Hagar puts Wabos to bed while cooking up Chickenfoot supergroup
From: RGJ.com:
By Neil Baron • Special to Best Bets • April 30, 2009
Longtime rock ‘n’ roll frontman Sammy Hagar knows a great guitarist when he hears one. After all, the Red Rocker has shared the stage with the likes of Ronnie Montrose, Ted Nugent and Eddie Van Halen.
So you know Hagar knows what he’s talking about when he compliments guitarist Joe Satriani, one of his collaborators in a new band, Chickenfoot. While Hagar and his regular band, the Wabos, will play Friday and Saturday at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, he’s moving on to a new group — in this case, with a guitarist he has long admired.
“I’ve made this statement a million times — some people don’t like it, some people do — but Joe is the best guitarist I have ever played with,” Hagar said during a recent phone interview. “That’s a strong statement. I realize that. You’ve got to give Eddie (Van Halen) a lot of love for his innovation of what he did as a stylist with the guitar,” Hagar added. “He broke a lot of ground. But Joe is a master. He can play anything and everything — folk, blues, jazz, hard rock, soft rock, fusion, you name it. As a guitar technician, Joe is the best guy I’ve ever stood in the same room with on any instrument. And he’s so soulful when he solos. He puts more feeling into a solo than any other player I’ve been with.”
Hagar hardly can control the enthusiasm he has for Chickenfoot, a proverbial supergroup featuring Satriani, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and himself.
“This band is blowing my mind,” Hagar said.
He’s not alone. The band in May will embark on what Hagar calls a nine-show North American test tour. He calls it a “test” because it will be Chickenfoot’s first live shows before starting a full-scale tour this summer in Europe. The band will return for a tour of the United States in late August or September, Hagar said.
Although the band’s self-titled debut album won’t be released until June, the nine shows sold out within 40 minutes of going on sale, Hagar said.
“It’s like early Led Zeppelin with a little Deep Purple and Montrose,” he said when asked to describe Chickenfoot’s sound. “With Mike and I in there and me co-writing all the songs with Joe, you’re also going to get a little Van Halen — Van Hagar, you might say. But every band we ever loved, from the Stones to Cream, is in there. We even get funky every now and then.”
The idea to form Chickenfoot came from informal jam sessions at Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Of course, Hagar and Anthony had played together for decades in Van Halen. Both men found they enjoyed playing with Smith at the jams.
“Chad Smith is the hardest-hitting … he’s got more chops than any drummer I’ve ever seen with his right foot in the pocket,” Hagar said.
Once Satriani joined the trio, the jam sessions became a full-time venture.
“I’m sure Chad is going to have to do something with the Chilis,” Hagar said. “Every time they have a break, he’ll be back with us. We’ll work around it, until maybe it’s more important to everyone than anything else.”
Hagar’s work with Chickenfoot means the demise of his own band, the Wabos.
“An era is coming to an end,” he said. “I really want to concentrate on Chickenfoot. I think Chickenfoot probably will go back into the studio next year and make another record. I just don’t see why we would not do that. This is way too good.”
Hagar said he isn’t parting ways with the Wabos. He’s just putting his focus elsewhere.
“I’ll keep on paying them,” he said. “Honestly. I want them to stay a band because we’ll still do parties and play the Cabo Wabos.”
Hagar said there’s no jealousy on the part of Wabos’ guitarist Vic Johnson, drummer David Lauser and bass guitarist Mona.
“Oh, hell no, man,” Hagar said. “Vic and Dave are the greatest people on the planet. If there were any animosity, I’d say ‘OK guys, you go do your own thing and I’ll do mine.’ But they’ve been so cool about it. Vic’s at the studio with Joe helping him fix the foot pedals before rehearsals. And Mona and Mike are like twins. They’re great people.”
The Tahoe shows
When Hagar and the Wabos perform this weekend at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, they’ll cull songs from Montrose, Van Halen, the pre-Van Halen-Red Rocker era, the post-Van Halen era and Hagar’s 2008 studio album, “Cosmic Universal Fashion.”
“It’ll be a party,” Hagar said. “My fans know that this (The Wabos) is coming to a close.”
Hagar said he’ll be back in Northern California later this year for several performances with Chickenfoot.
“We’ll play a Sacramento show, San Jose, maybe Oakland,” he said. “We’ll play a bunch of Bay Area shows because Joe and I are Bay Area boys and Chickenfoot is a Bay Area band.”
And the Wabos will be back in Tahoe because of the success of Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina inside Harrah’s Lake Tahoe.
“If not for the Cabo Wabos, I probably wouldn’t be making music today,” Hagar said. “It’s not profitable enough to work that hard. It’s so … expensive to go on tour this day and age. The cantinas gave people a place to party and drink tequila, listen to loud rock ‘n’ roll music and have a good time.
“I’m fortunate because I don’t do this (perform) for the money anymore. Let me tell you, it’s a real pleasure to do it this way.”
If you want to go:
Who: Sammy Hagar and the Wabos
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Where: Harrah’s Lake Tahoe’s South Shore Room
Cost: $75. Both shows are sold out. However, a cancellation line is open at the door on show nights. Ages 21 and older only.
Details: 800-427-7247
Filed under: Chickenfoot, Sammy Hagar
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May 1st, 2009 at 12:12 am
the man has got to stop dissing eddie. eddie is way cooler than sammy will ever be
May 1st, 2009 at 1:57 am
This really proves Sammy Hagars lack of taste.
Isn’t this site supposed to be about VAN HALEN?
Chickenfoot is soon to be forgotten about.
May 1st, 2009 at 2:52 am
Ya know, I used to like Sammy during the hagar era, he was a cool guy.
But he’s turned into a douchbag. Bashing Ed like that for no reason; Joe and Ed are friends and Joe must be thinking “WTF, Sammy?”
Sammy is just being a punk now, he used to say how so happy he was when he quit VH he was so happy to be out of the drama, then he came back. Guess he didn’t miss it that much after all.
Sammy, you got all the money in the world, buy some class, man.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:09 am
I don’t think it was a diss bud, it’s just that Sam’s so fired up about the ‘Foot and inspired by Joe. It’s a fair point though, as incredible a guitarist as Ed is, Joe sure can pull off anything he tips his hat to. He’s a different kind of player to Ed. Whereas Ed is very much ‘rock and roll’, Joe has more versatility because of his teaching background. Personally, i’d be happy to play like either of ‘em !
May 1st, 2009 at 3:10 am
he has a new act and band to plug what else can he say.
May 1st, 2009 at 4:39 am
he sure doesn’t have to bash Ed.
He can say how his band kicks ass and everything he said about his Wabos.
I suppose over at Sammy web sites the Ed bashing was turned up because of what he said.
What a waste of time.
May 1st, 2009 at 4:40 am
He is a joke! Stoke the fire, red goofball!
May 1st, 2009 at 4:49 am
Kevin, Kevin, Kevin. Why do you say such things. Now I’m as big a Van Halen fan ( with both Sammy and Dave ( Sorry Gary, didn’t get your voice in Extreme either, nothing personal though )) as the next Van Halen fan. Why do people seem to be so protective of the remainder of Van Halen though ? Am I reading things differently. I’ll copy and paste a section of the above article for you to re-read again. Here we go : ‘ You’ve got to give Eddie (Van Halen) a lot of love for his innovation of what he did as a stylist with the guitar,” Hagar added. “He broke a lot of ground. ‘ Now to me that sounds like one heck of a compliment and not a ‘diss.’ OK, he dared to say he’s not the best guitarist that he’s ever played with but playing 2nd fiddle to his present company isn’t all that bad……………is it ? Please get off of your soap box and either enjoy the music or don’t, but don’t start trying to become a music journalist on such a daft basis. There, I’m done now.
May 1st, 2009 at 4:52 am
Mike is still a cool guy; Joe is a cool guy, what are they thinking with Sam running his mouth about Ed for no good reason?
May 1st, 2009 at 4:53 am
He has no respect for the band that made him famous! Dave & Eddie are Gods
May 1st, 2009 at 4:58 am
Dave made Eddie famous ,Eddie made Sammy famous , Sammy made no one famous!!!
May 1st, 2009 at 4:58 am
sounds like Sammy is a little bitter….haha….
He sounds like the guy that never gets picked for a team and then when he finally does he starts talking trash….I’ll tell you this much, this band hasn’t done jack shit to be even mentioned on the same page as VH. What have they done besides sellout a couple of very small clubs, try selling out at least one large arena. This guy deserves to get his butt kicked so he can stop doing this.
May 1st, 2009 at 5:01 am
He has no respect as long as he isn’t the lead.
The guy is SO damn insecure about Dave.
Ed’s happier now then he’s been in decades and that pisses Sam off.
Just ain’t cool.
May 1st, 2009 at 5:07 am
sammy is such a bullshitter, if he had done the album with joe perry (he’s good, but no evh) he would have said he’s better than eddie! he’s just a jackass.
Eddie is the best!
May 1st, 2009 at 5:19 am
This will comeback to haunt him later..
May 1st, 2009 at 5:26 am
I love the Chickenfoot stuff. I think Sammy though is letting his current enthusiasm get the best of him a little bit. His statement really should say something like ‘I’ve had the privelidge of working with two of (what most people think are) the ten best guitarists of all time.’ That would probably go over with Van Halen fans a little better. Stew, I’m sorry to say that Dave had nothing to do with this. He may be an integral part of the original Van Halen, but Sammy’s versatility on vocals made himself famous. That became even more so true when he joined Van Halen. He joined possibly the most amazing trio of musicians that allowed him and them to showcase their talents even further.
Van Halen wouldn’t be what they would be now without any one member (other than maybe Gary. Now he’s joined another amazing trio of musicians & he’s just excited about it; and I can see why. I can’t wait to hear more.
May 1st, 2009 at 5:27 am
Sammy is pumped up about his new band, period. He is NOT dissing Eddie. He gives him props in every interview these days. VH & Sam made each other better and mucho $$. Who else could have come into VH and do what he did? Gary Cherone? Eddie fucked up VH when given the reins with Ray Danniels. He is sadly now major burnt.
May 1st, 2009 at 5:27 am
Bad mistake by Sammy saying that stuff. Satch is damn good dont get me wrong but if it wasnt for Eddie there would be no Satch like he is now. Then pretty much saying Chad Smith is better than Alex??? WTF!!! When or if this new VH CD comes out I hope it kills Chickenfoot just to prove that Ed still has it. Its a long shot but Ill give Ed one last chance.
May 1st, 2009 at 5:51 am
I’ve been a fan since Van Halen I! Why “diss” ANY version of VH??? Why “DISS” at all!! My comment about ALL THIS is… at LEAST we know what’s going on “AT ALL TIMES” with Sammy and Michael!! The two of them haven’t forgotten “THE FANS”!! From what I see, NO NEWS FROM VH since 02/2009??? For the OTHER comments — WE MADE VH FAMOUS!! The FANS!!!! Have THEY forgotten THAT!! No need for debate — just one man’s HONEST opinion!!!!
May 1st, 2009 at 5:54 am
Joe Satriani better than Eddie? Come on Sammy, just b/c you don;t get along w/ Ed anymore doesn’t mean you need to keep takin’ shots. Ed made you famous.
May 1st, 2009 at 5:55 am
Eddie made everyone famous….including JOE, I admire him and Satriani, Vai, Gilbert, Becker, Johnson, and more, but they are all in some way, shape, or form influenced by the Edward Van Halen, come on folks. It is easy to compare someone who invented the stuff to someone who just learned from the already transcribed and took it further. Much respect to all of them but Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie………………………..until the end and beyond!!!!!!
May 1st, 2009 at 6:01 am
Don’t really understand what Sammy stands to gain by constantly dissing on Eddie. He always seems to give the proverbial backhanded compliment while running Eddie into the dirt. You could say the same the same things about Jimmy Hendrix, but would you?
There IS a reason why Eddie is considered one of the all time greatest and Joe Satriani usually falls way down the list on most major comparisons. The Satch was learning his licks from the ones that invented them.
Either way, I’d hope that Sammy eventually has enough class to stop ACTING like he has so much class when he opens his mouth. Sometimes shutting up/keeping your comments to yourself says more than the words themselves. Starts to sound like sour grapes to me.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:04 am
Why does Sammy continuously feel the need to tell the world how rich he is? Yeah, we get it, you’re loaded, good for you. I’m happy for you and your 15 Farraris.
Eddie, hurry up, get married, and start recording a new album.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:09 am
He isn’t dissing Eddie, Neil Schoen, Nugent or anyone. Satriani truly is a master musician. Joe is his latest guitarist. Of course there’s going to be comparisons.
VH didn’t make Sammy famous. He had over 15 years in the business and chart topping albums before he joined VH.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:23 am
Im sorry!! Ed is way cooler with his 5150 shoes…..
Give it a break Sammy Hagars…..he has a right to an opinion just like anyone else. If he thinks that Satch is the best guitarist he has every worked with….then he is probably a better judge because has worked with both.
Everyone here acts like they know EVH personally….kinda sad.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:56 am
Screw that fat little red piece of sh*t.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:58 am
Joe can play Any style of music, never makes mistakes live, and
cares about every performance. I have seen VH 50 times since 82,
Some shows great, some embarrasing. Ed can’t play some of Joes
Licks, songs. He is too one dimensional, sorry.
May 1st, 2009 at 7:09 am
Who? The guy that looks like Dr. Evil from Austin Powers? As if. EVH is in a different league from all of his however masterfull clones. The Bette Midler lookalike will say anything to get publicity. That’s just another way of talking about Van Halen without mentioning the name, because he knows that’s really all what’s ever been remotely interesting. Sad, guys, real sad. And even if it was the truth, and it was only meant as a compliment for Satch, what lusy low class way to put it.
