In The Mail 3
Hey, I really liked your webpage! I have been a VH fan for the last 15 years, but no longer. I caught the tail end of the DLR era, and then was devastated when he left. I gave the benifit of the doubt to the group then, what were they to do? And though I had some problems with not changing the name, I don't think they necessarily should have changed the name b/c Dave decided on his own. I thought VH w/Dave was a 12 on a ten scale, w/Sammy a 9.5. I know you're not a Sammy fan, but that's not what I'm writing about.
Really we're on the same side. I canot believe the shit Eddie's trying to pull now, lying to the fans, bashing Dave and Sam, and putting out one of the worst albums ever, with VH 3. You're right, they should let this new band sink or swim on it's own laurels like Dave and Sam had to do. I don't think this band would do as well as either w/o the VH name. Did you hear they're putting a song on the Lethal Weapon 4 Soundtrack? How can they be bigger sellouts? How can they continually bash Sam and Dave when they helped them get to where they are. Even in the jacket of Sam's new CD, he thanks THEM for 12 great years! Can you believe that? Looks like Sam has more class then all 3 put together. And I'm sick and tired of this LSD crap. LSD is an excuse for Eddie to kick any member out of the "band" that disagrees with his (and Ray Danniels) opinion. Ed has made the same mistake Dave did in 1985, but he made it twice. He's letting his ego lead his choices. Dave made a mistake and I was mad at him for about a year or two. He knows he made a mistake, and I forgave him (like it matters)by the Skyscraper tour. Dave was a man and admitted his mistake. Ed should have either worked it out with Sam, or worked it out with Dave. I didn't mind so much that Sam was out at first, b/c Dave was "in". That was my greatest dream come true. I couldn't believe it...Dave back in the band!!!!!!!! But Eddie fucked me like he did everyone else. And then he hires the guy from Extreme? Who sounds like a Sam immatator. They're the highest paid cover band in the country! I was one person who agreed w/Sam, and didn't want him to sing the old songs. Sure I wanted to hear them, but that's why I went to see Dave whenever he came around. It's the voice you can't replace, everything else sounds the same.
Maybe it's good Sam or Dave is not in the band. The new CD is so bad. I know if Sam or Dave was in, I would have bought the CD on the first day. What if it was the same CD with just Dave's voice or Sam's. It might have been ugly seeing them all sink in a sea of crap. Although Sam's or Dave's careers aren't flourishing like when they were with VH, atleast they have the respect of the people now. People tell me Dave's a bumbling idiot, whose voice isn't really that good. Who gives a fuck, he's DAVE. He was the voice of VH. If they were looking for the best voice the would have hired Frank Sinatra or Harry Connnick Jr. People say Sam didn't want to sing the old stuff or do what the band wanted. Good I don't want to hear him sing the new stuff, and I thank him for trying to save the fans money by trying not to put a song on the Twister Soundtrack or making a Best of CD. I bought the latter, $15 bucks for 3 new songs. I like them but I got ripped off. I figure Ed owes me $10 for that scam. Sam cared about the fans, Dave does now. Ed, Alex, and Mike care about the money. ANd Mike the little spineless bastard, willl do anything Ed says. He's Ed's little bitch. He knows Ed can replace him with any average bassist and no one will notice. What do you think his solo career would look like?
Well, I'm gonna wrap this up. Once again, great webpage. Keep up the good work...thanks. I hope to hear from you.
Take it easy, Matt Wooley
GREAT web page.I think dave is at his best!I think he was better off with out the losers of VH.Dave was on the HOWARD STERN SHOW and as always was a delight and a humble guy.I hope this album goes DOUBLE plat.Dave is rockers rocker he has earned his success!
joe
I was truly impressed with your page. It makes so much sense and brings the whole Van Halen conspiracy full circle.
