In The Mail
THE FANS TAKE CENTER STAGE
yeah, personally i think you are being completely unfair to van halen. roth had las vegas written all over him from the start. and as for him saying that he couldnt be in the band with a bunch of pot heads, then why was he arrested in madison square garden i believe it was, for either the buying or possession of marijuna.
let me guess he didnt know what it was , he just found it. which if that is true wouldnt explain why he bought it from and undercover cop. yeah i like van halen alot, but i love the roth era, and the sammy era. and parts of the cherone album, and yeah i think it is awesome that gary is no longer with the band. they didnt need a fruit bringing them down. plus cherone was not a talented writer, he really seemed to want to be roger waters. however i think sammy was a great lyricist at times, and dave was descent at best, great melodies. however who was the one who really got them big, if dave was in a different band he wouldnt even be known right now. but since the band as a whole, thanks to edward was a new different thing, they went through the roof.
im not saying eddie is god, however i do believe that you should give sammy some major credit for a talented musician. after all because of him 5150 was helped to go number one, the album as a whole, when was the last time that a dave album did that and yeah the last several albums with sammy were number one too. and balance i believe was a briliant album, even if you dont like sammy, eds guitar work on that , and even on van halen 3 is astonishing, and every band will eventually do some thing that is not in what people consider there style, but really , who determines there style, shouldnt they play what they write or want to. every band at one point , that atleast has some kind of lasting ability, plays something that people consider them sell outs for doing, but ask your self are they really doing it for the money, or is it just like life, which i know it is, it changes. so before you trash them know everything and consider these things , they are all still talented musicians
Sure, Sammy had four number one records with VH, but yet just two of Dave's records - VH1 and 1984 - sold more than all four Van Hagar albums *combined*. Number one is just a number. 1984 sold more in it's first year than *any* Van Hagar album did in it's first year. Even Diver Down sold more records than 3 of Van Hagar's number one's. Dave also has more solo platinum records than the great Sammy Hagar, I bet you didn't know that, either. All-in-all, Dave has outsold Hagar by about a 2-1 margin in his career. Hagar needs to get down on his knees every night and thank God and Dave for the opportunity Dave gave him in 1985. Roth helped build VH, Sammy inherited and destroyed VH. They went from 0 to 10 million sold with Dave. They went from 8 to 2 million sold with Hagar.
End of story.
I'd like to see you update your page with opinions concerning Cherone leaving the band.
I'd like to see that myself! In due time...
Hello. I am a fan of VH, DLR, Extreme music. I think that all the things which you write here on many pages is just one and the same: Bring DLR back!!! Well, I think that things are not so easy at all. If you want to make somebody feel what you think than you should be able to make a dialog. You are just like Madlen Olbright and other american nationalists that can't hear what other people say. You think that you are the only one who is right, who has a monopoly on truth. But I respect your views. Anyway, can you answer some questions? - Steve Vai was not worse than VH on guitar, even better. Why did he left DLR project? If DLR is the only one who has the true VH spirit, then why did not he showed it? - Why does DLR want to be the only man in the band? - Why do you think that David's way of singing (in fact "Speaking") is more suitable to music? - I agree that it could be much better if Gary and Nuno countinue their great work together. Listen to "Pornografitti". ------ Nickolay
Hey, thanks from Russia, but remember, all Americans are NOT like Madeline Albright (they are more like Dennis Rodman).
I've been to his first show in Amsterdam and this is what I've heard: Honey, you've got such a sweet ass, you can shit sugar! Best Dave Page I've seen! Seeya.
I am on the DLRML and have visited your page quite often. I cannot find any credits though, are you on the list !?! I love & agree with your reviews & comments ! VH III totally sucks and Van Hagar was a definite step back from good & cool ! Good Job! Who are you!?!?!?! www.benroth-entertainment.com ......:::::DOUG:::::.....
This is a great website for us DLR fans, my compliments, very well done! I share a birthday with Diamond Dave(October 10th), seen him live with VH and solo. Hope to catch him and his band this summer. AL MATSAS 6-15-99
Dude, I was searching the internet looking for some stuff on the mighty vh when i stumbled upon your page. I can sypathize with you over the fact that diamond dave will never be a part of van halen. i will even go as far to say that yes they havent been the same since dave left quit got fired what ever......however, I am a hugh van halen fan and always will be. i buy every album and give credit where credit is due. Sammy hagar was getting stale and they needed some new flavor just as dave got an itch in his pants to be a movie star or what ever the story is. Dave went to do a solo album, he did a video, he got a taste of pre mature stardom outside van halen and said to himself its time to do this for me. when his album was released and the video it pissed vh off, if you were in the worlds greatest rock band and your lead singer hopped the fence to see the grass on the other side, and found success youd be ripped too.
then enter sammy hagar, all of a sudden vh doesnt have to tune down a few keys to make it work they put out a few good albums and it starts to slip, well what do you do? you get a fresh breath enter gry and try to make the magic again. is it fair to us fans? maybe if you keep an open mind and listen to the music not the tabloids on whos screwing who? just listen to the music and leave the rest to the public thats buyin the albums. yes you are allowed to have an opinion but you speak to the minority not the majority. i dont expect a reply cause i know this will piss you off.