May 1st, 2009 at 7:18 am
I’ve been a true VH fan since ‘81. I picked up a guitar in 1985 and haven’t put it down yet. I bought a Kramer, an Ernie Ball, and a strat with a humbucker. I have a Peavey amp. That being said… Satriani is the most versatile player out there. He’s got IT.
I love EVH but I honestly think that last great stretch he had was the “B-side” of 1984 and a few cuts off of the Carnal Knowledge disc.
May 1st, 2009 at 7:24 am
Oh jeez…
May 1st, 2009 at 7:54 am
Fab,
You’re right on!!
May 1st, 2009 at 7:56 am
There goes Sammy again running his big mouth and do anything to pimp his new band. Hell, Joe would even say who the better guitar player is….and that is the KING Edward.
Ed get your new shit out and show the world once again so everyone can see just how much Sam is like a M.C. at a circus telling about is new freak act!
May 1st, 2009 at 8:16 am
Rodney said: “Im sorry!! Ed is way cooler with his 5150 shoes.”
Yeah, and Same is cooler with his Red Rocker apparel while guzzling Cabo Wabo. Your point?
Here’s the funny thing about Sammy — who, I love as a musician, by the way — he’s full of rampant hyperbole, if not something else.
Anybody else find it curious that he just happened to land in a band with 1) the best guitarist, 2) now he’s got the best drummer, too and 3) Mike, the best bass player who has never missed a note onstage, yada, yada, yada … ? He says roughly the same things about every group of people he’s worked with.
Sammy talks out of his butt half the time and gets himself in trouble. (Chickenfoot rivals Led Zeppelin, etc.)
Now Vic Johnson has been relegated to Joe’s studio foot pedal technician? If Joe was the greatest guitarist in the world, don’t you think he could figure that out on his own? (I’m not dissing Joe, just the absurdity of Sammy’s comments.)
Now, Sammy is throwing out there that Chad may actually choose Chickenfoot over the Chilis if there was a time-commitment conflict? (I wonder if Chad has told the Chilis that, yet?)
All I’m saying is: How about letting the album do the talking when it comes out? I had high hopes for this project, but am becoming increasingly skeptical based on the never-ending barrage of hype.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:16 am
Keep in mind that Eddie paved the way for people like Satch… Just like Clapton and Hendrix did for Eddie.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:23 am
Exactly my point! Well said.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:24 am
it’s sad to see him attacking ed… I hope ed doesnt answer…
May 1st, 2009 at 8:42 am
Sammy is obviously just trying to give his new band some much needed publicity. Any press -Good or Bad- isn’t necessarily the right route in today’s plastic, crap-filled music biz. Let me guess, Sam probably funded the entire project himself… again. “ChickenCack” along with all other bands are not selling records….period. They are all anxiously checking their download sales on itunes just like the rest of us. EVH changed the way every guitarist plays and he also is an amazing songwriter/composer. To say that Stchboogie is better is a rediculous statement. Satch is a left over “shredder” from the 80’s and he hasn’t written anything worth listening to since Surfing With The Alien. And guess what SNatchboogie?- your song will forever be embeded behind the afternoon traffic report right where it belongs. - Later
May 1st, 2009 at 8:44 am
I don’t get it. Why does VAN HALEN NEWS DESK show articles/features on guys that say things like “but Joe is the best guitarist I have ever played with” or “He (=Joe)puts more feeling into a solo than any other player I’ve been with.”?
IT’S THE VAN HALEN NEWS DESK !!!
You don’t like Van Halen or the VH-brothers? Then don’t come here. You like ‘the foot’, go check out their website; propbably ‘lots of fun’.
I also don’t want to read any articles on other artist bashing VH/Ed/Al.
Sammy telling us about Ed and Joe… I don’t care. I’m glad Sam’s out of Van Halen.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:53 am
This is why I dont understand why anyhting sammy hagar related is featured under van halen news….
May 1st, 2009 at 9:03 am
Though Sammy had a few good tunes with VH, it was NOTHING LIKE the REAL VH (the ROTH YEARS);
But since Roth & VH split we had to settle for Van Hagar, which was at least acceptable (most of the time);
After Fair Warning, VH-Roth was fading into dumbness anyway;
Roth had ONE great album (Skyscraper) before turning ridiculous on his own;
I said it then, and I’ll say it now- They ruined (3) great careers back in the eighties and left the fans holding the bag while they patted each other on the back and lobbied for the fans further support (which is what Sammy is doing with his comments about JS and CF):
Sammy was GREAT on his own (Standing Hampton album- Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy, She’s On Fire), Roth was better NOT on his own, and VH was better with Roth.
I suspect that when the next album comes out, VH will also have been better with Mike Anthony, and the Chili Peppers will have been better with Chad Smith (just like they were better with Fruciante)…
May 1st, 2009 at 9:13 am
Ed is the master, so many owe so much of how they play to Eddie’s style, period. Sammy seems frustrated that he and Mike didnt play with Dave and the rest of the boys which was phenomenal to see.
go back to being red rocker,
ed push out the next VH album.
May 1st, 2009 at 9:22 am
Look Eddie is saying what he feels when he says that his son is the best he’s ever played with and that Roth is his brother and all of that. Its how he feels right now and thats cool I don’t take anything to heart about it. Same with Sam talking about chickenfoot now.
If Ed, Al, Sam, Wolf, Mike, Dave or any of them get all caught up cause one of them says this is the best player I’ve ever been around then they themselves have an ego problem.
May 1st, 2009 at 9:25 am
Put this into perspective - in fact let’s use Brad Pitt as an example. Married to Jennifer Aniston, a beautiful woman, splits up with her and gets together with Angelina Jolie, another beautiful woman.
Which one do you think he’s going to say is more beautiful if you asked him today?
May 1st, 2009 at 9:29 am
So Sad that Fat Sam is becoming a big piece of sh*t. No one can beat Edward. I’m tired with all those technical player with no soul plying muisc to be played in the toilets of a one star rated restaurant. Poor Sammy. So Stop playing Van Halen tunes man and making money with. I was about going to the Chickenfoot show in Paris and buy the album… finally I won’t and I’ll wait the new Van Halen. RIP Sammy
May 1st, 2009 at 9:36 am
Wow, Joe can cover “soft rock” and “hard rock”. More brilliant words from Sammy.
May 1st, 2009 at 9:44 am
Sorry to say - Eddie is a better song writer hands down than Satriani. The guy may be versatile - but can’t create a great song. Can anyone name a Satriani hit we all remember?
May 1st, 2009 at 10:02 am
I am a big Sammy fan, but I totally disagree with him on this one!!! Joe is damn good, but he is NOT better than EVH!!!!! EVH is the MASTER of the guitar world!!!
May 1st, 2009 at 10:04 am
Thats great Sammy, but;
1. Lets see you sell 30 million plus with Joe, like you did with Eddie.
2. Playing great is one thing, WRITING great songs is some totally different. Eddie writes better songs than Joe, and more of them. When Joe writes the about of songs for you that Eddie did, you can start raving about him.
3. Being an artist is not about playing EVERY type of music. Its about finding a unique voice in your art. Eddie has done that as well, if not better than anyone.
4. I get that you’re excited to be in a new band Sammy. But without Eddie and Van Halen, you would not have seen the extreme amount of success you achieved with them. And few would have cared about your Cabo Wabo club, your Cabo Wabo tequila that netted you 80 million without being in Van Halen. Van Halen catapulted you into a level of notoriety you would not have achieved without them.
May 1st, 2009 at 10:05 am
Let’s be honest, did you think Sam wouldn’t say that, hello? I’ve seen Satch front row twice, he does rock, but there is one main difference between Ed and Joe. Ed has really cool, unique rhythms, you want to hear them over and over, Joe really doesn’t. His “voice” on the axe is lead, not the core componet of the song, just my take.
May 1st, 2009 at 10:32 am
Chris; you really think “Skyscraper” was Roth’s BEST solo album? I personally think that was his worst excluding “Damn Good” & “Hina”. Those two songs are worth owning the album.
I will always feel that ” Eat em’ and smile” was his best.
I truly believe that if dave kept that same style going he would have had another 2 stellar solo albums. But skyscraper was just to keyboard heavy…at least for me. Even though Steve Vai co produced that album he left soon after that.
“A little aint enough” was a much better album but still lacked…something. Could never really put my finger on it. I’ve always liked Bob rock as a producer…but I was suprised with how “polished” it sounded at times.
Dont worry…I’m not even gonna touch “Your Filthy Little Mouth”….great title bad album.
May 1st, 2009 at 10:44 am
OK, can Joe play better than EVH right now. Ummmmm, most likely, but Joe is no EVH. Period!!! I wish Ed would just come out and shred on the new CD. (If there is one that is ever coming out).
May 1st, 2009 at 10:45 am
1-Thank God somebody is getting off their ass to make new music.
2-Van Halen WAS great with either of the frontmen.
3-All the attempts to bash anyone mentioned in the story, is just a waste of space written by an idiot.
May 1st, 2009 at 10:52 am
Eddie has not really put out much good music since “5150″. Those were probably left over songs that didn’t make it with Dave. After that the songs got cheesy, “Big Fat Money”,” Runaround”, even the “Best Of” songs weren’t that good.These songs are not what the band was putting out in ‘80-’81 when nobody could touch them. Joe is a better guitarist than Eddie probably because of his background as a teacher. I personally like Ed’s sound better and vibe, but Joe is technically a better guitar player. Van Halen should quit making guitars,straps, pedals and shoes and just make music. I get a feeling Chickenfoot would be jamming even if they didn’t put out music-just because it’s fun.
May 1st, 2009 at 10:56 am
Like many others who’ve written a comment, I must point out that Sammy obviously wasn’t trying to “dis” Eddie. It sounded to me like he was saying that Joe is more versatile than Eddie. Ed can play like nobody’s business when it comes to rock, but on stuff like blues? It’s like John Bonham…the man could play drums like nobody else, but ever listened to D’yer Mak’er? Sam has said in the past that Eddie is the greatest rock & roll guitar player in the world. I believe he meant that. That’s not what he was saying with regards to Joe. He was saying Joe can play anything and that’s what Sammy means when he says Joe’s the “best”. I personally prefer Ed’s style and sound to Joe’s, but I’m still looking forward to checking out Chickenfoot’s album. Sounds pretty cool so far…
May 1st, 2009 at 11:13 am
To be honest? I didnt even know that joe was still around until I heard he was colaborating with sam.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:18 am
Apparently no one will ever be better than Babe Ruth, Kareem Abdul Jabar, Eric Clapton, or Neil Peart. There are always benchmarks in any industry and sometimes those benchmarks are surpassed by others. Is Joe better than Eddie? Overall - maybe, in certain styles - yes/no. Eddie will always be my favorite, or one of my favorite guitarists, but it doesn’t offend me that Sam says this stuff because it’s either opinion or hyperbole. What’s he going to say about the guitar player in his new band? “Oh this guy is average at best but at least he’s making music.” This wasn’t an Eddie diss, the only thing I read was a compliment. Eddie is not God. No one that walks on this earth is a God. It might be time for some of you to evaluate what really matters in this world.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:20 am
I am a big fan of EVH - don’t get me wrong - but what the hell is with you EVH fanatics? I can understand being a little touchy and defensive because Eddie has pretty much pissed away VH’s legacy, which is sad, but what’s with this zero sum love thing you’ve got going? Why do you consider a compliment of Joe Satriani somehow an insult to Eddie? Jesus Christ, Sammy gives Eddie props in this story and everyone is writing here “Why is Sammy dissing Eddie?” Stop crying people.
What do you expect? Joe is Sammy’s guitarist now. What’s he going to say? “Joe’s really good, but he’s no Eddie Van Halen.” Riiiiight. The guy is totally excited about his new band and anyone that knows Sammy knows when he gets excited he lets it out - sometimes without thinking first (i.e. the Chickenfoot/Zeppelin comparison).
Like I said, I love Eddie’s music, if not the man so much. No doubt he set the standard but really, what’s he done that’s been new or exciting in ages? Nothing. I think most of you are just bitter that Sammy’s out having a great time and doing right by the fans while Eddie’s still making empty promises. Get over it.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:24 am
I think DLR did good with Going Places and Wa Wa Zat from the DLR Band album and he was smokin hot on his cover of The Doors Soul Kitchen from the Diamond Dave album!!!
May 1st, 2009 at 11:30 am
Wow, the fanbois have really got their knickers in a twist over this one! Lol!
May 1st, 2009 at 11:31 am
Amen to Eddie. 5150 had a few good songs, Inside, Get Up and 5150. 5150 was a leftover song from the early days and others may have been as well. After that the albums blew.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:32 am
However, I think the term ‘better’ is hard to measure. We could argue what makes a player better than someone else all day long.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:34 am
c mon sammy……if u got nothing good to say,then zip it. when u talk about eddie,you are talking about a icon!!!
May 1st, 2009 at 11:34 am
Why did he make that comment about Joe being the best guitarist he ever played with? Why? Was I alittle troubled by it? Yes? It is because Sammy does not respect Edward for kicking Mike out of the band. Sammy does not like Edward for alot of reasons.. He likes Joe now. So they stand around in the rehearsal space and make comparisons all day about van halen life and the life he has now and how great they are and how great and nice Joe is! He is hyped up and this is the best way he can vent. We all know the truth. Edward and Joe are not even in the same class. Edward is an exciting original. Joe is great.. but there is no comparison. That is why there are books written about Edward. Never seen one about Joe. Sammy my friend…have fun on tour.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:37 am
So….you are right. Joe is a master. Joe is somewhat of a professor of music. A great guitarist indeed. But Edward Van Halen is the class he teaches. Word!