I did figure that the Van Halen bothers really treated Dave like a dog and his book really spells the whole situation out and is consistent. I did buy the new VH cd out of curiosity and was very dissapointed...no sense of humor whatsoever and the song where Eddie sings is damn right EMBARRASSING!!!! I could not believe that they actually recorded that song. Well I am contributing in my own way by not going to their concert in Southern CA on July 4. This wasn't a very easy decision to me because EVH has ad a major influence on my guitar playing. Being dissapointed by the reunion mess and hearing how VH are just a business now shuns me away from seeing them live.
I did get a chance to meet Dave in a "Gentleman's" club in LA before the book came out. I did get to have a word with him. I said one of his classic lines from the US Festival and he replied with "Let's go across the street and get a drink" What a guy. He then told me to keep my eye out for the book.
Thanks again for the page. It looks like you put alot of work into it and the results speak for themselves....it reminds me that I won't be missing much by not checking out their show this time around.
Thanks, Dennis
I found this page by accident and Im sorry I did. I really have to say its unfortunate that people are this obsessed over a band. I love Van Halen's music a lot but even I wouldn't sit here and say these things. Its time to move on and grow up. There moving on to better things and you should also... really... this stuff isn't interesting... maybe funny, but not informative. I don't get why you would do this. Its just a band... its not a religion. Time to grow up and get a life.
Tab
Hi, I just want to say that you have a great site. I do disagree with your ratings of albums, however. I don't understand how your Filthy Little Mouth could be rated higher than Van Halen 2 and Diver Down. His solo stuff is no way near as good as his Van halen stuff. The new songs sound okay, and I look forward to the new ablum. He needs to stay with hard rock, get his voice in check, and stop dicking around with experimental stuff. Otherwise, you got a great site, and we Dave/van halen fans enjoy it.
Take Care. The boy
HI THERE!!! I'm a big DAVE fan from sweden and i think u got a very good site. Here in sweden u never hear a word about diamond dave so the only chance to get any kind of information is the websites. I'll do a look-alike show (taken from he's las vegas shows) to keep people in touch with his music. i send u a few pics from a gig. best regards:robban
Just heard Slam Dunk in its entirety. Dave, you fucking did it man! Sounds dead-on like what Van Halen fans have been missing for 13 years! The sound of classic Van Halen! Don't stop now Dave! You are on to something HUGE, and it might possibly involve Van Halen's strongest fan base... the very backbone of Van Halen's success... the original fans of Van Halen.
Dave, you can win them all back! Your summer tour and a couple of videos might be the only nails you need to close the Van Cherone coffin forever! It ain't a sure thing, but if SLAM DUNK is indicative of the rest of Dave's new album, Eddie's going to be in big trouble with Warner Brothers!
Thanks for the thrill Dave!
Your are one sick little puppy. All I have to say is VH3 is a good album (a hell of a lot better than that piece of monkey crap,"your filthy little mouth" that David Roth tried to push off as an album) and your too busy whining about something that happened over a decade ago to listen to some good music. Now I don't wanna say anything bad about DLR. Most of his stuff rocks, but Both Gary and Sammy have made some great music with VH. And say what you will, but Gary Cherone is a better lyricist than Dave or Sammy anyday. Anyway, it seems that the whole fiasco has effected you more than any of the band's current or former members. They all can look past it enough too make great music. This doesn't have to be about Dave vs. Van Halen. It should be about the music. I have no respect for you or anyone who looks at it otherwise.
sincerely, Lawrence Parra True Fan of Van Halen and David lee Roth.
David Lee Roth is in a prime position to make a comeback. - Alot of fans feel he was the victim of Eddie Van Halen's bad temperment; Van Halen now has it's worst singer ever, and the world of Rock has no legends to look to. Roth is the answer.
However....it seems like he doesn't realize the bomb he's sitting on. In fact, based on recent TV appearances, he seems a little "burnt"... like someone who's done too much coke! I hope he cleans up his act a little before he brings his act back!
A fan in NH.
I just have to respond to viewing your page for the first time today. I think its great. I am a longtime, hard-core DLR fan. Unfortunately, I can't make a living keeping up with everything as much as I'd like to. As time goes by, I am occupied with more things than just rock and roll. Anyway, your views on the situation with VH/DLR are very insightful. I can say that I share your views on most of the topics. Keep up the good work. I look forward to reading more from you.