I love it. You're a great writer with a great mind for what's happened with this band. I was a HUGE VH fan as a youngster and I had a hard time when Sammy joined as well. From what I can gather, the people who've written to you and defended Sammy (although I like the guy too), are mostly younger VH fans. They just WEREN'T THERE! So they don't really get it. Sort of like the person who wrote in and said they loved all the classic VH albums ACCEPT Diver Down, which I adored. I can remember when the VH logo was scribbled on every notebook, desktop, and locker in school.
I remember when concerts would come through town (I lived in Albuquerque). Journey had the record for the quickest sellout at the time (they sold out a show in 4 days). When Van Halen came through town in the 1984 tour they sold out IN 4 HOURS! So the added another show, and we waited in line overnight (ditching school) in order to get tickets! A Van Halen show wasn't a concert, it was an EVENT! You couldn't have gotten rid of tickets faster if you dropped them out of an airplane! So keep up the good work on the web page, maybe Edward will read it (he probably already has), and maybe we'll get the reunion tour someday after all.
THere's a band here in L.A. called Atomic Punks. They are a classic VH tribute band and they are very good at what they do. The singer nails it, and so does the band. They play in all the little clubs like the Roxy, the Whiskey, and the Troubador where Van Halen played as an up and coming act. Whenever I see those guys, and how good they are at putting on a "Van Halen" show, it only confirms to me what you've been writing even more. There's only one REAL Van Halen. And EVERYTHING else is a tribute band. The sad truth is that Atomic Punks are better at being Van Halen then Van Halen is.
David Harris Los Angeles, CA
I personally think that when VH took on Sammy as their new lead singer, they should have changed the band's name. It cannot be Van Halen without DLR - that is just a fact. Some of the music was okay with Sammy, but it wasn't "Van Halen" music. The problems that they have with all the arguments and controversy just wouldn't be there if they only changed their name when DLR left. By the way, it is great to see Dave around again. I wonder how it would go over if Dave cut a "Best of" album with all Van Halen songs from when he was in the band??? Northie While reading your comments on the David Lee Roth controversy with Van Halen, a few ideas came about in my head:
First of all, I can tell you don't like Eddie, but in my opinion..he's one of the most gifted players to come along in history, bottom line. But I do agree that David Lee Roth is the only singer that really fit with Van Halen. He gave them their "kickass" attitude that made them THE band of the early 80's. Of course, Eddie's technical flair also added to that success. I also agree that the Hagar and Cherone stuff isn't as good as the Roth era stuff. I guess that's about it, thanks for the informative website too, I learned some stuff I didn't know before. I too look forward to the reunion of the original Van Halen! Keep up the good website.
Chris Marzec
Yeah man! I just read that thing about DLR "IS" Van Halen! That is absolutley right man! Nobody sang BUT dave at 1st so i bet alot of people followed him and his DLR band don't ya think? they should of at least made it easier to understand, instead of The Old Van Halen's 2nd being called van Halen II they should have called 5150 "Van Halen II" am i right? Cuz the new album with Gary is called Van Halen III and i think it makes sense! When DLR sang with Eddie, Alex, and Mike again in '96 i was hoping they sing together for a while. But NO!!!! Oh i baught van halen 3 and i broke it already! HA! Thanks for reading this! Please reply ok? I like to hear from The "OLD" Van Halen fans. I can't belive i have to say The "OLD" Van Halen. Alex Lee
Hi, My name's Sharon and I just surfed in. I would like to express my thoughts on your web page. I thought it was very creative and thorough. It's great to see other loyal fans still dedicated to the greatest band that ever existed... If you have a mailing list, please add me on@ Thanks, Sharon.
Hello,
I really enjoy your site. I contains so much information on the greatest frontman on earth! It answers alot of questions I have had over the years since Dave left VH. I just saw Diamond Dave on 8/3 in San Jose CA. He rocked! His voice is excellent and he looks incredible! Age did not hurt him at all. He still jumps like a 20 yr. old! I only wish he was headlining. 55-60 min of Dave was not enough. I heard he may be touring/co headlining with AC/DC , ZZ Top, or Def Leopard. We will see. I can't wait until he comes this way again. Dave rules!! Thanks for the insightful site! Diana
Hagar was the best thing that ever happened to Van Halen. Without him (even if Roth had stayed with the band) Van Halen would be unheard of. Roth is the king of cheesiness and has no musical talent. Even Hagar's solo career puts Daves to shame. They made the biggest mistake of their carreer when they got rid of Hagar. One thing that we both agree on is that Cherone sucks!!! Hagar Fan.