May 1st, 2009 at 11:44 am
Ed’s obviously better. Even Joe would probably tell you that in private. Joe’s a fantastic player, I’m a big fan, but it’s Edward Van Halen who completely blew the doors off the off the world of guitar playing.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:47 am
Let’s be honest, did you actually think that Sammy would say something else? Hello? I’ve seen Satch twice from the front row, right in front of him, small venuse, HOB in Orlando, he does rock, however, one main difference. Edward writes killer rhythm tracks, aka, riffs….Joe, not so much, his voice is in his leads, but it takes more than that to create great tunes. Just my take, but I believe that to be the major difference in the two.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:54 am
Same crap for 24 years !! Just shut up and play the tunes. I Love Dave, Sam, Ed, Al, Mike and Wolf..(Sorry Gary) but just shut up and play. They are all guilty of the same thing. As soon a one group has a project the others bash it and the other way around. Yes,Sam spoke out of turn but they all do it!!! Enough!
May 1st, 2009 at 11:57 am
You know what the saddest part about all this is?? 20 years ago this talk would have fired Ed up to go into the studio and tear it up on a new record and it would put to shame anything Chickenfoot, or anybody else out there could put out. But does he do that? No. He just sits on his ass and does nothing. When was the last meaningful thing this band did???? Its just sad and its a slap in the face to the fans.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:59 am
D Alexander Toluca Lake Ca,
Dude…I think you are right-on in your assessment.
Let’s just give Satch a chance, he’s never really been in a setting like this before. I do LOVE his solo stuff man…love it!
Another point is, is that these guys are now 50-60 years old. So it is a long-shot anyway that they sell millions of albums.
May 1st, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I can’t say who’s better edde or Joe.
But I can tell you Iam better than both,
I put the fire back into rock and guitar playing.
May 1st, 2009 at 12:08 pm
It’s Friday, forget this drama and get ya a cold brew and CRANK UP the VH tunes!!!!!! “Drop dead legs ……..
May 1st, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Actually, I think you’ll find that was me…
May 1st, 2009 at 12:18 pm
B.E.B.M. Legend in your own mind - PUT THE BOTTLE DOWN!!!!
May 1st, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Didn’t Dave say the same thing in 86 , and u saw what ED did music wise compare to Dave solo stuff. There is nobody in this world thats a better Hard Rock music writer the Edward Van Halen. Yes there might be a few guys that can play faster and maybe better then Ed. But Nobody can compose a song like him… Dave was nothing without Ed , Sammy too And where is Gary? This Chickenfoot stuff sounds like Chicken CRAP!!!!!!!!
May 1st, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Why doesn’t everyone just enjoy the music?
Both guitarists are great….Ed is more proven with mainstream songs….while Joe has great technical songs.
Everyone things Ed is a god. I feel sorry for all the fanbois that think Ed can do no wrong. First off….Maybe Joe is a better guitarist to work with. Could he possibly be more reliable, motivated, open to suggestions, or possibly be sober all the time. None of us will ever know this cause “WE DONT WORK WITH THEM”
Im trying not to knock Ed guys….but what he has done is in the past. Just a list of some of the fd up things he has done.
1) Unsuccessful Marriage
So fd up he let his talent be used for Porn movie background music.
2) Drug addiction
3) Fired 4 Singers (Dave twice) notably talked shit about all of them afterwards.
4) No new cd’s in 10 years if u dont count VH3 then 14 years.
5) Very little news over 14 years to the fans that have followed VH from the DLR years.
6) Fires his bassist and the background vocalist/good friend of 20 + years for a pudgy kid.
7) Alcoholism
9) When was the last time they played a small club to get intimate with the fans.
For those of you who think Ed is perect. I have news for u….
May 1st, 2009 at 12:42 pm
diis evh? hahahahahahahaha… NO
this only drives spammy hagar farther into the ground, have fun playin 200 seat clubs you burn out.
May 1st, 2009 at 12:42 pm
No B.E.B.M….put down the crack!!!
May 1st, 2009 at 12:45 pm
wow everyone’s a little too sensative…i prefer eddie over joe but it’s just one person’s opinion. music is subjective. what is good to one person is bad to another. in no way it sounded like a slam on ed. i remember when dave left ed said sam was the best singer he’s ever worked with and when sam left ed said gary was the best singer he’s worked with. that’s what musicians do, they promote their band and bandmates. hell, i remember when VHIII came out and ed, al and mike said it was their best work to date…
May 1st, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Sam has always sucked and this band is a joke.
I think the name says it all (Chickenjoke)
May 1st, 2009 at 1:01 pm
I like Van Halen with Sammy. I like some of Sammy’s solo things. I have always thought Ed’s music deserved better lyrics. I’m offended that after many years apart Sammy came back and wrote “Up for Breakfast.” Pathetic. He cannot ever compare to the genius that is Eddie Van Halen.
May 1st, 2009 at 1:13 pm
It is obvious that most of you cry babies have only heard the 3 released C F songs. Shut your mouths and open up your ears and take a listen to the many solo albums King Satch put out. Then maybe you will realize what Sam is talking about.
Its his opinion that Joe is the best he’s been on stage with. We have no idea who is better or greater because we weren’t on stage or in the studio with any of them.
King Joe can play anything. Ed was good at one time but can only play the same solo hes done for 30 years. Only can play the same riffs over and over. Eds not geating any better.
Great guitarist like Satch, Vai, Petrucci are always evolving, geating better, and making NEW music. Im sorry to say but as far as music goes eds dead.
May 1st, 2009 at 1:16 pm
LMAO…Is he serious? Sammy have another Shot…Good lord!!!
May 1st, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Just all part of the hype…accept it as so. Sammy knows exactly what he’s doing to promote this new band and he’s pushing the right buttons. Kinda like when Eddie went off on the Cherone kick and talked about him being his brother and if he can’t do it (VH3) then he should just retire because Gary’s the next best thing to sliced bread. That whole rant was just as disgusting. “How Many Say I?” Yuuuucccccckkkkkk.
The music will speak for itself or fail. When Eddie was off cutting tracks for porn movies and talking about how his steel pick (not smoking) gave him mouth cancer, he turned into the ultimate douchebag. Look at how well Valerie did when she left the band too! Those bikini shots are hot!…I hadn’t rubbed one off to her sense One Day At A Time. Valerie even discusses how ED can suck the air out of a room, house, arena in her book.
My only criticism about Sammy is that he really needs to work on lyrics. Some of the lyrics are really stupid on some of the new tracks. The music is great, the singing is good, but the lyrics make me want to puke. Same old Up For Breakfast BS…bananas, pancakes, and other stupid stuff.
I refer to EVH as Chickens&^t now. He’s reinvented many guitars in the EVH line telling us, “This is the tone I’ve been searching for over the past 30 years.” Musically, what has the guy done over the past 15 years, other than tour playing his own covers with different lead singers? I understand what Sammy is talking about. At least Sam and Mike had the balls to show up at the RNR Hall of Fame induction.
Go Chickenfoot!
May 1st, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Joe is a Great guitarist but Eddie will always be a LEGEND who influenced and changed the way guitar is played FOREVER!
I wonder if Joe will make Sammy as RICH and FAMOUS as Eddie did? Thank God for tequila!
May 1st, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Sammy’s statement is not a dis at Ed at all and I didn’t take it that way. Sam’s right. Joe is ‘technically’ a more proficient guitarist than Ed. I grew up playing guitar as Ed was and still is a hero of mine. Anyone who is a musician will know exactly what Sam is referring to when he talks about Joe’s playing. And he was very clear to show the ‘love’ towards Ed, something Ed sorely lacks these days.
Case in point, how quickly did all of you Ed supporters forget how awful he treated Michael Anthony calling him “Sauce Sobolewski” and that Wolfgang is a much better bass player?!?! Who is HE kidding? That’s a complete joke. Knowing first hand on the 2007 reunion tour that all of Wolf’s vocals were tracked. Not him singing. And his ‘bass playing’ amounted to strumming with a pic. Any true bass player will know the value Michael Anthony brought to the Van Halen sound.
Ed has always been not of sound mind and most of what he has said in interviews he has dissed Michael, Sammy, and Dave at one point or another. Has Mike ever said anything truly horrible about Ed? And the class that both of them showed when Ed, Alex, and Dave didn’t show up at the Rock Hall inductions. They didn’t have to get up there and support Ed with what he was dealing with but both of them showed Ed the ‘love’ and made it a point how disappointed that they all couldn’t have shared that moment together. Sammy and Michael will always be the true gentlemen, classy guys they are. They are the real deal. Guys who would hang with you at a bar and have a beer or margarita with you.
I wish all the guys the best. Everyone who ever passed through the Van Halen lineup is the reason we are so passionate about our favorite band. But just remember where most of the animosity came from.
May 1st, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Scar; you’re right man….forgot about the DLR BAND album.
“Going Places” “Lose The Dress…Keep The Shoes” “Black Sand” “Tight” and “Relentless” (although if the vocals were stronger “could have been” a great DLR comeback song) were the BEST tracks on the album. Had a hell of a band backing him…man! I love Dave…but I love him more in VH man…
We all do!
May 1st, 2009 at 2:18 pm
who cares!!!
May 1st, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Didn’t Dave say Vai was the best guitarist HE’S ever played with?
Didn’t Eddie say Gary was the best vocalist HE’S ever played with?
LMFAO
May 1st, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Sammy’s a douche for sayin’ that shit. boooooooooo!!!!!!! Sammy is sounding rich and bitter. Boooooooooooooo! I looked up to him for years, but he’s not being humble here. He won’t stop taking cheap shots. No Sammy/VH reunion in site, that’s sad.
May 1st, 2009 at 2:31 pm
It´s sad,
Read on a website called vhnd (VAN HALEN News Desk), somebody (Sammy Hagar) saying that Joe Satriani (”A master”) is better than EDDIE VAN HALEN !!!!!
“Thank you” vhnd!!
Well, when he played with Neal Schon, he said something like this. The same when played with EVH…Now is Joe Satriani…
That´s why the true Van Halen fans miss Mike, not Sammy.
Mike is smarter and have much more class than Sammy.
It´s something or somebody is better than another, you don´t have to talk about every time, to every people…
“What is understood, need not to be discussed”
EDDIE VAN HALEN IS THE BETTER GUITAR PLAYER ON THIS PLANET!!!
David Lee Roth never say Steve Vai is better than Eddie Van Halen.
Joe Satriani is another very good guitar player. But just another one.
I don´t hear or read nobody in Van Halen talking/criticizing about Sammy or chickenbutt…
Sammy always remember Van Halen (Eddie) even when nobody asks…
Too much tequila, Sam!!
May 1st, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Joe; you’re right. LOL!
It’s like when you have a new girl in your life.
You’re gonna tell all your boys how great she is.
Even though deep in your heart you KNOW your ex fucked
you better than who your presently with.
Know what i’m saying?
We’re stubborn creatures man….
May 1st, 2009 at 2:59 pm
who gives a shit what that ronald mcdonald says anyway.all long as he’s out of van halen who cares.
ps. joe is good, but he will never be a evh.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Sammy was obviously concealing disses in his “compliments” of Eddie. Anyone with a lick of social intelligence can read that. That said, who cares? If Van Halen comes out with new material soon, they’ll sell out every LARGE venue in the world. Chickenfoot, on the other hand…..
That says it all, folks.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:19 pm
This man is nobody without Eddie Van Halen music and playing. Too much love, love, love on his lyrics and no meat.
He’s a looser on his own and he knows it.
May 1st, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Say what we will. The bottom line is Sam is making new music and ed and crew aren’t doin jack!!!!
May 1st, 2009 at 4:40 pm
No on can take away what Ed has brought to the table. I bet most you would agree that Eddie is better than Hendrix. Most would state that Eddie is more inventive more progressive etc. Well Joe is to Eddie what Eddie is to Hendrix! In the late 1980’s Joe “was” the next evolution in rock guitar. I personally think Joe was eclipsed by Paul Gilbert. In some ways it is silly to disect and compare etc. But Eddie is 20 plus years away from the time when he was an innovator. I have to agree that his last great album was the b side of 1984.
May 1st, 2009 at 4:44 pm
FYI, utube the late Shawn Lane a really amazing guitarist. There is a clip of this guy in the late 70’s when he was a young teenager and he shreds.
May 1st, 2009 at 4:58 pm
unfortunatly this is not the site for any sammy news the vhnd readers are nothing more than eddie dillusionists the man has done some amazing things on the guitar and i am of the opinion that he is the best however he is also the man who single handidly screwed up the biggest band in the world TWICE then got them back together and reduced them to nothing more than a nostalgic act (i cant wait to read the backlash on that comment) yes wolfie was the wrong move
ANYWAY please read the comment carefully before showing us all how stupid you are sammy did not bash eddie…. you know its funny i remember quiet well during the hagar era these same people thought EVERYTHING that came out of daves mouth was also bashing eddie…… sheesh guys learn to read
May 1st, 2009 at 5:00 pm
I’m sorry but I didn’t read anything in that interview that once dissed Ed. As usual everyone is just wanting to tear Sam a new one every chance they get. Say what you want about him as least he speaks his mind and doesn’t just say what the peeps want to hear all the time. I love Ed’s playing as much as the next guy but agree he needs to come up with something fresh in his solos. I’ve been to 4 VH shows with both Dave and Sam and the solo is the same every time. He needs to get innovative again like in the begining. Anyway, that’s my two cents.
