Van Halen train wreck about to happen

[Cleveland Metal]

Alex is really the only expendable one. Although I seriously figure that after hearing Roth sing these days, you'll be sorry he wasn't expended..

[horns666]

I could care less about MA's bass playing but I just wonder how the songs will sound without those background vocals?

Dudes,
Don't sell Mike short because "he's just the bass player". Mike is one of the most solid players in the Rock world IMO!

I learned and studied his every nuance.

His contribution to their style, sig and sound of Van Halen is just as significant as Steve is to Maiden , Geezer to Sabbath, Jones to Zep, Bruce to Cream, Squire to Yes, Lee to Rush, Gene to Kiss..and so on..None of whom would be the same without.

That's what I think!

[horns666]

Alex is really the only expendable one. Although I seriously figure that after hearing Roth sing these days, you'll be sorry he wasn't expended..

Drummers can learn Alex's parts..but nobody has his tone!

As soon as you hear him..you instantly know..that's Alex Van Halen!

[SEEGERMANY]

I have a bassist friend who is privy to some inside info regarding the upcoming tour as well as various other tidbits. Now, whether this stuff is factual, I am inclined to take his word for it. However, he only knows what's been fed to him by Eddie and Alex. For instance, it was said that Anthony played very little bass on the early albums. Apparently, Ed would lay down the bass tracks, then Anthony would lay down his backing tracks and then learn the songs prior to touring. It was also said that Wolfie is a monster on bass and has the vocal abilities to adequately cover any of Anthony's vocal parts. Matter of fact, a demo has been floating around featuring the new lineup and my buddy says people are going to shocked at how good it is.

So, take it with a grain of salt and if I hear more, I'll post.

[yard dawg]

I have a bassist friend who is privy to some inside info regarding the upcoming tour as well as various other tidbits. Now, whether this stuff is factual, I am inclined to take his word for it. However, he only knows what's been fed to him by Eddie and Alex. For instance, it was said that Anthony played very little bass on the early albums. Apparently, Ed would lay down the bass tracks, then Anthony would lay down his backing tracks and then learn the songs prior to touring. It was also said that Wolfie is a monster on bass and has the vocal abilities to adequately cover any of Anthony's vocal parts. Matter of fact, a demo has been floating around featuring the new lineup and my buddy says people are going to shocked at how good it is.

So, take it with a grain of salt and if I hear more, I'll post.

No one is saying ED jr cant play or sing. We are saying that VH is MIKE,ALEX,ED,DLR or Sammy . Anything else is just a fraction of the band.
Im sure ED did write a few bass lines on the albums but MIKE is still an original member and always will be. Mike called ED a freind at the rock and roll hall of fame induction and Alex couldnt even show up. Screw the van halen borthers!!!!! They are morons for doing what they did to Mike and Sammy over hot sauce and tequilla. ED will be back on booze and meth before the tour ends and the DLR ED feud will ignite again IMHO. I will be so shocked if they make it the whole 50 shows without an explosion.

[horns666]

Exactly Jeff..Dave wanted to keep Ed in the spolight as a "guitar hero", he was winning every award there was.. Instead Ed wanted to play with his casio and write love songs for radio..Dave didn't like that..Ed did.

Ed was right, if you look at how much coin they made..but that was "VH lite"..VH for bitches if you ask me.

Meanwhile DLR put a new and improved version of what his vision of VH was with Steve and Billy..

I'll take Eat 'em and smile" over 5150 any fuggin' day!!!

I saw both DLR and VH ..Dave tore those classic VH tunes up!!!..Steve playing the solo to On Fire with one hand and goin' off with Billy on Shy Boy..it was fucking KILLER!

Sammy never really did it for me..there were some awesome "rockers" with Sammy..and we learned alot of them..Judgment Day, Source of Infection and so on..but those were "Dave" songs to me..I always plugged Dave into those songs and it would fit like a glove..in my head.

Ed was super pissed that Dave did his solo EP..but that was after he did Beat It with MJ..so it was like WTF??

I remember reading Mike saying he was in traffic and heard "Beat it" on the radio and said.."Fuck, that sounds alot like Ed'..they didn't even know. So at the next band meeting it was like.."Lucy, you have some esplainin' to do"..

You know Dave can beat Ed's ass..bottom line!

