Hokeyboy

Blackie Lawless?? Unless you know something I don't, W.A.S.P. was never that big of a band. Outside of metal circles, I doubt you could find 6 people who remember the group, let alone any of their songs.

And as far as David Lee Roth is concerned... he hit some lows but the VH tour of 07/08 was freakin' ginormous.

I.Flores

Dave's overrated, and Sammy has some AMAZING songs with VH. Dreams and Right Now are two of my favorite VH tunes.

Hokeyboy

Respectfully disagree. And I always thought Dreams sounded like pussified synth-driven tripe with dopier-than-dopey lyrics, something that sounds like it should be on some forgotten-80s-sex-comedy soundtrack.

What fascinates me about Van Hagar is that I was a *huge* fan of Sammy's solo work, and a *huge* fan of Van Halen, but the two never really "gelled" with me. They became a different band entirely starting with 5150, which is fine since they weren't trying to ape what the band had done with Dave. But 5150 to me felt stilted, mechanical, often neutered at times, whereas David Lee Roth's fantastic "Eat Em And Smile" album came off as spontaneous, kinetic, something with a pulse, something REALLY felt like freewheeling ROCK. Having Vai and Sheehan didn't hurt either.

I.Flores

Guitar solo's killer, though


I know VH became more synth driven since Sammy joined, but ironically, their most famous song has tons of synth too. And it's oppening synth sequence is better known than any of Eddie's guitar solos.

UAIOE

I've always though Dave brought a lot more energy to VH with his singing.

Sammy is OK, but his singing lacks the energy that Dave brought.

jeffbase34

If anyone destroyed Van Halen, it was Eddie. The guy really sounds like a turd to work with, and the smiling fun loving guitar blazing Eddie seen in the early 80's vids is long gone.

Hokeyboy

This. No one's arguing that DLR wasn't a great big pain in the ass, but the recipe behind the rock pinnacle of Van Halen was the perfect collaboration of EVH's musicianship and DLR's showmanship. Not to belittle Michael Anthony (one of the most dependable rock bassists ever whose backing vocals were responsible for a lot of Van Halen's sound) or Alex (ease off the crash cymbals, huh??), but the Eddie/Dave dynamic made Van Halen VAN FREAKIN' HALEN. Once Dave was gone, it seemed Eddie became the band, for better or worse.

I'll never forget the smug look on Eddie's face when he announced that Gary Cherone was the quintessential VH vocalist ever. Uh Huh. And when that album came out, he sounded just like 2nd-rate Sammy Hagar...

foofighters7

Damn you people. I come here looking for hilarious and sad instances of people or bands having a downward spiral and instead have to read through post after post of Van Hagar banter.
I thought we might talk about bands who have fallen apart over drugs, bickering, alcohol, and have lived or died past their usefull...err. hmm....

I stand corrected, continue on with the Van Sam discussion.

al_bundy

billy idol?

Run DMC?