May 1st, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Every guitarist Sammy plays with he says is the best guitarist he has every worked with. Sammy is a joke. I used to like him when he first joind VanHalen but now he is an ass. He dishes Eddie when ever he can. If it wasnt for Eddie back in 1985 asking Sam to join the band, Sam would be flipping burgers somewhere in some greasy slutty pub. Get a life Sam. Stop putting Eddie down. You know deep down that Eddie is the six string king
May 1st, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Satch is a master technician and, in my opinion, he could play circles around EVH. Anyone who’s seen Satriani live KNOWS what I’m talking about!! The guy is so smooth with his runs, he doesn’t miss a fucking note and he pulls it all off so effortlessly live! I really don’t think Sammy meant that statement as a diss towards Eddie at all, he’s just calling it like it is. However, Ed is the master innovator! He’s come up with some of the funkiest, coolest, sounds & rhythms on the guitar that I’ve ever heard! From the amazing slap/tap intro to Mean Streets, Eruption solo, volume sweeping Cathedral solo to making elephant calls & monkey sounds on the instrumental Baluchitherium, Ed has thrown down some mean and very cool sounds on tape over the years for us! I agree with some of the previous posters though, Ed seems to be stuck in a rut now for years and he needs to get innovative again like he was in the early days with Van Halen. All that being said, I still like to listen to Ed wail on the guitar more than Joe! Haha He did some really creative stuff on the VH III album. It’s unfortunate that we all have to wait so fucking long to hear anything else new from the guy now!!
May 1st, 2009 at 6:13 pm
There goes sour grapes sam again trying to get publicity for his new band by bad mouthin King ED.Yes joe is a great technician but that alone will never make you one of the greats. Ed changed the way people play the guitar ,gave the guitar a brand new sound,made his own equiptment ,and last but not least is an incredible song writer.Can anybody listen to Joes album Surfing With The Alien without saying joe he wasnt influenced by ED in a HUGE WAY. Can Joe the master technician Write songs that you never get tired of listening too. Well know soon enough.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Where exactly in that interview is Sammy BASHING anyone? From what I read, Sam paid Eddie a pretty nice compliment and then went on to do the same with Satch. He made a reasonable comparison between the two guitarists, which is fair enough, but nothing hurtful or inappropriate was said.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:26 pm
He’s dissing eddie by saying a copycat is better than he is, lol. Joe Satriani is pretty much what he said except for the better than anyone he’s played with part.
Eddie would destroy Joe Satriani in a guitar off.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:33 pm
further more,
Eddie is more than just a guitar god, he writes great music. does anyone remember any Joe S stuff?????, enough of this “Joe plays sole and variety”, Eddie does all that too, but also writes great music, alot of Eddie songs were written on piano then played on guitar.
Eddie is simply great.
May 1st, 2009 at 6:54 pm
HAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Yeah and next he’s gonna say Michael Anthony and Chad Smith are better than Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce. What a complete idiot…Hey Sammy, if it wasn’t for Eddie Van Halen your career would’ve ended right about the same time David Lee Roth’s did…Oh, wait Dave is back…gee I wonder why. You just lost a fan you tequila hazed a-hole.
Long live Van Halen!!!
May 1st, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Oh Yeah…Well…Well…Eddie has longer hair than Joe…Nah…LOLOLOLOL. Some of these comments border on two little children in an argument. Just shut up and play your guitars Ed and Joe. Both rule their respective kingdoms.
May 1st, 2009 at 7:28 pm
OK, I have been a VH fan since day one. They are the reason I started playing guitar. I thought David lee Roth was a great front man. Fast-forward, then comes along Sammy who I was also a fan of more for his Montrose days than his solo. When Sammy started fronting VH it is in my opinion, I said my opinion the greatest music on planet earth. It moved me! I seen them live numerous times and when Ed and Sam were close you can tell by the music. They had such a connection on stage. It was real, unlike the forced connection Dave and Ed had this past tour. I did however enjoy it but it wasn’t the old VH. I cant tell you how many times Sammy said Ed was the greatest Guitar player in the world. Fast-forward, I can honestly say as a player and long time Fan I am completly disapointed in Sam’s comment about Ed. I know he gave Ed his due in some strange way in that comment and I know that he is very happy with his situation right now but to honestly say Joe Satriani is a better player than Eddie Van halen is F***** up!!! There would be no Joe Satriani if Eddie didn’t come along. There wouldn’t be half the players there are today if it wasn’t for Ed. Just because Ed Kind of sticks to a certain type of music doesnt mean he cant whip out any song he wants. Please do your selves a favor and do a search for audio of Ed playing some clapton stuff on you-tube. Its amazing. I am so confused by this comment. I am sure Sammy and Joe are good buddies now but Ed and Sam were brothers and if any of you have brothers or sisters and you get into a fight, well you know what I mean. I know this is super long but I had to express my feelings. Take it as you like but there is an old saying that goes. Those who cant, teach!
May 1st, 2009 at 8:10 pm
I think Sam is going to have an “We can be better then ANYONE!!” attitude.
He’s not going to play just for fun like Mike and Joe will.
He’s too bitter.
He’ll always be comparing his bands to the greats. MAking himself look small in comparison.
And my comments and alot of other comments on here are not comign from Sammy haters, ya know?
I used to think Sam was really cool. And I know that alot of other VH fans did too. But *pfft* Sam, come on.
There’s something wrong with him if he doesn’t realize how bad he looks saying stuff like this.
When Ed was bashing both Dave and Sam HE looked bad, too.
But according to Al, he was on deaths doorstep. So that explains it.
What explains Sammy? Bitter, vindictive. Sammy’s not drunk off his ass or drugged out. He’s just a jerk now.
Again, what are Joe and Mike thinkin about him being an ass like that?
“Come on Sam let’s have fun, man!” “Wait! Joe THAT riff kicked Eddie’s ASS!!” “yeah whatever man..”
I hope that Ed doesn’t get into it with Sam. I’d like to think Ed is above that bs.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:22 pm
I’d rather hear nothing than this jam crap, it’s a watered down version of what we all want. I’d rather revel in the past than hope for this second rate shit. It’s over, I don’t think I’ll buy the album or go to the tour. The circle has broken. Eddie is our last hope, none of the other guys can hold any weight on their own, period. You all know that’s true, c’mon. For real, c’mon, this shit blows!
May 1st, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Listen to most of these comments, Good Lord!!! These people have noa fucking clue what was said. Sammy did not diss EVH at all but right now, He’s just comfortable with Joe not only on a musical basis but even more so on attitude. I agree that Eddie is definitely the best guitarist there is in HIstory but Sammy doesn’t like his attitude. Plus you people are complaining when most of you have knocked Eddie for talking smack about Dave, Sammy and Mike. Most of you’s are the many who’s full of shit.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Oh and what Sam forgot to mention is, forget guitar acrobats, Ed writes great music, Joe blows at writing great music. Just look at the chart numbers, it is what it is. Nuff said.
May 1st, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I don`t understand this competion. There will never be anthor EVH.Ed owes no one jack! He and Al and Mike gave us years of beatiful music, timelis music,Along with Dave and Sam both are gifted in there right. My life is richer for it bottom line. What Chickenfoot does is just that and Jo,Chad, Mikey and Sam will have there own mark.But there will never be another Van Halen.Lets all agree with that. And stop comparing musicians.Not cool.New VH will be a bonus…
May 1st, 2009 at 9:14 pm
sam just lit the fuse and the house of vh diehards is on fire with anger,and i fucking love it.
May 1st, 2009 at 10:34 pm
As far as I know, Edward Van Halen is more than Joe can ever aspire to be. The most important and what every musician aspire to be, a ‘Songwriter’. Eddie has written songs/anthems for a generation and generations to come plus re-inventing the guitar at the same time. Joe is probably a technical gifted guitarist, but it’s ‘Songs’ that hold weight and not technique. As far as feel, why is it when I hear Eddie play 1 note he makes it sound like 10 notes? FEEL!!
But this is to be expected from the cringe worth Sammy promo merry-go-round. I wonder what Joe or more importantly Mikey think of Sammy’s latest rave? “Shut the fuck up Sammy!!” It’s kind of laughable when Sammy joined Van Halen; he said how he would buy the latest Van Halen album to see what King Edward has in store. Plus when he was in the band he would rave at how Eddie is the greatest of all time!! Joe if you read this…danger signs!!! Get away from this corporate stooge who thinks he’s a rock star, get out while you can!!
What’s next Sammy? When Edward dies (God forbid!) you’re going to say he’s the greatest of all time, blah, blah, blah. It’s hard to take Sammy on whatever he says or does. But what disturbs me the most is why he’s on this ‘Van Halen’ news desk when he’s got his own website, facebook, MySpace, blog, to express his views? Anymore news on this chickenfoot stooge on this site, then no more VHND for me!! Just rename it Sammy’s news desk. We Van Halen fans have survived the Dark Ages of Rock n Roll with Sammy in Van Halen; we don’t want anything to do with this corporate slut anymore!!!
The real Van Halen fans know that Van Halen (the people’s band!) have always been about us the real fans. When they have got something to say/release they will tell us, no nonsense, no BS and they always deliver!! Van Halen has way more class then to resorting to cheap shots and unwanted media attention, which Sammy seems, is the way to go. This latest outburst only reinforces how greater the mighty Van Halen are and will forever be!! Sammy will forever be in the VH shadow and not in the spotlight as he aspires to be!!
May 1st, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Who’s the better guitarist? Who knows? Who’s my favorite? Eddie Van Halen hands down. It’s all about the songs. Now Sammy’s got a right to say he thinks Joe’s better, especially if he’s pushing his new band to the media and fans. Sammy was kicked out of Van Halen back in 1996. Not by his choice and if you watch the interviews from back then, Eddie and Alex, almost look sinister. He came back in 2003 for a reunion tour and at the end just simply said he and Eddie can’t get along anymore. Sammy has taken the high road time and time again so I’m gonna defend him when he says his new guitarist is better than EVH and not say he’s bitter or vindictive or a jerk, or drugged out. He’s a salesman. And he’s selling Chickenfoot right now. Take it with a grain of salt.
May 2nd, 2009 at 12:09 am
All I can say is Long live the King of six strings……..
Oh and his name aint Joe !!!!
If you listen to VH CDs’, you will clearly see a diverse range of styles that Ed can play!….Spanish Fly, Eruption, Could this be magic, Big Bad Bill, Unchained, Take me Back, Year to Day, Once….this is by no means a long list….
Bet most including, Sam and maybe Joe, wish they play such a range of styles…
Hope Sam relises…chickens dont live long……they get their heads cut off…
BTW I like Sam just sick of his mouth……
May 2nd, 2009 at 12:12 am
Sam, once again you screwed up!
Guess we’ll hear you say you had to many tequilas before the interview.
Sam let it go, Yes Eddie made you famous, Yes you’ll always be compared to David Lee Roth, Yes your solo albums suck, Yes when you speak bad about Ed you loose fans, Yes Eddie is better than Joe and Vai together, Yes it must be hard to wake up every day knowing you are NOT a VH member, Yes the name Chickensoup sucks.
Sam please go on tour with Chickensoup Don’t talk bad about the person who made you rich and then return to your Boss role with the Wabos !
May 2nd, 2009 at 12:43 am
I am sure Mick Jagger thinks that Keith Richards is the best guitarist. And for Mick and the Stones, Keith is. Same with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. How many times has Tyler propped Perry up? I see Aerosmith every year they come out west and every time Tyler says Perry is the best. Page and Plant another example. These rock gods aren’t as good without each other. Eddie in my opinion is the greatest guitarist, and if you have ever heard anything beyond the ROCK records he has masterminded you would know what I mean.He can play everything as well, but he plays rock beter than everybody else and that’s what he records (recorded) for us. Sammy and Joe are gonna kick ass. You can’t compare Joe and Eddie. Eddie writes timeless rock music. Joe writes great instrumental. Both are great. I don’t think Sam was dissing Eddie. Furthermore, Eddie is not intimidated by Joe or any other guitarist. He knows his place and he knows whats going on with his music right now. Yeah it sux that he doesn’t tell us about it but oh well. Eddie rules. Everyone knows it. Sammy, like Ozzy, hooks up with good guitarists. What would be the point of playing their music with anybody who doesn’t play that syyle? Satch is very versatile but now he’s in a rock band, and he will be displaying rock licks that fit the song. Something Malmsteen never figured out. Steve Vai played different with DLR and Whitesnake than his solo albums. Satch will do the same. If Ed did an instrumental it would be diff from Fair Warning or any other great VH album. At least Sammy doesn’t have Barak Obama playing guitar…
May 2nd, 2009 at 2:01 am
This is they funniest thread so far, listening to all the fanbois crying and whining like babies. And I particularly like the way all the fanbois ignore the huge compliment Sammy pays Ed. Hey, we should start another thread where we slam Ed for saying Gary is the best singer ever… Or was it Sammy who was the best singer ever? Or is it his son who’s the best bass player ever? Or is it his new PA who’s the best wife ever? Or is it his current guitar that’s the best guitar ever…
May 2nd, 2009 at 2:48 am
Joe is definately a great player; no doubts. Probably one of the best pop-guitarists (=polished melodic beautyful playing) *I* have heard in my 20+ years of messing with guitars.
But when it comes to playing filthy sweaty-faced balls out rock, Ed is without any doubt in a totally different league.
One hand, it doesn’t matter.. On the other : I simply cannot get into my head, why Sammy would put out such non-sense. I’m sure Joe is secretly rolling his eyeballs.
May 2nd, 2009 at 3:04 am
Did anyone know that RDD2 saw Satch TWICE?
He saw him in the FRONT ROW.
May 2nd, 2009 at 3:52 am
a lot of people can play but can they make music we enjoy listining to? eddie has written many songs that where ever im at i want turn up tap my feet sing and play air guitair, start drinking!!! just cause u can play doesnt mean shit its tough to get people to like your music.and not many people like joe shit or sammys wabo shit.did vh with cherone sell more then joe and wabos???chickenfoot shit does not sound that good to me.chad better then alex sammy said it best himself alex is the greatest rocknroll drummer drunk or sober.
