The Classic Rock Verdict - Chickenfoot’s First 2 Tracks
From Classic Rock Magazine:
Classic Rock Editor Sian Llewellyn and our Editor At Large Geoff Barton run the rule over the 2 brand new Chickenfoot tracks.
We revealed to you earlier on today that Chickenfoot (the super-group featuring former Van Halen men Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and Joe Satriani) have posted 2 brand new tracks online. Now check out the Classic Rock verdict on these new tracks!
Sian Llewellyn
Soap On A Rope: Alright, full disclosure: I’m a big fan of Sammy Hagar when he was in Montrose, but I’m not a fan of widdly ‘muso’ guitarists who invariably sacrifice a tune for flashy you-can¹t-play-this, eight-million-notes-a-second technique, y’know your Steve Vais and your Joe Satrianis. So I¹ve been waiting to hear Chickenfoot with an equal sense of excitement and dread.
So it comes as a great (and very, very pleasant) surprise to report that for Chickenfoot¹s Soap On A Roap, Satch has (mostly) kept control of his widdly tendencies and wrapped his formidable guitar talent around a chunky, syncopated riff that wouldn¹t be out of place on a Montrose record. It¹s good time rock¹n¹roll, with moments of ZZ Top-style genius… Hagar sounds in fine voice, and the quartet just sound like they’re having a lot of fun. I don’t know that the melody will stay with you after just one spin, but that killer riff probably will. First listen?
Colour me impressed. And yes, I was caught out by the false ending too.
Down The Drain: If Motley Crüe¹s Dr Feelgood collided with the Red Hot Chili Peppers¹ Give It Away, the result wouldn¹t be unlike Chickenfoot¹s Down The Drain.
Wrapping itself around a Michael Anthony’s lumbering (and I mean that in a good way) bass riff, it begins promisingly enough with a bit of banter from Hagar, a chunky guitar sound and a suitably catchy Anthony Keidis-style spoken-sung vocal line, but then it all goes a bit wrong. Or should I say it all goes a bit *long*.
Down The Drain is a three-minute song that’s ill-advisedly been stretched out to well over six minutes. The chorus hints at greatness, but it never quite manages to convert itself to brain-scrambling melodic idea, then Satch goes a bit mental on his fretboard for the last two minutes of the song. That’d probably be all well and good live on stage, but it’s a little tedious here.
Geoff Barton
Soap On A Rope: Listening to these two tracks, it sounds as if Chickenfoot are trying to recreate the loose, fun-lovin¹ vibe of early Van Halen. These ain¹t songs so much as vehicles for a deal of interplay and general pecking around in the farmyard between frontman Sammy Hagar and guitarist Joe Satriani.
Soap On A Rope is a funky strutalong (”Do the funky Chickenfoot,” you could say) that is probably too long at five-and-a-half minutes; nevertheless Hagar¹s vocals are impressive, and Satriani adds some inventive tweaky bits here and there (there are even some doomy twangs that sound like they¹ve been lifted from Black Sabbath¹s Iron Man).
On the plus side, it¹s great to hear bassist Michael Anthony¹s trademark harmonies once again, and Chad Smith is an appropriately pounding presence on drums.
On the downside, there¹s a slight stench of muso-ness about this, which means the spontaneous, loose-limbed approach of classic VH remains tantalisingly out of reach.
Down The Drain: This track is definitely the better of the two, with its mean, loping Satriani riff and salacious hunk of Hagar repartee. There¹s a scintillating Satch solo at just after the three-minute mark, and later some deep-down-and-dirty six-string sounds that recall Billy Gibbons’s trademark tones.
Again, this is very much a Sam’n’Joe affair. After a great start it tapers off, however, becoming something of a fiddlefest. Both these tracks are very promising and hyper-professional, as you would expect, but you can’t help but feel that someone needed to drag Chickenfoot out of the coop and say: “That’s just great, guys, but where exactly are the songs?”
Incidentally, has anyone noticed the similarity between Chickenfoot and a previous Hagar project? The combination of Hagar-Satriani-Anthony-Smith reminds us of another HSAS: Hagar-Schon-Aaronson-Shrieve, the short-lived band Sam The Man formed with Neal Schon (guitar), Kenny Aaronson (bass) and Michael Shrieve (drums) back in 1984.