Hey bro. good to see you back online. I had a link to your old site on my site and it stop working I was disappointed but now I found your site again and its all good. keep the faith, DLR is the King!!!!!!!! Zak www.zaksworld.com
you are my new favorite website. Haven't finished reading all your great stories yet, only discovered you a day ago. I hope to have a comment for your when I'm done. Sandy
I think you need to consider that Sammy was good before Edward asked him to join VH. Now that he's back on his own, he's still as good as ever. Joining VH was the worst thing he could've ever done. Don't get me wrong, I've been backing DLR ever since he left the band. The fans have since spoken and told the Van Halen brothers that we're tired of their crap and they can wipe their asses with their newest release.
You just have to love anybody who would actively solicit hate mail and death threats. This is neither. You really hit the nail on the head. Edward's smear campaign would be worth it if it inspired him to write (and more importantly record) the kind of tunes he was doing 15 or 20 years ago. I wonder if Ed throws all of his pre-hagar royalty cheques in the garbage since he gives the impression of being embarresed of anything to do with Mighty Dave. Cheers to Dave for doing it the right way.
Diamond Dave had a vision early on in his life...probably back to when he spent a couple summers as a young teen at Greenwich Village at the Cafe Wha? owned by his uncle Manny. That was a hotbed of artistic creativity and Dave was bitten by the bug. Unfortunately, many people are idle dreamers and have no plan or stamina to achieve greatness. Dave did. He realized that it would take hard work and constant focus to reach the big time.
Eddie sort of had this vision but he was mostly an obsessed guitarist who would have been happy playing backyard parties his whole life. It was Dave who masterminded Van Halen's rise to legendary status. Just read his book and you will see this. Eddie & Al would still be stuck at some dive bar playing Cream tunes right now had it not been for Dave's onstage charisma, unique lyrical style, and persistence to be the best of the best. Read any early interviews about VH and much of the attention is on Dave, and rightly so. He has that magical gift to entertain people, even if it's only in 'a t-shirt under one light bub' as he puts it. You cant fabricate or fake that type of showmanship for long without looking like a total phony. True, he might not be the best vocalist to front a band (maybe Robert Plant or Geoff Tate are the best crooners), but theres more to rock n roll than pure musical talent.
There are many examples of awesome musicianship....like Satriani for instance....but they get nowhere in the music biz. Why? Because people want to be 'entertained'...and that means more than standing like a statue and playing note-for-note from the record. Dave knew this and gave it to the world in world-class fashion. Who else could dress as wild as Dave, launch split-eagle off the drum riser with such acrobatic flair? Who else had all the funniest jokes - whether onstage or off. Who had the sexy looks to drive all the women crazy and make all the guys wanna be him...even for a day? The answer - DAVE!
Face the truth, from 1978-1984 the greatest rock band on earth was Van Halen and it was due to 2 people - Diamond David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen. Dave was not 'just lucky to be along for the ride' as some would say. He was the captain of the ship, and Eddie was his 1st mate. I admit, Dave would have been nothing without the awesome licks of Eddie providing the soundtrack to Dave's wild stories. But Eddie would have been nothing but a Joe Satriani or Eric Johnson hot-dogger small-time loser without Dave. The 2 needed each other to make history, and luckily Dave had the balls and brains to take charge of Van Halen.
Do you honestly believe that VH could have sold 50 million records in the late 70's/early 80's if they had some no-talent poser like Hagar or gay-boy wuss like Cherone at the helm? Gimme a fuckin break ! Sammy did a decent job with taking over the juggernaut of a band that Roth built and 5150 was a good record, but he quickly turned VH into a candy-assed, ballad-lovin pop band with no appreciation of the hard rock genre they helped create. True, songs like 'Hot for Teacher' seem aimed at 13-yr. olds, but songs like 'Unchained' and 'Aint Talkin Bout Love' still make 50-yr old guys cream their pants!!! Do you think 'Poundcake' and 'Spanked' are some huge intellectual dissertations on love? The lyrics sound like they are written by a horny, pimple-faced 15 yr old who whacks off watchin the Solid Gold dancers!