Kerby Shupp
Here's a copy of my e-mail to Grant at the Official V.H. website He regaled my prediction that the odds were 8-5 that Cherone would hit the bricks by the end of the year. He also inquired as to why I offered a cordial and sincere " hello " to Valerie...
Larry Cordle guitar, bass & keyboards Killing Ophelia Austin, Tx.
P.S...Thanks for the website...It's a riot. Hyperlinked it on my band's URL. Also wanna note that you, and Dave, are far kinder to Sammy than he is to you. Great Job !!!! First, as I said , Dave and Sammy are done deals. Not looking for
Dave to return, and the odds are...lemme look here...uh...right now about 6 to 1 against...good money, actually ( Should point out that it's almost 11 to 1 for Sammy ) Ronnie James Dio, David Coverdale and Bob Seger ( ?!!) show up on my board as having better odds than either of them...and Sammy is neck and neck with Princess Di. (Wow, that paints a gruesome mental picture...yecchhh ) No, I don't know Valerie. Sure she's a swell person. It's just cool to say "Hello" to famous people you've never met. Since Eddie is in the process of becoming formerly famous, ( and, as VH Mock3 goes to great lengths to prove, he's working with a special dedication at it ) I thought...as usual...the smart money is on Val to keep her hard won fame in the Van Halen clan. Odds are 8-6 that in the year 2018...more people will remember Val than Eddie. Odds are even that Alex will be better remembered. Also heard Cherone's next stop is a Culture Club reunion. Hmmmm. Those Ticketmaster lines will soon be burnin', huh ?
By the way, one question...oh great, mysterious Web Diety...Have you read the lyrics to VH Mock 3 ? I mean read them, really read them. You cannot possibly talk smack about anything Dave, Sammy or even Tony Orlando has ever said or done after reading that unbelievable, incomprehensible horseshit. I write lyrics, and sell songs...My question is did Eddie ever read them ?..Christ...Can Gary read at all ? Can Michael Anthony read the handwriting on the wall ? Does Alex read between the lines ? Does anyone at 5150 read the sign that says "CUTOUTS $1.99" ? Counted ( I can read and do that, too! )
Four copies of Mock3 at a local CD store in the used bin...never seen more than two of anything...including "Balance"...before. God, I'm gonna listen to "Fair Warning" about 12 times as soon as Blue Oyster Cult is done. No one will be able to stop me tomorrow ! Whoops. Kurt Cobain entered the tote board right behind Sammy and Di to be Van Cherone's next singer. He's gainin' fast....Bet his voice is in better shape than Gargalin' Gary's !
you know...
Thanks for returning my letter... I read an interview with Hagar printed in the Denver Post late last year. Even though there are a few things Van Hagar did that interest me...I'm all-Dave all the time, when it comes to V.H.
He was, I thought, idiotic. He complained that Roth was not screwed like HE was (?!) and then turned right around and defended the VH Brothers for the way HE was brought into the band when Roth left in '85... He then said " Can't Get This Stuff No More " was a "Balance" outtake that he rejected....and that He had better lyrics than Roth...
Man...Sammy oughtta wake up and smell the coffee...he and Roth were pawns in the VH chess game...and they both got rooked !
I actually feel sorry for Cherone... he sounds like a really nice guy in waaayyyy over his head. and Roth is absolutely right; I realized when I read the Guitar Player interview with Eddie before I heard Mock3..Eddie needs mindless supplicants around him...and Hagar and Roth wouldn't let him run their lives....
This is a sorry mess...I really hate to see the guys that did "Runnin' With The Devil" and "Mean Streets' reduced to this pathetic personal and musical level...
Thanks for the hard work in MFLWP...it's really one of the best out there !