[horns666]

I immediately know the difference of a guitar player playing bass, and a bass player..the tracks on those every early VH records is done by a "bass player"..

[DTP]

They reprinted an interview with Ed in Guitar World a few months back from 1982 or something really slagging on Mike back then. He also said in the interview he played all the bass on the album and Mike had hardly any input, but Mike still made enough money off the album he could remodel his house and buy a Porche. Like he shouldn't of had a cut.

J.

[Axewielder]

He also said in the interview he played all the bass on the album and Mike had hardly any input

Is that really true?!?

[SnakePlissken]

I think Mike's thundering bass and backing vocals are as much a part of the Van Halen sound as Roth's vocals or Ed's guitar work. It is a shame...

Having said that, I would like to check them out. I went in 2004 and Ed seemed like he was on the night I saw him.

They're going to play with pre-recorded backing vocal tracks. Pitiful.

[RacerX]

he could remodel his house and buy a Porche. J.

Yeah, don't most houses in the south already have a porch? Heh

[horns666]

I remeber some negative words about mike way back in the day..

I know ED plays bass in soundtrack soungs like "Donut City"..and maybe studio track like the drop D unchained..not much going on there. But a bass player is playing everything I had to learn. I had to break it down to every little nuance..believe me it's a bassist.

My guitarist friends can NAIL all Ed's ;ines..I couldn't, But he could never even come close to playing my lines..to watch a guitarist try to play bass is comical..they play it like it's a guitar and floow the guitar parts..or just ride the root notes. The don't dare venture from that..Like Iommi/Butler, Page/Jones, Bruce Clapton, Entwistle/Townsend ect..none of those guys could do each other's parts..no fuggin' way.

Alot of you guy hear Runni with the devil or You really got me and hear the root notes..there is alot goin' on in those songs..lots of "disco" type in the pocket grooves that guitarist just don't know crap about.

I don't buy it..maybe a couple songs here and there ..Ed doesn't seem that credible to be honest..mostly due to his ego..

Seriously Wolfie..not saying the kid can't play..but Mike's been playing Those lines decades before he was goo in Ed's beanbag..It's about money..keep it in the family..and fuck mike..

Ed is getting worse than Sharon Osborne..maybe he'll have Wolfie re-record all Mike's lines to fuck him out of royaties too..sure why not. Yeah, fuck Mike, he did write those lines anyway..ED is the reason why I wanted to play..but he's an asshole!

[pro-fusion]

That YouTube clip was posted in February, meaning before Eddie went into rehab. Still, that "tree falling far from the nut" bit is a classic.

Would I go to see a sober Eddie onstage with Roth, even if MA isn't there? Sure. But there's no question that it would be a different thing. As far as Eddie recording the bass parts? I'm inclined to agree with Bill on that one. Some serious groove going on there that most likely didn't come from Eddie.

[Bengal]

I wonder how much scorn for Anthony is because he "chose" Sammy over the Van Halens. We all know that Ed and Sammy really don't like each other right now. After the '04 tour debacle. And I've heard/read enough material from Ed saying that Michael started a band with Sammy/Chose Sammy over Van Halen. In that Youtube interveiw he brings it up there. "You can't be in two bands". So I wonder if it's more that Eds feelings are hurt that Michael plays with Hagar...

Now, what's Mike supposed to do? Sit and wait for Ed to get his shit together? I'm sure Ed thinks so. I remember that interview about Mike not playing anything and getting enough money for a house and car. And that was at the height of Van Halens Reign. So he slagged the guy when he was IN his band, no surprise he's doing it when MA is OUT of the band...

Did Mike play on the old albums? I don't know. Do they kick ass? Very much so...

Maybe I'm the only one but I'm very interested to see what Wolfie can do. I mean, he comes from Eds loins. If anything was passed on to Wolfie, besides the gene for chemical dependency, I hope it was his musical talent. And Ed has talent...

Would I like to see VH with Mike. Absolutly. No doubt about it. Do I want to hear Ed and Alex jamming with Wolfie? More than anything. I wanna see if this kid is as good as his hype. Something tells me he might be...

Will I buy tickets? No doubt about it...

Do I ask too many questions? Without a doubt...

[Axewielder]

Ed is getting worse than Sharon Osborne..maybe he'll have Wolfie re-record all Mike's lines to fuck him out of royaties too..sure why not

Re-recorded basslines....and worse: new album covers for those classic albums!