And Cherone.....god....he gives new meaning to the phrase 'no-talent loser.' 'VH 3' was such a bad album I am ashamed I bought it...and I dont say that about many records, and esp. about VH records. I even felt somewhat happy about all the Hagar records, but '3' was a total fuckin pile of gooey diarrhea from a rat's ass. That album should have bypassed the New Releases section and went straight to the discount bin. Better yet, that record project should have been scrapped and stored in the 5150 closet and just tour like they did. What does it tell you when you have a mighty legend like Van Halen sell every previous album to multi-platinum status in the last 20 yrs. and all of a sudden they cant even sell a million copies of '3'? That means it FUCKIN BLOWS ! And what does it mean when the mere thought of the original Van Halen reunited makes an arena full of jaded celebrities of all backgrounds give a standing ovation at the MTV Awards without even hearing any new songs from them?
I tell you what it means....pure greatness. The greatness that transcends the phony facade of MTV and Top 40 radio and achieves that magical eschelon only shared by a few bands in all of history. Its been 3 yrs. since Sammy left the band and I have yet to hear any of his VH songs on classic rock stations. Meanwhile, 'Aint Talkin Bout Love' and 'Jamie's Cryin' are still gettin heavy rotation 21 yrs. after their release! Some people have a hangup about Diamond Dave which is why they try to make fun of him. Eddie, you are only hiding your intense jealousy of the man. Funny you should say he is a total arrogant jerk while so many others have written that he is a very cool person to hang out with backstage and the funniest guy you ever met. Do you honestly think a guy like Dave can lay the most beautiful chicks you ever saw on a nightly basis if he was a real jerk? Women wanna ride his stick cuz he charms them the same way he charmed the world!
Do you really think that fat-ass Hagar or skinny queen Cherone could lay any chick besides Roseanne Barr? And what's the deal with Cherone leaning over to sniff his own ass or tryin to sniff Eddie's butt crack ? That's fine...its a free world but Dave was the only real singer for VH...he made VH....and VH died when he left. That's as simple as I can put it. Take care...and long live Diamond Dave!!!
I think your web page is excellent. I just spent an hour on it and didn't even see everything. People who say you are not a true Van Halen Fan are mistaken; people who have VH in their blood are sick about the new drivel they are doing. It is embarassing to watch. I am married to another rabid fan and we disagree on one point- he prefers the Hagar years slightly and I prefer the ACTUAL sound of Van Halen, which means David Lee Roth and his personality in every song. I also want to say that during that era, he was the most delicious-looking man on the planet. I am not the type of woman to drool, but I have been a fan since 1982 and there is still no one finer. I listen to everything DLR has ever sung on, and always will. GABRIELLE
I went to the Van Halen News Desk and got a free "VAN HALENIZED EMAIL!" (BFD) Anyway, the one I got is eddiesucks@vanhalen.com
YES!!!
dave harris Los Angeles, CA PS--keep up the great page!
Hello, My name is Laurie and I am writing to you re: Van Halen Just happened upon your website. Interesting. Just wondering if you can build on it at all? What's new on the Van Halen thing? If anything? I really thought Van Halen was at its' best MUSICALLY (which is all I can judge since I don't know any of you. I've always LOVED Eddie Van Halen's music and his smile and he seemed like a real down to earth guy. And DLR always seemed so alive and vibrant and a KEY ingredient to the band's personality. I believe that IF it is true that Eddie made the decision not to bring David Lee Roth back.... that it did the band a disservice. The original 4 sound sooooo good together. I know you all could keep making great music together... life's short.... live it up... could be the name for a comeback cd :) Just an idea..... I real enjoyed reading the information on the whole filthy little mess. I concur with everything that was written and it's good to know that someone else is suffering in the world. I really appreciated the number of album sales data that I haven't had time to look up myself. Isn't it incredible that Fair Warning was the worst sellling album. That's my favorite. e
Hey. right on, Dave left VH was one of the saddest moments in the history of the music world. What happened later was pure bliss, because Dave was Dave, and Ed was money! I still have the fucking old interviews with both guys, and all Dave ever really said was, Ed and the guys are lazy, musical differences, and it got boring to sit there and not do anything, or how did ya like the new albumn. Ed was the cry baby that in every other zine told the world that Dave was a workaholic, he was always Mr. party, that he wanted to make a movie, how his new vision was better then anything Dave could muster up, the whole nine yards.
The real story is, that Mr. Ed heard of Davey's solo project and got jealous as hell, people did not think for a minute that Dave was leaving VH, during the Gigalo days, but right after the charts, and the media surrounding Dave, Eddie got the word, and bam breakup!!! Not once did Dave say, hey Eddie's a fuck up, it was all out of the VH camp. Half of VH's personnel went with Roth, do'nt belive it, look at the sleeves of the records, and you'll see it. Even Mr. Templeman, left with Dave, yeah he came back to do a VH record, and that was the only Sammy record that sounded good, becase it had the same kinda of guitar sound like every other Dave Halen record out there.