Dear CFH,
I couldn´t believe my eyes when I read your "News" bit. Instead of objektively writing about David Lee Roth and Van Halen, all you do is to slag of Van Halen and their new singer, talking about Van Halen "lies" and what a crappy singer Gary Cherone is.
If you don´t like Van Halen fine, DONT BUY THEIR ALBUMS, but let the music speak for itself. You just sound like a child that´s jealous because Van Halen sells more albums than DLR.
Grow up and get a life!!!!
Yours sincerely, Ormur Arnarson
Hi! i was really influenced at some point about your opinions and reviews and i'm happy that you mad a clasification in VH's music. You had the guts to make a best song and a worst song. Good job. I apreciate it even if i may like Big Bad Bill or Push Comes To Shove. I want to ask you if you can tell me what do you like from "Van Hagar"? and not like too.nd dont say that you dont like nothing, cause i dont believe it. So tell what you like, mr Expert! no ofense at all... i even like you.
Vlad
I think all you people that run this site or contribute to it are complete idiots who waste their time trying to say bad things about Sammy and Gary who are great ARTISTS.At least they write songs! All you say about them is fucking bullshit and you know it. You just can't admit that DLR is nothing without VH. For your information Sammy's new album has sold 500.000 copies! (not true) You hate Gary because he is a great performer,greater than DLR and he does it all without dressing like a woman. VH were more of a band with Sammy or should I say more SERIOUS? They are even better with Gary so SHUT UP AND GET A LIFE! Instead of writing garbage all the time try to create a more informative site about DLR's life.
Let me tell you somethong. Van Halen has been and always will be a great band. Just because you cant handle a band that changes thier musical style doesnt mean that thier not any better. Personaly I think that they've gotten better over the past years. Tell me are you one of those guys who thought that when Cliff Burton died that Metallica Should just quit playing music, just because Jason Newsted didnt play the same style of music?
I'm a Guitar player and I think that every VH album is good in it's own way. Personaly I never liker DLR or Crack-head which ever you prefer to call him. Dont get me wrong he could sing. but he's to god damn stuck up on his self, He thinks he's gods gift to Rock N Roll.
Hager was a good singer too. It was also a different style of music, but change is good. People get tired of the same style of music on every single album over and over etc... How would you like it if you went out and brought a new (lets say for example) STP album and it sounded just like the last one only with different words? You'd probably be pissed.
Lets just say the band is good no matter who is singing. It's like the commerical say's CHANGE IS BETTER!!!
Van Halener ROCK-ON
When are we going to see your story " The Fall of Van Halen". I have been waiting for it. Also didn't Van Halen 3 do the worst of all Van Halan records ever. It dropped out of the top 100 in about weeks. I still haven't heard the new Roth songs. Hopefully when the CD comes out he will get some decent air play.
I have never heard Van Cherone 3 except for the song on MTV because I hate the Van Halen brothers so much there was no way I was going to buy it. I wanted it to fail. They must really be feeling stuiped now but I think they will put one more CD out with Cherone before they dump him. Then either they Bring Back Dave and get back to where they used to be or they fall off the map completely. If Dave's CD does well they would probably bring him back after there next CD fails.
Here's some new info to relate to your forthcoming "Fall OF Van Halen" piece. Last saturday they played the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago which seats about 20,000 people. They failed to sell the show out and the radio stations were giving a frenzy of last minute tickets away. By comparison, the last time they played the horizon w/Hagar, the show sold out in 5 minutes! Also, the local radio station asked to hear from people who went to the show. Every caller said: "They Need to Pack It In!" 'nuff said. Adam BTW, Slam Dunk and King of the Hill rule!
ok dave! i heard a little bit of it on howard stern this morning. im so excited! it rules! what a burn on dickhead eddie! i`ve been a devoted fan for 20 years. since i was 12. went to every l.a. show, bought every album and even got a kiss from you at a rod stewart show. you are my childhood sweetheart. i love you and thank you for making a great album. i cant wait to buy it. kristy raney
HEY!-
I love your David Lee Roth site. I was looking to see when his new disc was coming out and sure enough you had it. Along with great quotes and cool lyrics to go with the pics.
