I am a Van Halen Nut-Job!

It killed me when they broke up after 1984. To me it was like the Beatles breaking up for my father. I never really liked the Sammy Hagar years. Don't get me wrong, I love Sammy but it just wasn't Van Halen. It sounded like every other Sammy Hagar song. Roth is my only VH singer. Not going to be the same without Michael Anthony.

Yeah I want to hear the new CD. I really can't say much about Wolfie on bass. He's playing all of Mikes licks. So i'll wait for the CD.

Wolfie isn't Anthony. And so effing what? Yes, it would be 'cool' if this latest album and tour had ALL the original members, but the music doesn't suffer...at all...not even a little. "A Different Kind Of Truth" stands side-by-side with any Van Halen album prior to it, with apologies to the Van Hagar era because that was okay too, but it was too polished for me for the most part. It just wasn't "MY" Van Halen. And lets just all agree to ignore the Gary Cerrone era and move along...right? Ooooookay...

Wolfie can play. Period. Put his work on the latest stuff next to anything on Diver Down, Fair Warning, Van Halen I or II, and even 1984. As a matter of fact, song for song, in my humble opinion, the latest stuff is EVERY BIT as good as anything on Fair Warning, and most people, myself included, think Fair Warning was probably the best thing (from any era) Van Halen ever recorded.

I kinda over do it sometimes. I get on a kick and run it into the ground - like I go all or damn near all Guns N Roses for a while and get on a big Slash kick, or all Stones and get on a Keith kick, or all singer/songwriter and go overboard on Paul Simon and James Taylor...you get the point...

But this serves me well sometimes. I get to know the stuff I like really well. I can hear things that sometimes surprise me. For example, there are times when I hear Jim Morrison (less Doors and more Jim) in some of the Stone Temple Pilots stuff. So, I thought it was cool when I read that Weiland is a big Morrison fan and that he was really influenced by him. Wow, I should work for Rolling Stone...LMAO...

So anyway, the point is I like to think I have a pretty good ear, I know my Van Halen, I know what the circle of 5ths is, took music lessons for over a decade, listen critically, and am a bit of a music snob sometimes unfortunately.

What was the point again...OH...the point is that I believe myself to be qualified to say this:



Funny that Fair Warning was done when Eddie and Alex had stood just about all they could stand of Diamond Dave. LOL. That album was fantastic. The new one is even better. I think it has less to do with Wolfie being there or Anthony NOT being there. I think - and I don't know this, it's just a guess - that Eddie and Alex are the key, and I think somewhere around 2007 / 2008 when they were touring some with Dave that the spirit hit them. I think Eddie (most probably Eddie anyway) has an epiphany and realized that, at the end of the day Dave is truly the perfect yang to his yin. He will always be the definition of a Rock and Roll Guitar player regardless, but that thing...that 'it' factor, is a product of his antics on the fret board combined with Dave's vocal and front man skills.

Think about it. Are the Rolling Stones what they are if Mick fires Keith and replaces him with Slash? Nope. And we all know Slash doesn't suck and that in fact he is a top of the line rhythm player.

Another reason, and again this is just my opinion from the cheap seats (actually not so cheap since I coughed up 240 bucks to be in section C row 20 seat 5) is that Eddie is in a happy place. Nepotism? Even if true I would blame him, because I'd want my son up there with me too. Who wouldn't? But I'll say it again. Wolfie can play.

Notwithstanding "Tattoo", which is probably the worst song on the new set, every cut on "A Different Kind Of Truth" is not just good. Every cut is really, REALLY good. Yeah, Wolfie plays Mikes licks...and he plays his own too.

Give a listen to "She's The Woman", "Big River", "China Town", "Beats Workin'" or "Stay Frosty" from the new stuff, and measure it against "Jump", "Panama", "Little Guitars", "The Full Bug", "Mean Streets", "D.O.A", or anything else really, and I'm betting you'll agree.

Oh, and this is me when they come to Oakland in June. Click on the pic and look for the little red dot. LOL I'm so tweaked I can't stand it!

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I am a Van Halen Nut-Job!

It killed me when they broke up after 1984. To me it was like the Beatles breaking up for my father. I never really liked the Sammy Hagar years. Don't get me wrong, I love Sammy but it just wasn't Van Halen. It sounded like every other Sammy Hagar song. Roth is my only VH singer. Not going to be the same without Michael Anthony.