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May 5th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
The more I listen to these tracks as well as the third released track OH YEAH the more I like them. Satch is tearin up down the drain and soap. All the People who have been trashin the tunes on this site really arent listening to how good Smoke is playin. There are some really good licks. The drums fill right in and Mikey, well rock solid bass as always. The greatest voice in the business Sammy is right on in these tracks. Chickenfoot is here and ready to rock. So the critics like Chickenfoot, not that it matters, cause we like Chickenfoot. See ya all in Cambridge, Mass 5/26/09.
May 5th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Oh well, at least its new music. Cant even critique anything VH did, BECAUSE THEY HAVENT DONE SQUAT!!!!!
May 5th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Sorry, Dejavu, I won’t be there. In fact I have to pass for the whole tour.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
I think the comparison one should make is to David Lee Roths Eat ‘Em and Smile. That’s what Chickenfoot seems most like to me - two guys trying to replace the Van Halen magic to get back into some stadium gigs.
But I do agree with the idea that they are trying to tap into some of that early Van Halen energy. I find that kind of funny because Van Hagar moved to a far more produced and managed sound with Sammy (Its actually a constipated sound - listen to 5150 with fresh ears).
So if the intention was to recreate early VH, wouldn’t that be an admission of what we already know - but Sammy denies?
May 5th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
the track record of songwriters in this band is questionable at best.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Fair call on the first two tracks, but given the experience of all involved, and the already seen pretty slick marketing campaign aligned to CF, do people really think the band were going to lay down their best cards on the first deal?
Lets see when we get the full listing, and see how each of the songs interplay with one another, and how the full compliment of songs come across.
Im guessing they will be huge, and the 3 we have already heard, will take one another form, when mixed with the whole catalogue.
With regards to Satch, I thik he has been quite refrained, and plays the ’song’ real well. Just becuase we know the guy is a genius, doenst mean that we, the listener, have to analyse every run, solo, lick, chord he does, and then go, ‘oh he is just showing off’, or this is just a ‘muscian’s band’, they cant help it if they all can play, and play real well.
The songs have been great, and the album overall will be awesome.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
With regards to the early VH comparisons, thats just media bullshit. I have not heard anyone from CF make an early VH reference, Montrose, Led Zep, Purple yes, early VH no.
Having said that MA as we all know, but a couple of brothers may disagree, was a big part of that band, so if similarities come to the fore, well that is too be expected, but thats not coming for the band.
Its a shame the naysayers cant perceive this band to be a new band, with an amazing pedigree, instead we want to compare, over analyse, pick an prod, fuck, just shut up and listen huh, its a pretty easy ride isnt it?
May 5th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
FAMAC you do know Satch was Stevie Vai’s teacher so I would think eat em and smile would sound a bit like chickenfoot. But the rest of your comment WHAT???? Sammy playin stadium gigs. I dont think so. Although they would no doubt pack the house. Anyone who knows Sammy knows he likes the small Venues, it creates a party atmosphere, the greatest parties on the planet. Sammy and the boys have already created their own surge of energy. Its refreshing to hear some fresh rock n roll. They are creating new energy not trying to recapture anything from a quarter century ago. Stop and listen to the guitar work Smoke is playin, you might learn something. This is a new sound, new music, something all VH fans have been longing for, whether your a fan of Roth or Hagar. Theres only one way to Rock. CHICKENFOOT!!!!!!
May 5th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
I like all songs because music now isn’t dirty or fresh.
If anybody appreciates music and appreciates what Sammy Hagar has given us for over 4 decades, should like this new music.
I like it alot and I liked Velvet Revolver, but yet it was compared to Guns N’ Roses because why again?
3 members were a vital part of the sound.
The new album will rock!
May 5th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
After hear this songs you would feel a certain Deja-Vu…
“It´s HSAS? It´s a Sammy Hagar solo project…?…Hummm, this part sounds like ZZ Top, that like Chilli Peppers…There is a kind of VH on the early days…huummm…I don´t know…”
“But this is a not Eddie Van Halen music…Next!!?? Oh! Thats it? That´s all???????”
“Well…When the next Van Halen album/CD comes out?…I`m still waiting!!”
May 5th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Turn the page, Chickenfeet. Leave the Van Halen sound to the Van Halens. Nothing to see, or hear, here.
May 5th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
These guys will fucking ROCK.. They don’t need the money, they’re doing it all for the fun. Which is something Eddie, Alex, & Dave have forgotten to do..
May 5th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
This all goes to show just how cataclysmic the VH breakup was in 1985. This is the VAN HALEN NEWSDESK, but you wouldn’t know it.