I have to tell you a story that happened about a week ago. I went into the record store and asked when the new DLR disc was going to be released. The one guy said he had no idea he even had a band. ( Glad he's working there in the field where his knowledge is vast) The other guy said, " DLR band? No, he's not concieted."
I said, " David Lee Roth IS Van Halen!". Needless to say after exchanging a few words I left.
Another good Roth story happened about ten years ago when I was twenty. Jehovas Witnesses came to the door looking first to talk then to get money. I put it simple to them right from the start, " David Lee Roth is God". I never saw people hand out religious pamphlets so quickly. To this day I have not had any of those people come to the door!
By the way, Lil Ain't Enough is one of the greatest discs ever. Drop in the Bucket, It's Showtime, Tell the Truth, and Lady Luck are classics.
Keep up the great job on your site!
Geoff
It's disgraceful how VH can look/sound like jackasses on and off the stage. I was able to catch the Rockline radio interview the other night and was really retching through the whole thing. Here are some fun little snippets in case you missed it:
EDDIE: "We're not in the music business; we're in the business of making music."
ALEX: "I guess my neck brace DOES look like a pair of underwear."
EDDIE: "When Gary picked all the older songs to play in concert, I felt some of them were doozies. The opening to 'I'm the One' and 'Romeo Delight' really showed me how much my playing style has changed in the last couple of years...I had to buy the albums over again in order to learn how to play 'em!"
ALEX: "Nah, we haven't read Dave's book...maybe if we get a free copy."
EDDIE: "I think we know him pretty well enough without having to read what a Japanese interviewer called comedy fiction."
EDDIE: "The lyrics for 'Year to the Day' were the first ones that Gary ever showed me, and I'm so glad he convinced me to sing it myself. Gary wrote over half the lyrics for this album before we even laid down the music...in fact, I intended for Wolfie to sing on one of the tracks that got cut from the album."
ALEX: "As far as Van Halen III's critical lack of success goes, I think the critics should do their job and actually LISTEN to the whole album, if they're even listening to it at all."
EDDIE: "You know, OUR biggest musical influences--Hendrix, Zeppelin, the Stones--they were all misinterpreted by critics when they were starting out, and look at them today!" (ED. NOTE: Yeah, they SUCK, just like you!)
EDDIE: "A box set? I think we'll have to do another 4 or 5 albums with Gary before that comes about."
and finally:
MIKEY: .................................................. (as usual)
I don't see why Mikey never says anything (maybe he was told to by the bros.?),
CFH,
Best site I've seen yet/Missed a good DLR quote:"If ya wanna move somethin' heavy...put on some Van Halen..." Keep it up.
PS. Any idea where I can find an old Dave poster I've been lookin' for? It's a live shot, he's wearing a levy's jacket half way hangin off, and he's got that shit-faced grin on his face. Its gotta be on the net somwhere and so far I've had no luck.
Honestly, I think people are making way too big of a deal about the whole VH thing. Even if DLR came back to VH, folks would start complaining about how the music doesn't compare to the first six albums. Of course, it would be nice to see the original band play the original songs, but I guess that's what expensive stereo systems and bootleg videos are for. I often wonder how much longer VH would have lasted had they NOT broken up....1984 is a great record, but, personally, I saw a slight decline after Fair Warning (I tend to group the albums in three sections: I and II, Fair Warning and (my favorite) Women and Children, then Diver and '84. The middle group is what I think is the band's best work.
I am going to NYC today for the weekend; there's a club in the Village that has a VH tribute act called "Fair Warning." I'll give an update when I get back home. Anyhow, thanx for responding and keep up the page!