May 2nd, 2009 at 4:19 am
Kayzer Sozay says:
May 1st, 2009 at 11:20 am
KAYZER — You are correct. This was not a “Diss” on Ed. I think a lot of people on here forget what Ed was saying when Gary Cherone joined the band (if you want to really remember that era, that is).
Ed was saying that Gary was his musical “Soulmate”, etc….Well, you see how that worked out. Band members say shit all the time about their current members, new members, and old members - whatever.
VH has been my favorite band since their first album in 1978 (I remember listening to that shit on 8-track tape), but it is what it is folks. EVH is the best guitar player in the world but truly, his arrogance over time has destroyed VH’s image and, was most likely the reason Mike left the band as well.
I personally loved VH with Both front men, but once Mike was no longer there, it is not the same. Not saying anything bad about the boy, but he is not Mike.
Glad Roth is back in the lineup and hopefully, VH will cool out, accept Roth for what he is, then go kick some ass with some new music.
May 2nd, 2009 at 5:34 am
… and there it is. Sammy once again proving that he has no class and that he is deaf. Clearly EVH had to tone it down with Sam so that Sam could sing is typical blues licks. This is something Dave, who has a much larger musical vocabulary, does not have to worry about (Gary either for that matter - VHIII is very diversified music which is why some of you deaf MF’s can’t understand it).
Sammy is a hack and as far as Joe… the son is never greater than the father. Joe is a great technician and Ed invented the school Joe now teaches in. Still, Joe has no right holding Ed’s jock strap. Satch is a hyperized 3 finger wonder. Satch cannot play all of Fair Warning so all of you can shut the F up. You do not play the ax so you are just wannabees.
May 2nd, 2009 at 5:52 am
It’s pretty clear to me that Joe is a better guitarist–and its EDDIE’S FAULT. To be a great player you gotta keep playing and making new music–NOT STRIPED SNEAKERS AND TEE-SHIRTS.
The bottom line is that Eddie hasn’t done anything for a decade and he’s pickled his brain. But we’ll never know what he could have done; even if he does still have it, the last tour showed he’d rather be a one-trick pony. Our loss. My bet is we’ll NEVER see any new EVH material.
May 2nd, 2009 at 7:49 am
Your all wrong! I am the best guitar player!
May 2nd, 2009 at 8:17 am
It sounds like Sammy hasn’t ever played with Yngwie Malmsteen before. Maybe he has though…. it’d sound weird for him to say Yngwie was the best gutarist he’s played with when he’s currently with Satch.
May 2nd, 2009 at 8:46 am
Of course he wouldn’t say Yngwie was the best guitarist he’d played with. He’d say he’s the most tedious…
May 2nd, 2009 at 8:57 am
Sam is just jealous at the huge success of the VH07/08 tour.
Now he thinks he has a new ’supergroup’ that will beat reunited classic Van Halen. And we all know that that is not going to happen.
May 2nd, 2009 at 9:13 am
If somebody here thinks that Satriani is better than Eddie, Chickenbutt is better than Van Halen, Sammy is better than David Lee Roth…
Get off!! Go away!! You are on the wrong website.
Please go to redrocker.com or chickenfoot.us….
Van Halen is David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen and Wolfie Van Halen.
Leave us alone!!
This is a VAN HALEN News Desk.
May 2nd, 2009 at 10:37 am
Did anyone know that RDD2 was in the front row TWICE when
he saw Satch? Right in front of him too.
May 2nd, 2009 at 11:18 am
Ok, I’ll jump into the mix here.
First of all, I have to agree with Eric. Eddie has been living on the success of his past for over 10 years. We constantly hear that he’s got 3 albums worth of music ready to go, and when he shows us his hand, we get junk like “Up for Breakfast” and the other forgettable new song on the Best of CD.
I’m sure I’ll take boatloads of flack for this, but the last creative stuff Eddie did was on VH III. There was some pretty interesting rhythm guitar stuff on there and Eddie played with creativity for the first time in a while. Not Van Halen’s best, but the last time Eddie showed us anything worth listening to. On the other hand, Balance was absolutely awful - the only VH CD I don’t own.
Regarding Satriani - in the purest sense of the word - Satch IS a “better” player than Eddie. He’s more versatile, is better techically and has blazed a trail of his own. Was Eddie one of is influences…. You bet!
What people don’t seem to get is that some people achieve their place in history because they were innovaters, not just because they were technically great. People these days can play circles around Chuck Berry and Jimi Hendrix - but they both absolutely changed the face of guitar and were geniuses in their own right AND they deserve the regard that they’ve attained.
The same is true of Eddie. Not only was he an innovater and changed the instrument on a scale probaby only matched by Hendrix, but he was a genius technically as well. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t players better than him. In an old interview in Guitar World Magazine, Eddie said that he thought Allan Holdworth was the best guitar player in the world, so Eddie doesn’t even feel that he’s the “best”.
I’ve enjoyed all of the faces of Van Halen - even the VH III era had some nice moments. I just wish Eddie would get his personal issues sorted out, and put his money where his mouth is and show us some of “great stuff” he’s been writing for the last 10 years.
Now that’s something everyone on this site would be glad to hear.
On the other hand, I’m also anxious to hear what Chickfoot has put together. The more good music, the merrier. We can just hope and pray that Brittany Spears and her ilk retire young……..
May 2nd, 2009 at 11:39 am
Gee Lopz says:
This is a VAN HALEN News Desk.
Then maybe Van Halen should do something news worthy…
May 2nd, 2009 at 11:54 am
If Eddie is so great, where is he? Since 1995, he has done two reunion tours, six new songs for greatest hits packages, the end credit song on Twister, and a forgetable album with Gary Cherone.
At some point, he becomes a has-been. The jury of public opinion will re-evaluate when some new material comes out.
May 2nd, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Whatever
Glad Sammy has Chickenfoot but they do nothing for me. I’ve got nothing against Satch but Eddie is the man. I seriously doubt Chickenfoot will last. I liked most of the Van Hagar stuff, but I honestly don’t care if Sammy ever plays with Van Halen again. Van Halen with DLR is the only VH that matters.
I really hope there is some Van Halen news soon, I am tired of seeing all this Sammy news.
May 2nd, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Joe may be technically more proficient than Ed, but he (nor anyone else) would have never had the notion to even BECOME that proficient if it wasn’t for Ed’s innovations. On that metrix alone, Ed is far better and more important.
May 2nd, 2009 at 1:40 pm
hahaha i think sammy should stay off the tequila!
May 2nd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
GEE LOPEZ AND ERICK:
GO TO VAN-HALEN.COM AND WORSHIP THERE!
GO TO VAN-HALEN.COM AND WORSHIP THERE!
GO TO VAN-HALEN.COM AND WORSHIP THERE!
WE DON’T WANT YOU ON HERE ANYMORE PERIOD!
EDDIE WAS GREAT. THE TERM WAS IN PAST TENSE. I THINK ALL YOU CLOSET TOOLS ARE WORSHIPPING A GUITAR PLAYER WHO DOESN’T PLAY GUITAR ANYMORE. 80-100 SHOWS IS NOT GROUND BREAKING GUITAR PLAYING DUMB @#$%^!
WHEN EDDIE PUTS DOWN THE BOTTLE AND STARTS DOING SOMETHING, THEN COME ON HERE AND THEN PROVE US WRONG WHO WANT TO HEAR ABOUT SAMMY OR MIKE.
VAN HALEN TOOK YOUR CASH AND NOW ARE DOING NOTHING UNTIL EDDIE DRINKS IT ALL AWAY AGAIN.
May 2nd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
eddie said FAR WORSE about sammy when ed brought in gary.
sammy always raves ( with hyperbole ) about who he is playing with at the moment.
sammy is not threatoned by dave.
eddie is not threatoned by joe.
before they die ed and sam will do some performing together again.
chickenfoot will not be forgotten - even IF - IF IF IF IF eddie van halen ever releases another recording/tour.
no one bitched when sam said ed was the ” greatest ” at the expence of ronnie montrose or niel schon.
no one bitched when DLR raved about steve vai at the expence of eddie van halen.
just more insecure whining from sammy haters/resenters who are taking out the frustration that SHOULD be levelled at MISTER VAN HALEN and pointing it at a guy FROM VAN HALEN who is actually out there DOING something. something NEW.
May 2nd, 2009 at 2:03 pm
I THINK CHICKENFOOT KICKS ASS.ALL YOU SAMMY BASHERS SHOULD SUCK IT BECAUSE WHAT HAS VANHALEN DONE SINCE THE 2004 NEW TRACKS WITH SAMMY HUH?EXCEPT RENITE WITH DAVE FOR A TOUR.WITH NO NEW MUSIC ON THE HORIZON ANYTIME SOON THAT I KNOW OF.THE MAIN REASON SAMMY AND EDDIE DON’T GET ALONG BECAUSE OF EDDIES DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE.BESIDES I’M SORRY BUT VANHALEN IS NOT VANHALEN WITHOUT MICHAEL ANTHONY PERIOD.
May 2nd, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Karl really needs some new material fast! The “fanbois” comment is like Afghanistan, it’s bombed out and depleted!
May 2nd, 2009 at 2:20 pm
it will be great to see any of them live again with new music and the old hits
May 2nd, 2009 at 2:45 pm
just everyone grow up! No diss was ment(ed said way worst about mike n sam) So let’s enjoy both bands,and be happy we get to hear some “van hagar” again with real background vocals!
May 2nd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
ignore the comment.pretty stupid when you consider alot of vh fans on the fence about chickenfoot who might have bought the record maybe won’t now.that’s like saying a current metal band is better than black sabbath.
May 2nd, 2009 at 3:46 pm
JEREMY — as you responded to “ERICK”, I assume at this point, that you are responding to me.
If so, please do not take what I said in my earlier post as a “Hit Piece” on Van Halen.
If you were responding to me personally, you need to read what I wrote earlier. I am, and always will be, a Van Halen fan. They ARE MY FAVORITE BAND, and ALWAYS WILL BE!!!!!!
I will never sway from VH because they are what drove my musical interests every since I was 11 yrs old (I was born in ‘67, the put their first cut out in ‘78)….
I only worship on man, and that is the GOD ALMIGHTY!!!
After that, it is Van Halen. Eddie is the King (not discounting GOD our creator), but the king of rock-n-roll.
I dont care what anyone says, he is the king. Now, all guitar players play according to their gifts, but Eddie was the mold. So many players copied off of him. And that, should clue you in to what Eddie Van Halen has brought to this world.
Outside of that, Eddie has had his problems which I think, led to the breakup of Sammy and Mike. Eddie is a human being (not the song title), and he is capable of mistakes.
VH is making due with what they have in bringing Roth, and Eddie’s boy, back into the band.
All you SATRIONI lovers out there…..Joe is good, but he’s no EDDIE.
VAN HALEN RULES……AND THEY ALWAYS WILL………..
One last thing. Is Joe Satrioni in the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame?
Eddie is…..
May 2nd, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Some say Eddie is living from his glorious past but I think Sammy is even worse as he’s living from the money Van Halen’s glorious past still makes. Period.
May 2nd, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Well,
I think what Eddie and Al said is true when the first blowup happened. Sammy contradicts himself. He does it all of the time. Go back and read all of his articles. He changes his tune contsantly-no pun intended. He just said in an interview not long ago that Eddie was the greatest guitarist in the world. Now I am sure that Joe is great, but Sammy is a classless piece of crap. All he does is run his mouth off. If the Van Halen thing didn’t bother him and he didn’t miss it still, he would never say anything. I hope Eddie and Dave come back with a new album that just kicks their ass. EDDIE, come’on and make 1 more great album with the best and hottest licks you have come up with in years and make this little prick The Red Worm shut his mouth for the rest of his life.
May 2nd, 2009 at 5:08 pm
If you need to get fired up about something, then turn up the heat on the VH boys to get their butts in the studio and prove they are not going to fade into the sunset. In the mean time give Sam a break, nothing or nobody was dissed. read the interview again if you didn’t catch it the first time.
May 2nd, 2009 at 6:15 pm
I wouldn’t mind if they changed the name of this website to ‘CHICKENFOOT NEWS DESK’. Then I would know where to not go and not come here, just like you Sammy-lovers in a year or two or so, because the “party” will be over by then. Have fun in the meantime. I’ll pass.
May 2nd, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Isn’t Eddie the same guy who bashed Dave, bashed Sammy, bashed Michael……And isn’t this the same Eddie who tried to remove all of Michael Anthony’s photos from albums and rights to the band? And isn’t this the same Eddie who blames everyone for his problems and addictions? He’s a bullshiter just like Sammy….no different. Read all of Eddie’s interviews over the years…he changes his story like his underwear.
May 2nd, 2009 at 7:51 pm
As someone who’s seen all 3 incarnations of Van Halen and Joe Satriani, I can safely say they’re both 2 of the best guitarists in the history of the instrument. But they are both on totally different spectrums. Eddie is the reason I picked up a guitar and the reason I own a Wolfgang and a 5150, but it was Joe and Eric Johnson that made me want to really practice. I recently started working on an instrumental album and it is a million times tougher than the albums I recorded with vocals. Not to detract from either style (since I know you Sammy haters out there won’t be convinced of Joe’s incredible skills no matter what I say), but they are two entirely different entities. Joe could never come up with the riffs that Eddie has, but Eddie could never do the hammered arpeggios that Joe does with such precision. SO SHUT THE HELL UP AND STOP TRYING TO PICK SIDES!! It’s all a difference of opinion and music is music.
And by the way… have any of you Joe haters ever listened to a single thing he’s recorded?
