BengalszoneBilly Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 As much as I loved Van Halen back in the day, there comes a time to hang it up... Van Halen reunites, Second Coming is nighIt has come to this. The gods of metal did grunt and the thunder did creak and Poison, Dokken, Def Leppard, Ratt, Whitesnake and the rest of the '80s quinquagenarian rockers have already wrapped up their various "reunion" tours of the sundry community theaters, Midwestern county fairs and shopping malls across this fine nation, so of course now is the time for the granddaddy of all conflagrations, the Great Reuniting fans have been waiting for about 20 years, the real Second Coming.Then and now #1: Kids! Just say no to chain smokingYes, the original Van Halen, easily the greatest party-metal band of all time, is finally reuniting (well, most of them) for a summer tour. Shudder, and hope, and shudder again.Incredible as this band was in its heyday (and much deserving of inclusion in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame), you have to admit, the signs are not encouraging. David Lee Roth, after a miserable (read: cancelled after four months for allegedly being a crazed diva nut) stint as a radio personality and a bizarre turn as a New York paramedic and some sort of crazy-ass thing where he was last seen doing a kooky bluegrass version of "Jump" on cable TV (and admittedly looking like he was having a blast doing it), Roth looks like he's been ready to be permanently installed in the Tiki Lounge at Caesar's Palace since about 1996. Then and now #2: Kids! Just say yes to copious chest hairEddie Van Halen was last seen hosting a big porn party at his LA mansion (warning: NSFW), celebrating the release of "upscale" porn director Michael Ninn's latest, uh, masterpiece, Sacred Sin, for which Eddie wrote the soundtrack. You think I am making this up. I am not making this up. Somewhere, Valerie Bertinelli is twitching.There is danger. There is wary trepidation among the hair-metal cognoscenti. There is the nervous consideration that this will not be the slightest bit pretty, given how, first and foremost, time has been somewhat unkind to Roth, who now looks like a PTA dad and whose voice was never all that spectacular and which clearly has dropped a few notches in quality, and worse to Eddie, who's already had one hip replaced and who battled both alcoholism and mouth cancer (after chain smoking for his entire life) and now looks like something death dragged into the kitchen to warm over.What's more, word is that Eddie's 15-year-old kid Wolfgang will play bass in place of Michael Anthony, whose only real contribution was those famous high-range vocal harmonies. Wait, do I know way too much about this? How sad. I guess I'll have to buy a ticket, just to quell the demons. Sigh.On the upside, I suppose it sure as hell beats that rumored Culture Club reunion tour of Este Lauder department store makeup counters. Somebody said, "fair warning." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyline Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalszoneBilly Posted February 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 C'mon Skyline...you know I posted this just for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairOnFire Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 It hit me hardest when I went to see Foghat recently. Only the drummer and the bassist were from the original band. Worst, they were the only original band members still alive. Just thinking about it makes me stone blue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stripes Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 I just started getting into Van Halen (but could they possibly look any more gay on-stage?). Good deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
semiotter Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Oh man the 1st time I heard VAN HALEN. I drove a 1971 cherry red mustang,mag wheel 302 with headers and gabriel highjackers in the back. Had a craig 8 track tape player with really big speakers and OMG ive never heard music like that....im the the ice cream man watch him as he passes by, VAN HALEN 1 RULED IT RULED!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirkendall Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Oh man the 1st time I heard VAN HALEN.I changed the channel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stripes Posted February 16, 2007 Report Share Posted February 16, 2007 Oh man the 1st time I heard VAN HALEN.I changed the channel. That was my first reaction as well... David Lee Roth (and even moreso with Sammy Hagar - he sucks!) sounded horrible to me. After the music was forced on me, however, I learned to drown out the vocals and enjoy some truely great guitar work from EVH. Being a Zep fanatic, it's hard not to like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairOnFire Posted February 17, 2007 Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 I think I've got you all beat. The first time I heard Van Halen I was also able to see them. They were an unbilled opening act at a concert I attended at Hara Arena, and no...I don't recall who the other two bands were. I'm not sure if it's fair to call Van Halen unknown but after the opening song had ended Roth claimed it was the first appearance ever by Van Halen outside of Southern California. In fact, I didn't hear Van Halen on the radio until several weeks after the concert and by then I had already purchased the record and was walking around in a Van Halen tour T-Shirt. By the way, they opened the show with "Eruption" and the reaction to Eddie's almost revolutionary way of playing guitar was remarkable. Imagine the sound of 10 or 12 thousand jaws dropping in unison. I also remember that half of the people I was with hated David Lee Roth on sight, one or two liked him, and the rest of us didn't care one bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsbengalsbucks Posted February 17, 2007 Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 Van Halen 1 is great!5150 is a very good listen also.I'm surprised that thier is a Sammy hater here, the Red Rocker rules!! Montrosse, his solo stuff and VH makes him a legend. Go listen to Rock Candy or Heavymetal Noise and not be moved. For most of my early driving days I cant drive 55 was quite accurate, 5 tickets in 5 years with 2 warnings thrown in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stripes Posted February 17, 2007 Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 I'm surprised that thier is a Sammy hater hereHe's always annoyed me, especially his solo work. IMO with Van Halen, Roth > Hagar... even if neither one is the type of vocalist I care to hear. Ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirkendall Posted February 18, 2007 Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 I'm surprised that thier is a Sammy hater hereHe's always annoyed me, especially his solo work. IMO with Van Halen, Roth > Hagar... even if neither one is the type of vocalist I care to hear. Ever. Yea, I'd rather listen to the guy in Jaws 1 run his fingernails down the chalkboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierCat Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Ya never know how these things turn out. I saw Queensryche a couple months back on their "community theater" tour, and it turned out to be an absolutely great show.Frankly, the news that the Eagles were getting back together scares me far more than a Van Halen reunion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishbengal Posted February 24, 2007 Report Share Posted February 24, 2007 IMO Van Halen should never have formed let alone re-formed. Spandex Rock = Spastic Rock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalszoneBilly Posted February 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 IMO Van Halen should never have formed let alone re-formed. Spandex Rock = Spastic RockThey were discovered by the grandfather of Leather/Spandex...Gene Simmons of "Kiss." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirkendall Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 They were discovered by the grandfather of Leather/Spandex...Gene Simmons of "Kiss."That explains, EVERYTHING! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalszoneBilly Posted April 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 The 2007 tour now seems to be off. Why? It seems Eddie is heading for rehab. The fashionable thing to do now-a-days. Doesn't he know that rehab is for quitters!?! This from Van Halen's official website:............................................................FROM EDDIE March 8, 2007 I would like Van Halen fans to know how much I truly appreciate each and every one of you. Without you there is no Van Halen.I have always and will always feel a responsibility to give you my best. At the moment I do not feel that I can give you my best. That’s why I have decided to enter a rehabilitation facility to work on myself, so that in the future I can deliver the 110% that I feel I owe you and want to give you.Some of the issues surrounding the 2007 Van Halen tour are within my ability to change and some are not. As far as my rehab is concerned, it is within my ability to change and change for the better. I want you to know that is exactly what I’m doing, so that I may continue to give you the very best I am capable of.I look forward to seeing you in the future better than ever and I thank you with all my heart.Love,Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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