Keep rockin', Derek
i'm a huge DLR fan. dave bro. let van halen go into the carwash bins.. stop worrying about what theyre doing and worry about making good music as always. albums like a little aint enough and your filthy little mouth show just how much you don't need them to have success. be the diamond dave i know and show the world that a little aint enough for you. i don't give two shakes of shit about van losers. i care about the music you make. it's almost like black sabbath and ozzy ozbourne. like he. you went on to greater things. let them beg you. don't wait on them. take off and see them cry in your rear view mirror.. thanks for reading this. if you want to tell me i'm great or stupid drop me a line at chesterw09 a huge DLR fan
DID YOU SEE THE MTV SHOW???? My God is Gary Cherone awful! Here's my reviews of the songs they played:
UNCHAINED: Very weak. I'm glad Gary didn't try to rip off Dave's "That suit is you" line, but then that automatically takes all the personality out of the song. He's not aggressive.
WITHOUT YOU: I hate this song/video. Gary already sounded tired by this point and his voice gets really irritating when he tries to hit those high notes. Ed's guitar work was good. I wonder if he ever drops his picks during performances? I also winder why he always looks like he's having an orgasm whenever he plays. How could he enjoy playing that crap?
ONE I WANT: These are LYRICS???? "Candyman, Boogeyman, Fireman..." what the hell??? And why are these Mock3 songs so damn long?
MEAN STREET: I couldn't hear the bass. Mikey looked really bored throughout the whole show. The part where Gary did a split and grabbed his ass almost made me stab my eyes out with my room key. I also wished Ed would have closed the song like on the album instead of ripping off the riff from "Hot For Teacher."
WHY CAN'T..: The only Van Hagar song they showed. It sucked. Gary can't hit the high notes and that really ruined the song. I thought Mikey and Ed made MUCH better singers than he did when they took over for vocals. Maybe Mikey should have been made the new singer! Then he can get some attention. I liked it when the line "Only time well tell if we stand the test of time" came up. I give VH 2-5 more years tops.
YEAR TO....: I can't understand anything Cherone was singing because he just cobbles all the words together and holds notes for too long. And DAMN was this song LONG. They could have shown "Romeo Delight" or "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" instead of this crap.
AIN'T TALK.: This was good until Gary tried to roll down the stairs and then laid down on the stage spread eagle and grabbed his crotch again. Who the hell does he think he is...Michael Jackson or something???? He's no Dave.
PANAMA: The worst song played. The drums were really weak and Alex looks like an old coot in that neck brace. Makes Sam's rendition sound like Sinatra was frontin' it. They should have gotten Pat Boone to sing the song over instead of Gary; he'd probably have sone a better job even though he's twice his age.
So what did you think? Gotta go; talk to you later. VH is DEAD!
From one rock fan to another, you're too involved in the comings and goings of Van Halen and David Lee Roth. The reason Dave left Van Halen was because he was with Van Halen for ten years, he wanted to try something new. Eddie and Dave were never buddies in the first place, they worked great musically and the rest is history. I think Sammy Hagar did a great job as vocalist, he took them in another direction. The way I see it, Sammy wanted to keep his solo career going while he was in Van Halen, Eddie didn't like it, it's called creative tension. Eddie Van Halen isn't an asshole, David Lee Roth isn't an asshole, Sammy Hagar isn't an asshole. Gary Cherone isn't an asshole either, it's just rock-n-roll. I'd like to see a reunion tour just like you, David Lee Roth is and always will be Mr. Bad Ass. Internal problems in rock bands is what's makes it exciting, it's their business. The End.
Hey--
You have a very nice and well-designed web page going....too bad it's filled with STUPID SHIT!! Why all the knocking of Van Halen?? Anyway, Roth is a complete legend, don't get me wrong. And Hagar fit in nicely for his ten year period. Now, it's Gary's turn. Give the guy a chance....don't write him off before he has a chance to prove himself. Just remember: if Roth hadn't left Van Halen, you wouldn't have all "Eat 'Em and Smile", "Skyscraper", "A Little Ain't Enough", "Your Filthy Little Mouth" and if he hadn't been "kicked out" in 1996, there would be no "DLR Band"
But, great website and all. I don't mean to cut on you. Just give everyone a chance.
Thanks, Ian. VH5150Time