May 3rd, 2009 at 3:14 am
Sammy has a point. Ed hasn’t written anything decent in 12 or 13 years (those three songs on the Best of Album). And his guitar playing definitely hasn’t gotten any better. Where as, Joe has consistently put out great albums since 1987’s Surfing With the Alien. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been a big Van Halen fan since 1981: but, I haven’t heard or seen anything impressive from Eddie in over a decade. He did change the face of rock guitar in the late-70 and throughout the 80’s…but that was a long time ago. Plus, he booted Michael Anthony from the band. So Ed is not innocent by any means. I agree with Sammy, Joe is the better guitar player. Joe has diversity and is still exciting to listen to.
May 3rd, 2009 at 3:19 am
I think Joe is great too - but Sammy is still bitter, there was really no reason for him to say that Joe is the best guitarist, other than to piss off Eddie…
May 3rd, 2009 at 3:48 am
KikoEVH: interesteing comment re the money, outside of Music, Sammy is not hurting for money, he sold a majority of his Tequila business for $80m and still gets royalties etc on sales and promotions…does anybody knows what Roths deal is back in Van Halen, to me it appears like when Simmons & Stanley bought back Ace & Peter on salary only. I know roth still must get Royalties from the past catalogue with him, he did sue the brothers at one point, but as for his new stint Im interested what cut he gets other than salary per concert.anybody know?
May 3rd, 2009 at 3:56 am
as for ChickenFoot…from what I have heard so far the music appears to be thrown togehter jamming just like the name they use, not much thought put into it,i havn’t heard anything inspiring from the first couple tracks, they sure have the talent, maybe the rest of the forthcoming album is better so i’ll wat for that
May 3rd, 2009 at 4:24 am
You can say what you want about Ed bashing Sam when he left, and he bashed Dave too when he left. The difference to me though is Sam, and to a certain extent even Dave, did not do for thier respective instrument what Ed did for his (although Dave did create an image that was copied by a ton of the front men in the 80’s). Edward turned the guitar on its ear and completely re-invented it. He brought rock back from the dead when punk and disco where huge and he created an entire nation of clones in the process, including Joe in certain respects. I love Joe but check out Satch Boogie off of Surfin’ with the Alien, that is EVH all day (and a killer song to). So the deal plain and simple is without Ed there would be no Joe.
Sam has gone too far here, and yeah he threw Ed a compliment, kind of, but to say Joe is the best guitarist is almost as stupid as saying Chickenfoot rivals Zep. This guy is saying anything to get people to buy this album, which is good marketing, but at one time Sam let the music do the talking and a musician with his resume shouldn’t have to say anything at his age. There are some things that need to be respected and what Ed has done for the guitar is one of them.
By the way, anyone saying that Ed hasn’t done anything in a while is entitled to say that I guess because we haven’t heard much in the way of new music—-But when you’ve done what Ed has you don’t need to continue to prove something. Shit even his work with Gary on VHIII was killer. Go check out the solo in “Once” or “Year To The Day” to hear some amazing technical ability. And this says nothing of his songwriting, check out anything by VH to hear one of the best songwriter’s in rock period.
And Karl, your fanbois comments are a little weak man. F–k yes I am a fanbois of Ed’s, he is the reason I play. We are on VH news desk for christ sake, we are all fans of his. You are too and it sounds like you are a little sore because there is no new VH. Me too bro but I’m not going to shit on Eddie because what he does release is always mind blowing and the wait is worth it.
May 3rd, 2009 at 5:17 am
You’re not a fanboi, you’re a fan. That’s plain from the the tone and substance of your post. But you gotta admit, there’s a lot of team playing going on here.
May 3rd, 2009 at 5:24 am
Sammy talks. Alot.
May 3rd, 2009 at 10:36 am
Everybody quit whining. Need I remind everyone that if they need to van-halen.com everyday? There will you see that Eddie Van Halen’s name is next to David Lee Roth’s name. That in itself is a miracle. If THAT can happen, new music certainly is a possibility.
May 3rd, 2009 at 11:43 am
Ed and DLR bashed each other for years and years and they still got it together for a 07-08 tour!! Who cares.
No matter what Sammy does, he gets questions about Eddie and Van Halen…..sometimes he says the wrong things I agree, but whats he supposed to say…”Chickenfoot is ok, Van Hagar kicks its ass,”….he’s not gonna say that! He’s doin something new and he has to talk about it (even tho too much!).
Who cares about Eddie’s feelings….I dont think he gives two shits about what Sammy says!
May 3rd, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Im disappointed with sammy. I think hes a legend but how can he turn around and say joe is better than eddie. for years at concerts, he said eddie is the best player on the planet, not joe, and now that van halen and sammy are long gone, he can turn around and suddenly change his mind. Not denyin that joe is a virtuoso, one of my favourites, but its annoyin to see that sammy could be sayin this in spite of eddie, in an almost childlike way. i think hes also actin like a sellout, now that chickenfoot are probably bigger than the wabos ever have been, hes decided to piss off and ditch the band that kept his career goin. if i were in the wabos, id tell sammy to stick his wage up where the sun dont shine
May 3rd, 2009 at 1:36 pm
This is my final thought on the matter. I have far more respect for Sammy and Joe because they’re not out to try and bleed every last dollar out of their fans. $175 for one ticket to Van Halen? No thank you, I’d rather buy 3 tickets to see Joe or Sammy for less. If Ed actually cared about the music and his fans, he’d charge a hell of a lot less.
May 3rd, 2009 at 3:21 pm
i really dont see where he bashes eddie at all.
May 3rd, 2009 at 5:38 pm
The Eat and Smile line-up blows Chickenfoot out of the water
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Footah is DEAD ON. Eat Em and Smile was amazing and still is. OU812 is still dumb 20 years later.
May 3rd, 2009 at 7:41 pm
I love all these dipshits who think whoever can play scales the fastest and the cleanest is the “best” guitar player. Joe is great, but has nowhere near the feel eddie has for the instrument. Eddie’s playing breathes. Joe is way too technical and lacks soul.
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Right on, FOOTAH and SKUTCH !!
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Yeah… but Skyscraper… SUCKED!
May 3rd, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Oops… I have to apologize for my comments above…
According to all the Haters out there, this is in fact a Van Halen News Desk. So… discussing anything to do with DLR and his solo career would be kind of hypocritical, wouldn’t it?
footah, Skutch… I totally apologize.
You guys are the rightest guys ever!
May 4th, 2009 at 7:37 am
I know Sammy is super excited about Satch and “The Foot”, but the bragging on Joe / Eddie slam does not help with us life long VH / EVH fans. That and the “we are the next Led Zeppelin” stuff is going to come back to haunt him, especially if this is not a huge success (and in this climate for music, there is a huge chance this will not hit the top 40 at all)
This would have been a good time to let the music do the talking.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:24 am
Boys, boys; all the players in this drama are teenagers that never grew up, and never will. They have all made their share of great music and I hope there’s more from all of them.
But, caring about what any of them have to say about anything is just foolish!
May 4th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Van Halen was the best thing that could have ever happened to Sammy Hagar and he knows it.If not for vh, sammy would be retired a long time ago or be on club tours.Sammy by himself was never an arena tour sell out.Not even post van halen!! so Sammy, please don’t bite the hand that fed you.
May 4th, 2009 at 9:37 am
I still think it’s hilarious that so many idiots here think Sam was dissing Ed in his remarks about Joe. But even if he was dissing Ed, why would you be surprises? Jesus, Eddie has said some of the most hateful things ever about Sam (Little Red Worm). And Mike (Sauce Sobelewski). And Dave (take your pick). Not to mention Ed’s complete disregard of his fans (not even a thank you note at the RRHOF induction).
Sure there are little jabs here and there but for the most part Sam has always been respectful of Ed. When he does dis Ed, it’s usually while acknowledging that he’s not the same Ed anymore because of his substance abuse problems. Frankly, Sam has every reason to be bitter of Ed. How pissed would you be that you helped build the legacy of VH and then watched Ed piss it away? How pissed would you be if you reunited in 2004 but Ed embarrassed you every night because he was too wasted to play? In the late 80’s and early 90’s this band had so much joy when they played together. Sam and Ed were like brothers so the baggage and hurt I’m sure goes much deeper than when things go south with other bands. But there it is.
What’s funny is that all these people who are hating on Sam are playing right into his hands as far as generating publicity for Chickenfoot. No publicity is bad publicity and Sam is not a stupid businessman. I’m sure he’s laughing at all the attention his comments about Joe have caused.
Reminds me of when Brian Bosworth (”The Boz”) used to play for the Seahawks and would constanly talk trash in the press about John Elway. The Denver Broncos fans hated his guts so much that they all bought “Boz Buster” t-shirts to wear when Seattle came to Denver to play without ever realizing that Bosworth owned the company that produced the t-shirts.
May 4th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
I’ve finally come up with one thing that both CLASSIC VH fans & Van Hagar fans can agree on.
Neither Dave nor Sam have ever lip synched during ANY live performance. In todays world that means something. \
Get this! I just read a rolling stone review on a recent britney spears concert. Can you fucking believe that people are spending hundreds of dollars to see a “lip synched” show!? How stupid could you possibly be? I just cannot believe how braindead this generation is!
When i saw VH in 2007 with Dave my seats may not have been amazing…but the show was. Worth every penny…and guess what…the performed LIVE!
Well thats what you get when you cross a stripper with milli vanilli….britney spears people!
Long live REAL musicians and REAL vocals!
May 4th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
It’s true–nothing Sammy said is any worse than half of what Eddie has said about DLR, Sammy, Michael Anthony; how long beore he turns on Wolfie and Al? Any guy who can straight-faced say he got his tongue cancer from the guitar picks he used to use and not from smoking is totally pshyco. How sad.
And the way he has treated his fans, as Kayser said, is just wrong. I don’t care how many stories I hear about him showing up at someone’s apartment to hang out & give away a guitar. WHAT YOUR FANS WANT IS MUSIC–NEW MUSIC!! Not a porno soundtrack. What rot.
I guess in the end we can say Joe right NOW is better than Eddie because Eddie checked out in 1998.
The King is dead.
May 4th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Actually, Eddie started to lose the plot the day he stopped playing crap home made guitars.
May 4th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Okay, okay. Enough of this Joe vs. Eddie crap. Was Sammy dissing Eddie or not? Who cares? It was, at least, a shot over the bow of the USS Van Halen that he knew would be heard and taken to heart, which I think is a good thing. Perhaps Edward needs to be pushed a bit. Competition brings about the best in all of us.
On another note, have any of you actually listened to Chickenfoot? I mean actually made it through an entire song? Next, have you listened through an entire song and then gone onto another? I can’t do it. It’s bores the snot out of me. I’ve tried to be objective, but the same thoughts keep coming into my head: these guys are trying to sound like Van Halen. No matter what you say about Joe (and he IS a great player), he sounds like a guy trying to sound like Eddie Van Halen. No offense, but the style and method of instrumental expression are a rip-off of Eddie Van Halen.
Once again, when the mighty Van Halen decide to put something down on an LP, “Chicken who?” will be the only mention of that band that “….you know….had the Chili Peppers drummer and the guy who used to be in Van Halen….”
Those of you irked by the above comment are only irked because you know it’s true. There is a reason why Chickenfoot, like the many clones before them, pursue a certain kind of sound and style: it’s the influence of Van Halen.
May 4th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
JF; good point brother…
May 4th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
JF-
Sorry you were bored; I listened and wasn’t. It certainly couldn’t be anywhere near as boring as 11 years of silence from EVH (except for those 3 BORING songs on BOBW, which don’t count).
I wish I could be as optimistic as you, but I can’t. In the end, a living Chickenfoot is better than a dead Van Halen.
May 4th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Other than having Sammy’s voice on the front end CF sounds nothing like VH and nor do they sound like they’re trying to sound like VH. You’re musically ignorant if you think they do.
May 4th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
..and Van Halen is dead, btw: no Mikey, no VH.
May 4th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Of course Chickenfoot is going to sound somewhat like VH. Same vocalist, same bass player, same background vocals. What do you expect. But I don’t think the drums sound anything like Alex and I disagree that the guitar is absolutely Eddie. To the extent the guitar is similar, that’s no surprise when you consider the influence Ed has had in rock and roll.
If you are a VH fan, you should rejoice in the fact that there’s new music that at least sounds like VH. I love that this music reminds me of VH because it’s a lot more of the VH sound than we’ve gotten from VH in ages. If you don’t like the similarities between Chickenfoot and VH, just admit you’re only a Roth fan who still can’t reconcile yourself with the fact VH thrived with Hagar at the mike.
May 4th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Hey we are forgetting about the new music ed did for that porn flick. Ed sank to a whole new low.
There is your new music from VH. Now we get to wait another 11 years.
Forget VH they are dead. Dont waste your time listening to old VH crap.
Dream Theater has a new album coming out in a few weeks and they care about their fans.
By the way, John Petrucci (guitarist for Dream Theater) so much better of a guitarist and person than dead ed.
May 4th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Satchboogie sounds like VH the full bug, and Steve Vai’s The Audience is listening sounds like Hot for Teacher. They are all great guitarists but only one of them has the natural talent and that is Eddie Van Halen. Everybody else had to study and learn the technique including Joe and Vai,etc…and it still shows how EVH is still the King and everybody else is just a copy cat. Now if its shredding that you want then listen to any band of the 80’s era and you will get that…Joe and others came in at the right time to get exposure. He joined Deep Purple, remember, and Vai joined DLR and others.
The point is this, Unless Joe teaches us something new on the guitar(excluding all those pedals he uses to get his sound,thats another story) he will be just another well schooled guitarist. Which there are many….
So get a hold of yourselves, Eddie is and always will be The King of Guitar………
Open Your eyes people
May 4th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Man, I started reading this shit and couldn’t read no more…Had to post this!
