women and over all was a good read.

Michael Anthony was an important part of Van Halen not just for his bass playing or vocal harmonies, but also because he was the "everyman" in the group. To paraphrase another Farker: Dave was the movie star, Eddie was the virtuoso, Alex was the guy in the back nobody could see, but Michael was the one you could relate to. He was a little pudgy, he had a blue-collar vibe to him, and he'd drink cans of Budweiser and shots of Jack Daniel's onstage just like you and your buddies did in the parking lot before the concert.

Still, I'll go see the new VH in concert as long as the tix aren't too expensive.

Will his son Lumpy be playing bass again?

drewogatory: You say that like it's a bad thing. Van Hagar sucked ass.

I look at them as different bands. However Sammy could (and did) sing some old Dave tunes. I don't think Dave could do them justice. I saw the co-headlining tour several years ago with Dave and Sammy alternating who opened and who closed. Sam blew Dave away. The problem (as I see it) is Dave is doing the exact (to a word) same schtick he was doing 20 years ago. Seeing Roth twice as a solo act (once in a club with 300, once in a theater with 10K it was the EXACT SAME SHOW. Dave is a hell of a show man, but he's also no longer a young man.

//Van Halen with Roth (unless the new music is good) is kind of sad. A band that stopped growing/evolving/getting better 27 years ago. A state fair band with a larger crowd.