Then came the reunion, that still leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I was so pumped up, I was 25 years old, and tears were running down my eyes, yeah finally, and Dave was Dave, the diamond out of the mix, doing what he does best, ENTERTAINMENT!!!!! Then two days later he gets canned for being the showman he is!! Thank you Ed, for now justifing my humble opinion I had for you since 5150, a rich asshole, who snorts way too much coke and is getting richer from his back catalog faster then anyone I know.
When the best of came out, was'nt it advertized as the return of Dave, the only songs we heard were DAVE'S. The only press was about DAVE, the return of DAVE, VH will be back on track, the lost piece has been returned, the MTV promo, all had to have the bands permission, the record company was just as shocked as was Dave, me and the rest of the world. Now with a second non talented singer, I hope Mr. Extreme will be for warned, if you want to stay in the band suck Eddie's dick really good, and do not back talk, no input please, if yo do get out of hand, YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think Dave will be back. I know some press is saying $cammy, but I think it's $cammy leaking to them that it's him. $cammy is grasping at straws. Why, now he's not willing to go back unless Dave is there too. What bullshit. Hagar is throwing shit out there because he isn't being asked. Dave is going to be back. They know this. O'neill is going nuts!
I like your site. It's very interesting and you do bring up some valid points. The only Van Halen record I ever bought prior to Sammy joining was "1984". After Sammy joined I went out and got all the others because when I went to my first VH show, I wanted to make sure I knew what song they were playing. Now I'm not disputing the fact that the DLR era was awful. Those years were probably some of the most innovative years the rock world had and has ever seen. I had all of Sammy's solo stuff and his 2 releases from Montrose, plus his "I only bought it cuz' it has Sammy on it "HSAS" release.
You have to admit that both Sammy and Dave got screwed by that opportunist Eddie; and if Alex and Mikey dare go against his decision, their meal ticket is gone. As for them deciding on Gary Cherone, I'd like to take a ballbat to their heads. That was the worst decision and album I have ever heard...next to the "HSAS" schlock. Just cuz I'm a goober, add up the sales prior to Sammy and let me know what you come up with. Keep up the good work...and in all reality...Here's to hoping Dave does come back. I've got Sammy solo and that's "Good Enough" for me. I think Sammy is better suited as a solo artist. Granted his "MTM" album really didn't do well, but he did pull out all the stops on "Red VooDoo." Peace; Pete Miles
GARY QUIT VH
I think I know the real reason why Eddie and Cherone split.
One of them (or both) read your web site.
Wow!
Just a true fan.
Hey, I am a DLR fan and visitor of your web page. Thanks for supporting the greatest entertainer on the planet! I met Diamond Dave last month in McAllen, TX on Nov. 11. You can check out the pictures at Mike Blair's DLRND.COM.
I have a question. Is the picture you display on your page of the lion jumping on stage from the 1981 Fair Warning Tour? Also, was the tour nicknamed something, like "hide you sheep" or something?
Please reply Thanks Diamond Dave Valdez
The "Lion" logo is from the Diver Down tour. I believe the Western Exterminator (?) was also used on that tour. I believe The "Hide your sheep" tour was when they opened for Journey, if I remember correctly, but I'm probably wrong.
With the sudden "sad" departure of Gary Cherone, what chance, if any, does VH have in getting Dave back? I'm half kidding, half serious. I hear that Sammy wouldn't go back because he is enjoying his solo career. What a moron. Just wondering what you thought-
You betcha Sammy is enjoying his solo "career".
...just like a prisoner is enjoying his cell.
Thanks for the site. I assume you'll get 30,000 copies of this, but just in case... Sunday November 7 5:20 PM ET Van Halen splits with lead singer LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Van Halen has parted ways with its...<snip>
to your Van Halen page! Now that Cherone is OUT of VH, I've been reading all the other so-called VH/DLR news sites. Yours is by far the best however, and I keep checking in hopes that you will update it. But then again, if you wrote an "I told you so" article, it would be digifying all the detractors with a comment. So I take satisfaction in knowing that you (we) were right all along.
dave Los Angeles, Ca
Hopefully by now, you all have received word that lead singer of Van Halen Gary Cherone, is no longer in what was once the greatest rock band ever (That honor now goes to Pantera). Reportedly, he "quit" the band. However, that is from the Van Halen website, so by Christmas I'm sure Eddie will be making LSD accusations. Why did he "quit?" I have the top ten potential reasons:
10) He actually listened to Van Halen 3.
9) He listened to any DLR era album and THEN listened to Van Halen 3 and was ashamed .
8) He listend to any Sammy Hagar era album then listened to Van Halen 3 and was ashamed.
7) He listend to New Kids on the block and then listened to Van Halen 3 and was ashamed.
6) He watched old Extreme videos and decided to quit and come out of the closet.
5) He decided the long anticipated extreme reunion would be more profitable since such reunions "worked" for Slaughter and Poison.
4) He wanted to go crossdress with Nuno.