May 4th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Look, there is no best, or better…Its all about you and what you like…It just so happens that Van Halen appealed to a ton of people. WHY? Because the music was kick ass and it felt pure…Eddie Van Halen in my opinion and probably a lot of other high musicians is by far a better musician then Joe Satriani. I dont care how long he taught, Eddie is a different category. Sammy Hager is wrong for stating those comments…I dont see Eddie or Al or even Dave making any comments about Him. Especially when they were on tour…Eddie has nothing to prove…Grab your SATCH albums, and grab your VH albums. Listen, and you decide!
May 4th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Sammy doesn’t have to bash Ed? WHO’S BEEN BASHING WHOM here for a longer period of time?
Ed: Sammy’s work ethic sucks… etc… Mike can’t be in two bands at once .. bs..
Stop rewriting history.
All the while, Sammy and Mike took the high road. Mike’s a class act and to see Ed treat him the way he does is shameful. Ed forgot about this little thing called the fans and about being a ‘band’ and has turned it into a mutual admiration society.
I don’t see Sam’s comments as bashing. He’s speaking truth. Ed has his place in history, but Joe is a more technically gifted player. Joe can do what Ed can and more.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Jimmy–
I think you’re right, to be honest; I agree that Satch and Vai sound studied, while Ed sounded pure and orginal. But notice this: SOUNDED. Past tense. Ed squandered his talent with his addiction and his ego-mania. It is so sad, but it really appears that his creative well has just run dry. Maybe it’s not impossible for Ed to finish well…to truly clean up and move into a new phase as a guitarist and musician…maybe. I don’t think it’s likely with a limited vocalist like Roth, though.
Personally, I like everything he did up until VH III, and I’ve been with them since 1979. It’s hard…but it’s true. So in the meantime I’ll be happy to accept Chickenfoot. Who knows? Maybe it’ll really drive him to show up everyone like so many dreamers dream…
Who knows…?
May 4th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
VH doesn’t have to do a damned thing… History has already been written…..They don’t have to write anymore music…Period!!!!!!!
May 4th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
ERIC WITH A C:
IF YOU WOULD LOOK AT THE OTHER POSTS ON HERE FROM ERICK WITH A K, YOU WOULD KNOW IT WAS NOT DIRECTED TOWARDS YOU, JUST LIKE SAMMY DISSING EDDIE.
HE DIDN’T ONE BIT.
AS FOR EDDIE BEING THE KING? THE KING OF WHAT? NOT PUTTING OUT MUSIC AND RIPPING GUYS LIKE YOU OFF WHO THINK HE’S THE KING?
I BET YOU BUY EVERYTHING HE PUTS OUT HUH?
I GOT MY NEW 5150 AMP AND PEDALS SO NOW I SOUND LIKE EDDIE!!
I GOT MY TOP JIMMY CONDOMS AND SPANISH FLY PENIS ENLARGING PILLS TO BE LIKE EDDIE TOO!!
YEAH OK!
WHAT SICKENS ME IS THAT “FANS” LIKE YOU ANY EVERYBODY ELSE ON HERE DON’T GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE.
DAVE MADE 6 ALBUMS AND THAT PUT THEM ON THE MAP.
OF ALL OF THOSE 6 ALBUMS, 3 WEREN’T ABOUT COVER TUNES WHICH WERE FAIR WARNING AND 1984 AND WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST.
NOTICE THE DIRECTION ON THOSE ALBUMS, THE MUSICAL TALENT?
NO FLASHY GUITAR SOLOS OR COVER SONGS. JUST STRAIGHT UP MUSIC THAT SHOWCASED 3 MUSICIANS AND AN ACT OF A SINGER.
EDDIE’S SOUND WAS TAILORED TO FIT DAVE’S VOICE, WHICH IS A RASPY, DIRTY VOICE. A SQUEEL IS WHAT DAVE DID FOR A HIGH NOTE.
WITHOUT MICHAEL ANTHONY’S BACKGROUNDS, ROTH SOUNDS LIKE SHIT, EDDIE SOUNDS LIKE SHIT.
FAST FORWARD TO 5150 AND NOTICE HOW EDDIE’S GUITAR IS HIGHER, CRISPER, AND CLEANER. HE HAD TO PLAY AT A STYLE TO KEEP UP WITH SAMMY’S VOICE BECAUSE AS EDDIE HAS SAID, SAMMY’S VOICE MADE EDDIE A BETTER PLAYER.
NO COVER TUNES OR ABOUT BEING FLASHY. JUST MUSIC THAT EDDIE WANTED TO EXPLORE TO RE-INVENT HIMSELF.
WELL 4 #1 ALBUMS IS A PRETTY GOOD INVENTION CONSIDERING THAT THEY NEVER HAD ONE WITH DAVE.
SOME PEOPLE ON HERE STATED THAT 1984 COULD’VE BEEN A #1 ALBUM BUT LOST OUT TO THRILLER, BUT THRILLER WAS RELEASED IN 1982, 1984 WAS RELEASED IN 1983 SO IT’S NOT EVEN CLOSE.
THE PROBLEM HERE IS THAT 2 GUYS, SAMMY AND EDDIE HAD A BITTER FALLING OUT. IT’S LIKE BEING MARRIED AND YOUR WIFE LEFT YOU FOR YOUR BROTHER OR BEST FRIEND.
IN EDDIE’S CASE IT’S ALCOHOL AND DRUGS.
THEN HE CANS MIKE FOR WHAT AGAIN? OH YEAH PLAYING WITH SAMMY WHILE EDDIE DOES WHAT AGAIN?
NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
REMEMBER THIS TO YOU SO CALLED “FANS”:
YOUR “KING” EDWARD VAN HALEN TOOK YOUR FAVORITE BAND,PULLED DOWN HIS PANTS, TOOK A BIG HEALTHY DUMP ON YOU, AND NOW YOUR LEFT WITH THE DUBIOUS TASK OF CLEANING IT UP BY GIVING HIM WHAT HE WANTS AND THAT’S YOUR MONEY!!!!!
AS THE “KING” YOU ARE HIS PUPPETS AND HE’S PULLING YOUR STRINGS HARD!
CHICKENFOOT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE VAN HALEN!
ALTER BRIDGE ISN’T CREED!
AUDIOSLAVE ISN’T SOUNDGARDEN OR TEMPLE OF THE DOG OR RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE!
ALL CHICKENFOOT IS A BAND WITH 2 FORMER MEMBERS WHO HAPPEN TO LIKE AND ENJOY EACH OTHER TO MAKE MUSIC.
ISN’T THAT WHAT “KING” EDWARD SAID ABOUT SAMMY BACK IN 1985 AND THAT’S HE FINALLY GOT ANOTHER MUSICIAN IN THE BAND TO ROUND IT OUT WHO WANTS TO MAKE MUSIC AND NOT BE A SIDESHOW ACT LIKE DAVE?
PEOPLE ON HERE NEED TO DO SOME HOMEWORK OR JUST APPRECIATE THE FACT SAMMY AND MIKE CARE ABOUT US THE TRUE FANS WHO APPRECIATE MUSIC.
DOES ANYBODY CARE TO ANSWER THAT JOE SATRIANI TAUGHT KIRK HAMMETT?
DOES HAMMETT SOUND ALL TECHNICAL AND STUDIED?
I MEAN HE’S IN THE HALL OF FAME AS WELL AND METALLICA’S BEEN AROUND SINCE 1983.
VAN HALEN 1978.
ROTH LIKED VAI SO MUCH HE HIRED HIM TO REPLACE YOUR “KING” EDWARD.
VAI, THE GUY JOE SATRIANI TAUGHT AS WELL!
IT’S AMAZING THAT SATRIANI HAD TIES TO VAN HALEN LONG BEFORE HE GOT IN A BAND WITH SAMMY AND MIKE.
SO I GUESS WHAT ALL THIS BOILS DOWN TO IS THAT JOE SATRIANI HAS DONE MORE WITH A GUITAR THAN “KING” EDWARD.
WHAT I MEAN BY MORE IS ACTUALLY PLAYING IT AND GROWING WITH IT. NOT PLAYING IT JUST TO MAKE A BUCK!
EVOLUTION IS A WONDERFUL CONCEPT, BUT “KING” EDWARD QUIT EVOLVING SINCE 1996.
JOE’S BEEN AROUND SINCE THE EARLY 80′S. HE’S RELEASED OVER 15 ALBUMS SINCE 84. VAN HALEN HAS RELEASED JUST 6, 6 ALBUMS SINCE 84.
GREATEST HITS ALBUMS DON’T COUNT!
ALL JOE’S ALBUMS ARE DIFFERENT AND THAT’S A TESTAMENT TO A MUSICIAN CHANGING HIS STYLE.
ERUPTION WAS GREAT, BUT HOW MANY TIMES HAS THE “KING” EVOLVED IT SO IT WAS BETTER?
WE ALL CAN DEBATE TIL THE COWS COME HOME ON WHO AND WHAT IS BETTER, BUT MY MONEY’S ON THE PARTY THAT WAS CALLUSELY STATED IN ANOTHER POST ON HERE BY THE ERICK WITH A K, AND THAT CHICKENFOOT WILL BE A SUCCESS, IT WILL BE THE PARTY OF THE SUMMER AND FALL.
IT WILL SELL OVER A MILLION COPIES PLUS AND SELL OUT EVERYWHERE IT GOES.
WHEN “KING” EDWARD DECIDES TO COME OUT OF HIDING OR FROM THE BAR STOOL HE OCCUPIES WITH NORM OR HOMER SIMPSON, I WILL BE SURPRISED.
IT’S EASY TO ADD A NAME TO A WEB SITE LIKE VAN-HALEN.COM WITH ROTH AND EDDIE NEXT TO EACH OTHER. WOW ON THAT ONE!
JUST ANOTHER WAY TO GET THE “FANS” TO BUY INTO THE HYPE.
I STILL WANT TO KNOW WHAT AND WHERE HAS THE HYPE BEEN FOR THE PAST 11 YEARS.
THIS BAND IS DEAD AND IT WILL NEVER, EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!
AND ONE OTHER THING, GOD HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH EDDIE OR SAMMY OR JOE OR DAVE OR MIKE OR ALEX OR WOLFIE OR CHAD!
THIS IS A MUSIC SITE TO TALK ABOUT MUSIC. NOT RELIGION OR WHO’S GOD!
May 5th, 2009 at 12:06 am
“FAIR WARNING AND 1984 AND WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST.
NOTICE THE DIRECTION ON THOSE ALBUMS…
NO FLASHY GUITAR SOLOS…”
“WITHOUT MICHAEL ANTHONY’S BACKGROUNDS… EDDIE SOUNDS LIKE SHIT.”
“DOES ANYBODY CARE TO ANSWER THAT JOE SATRIANI TAUGHT KIRK HAMMETT?”
“SO I GUESS WHAT ALL THIS BOILS DOWN TO IS THAT JOE SATRIANI HAS DONE MORE WITH A GUITAR THAN “KING” EDWARD.
WHAT I MEAN BY MORE IS ACTUALLY PLAYING IT AND GROWING WITH IT”
“ALL JOE’S ALBUMS ARE DIFFERENT AND THAT’S A TESTAMENT TO A MUSICIAN CHANGING HIS STYLE.”
“ERUPTION WAS GREAT, BUT HOW MANY TIMES HAS THE “KING” EVOLVED IT SO IT WAS BETTER?”
Seriously, dude, musical ignorance of epic proportions…
May 5th, 2009 at 5:52 am
Well I guess if “Dream theater” is putting out a new cd soon i should stop listening to “old VH crap”.
Only a moron would make a statement like that.
Dream theater? Please….
May 5th, 2009 at 5:56 am
Exodus–
No, they don’t. Agree with you. History is history. But IF they aren’t going to make any more new music, then Ed needs to stop saying things like “I’ve got so much music left in me”/”we’ve got 5 albums-worth”/etc. He needs to put up or shut up, in my estimation. Talk is cheap–and such talk, coupled with their inactivity,cheapens their historical achievements and makes them little more than an overpriced nostalgia road show. If that’s all they’re going to do then they need to hang it up and let history speak for itself.
May 5th, 2009 at 5:59 am
Exodus; that’s EXACTLY what I’ve been saying and felt for years…
The band has been around since 1974. It is now 2009.
They have released more albums then most rock groups
(*although I perfer the first 6 over everything)
and their last tour showed that fans STILL love em.’
They dont have to do anything anymore and would STILL
be an influence for the next 10 generations….
May 5th, 2009 at 7:14 am
Hey Rob I think they should hang it up. what else is there for them to do? Satisfy there fans? Hell man they’ve already given us 30 years of whatever. I believe they do have some good music in them. But this is a new generation. People these days listen to what is out right now and its not chickenfoot or VH unless its similar to VH1. I’d rather listen to Tool.
May 5th, 2009 at 8:53 am
Eddie is talented, he’s also an unreliable drunk. I’ve seen him live both ways.. same outrageous ticket price, not the same live performance.. Sammy is a genuine performer, far more professional than Eddie, period. And he’s probably worth about 300 million dollars, he doesn’t have to do this. I realize Eddie is a guitar god, but if I was a betting man, I’d say Sam will outlive him any day.
May 5th, 2009 at 10:36 am
I think Exodus and Rob are both right. VH wouldn’t owe the fans a thing if they would be upfront and just admit they are done or that they have no plans on releasing any music in the near future. If that were the case, we could all just sit back and enjoy the incredible music they’ve made and what’s left of VH’s legacy. I think any VH fan would be completely satisfied with that.
