VAN HALEN's North American tour was frontman David Lee Roth's ide

David Lee Roth, Van Halen's front man? Is it 1984 already?

/yeah, yeah they got back together but at this point who cares

I'd rather it be a group with some fun hits opening instead of some unknown band the record company is trying to get over, or the headliner's cousin's band.

/I saw "Louisiana's LeRoux" open for so many goddamn bands 1978-81ish, and they just didn't have it.
//and apparently they're still around

Kool & The Gang opening for Van Halen? BlameThank David Lee Roth

For some reason, I can tell you off the top of my head that Kool and The Gang's debut single "Kool and The Gang" off their first album Kool and the Gang was a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Black Singles chart. Not sure why I know that, but I do.

/Kool and the Gang

is Foundry Music still semi-NSFW?

Blame hell, that sounds like a great show.

JerseyTim: Kool & The Gang opening for Van Halen? Blame Thank David Lee Roth

Bears repeating.

This is a reason to celebrate

shivashakti: If you're going to see Van Halen in 2012, you really aren't in a position to judge the standards of the opening act.

I was going to say what JerseyTim said but I think this is better.

At least David Lee Roth lights the menorah.

No puppet show?

Earguy: I'd rather it be a group with some fun hits opening instead of some unknown band the record company is trying to get over, or the headliner's cousin's band.

That's how I first saw Van Halen '78. they were the warm up for Black Sabbath.

/sometimes those warm ups turn out

Atomic Spunk: Ohh ohh ohh, it's too hot (too hot), too hot for teacher,
Gotta run for shelter, gotta run for shade


+1.

Love that site!

Dreamy206 just messaged me saying she was looking for a friend and wants to chat with me.

See you all later.

drewogatory: Eh, sounds good to me.

This......I'm okay with it.

verbaltoxin: The riff in "Best of Both Worlds" = the hook in "Celebration."

QFT

TravisBickle62: If you are male and you like Kool & The Gang you are gay, whether you know it or not.

I could understand a funk band but KOOL & THE GANG????

1/10

I will not go see Van Halen as I saw them in their heyday twice and don't feel like shelling out crazy money to see Dave try to sing the songs.

BUT,

The new record is farking outstanding. It erases the entire "I have no style or charisma and am as interesting as cold oatmeal" Sammy Hagar era.

You might not like David Lee Roth, but he has personality and a sense of humor. These are two things that were lacking from the Van Hagar days. You might HATE the style Roth does have, but at least he has some kind of presence and charisma. Watching and listening to Sammy Hagar is about as interesting as watching bread become toast.

The new record rocks HARD. Eddie hasn't sounded this good in decades. Alex is great. Wolfie is much better than I thought and the lack of Michael Anthony backing vocals is not even noticed.

Several of these songs could easily fit into Fair Warning, Diver Down or Women and Children First.

It is hard to believe these guys are heading toward 60. If you liked or loved Van Halen with Roth the first time around, this record fits right in there as if he never left. Not shiatting you.

The record is that farking good.

mjbok: AdolfOliverPanties: Several of these songs could easily fit into Fair Warning, Diver Down or Women and Children First.

At least one of the songs is a redo of an unreleased demo before they were signed. It's alright. Some of it is good, some of it (Tattoo for example) sucks hard.

If you've heard the demos from pre-first album, you'd realize they used bits of those demos in several of their songs. There are parts of Mean Streets, Hang 'Em High, Hot For Teacher, Where Have All the Good Times Gone and a lot more on those early demos. Van Halen often went back to early stuff to make "new" songs even during the first incarnation with Roth.

What I like about this new record is that they could have taken the easy route and done a safe reunion album like so many aging bands do. Instead they went balls to the wall and rocked the shiat out of it. Gone is the over-produced compressed guitar sound. The Brown Sound is back. This is a heavy record with a lot of humor. It is a damn good time.