3) He need to consult Michael Jackson for lessons on crotch grabbing.
2) Valerie was tired of him freeloading in the guest house.
And the #1 reason Gary Cherone left Van Halen:
1) Alex felt jealous and threatened by his "close relationship" w/Eddie.
Will everyone please do me the little favor of cracking open their favorite beverage this weekend and toasting the failure of rock musics greatest farce, along with the death of musics greatest ego, Mr. Edward Van Halen. Welcome back to earth hope you like crow. Okay, maybe I'm overdoing things but the fact that the public has spoken and has strongly rejected shit when they heard it, forcing chnage has reaffirmed my faith in humanity. Somewhere Diamond Dave is laughing. -Adam
I am completely amused by your site. I think you put things into perspective quite well. It's really getting old to talk about the once great band. However, I must admit that I'm sitting here grinning like like a fat cat. The fans have spoken and all though some aren't able to understand Roth's overthetopobnoxiousness, Dave has now been vindicated once and for all. We now see that the magic is gone. They(ED&CO.) couldn't get along with Dave. People say,"Well that Dave, he was probably just such a big asshole that the band couldn't handle it." So they couldn't get along with Sammy either. The only person they leave on good terms with is Gary. Perhaps the result of a backroom meeting in which all parties involved admitted, "This sucks, the fans aren't buying it, let's just cut bait."
People responded when Dave walked out with the band on the MTV tragedy. People responded to the two new Old Van Halen songs. My question is this. If they got back together would I buy a ticket? To see two asshole brothers and a robot bass player who hate the frontmanofalltime they have for a lead singer? ARE THE WOUNDS TOO DEEP? I saw DLR BAND in Indy and Dave knocked the balls off the place. I say fuck em. Let Eddie bee seen for the dumbass he is. Dave would be insulting himself to stand onstage with Van Backstab. Anyway. David Lee Roth wins! HAHAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!
I met David Lee Roth in Albuquerque and in Dallas on their last tour, around 1992 or 1994 I am one of his best fans I have over 200 pictures of him and of the band. (mostly of him) and have every van halen album and david lee roth album. I recently have relocated to St.Louis Mo. and wanted to know if he was going to make it this way any time soon. Dave if your there please come see Kim in St Louis love ya your biggest fan.
kimberly smith
This isn't about your site but something I just heard. GARY IS OUT OF VAN HALEN!!!!! and that isn't all!!! 'Edward Van Halen', who in my belief is a clone made by aliens who kidnapped Eddie in 1985, now wants everybody to call him Eddie. Even better news!!! That jackass Ray Daniels has been FIRED (Hope Rush ditches his ass too!) Could this be the moment we've all been waiting for!? I hope to God it is. Checkout the dlrnd for the full story!!!
Let me take this chance to tackle the main points of defense for Van Halen III.
1. You have to listen to it over and over again before you get it. It will grow on you. Counterpoint: A good album is good right away. Crap, however, gets worse with age. Any album that I have "take breaks" (quoth Ed) while listening to, while I absorb it's immeasurable depth, is not worth my time. Hell, I didn't like every song on Van Halen I to begin with, but I know a good album from a bad one. You discover tunes you passed by before, but it's like finding the prize in your favorite cereal. III however, is like wading through sour milk, looking for a dime. It ain't worth the time, or the effort.
2. The guitar playing on III is great. Counterpoint: So? Name the VH album where it is not great, if not better. For crumbs sake, what did he do, play Chuck Berry blues licks on all his other records? Besides, even you Cherone-backing collective heads of knuckle could recognize that Fair Warning's guitar work is far more inspired and emotional.
3. Gary is a better singer. Counterpoint: Gary sounds like a Hagar clone at best, but with worse lyrics than even the dumbest shit Hagar came up with. That, combined with awful, new-agey, Yanni-esque synth songs, how could you say Gary is better than even the worst Hagar material? Besides, singing good, doesn't mean he sings right. Dave speaks to the listeners, where as Gary is singing off of the sheet music. And all the crap about "getting along" so well, and Gary being an "angel", well, read your old Guitar World magazines. Ed same the SAME things about Sammy. Now he says of Sammy what he said of Dave. And that's bullshit anyway, cause (breaking news from the front!) Gary's out of the band. Supposedly a mutual parting. Yeah, sure Ed. SOMEONE had to initiate that conversation. And three singers later, Ed's losing his "nice guy" reputation.
4. Van Halen is growing up, they are exploring new territory, and maturing. Counterpoint: Listen to the lyrics in How Many Say I, and tell me that it isn't the worst bumper sticker philosophy you've ever heard. Ok, so Van Halen is growing up. Does growing up mean you have to play bad music? I thank bands like the Ramones who purposely quit while they could still play their own songs well. I see Van Halen going much the way of the Rolling Stones, becoming a cover band of themselves.