The problem is Ed keeps making empty promises about all of this music that’s coming soon, which is demeaning to the fans. The sad thing is after all of the lies and bullshit behavior, we really want to believe him even though we know better. I guess maybe that’s the most telltale sign of how great VH once was. We don’t want to believe he’s truly done.
May 5th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Hey Jeremy, my mouse had trouble with your long post.
Why don’t you write a book and sell it in the VH store, but don’t forget to unlock the capslock after your first letter.
May 5th, 2009 at 11:53 am
This Jeremy guy has got to be a PR person for either Sammy or Michael Anthony!! LOL!! I’ve never seen a guy dump on classic Van Halen the way he has on this site…unreal!!
May 5th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Yeah, I think Jeremy has a serious problem with EVH. Why does Jeremy come here, for the Chickenfoot news or just to write his memoirs? I don’t know, but all I know is there is nothing better then the MIGHTY VAN HALEN.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Erick,
I come on here because it’s a fantastic site dedicated to all FORMS of Van Halen you retarded tool!
This site is dedicated to all current AND former members. Not just your precious Eddie or your precious Dave.
Your telling me Erick from 1985-2008 you didn’t listen to 1 Sammy Hagar song while he was in Van Halen?
Not one time ever?
I find that hard to believe and I question your closet admiration of the Red Rocker.
I bet you were blasting Summer Nights and playing every other tune Van Halen did with Sammy.
Your problem is that “fans” like you think there was and is only one form of the group and that is from 1978-1984.
Well my friend, you are wrong. Just admit to me you liked Van Hagar and this will be all over.
Not one person on here has proven me wrong as to what I’ve said.
I do have a problem with EVH because he ruined a band that was the greatest ever. He ruined it with his insecurities and addictions. I sat back in 1984 and went what the hell when Dave left.
When Sammy joined I was happy because Sammy is a musician who cares about music. You don’t stay in music from the late 60’s until now without doing something right.
We as fans pick and choose who we like and then we support them by being fans. We contribute to their success and to their egos by selling out their concerts and raise up their album sales.
Same with sports. I live in southern Michigan not to far from Detroit and I’m a diehard Red Wings fan. When a team doesn’t perform well here in Michigan, we let them know as fans and they produce my friend.
Eddie hasn’t and won’t do that for us the fans EVER!
If Van Halen was satisfied being in limbo, why did Eddie bring Dave back then? Why didn’t he put out his solo album like he said he was going to do?
He did it because he is a very insecure person who has a problem with people being happy. Sammy and Mike are happy guys. Alex is a happy guy and so was Gary.
Eddie being an addict is his way of dealing with insecurities and unhappiness.
I hope that Eddie as a person can get back to being a person and apologize to Sammy and Mike especially.
What would Eddie do if Alex just said “ya know Ed, I think I’m going to call Sammy and Mike and go jam with them because they want to play for the fans!”
Eddie would either give in or drink himself to death.
And one other thing, go out and get the book “EVERYBODY WANTS SOME,THE VAN HALEN SAGA”.
Then come back on here to this wonderful site, admit to me that Eddie ruined Van Halen and then admit that you liked the Van Hagar era.
Until you do Erick, I will continue to bash Eddie and write my memoirs!
May 5th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Hey Jeremy, thanks for another long comment.
First: I’m not a retarded tool. I understand that you’re all upset because you’re frustrated that EVH did not treat you right. That’s fine with me, be upset.
About Van Hagar: No, sorry, I can’t admit that I liked it much. It was okay. The music was decent and sometimes pretty good. Too bad they hired Sammy for vocals. But everybody knows that there’s only one MIGHTY VAN HALEN. Nothing will compare to that. And I know that you know it too. Just admit it..
Btw: sorry to mention it, but I think that you talk way too much. So do my wife and her friends and these girls like Van Hagar over Van Halen too.
May 5th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
^^^^ I would pay top dollar to see what would happen if Alex told Eddie off and decided to go play with Sammy and Mike. That’s a funny thought. Not that it will ever happen though. There’s a part of me that admires Alex for sticking by his f’d up brother while Ed alienates everyone who was ever good for/to him. On the other hand, a good brother might just give Ed the ultimatum that he either gets it together, mends fences and they start putting out music or he is going to call Sam and Mike.
May 6th, 2009 at 1:52 am
There are guitarists, and there are people who try to play the guitar. EVH, Satch, Vai, Johnson, becker, Abbot, Wylde, Hendrix, Santana, Clapton, Page, Rhoades, Young, Gilbert, Petrucci, Jabbs, Schenker, Malmsteen, Lifeson, etc., are all Guitarists in their own right, some started chapters in the book and others are the emotional description of the pages, however EVH is the author. The first three listed are my favorite guitarists, and they all have deep emotion and heart in their playing. Eddie is still the one. I can’t fathom that someone would say his last great guitar works were 5150 because yes, everyone has their own opinion, but their are alot of facts people must acknowledge in the EVH works. Has anyone ever heard of Van Halen III? I know I have, and Eddie is simply masterful in that; the album gets dissed so many times and sold the fewest records but that is some of his raunchiest yet beautiful guitar work of all. I personally love everything he does and am also awaiting the new album as a laboratory rat awaits a food pellet. For some emotional guitar examples of mastery, just listen to EVH’s Humans Being, Fire in the Whole, Josephina,and so many more. Joe Satriani’s Revelation, Secret Prayer, Always With Me Always With You, etc. Steve vai’s Whispering A Prayer, Building the Church, Boston Rain Melody, etc. Eric Johnson’s Cliffs of Dover, Manhattan, Camel’s Night Out, etc etc etc. They are all masters, yet again, they most likely were derived from EVH. To quote some comments about EVH from Satriani, “whether it’s John Coltrane or Eddie Van Halen, you can always tell when the true shredding is going down,” or Steve Vai, “It is amazing when someone makes the unconventional approach a convention for everyone.”
May 6th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Jeremy,
You are really down playing classic Van Halen on some of your posts and you sound like a DLR hater? I like both eras of Van Halen but personally I prefer the Roth era over Sammy.
Since you like throwing out figures so much here are some album figures:
Van Halen…10 million
Van Halen II…5 million
Women and Children First…3 million
Fair Warning… 2 million
Diver Down…4 million
1984…10 million
5150…6 million
OU812…4 million
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge…3 million
Right Here, Right Now …2 million
Balance…3 million
VAN HALEN…34 million
Van Hagar…18 million
Hell even David Lee Roth’s solo career is more successful than Hagar’s!
Solo Platinum records:
David Lee Roth: 3
Sammy Hagar: 2
Sammy Hagar NEVER had an album go Platinum (not solo or in Montrose) before or after he was in Van Halen. Dave had 3 solo Platinum albums and 1 gold after he left Van Halen. When Sammy joined VH, he had no platinum records, Dave had 6 multi-platinum with VH at the time.
Without VH, the Cabo Wabo clown never has a Platinum record and dies out in the 80’s like Rick Springfield. Don’t be so quick to down play the Roth era man! Long live the mighty Van Halen!!
May 6th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Jeremy — You appear to be a pathetic pessimistic liberal. You chastise me for calling EVH the “King” of guitar playing.
How many famous (or infamous) guitarists have “Copied” EVH’s style (not to mention his style combined with sound). Then (even though you wont get the chance), ask Eddie how many people he has copied from (style and sound included).
I’m quite sure that if you were to ask all the guitarists out there how many tried to copy, emulate, or mimic EVH, the majority of them would raise their hands.
I’m also quite confident that if you ask the same of EVH, he will say, “I made my own sound and style”… Although each guitar player plays according to his gifts, I’d say that pretty much makes him King.
Then, you go on to try to denigrate me in calling me “One of those people that buy everything he puts out”…Not quite…
Do I buy his shoes, his condoms, his amps? HAHAHAHA. Nope, sure don’t. I don’t really dig the shoes, have no use for the condoms, and don’t play guitar. I’m just a music lover (as in listening to it) and yes, I will buy his all of his music that he puts out. And, VH is my favorite music (Roth or Hagar).
Question: What’s it to you that I do? If you no longer like EVH, then don’t listen to him.
Say want you what about me or anyone else on here HOMO, because it doesn’t really matter what you say. You keep bitching; I’ll keep buying…..
May 6th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Line6Guy, let’s remember that Van Halen started putting out albums in 1978, a time where 8-Track, Cassette and Vinyl ruled.
I don’t know about you, but I have purchased VH II, 1984, and Diver Down at least three time each myself (Vinyl, Cassette, Compact Disc.)
Not to discount the first six albums, but over time, I’m sure there’s others who have the same copy three times over just like me!
I’d say if you REALLY want to get a comparison going, find out ticket sales.
But that’s just me!
Van Halen, Van Hagar, Chickenfoot… it’s all rock n’ roll to me!
May 6th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Vaneciatto,
1984 sold 5 million it’s first year, that’s more than OU812, FUCK and Balance have sold PERIOD.
Here are some ticket sales for ya:
2007 Van Halen tour with David Lee Roth:
39 shows, $56.7 million Gross Revenue
Avg capacity 99.9967%
2004 Van Halen tour with Sammy Hagar:
79 shows, $54.3 million Gross Revenue
Avg capacity 73%
2004 Van Hagar tour sold out only 4 of it first 50 shows and avg only 73% capacity:
The Van Halen reunion with Dave grossed 97 million from 74 shows.
Van Halen sold a quarter million *more* tickets in 5 *less* shows at *higher* prices than Van Hagar in 2004.
Amazing, considering:
Van Hagar had Mike Anthony instead of Wolfgang.
Van Hagar toured on the Greatest Hits album with three new songs, no album for the Roth reunion.
I believe the people have spoken after this last 07/08 VH tour and it’s Diamond Dave they want back in the band NOT Hagar!! Long live the mighty Van Halen!!
May 6th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
While I prefer Van Halen with DLR better I own and have re-purchased all Van Halen albums over the years. While different 5150, OU812, and Unlawful Carnal Knowledge are great albums in their own right. The Van Halen with DLR are classics.
I also even liked VH111, Gary while he may not have all the charisma has a hell of voice and eddie’s playing was great. (check out Nuno Bettencourt’s non extreme/solo stuff it is good) However, it brings me to my original thought/point Chickenfoot sucks.
May 7th, 2009 at 6:25 am
FOOTAH — I also liked VHIII but knew that it wouldnt last. Gary Cherone’s stuff with Extreme was good, but he’s not VH material, and I even think he knew that. That is why he departed…..
At any rate, and even though I dig Anthony and Hagar, I will purchase the album and any other stuff that they decide to put out.
Dude, you gotta admit, “Down The Drain” is a cool ass song.
May 7th, 2009 at 7:29 am
Hey, Line6guy, you’re leaving out simply facts like people didn’t steel music files in 1984, and as for the tours, give me a break, I went to both and it cost more than twice as much to see the 07 show, so of course revenue would be higher. It was also more nostalgic, people had seen Sammy era for years (with several sold out shows). Dave’s over. His voice is shot. Sam is still going strong and (fresh new music). Let the past go.
May 7th, 2009 at 9:12 am
fan,
“Sam is still going strong and (fresh new music).”
Haha gimme a break, there’s nothing “fresh and new” sounding about this Chickenfoot music. It’s all been done before with much better lyrics!! Have you heard that Hagar classic “Soap on a Rope” that he wrote for Chickenfoot? It’s nice to see Hagar geeting deeper lyrically as he gets older. Hagar does pump out a lot of music but who cares if the bulk of it is crap? He’s put out 6 lousy solo albums since beeing booted out of VH in 1996. Any of those albums stand out in your mind? Any of those solo albums go Platinum? Sammy solo is a joke at best! Forming a new band with Satriani is the first good move Hagar has made since joining VH back in 85…god knows his solo career isn’t relevant anymore!!
May 8th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
and Eddie is working on what? oh, let me guess, he has enough material for 20 albums. he’ll just never record them, cheaper to do another cash grab nostalgia tour. get out and perform, Ed, you lose more credibility every day.
May 9th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I was reading that comment on records sold and comparing DLR to Sammy. Fact is if anyone saw the tour where both toured together it wasn’t even close to who did a better show and who sounded better..SAMMY! It was embarrassing watching DLR try and relive his glory days with his high kicks(which now only go to his waist) and his hair long hair falling out (thank god he cut it off). Fact is DLR was nothing more than a vegas act after he left VH and right up til the 2 joined for that tour Sammy was still drawing tons of fans to his own concerts. DLR couldnt at that time sell a ticket for anything he did on his own after 1987. Sammy has continued TO GROW as an artist and although his efforts haven’t sold 10 million albums per try he continues to make NEW MUSIC. He doesnt sit around and reminisce about the “good ole days” and try to relive the past like the joke of a tour VH just did with wolfgang. LMAO whata joke..some reunion without the original bassist. You want class check out Michael Anthony, this guys never done anything wrong yet because he’s “friends” with Sammy he’s not invited on the reunion. Eddie needs to pull himself outta the bottle and stop treating people like sh** and then I’ll respect him.
May 11th, 2009 at 7:37 am
There’s nothing FRESH about sounding like the same ol shit…
June 16th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
stew says:
May 1st, 2009 at 4:58 am
Dave made Eddie famous ,Eddie made Sammy famous , Sammy made no one famous!!!
Better check your facts Stew. Sammy was with Montrose and helped make what is still a classic album, 5 years before the first Van Halen album came out.
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:06 am
well well, all i have to say is to wait for the new vh record, if if if there are a new record, at some point, you never know whats gonna be the the next step with ed. Maybe he´ll put elmo as a front man. Anyway, if he dare to do a new record, is gonna sound sooooo tired, without any fresh or cool ideas, im pretty sure about that, dave is done. Actualy i can picture edies face when he try to make new songs with dave. doing the same old stuff over and over, all his goofs and stuff, eds gonna beg sam to come back .