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| Sunday, February 04, 2007 |
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Just Say No
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 Happy birthday to me! I came home Friday night and booted up the ol' Classic Van Halen.com to find that the rumor is true: David Lee Roth has in fact rejoined with Van Halen. How exciting that should be!
Except...I'm not counting this as Van Halen because rather than 30+ year veteran Michael Anthony on bass and backing vocals they're going to have Edward Van Halen's son, Wolfgang. I'm sorry, but a 15-year-old kid on bass is a complete no sale. A large part of the reason for going to an event like this isn't neccessarily the music, it's the high school reunion. In fact it's better than a high school reunion because rather than hanging around your four friends and a bunch of other people you hardly knew and never cared to see again, you're in an arena with 15,000 people with a kindred appreciation and identification with something that you all encountered at an early enough age that it almost seems like a part of your marrow. That feeling is going to be spoiled when you see some fresh-faced 15 year old who looks like he should be parked in front of a Playstation onstage. It's like if someone says, "Pull my finger!" and another guy farts, Eddie's going to stop the music and say, "Hey, guys, do ya mind? My kid's here!"
I'm also nearly-genuinely surprised David Lee Roth is consenting to appear onstage with a 15-year-old (maybe back at the hotel a couple decades ago, but not like this). Here's a guy who speaks three languages, has black belts in a couple of different martial arts and has sailed the Amazon in a canoe, not to mention sold over 60 million albums...and he's going to be seen hamming it up and doing high kicks with a kid who probably only needs to shave on a bi-monthly basis. It just kinda discredits the other accomplishments, doesn't it?
Another point to consider: Eddie's brother Alex has a kid or two, also. What says Eddie's kid is any more talented than Alex's? If they wanted to put all the kids together and have them as an opening act I wouldn't object, but this is crazy.
Third point to consider: I looked at some videos of Eddie at a musical instrument convention lately, and videos of their 2004 tour, and also some recent David Lee Roth live footage. Eddie sounds like any of 1,000 guys trying out Epiphone Les Pauls through Crate amps at Guitar Center these days; you can't believe it's the same guy, though the diehards swear Eddie is back. Dave still looks 25 from the neck down, but the voice sounds like that of a 55 year old guy, which is what he is. They simply will not kick up the dust like they did 30 years ago.
This one will be watched on You Tube, so please prepare your camera phones. If they come out with a DVD I'll probably buy it. As a forumite said, "Could this turn tragic?/You know that magic often dies..."
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CD/DVD purchase update: Got Iron Maiden's Live After Death, the double-disc remaster, in minty condition for a mere $7.99! Buying at the used shop rules! Two or three weeks ago I neglected to say I also got Pink Floyd's Live from Pompeii DVD for $9.99 used, also mint. Got Metallica's black album on as I type.
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Posted by Art | 11:42 AM EST |
4 comments
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Comments:
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Roth vs. Hagar for me is very simple: Roth is the original, the real thing and the genuine first front man. Hagar, however, was the band's only decent singer (note my exclusion of Gary Cherone from this altogether).
So while I fall on the Roth side for authenticity, for my ears the Hagar years are sonically more interesting.
I think VH could trot Liza Minnelli out there as singer and it wouldn't make much difference. Roth's meager pipes are shot and there's a kid not yet old enough to drive 55 playing bass!
I'll hang my money on the Police reunion. Or Genesis, which I had forgotten about.
Indeed. That is the reunion to see that will actually be worth seeing. All Van Halen does with these things is continue to tarnish my good memories.
My new CD purchases: Marshall Tucker, Live on Long Island. Waylon LIVE: Expanded Edition. Miles Davis, Bitches Brew. The New Mastersounds, Live at La Cova. I've also acquired another cool toy. The Edirol R-09 24 Bit Field recorder!!
With that field recorder, prepare to lose a few weekends discovering a new obsession. The mysteries of complimentary EQ, compressors and master limiters await! Part of the CD binging I've been doing is because I want to see how these CD's are produced.
Marshall Tucker? Are you flying a Confederate flag in front of your house? Ha, nah. "Can't you see..." The Waylon Live is going to be excellent. I had the vinyl album way back when, and plan to get that expanded version as a finale to my CD binge. Bitch's Brew I got back in the Wayne Goins days..plpp. The New Mastersounds I've never heard of.