5. If you say you are a Van Halen fan, then you would support the band! Counterpoint: We were fans of what that band was, and what it did represent. Sure, I've bought most of the Van Hagar records, and even III, just to see if the band, who made six classic albums, was capable of pulling of just one more. Perhaps I'm naive, but in a day and age where I hate all the new music my peers like, I'm desparate for something new to root for, instead of saying, "Well, I don't have any CD's recorded after 1991." But even the once-Mighty Van Halen has betrayed me. I'd say OU812 is the last decent VH record, and it's not even that great! Sadly, I believe it is indeed too late for Van Halen, with the fanbase split 3-ways, soon to be four, we can assume. I doubt Dave or Sam will come back, but you know even if Dave did work out in '96, Ed would be pissed, cause you know Dave would not sing the audio swill that was written in the Sammy Hagar tenure.
And Ed burned both those bridges in '96. I wonder what Axl Rose is up to.... All in all, I'm sick and tired of hearing about people defending MockIII. If Van Halen took their label's advice in '86, and changed thier name everytime they changed singers, sure. Who cares what they do after that, but when I say I'm a Van Halen fan, I have to answer for crap like III. In my humble opinion, for all accounts the band has been "The Touring Production of Edward Van Halen and Company Presents The Dave Who? Show, Now In Our Fourteenth Year." And as cool as it might have been for Dave to be back in the circus, let's face it, the writing has changed too much. Not even Dave could save a stinker like Once. But I've all but lost hope in Ed. I think it's pretty safe to say my VH collection is complete.
Shaun
I just found your web page and I have to say I fucking agree with every thing I have read. Van Halen is not Van Halen without Dave. Plain and fucking simple. What they created from 78-84 are what legends are made of. I feel cheated when I think of what they could have accomplished with Dave since 84. Their music is timeless, something that comes along once in a lifetime. And all the things that have transpired in the last couple of weeks tells me the fans have had enough. No more pretending we want the real deal. Them motherfuckers owe it to us. Dave or I am finished with Van Halen. I'll be damned if I send Wolfgang through college. Well, unless Dave comes back.
I have been a fan of David since I was ten years old. Than may have been 13 years ago but I still think he is the sexiest man alive. I have an IQ of (or close to) 150. I always want to make love until 4 in the morning, and Pizza Hut delivers. Love Ya Man, Lisa LaMascus David, You are art in motion. You have a body every woman wants and every man envys. If we ever meet I would most likely faint, but I would rmember the moment for the rest of my life. I do adore you and am always hopeing to catch your voice on the radio. I still remember the first time I layed eyes on you in 86, and my heart has been beating one beat faster ever since. Always remember no matter how bad it gets for you at times, you will always have a fan here in Texas who will be there for you.
Love Ya Lisa
Hi my name is Chris and I love Van Halen! Obviously, the best thing would be a reunion with DLR. If that doesn't happen I have had the greatest idea in rock and roll since WB signed Van Halen. Eddie wanted t name the band "Rat Salad" when they first started. This was because of their love for Black Sabbath. Dave talked him out of it. That was a good idea. However, who is the only frontman who is as cool as Dave? Ozzy Osbourne is the answer. I love Dave more, but think about it. They could come out and do a set of classic Van Halen. Then they could come out and do a set of Black Sabbath. Then, you didn't think it could get any better. They do some old Ozzy tunes.
Can you imagine Eddie doing Randy Roads material? He's the only man alive truly worthy to play those songs anyway. I can see Ozzy telling them how they should use the old equipment now; nothing after 1982. He's the only guy besides Clapton who Eddie would listen to anyway about that stuff. I think this is brilliant. Ozzy singing: ...And The Cradle Will Rock 'Aint talikin' bout love Everybody Wants Some Fools On Fire Mean Streets Out of LOve Again I'm the One then Eddie rips into Paranoid and Fairies Wear Boots, with a little Diar and Blizzard mixed in. That's musical orgasm. The only reason it shouldn't happen is because we will never get anything that good again. We'll be spoiled for concerts forever. Tell me what you think.
--Chris
Do you think now that Cherone is out that Dave might finally get back in Van Halen?
If they are smart, but Eddie isn't known for making smart decisions, is he?
Greetings;
Simply put; Awesome! I've heard all the accusations and what nots surrounding the DLR and VH fiasco but never did I know the exact extent of this battle. After reading every page you have, I conclude that EVH is an asshole and I will never purchase another VH CD as long as I live without DLR on vocals. You certainly opened my eyes BIG TIME. Obviously you did a hell of a lot of research on this battle and I applaud and admire your straight convictions on this matter. Excellent work! You could make a fortune if you had this web site put out in print book format!
Respectfully,
L.K. Levesque Ottawa-Canada
HEY!
Check it out, I just interviewed Sebastian Bach, and got Bach's comments about the rumors saying that he will be the next singer for Van Halen. I also got the scoop on the new album, upcoming tour, etc. all of which are in our November newsletter.
I also just released a "Special Issue" of our Pure Rock Shop (www.tprs.com) newsletter with an interview with Ralph, lead singer for Halen Tribute band the Atomic Punks with comments about Gary Cherone's departure, Punks guitarist joining the DLR Band, and other Atomic Punks news, which is now available on our Web site, The Pure Rock Shop at http://www.tprs.com
The Sebastian Bach Article is in our archives on the Web site as well. Can you please mention it on your Web site and link back to our site? Provide me with a hyper link to yours and we will glady add you to our links page.
Fans can sign up for our mailing list at www.tprs.com to receive the newest newsletters when they are released.
Thanks,
Kara Phillips
Marketing Director
The Pure Rock Shop
Hi-
I enjoyed every bit of your website and really appreciated your review of DLR's latest album. Very honest and insightful.
I just finished watching a video of "Real" Van Halen live in Argentina and an "Eat'em and Smile" concert in Detroit. Great stuff but the quality of recording wasn't the best. Do you know where I can get great quality video footage?
chow-
Marty
I would start to say that you got a relly good webpage, but there is something wrong. David Lee Roth is defently not an angel, if you saw the MTV award 1996 show you would notice that DLr thinks he is so cool, so cool. And we all know that he has the biggest ego and is totally out of control. I have bought his book, Crazy from the heat and I guees that he has smoked alot a stuff, and forgetting that there is a real world!!! But we all also know that DLR is the real Van Halen singer, I am very posotive of what you're sayin'. The mach3 was shit, I got the album and I think thta the music is great, but the lyrics and the songs form is bullshit. Thank you for a good site, but David isn't an angel.
I have to say that DLR is the most talented and unique individual I have ever seen. I have been a huge fan since I was 11 years old back in 1982! It would be my dream to meet DLR-and I really think that he should be lead vocalist of VH. There is no other band in the world better than VH with DLR. Without him, there is something truly missing!
Suzie
I was 9 years old in 1978, when I purchased my first VH album. All I ever listened to was VH, and no other band could compare, and/or, could even come close to VH. After David Lee Roth departed, and Sammy Hagar joined, the "New," VH music took on a "Bubble Gum, Suggar Coated," sound........It was OK music, but, I would rather play the old VH music. In my opinion, the old VH music had a big "Punchy," sound like; You Really Got Me, Panama, Ain't Talkin About Love, and Jump,.......compared to the "Bubble Gum Music," like; When It's Love, Dreams, Love Walks In, Why Can't This Be Love, and Finish What Ya Started.
The sound of Sammy Hagar, was replaced with a less creative and artistic person, Gary Cherone. The chemistry between Gary Cherone, and VH does not mix. The new VH CD does not appeal to me, nor does it appeal to the fans of VH. Take a look at the music charts.....Need I say more?
However, there is only one option that can save VH, from falling off the face of this earth. Bring back Diamond Dave! This is the only answer to the VH problem. I have always believed that the fans are "The Boss," of the music industry. If the fans, "The Boss," likes what you do, you will be employed for as long as you do your job. But, don't piss off "The Boss," or, you will be unemployed! Ed, Alex, and Mike, admit that you all were at fault, put it behind you, and don't look back. Keep your employment and bring back Diamond Dave. Because at this point in time, your career depends on it. Remember to keep your "Boss," happy.
K.A. McDonald
dude, just saw your page.........LOVED IT!! you took the words right out of my keyboard! do you post anywhere else?? i'm like you man, i figured out the van halen deal and split , came back in 96', hell, i even cried when they walked out on Mtv! ut -i posted one of your letters "evh and wings" over on the vhlinks.com bltnbrd.. -they kicked me off the vhml one time because i was thrashing sammy and gary -and i think people would really be amazed if they knew just how many people call Roth 'Van' anyway, if you post anywhere(cause i'm out of here if roth aint back) else let me know and i'll come over there and give those sammycomelatelys and garycome2quicklies a history lesson
I'm tryin' to find out the truth to these, once again, rumors about Dave and the band. DJ Eddie Trunk in New York was saying all kinds of stuff. Said they have very recently recorded together again. What's up anybody?
Dave-
I just got word that Eddie is reaching out to you to do one last tour and live CD. Let him grovel-but do the tour. The band has not been exciting since your exit from it! I have selfish reasons for wanting this to happen. Your the best front man in the business and the world wants to see it happen. OK-Eddies a bit of a dick-but you can make a killing on this one. I'll be the first to buy tiks. You da man!
Jeff Odato