Dave and Eddie couldn’t get along; they wait 22 years to do the right thing, and now the purists have to wade through all of this little Red Rocker, Extreme “More Than Words” fan-base BS. Freakin’ A!
Thanks a lot, Eddie and Dave.
May 5th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
The music is ok but it doesn’t blow me away. The lyrics are typical post Van Halen Hagar, boring, stupid & even embarrassing sometimes! Although technically this is new music there really is nothing “new” sounding about it. Hopefully the rest of the album is better than these few tracks we’ve heard so far.
May 5th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Hey JF, Sammy didnt pick Cherone, Al did and Eddie OKd it. Although Eddie was rippin on a few of the tracks on VH 3, I think even EVH realized what a mistake he made losin Sammy. Kinda like he realized the mistake he made lettin Mad Mike Anthony go. Any VH purist knows VH aint the same without Mikey PERIOD. Like any VH fan I was encouraged by the 07 reunion tour which turned into the 08 extended tour after EVHs slip into rehab. But the sand is the hour glass is runnin out. Stop torturing the VH fans and get in the 5150 studio Eddie. Until EVH, Dave and Company get back in the studio and produce, dont knock Chickenfoot. You got nothin to compare it to. You cant listen to sneakers.
May 5th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I don’t see this as anything but a new band. To me it sounds nothing like van halen or any other project any of these guys have been in before. I have been a huge vh fan since the beginning right through to 1998, at this point
I say screw vh, I didn’t go see the last tour because it was all about the money not the music, and not the real vh anyway. So bring on chickenfoot, its new music, new energy, something rock music needs at this point
May 5th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
CF and Eat Em and Smile sound nothing alike. That’s the worst comparison yet. CF is trying to live up to other standards, whereas the first DLR band was creating a new standard. EEAS was so musical yet untamed, but CF is just repetitious and uninspired. The reviewer was dead on when saying Soap on a Rope was too long at 5 1/2 minutes.
May 5th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
ha ha losers the cd rocks get over it all you haters vh is over
May 5th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
cf will rock on as dave,ed&al will wither away in the old rockers home.
May 5th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
these guys are on the chickenfoot payroll….anyway who gives a shit!!!
May 5th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
Yea Skutch your right. EEAS was so musical an untamed coverin sinatras thats life, and yet another cover tobacco road and still another easy street. Thats what I call untamed and creative, 3 cover tunes on a 10 track album. Too bad just a gigilo and california girls werent on there too. Brian Wilson would’ve been proud. But the guitar rifs stevie laid down in Yankee Rose and Shyboy do have a familar Satch ring to them you cant deny. Knowin your an I hate sammy guy who trashes everything sammy does, Id expect that kind of shoot from the hip bashing. Too long for who. I for one cant wait to see Smoke burnin up Soap on stage, The longer the better. Maybe if were lucky we will get to see Smoke whale for a 5 minute solo. But you can stay home and listen to Thats Life one more time.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
I would go fot “that’s life” over anything Sam or chicks
May 5th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Actually it was im easy that was the third cover tune on EEAS. The DLR band did so many covers, its “easy” to get confused. But if you want to hear some fresh DLR material, pick up strummin with the devil featuring some creative masterpeices by Dave and his blue grass band. Talk about repetitive.
May 5th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
i found these songs to be completely boring and musically unspectacular. definitely a big letdown.
May 5th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Ed after 1994 grew musically …and when this happened he grew in a different direction from the Roth tapes…his style progressed…not in the way he or we expected…but in a natural direction…For him and Roth to play the same as they did in 83 or 84 is preposterous…They , if they decide to , will make New Music…In a direction that has no pole.
May 5th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
These guys are about having fun, not making a statement except that rock and roll is all about having a good time! If you think that they suck or that they are just in it for the buck then you are sorely mistaken and just really bitter! these guys dont need the money thats for damn sure! All these guys are at the top of the food chain, and they now have the privledge of doing what they love. now granted Sams lyrics arent very deep but neither where Daves(”All you need is a bong and a thesaurus”)So what did you really think these guy where gonna rewrite rock and roll? these guys are just gonna keep the torch burnin’! Until VH puts out something new I’ll take chickenfoot over anything else thats out there! And ona side note how come we only hear about what Eddie’s been up too and not a peep from ole Diamond Dave? Shouldn’t he be the one who is talkin? For a guy who loves the limelight he sure has been keepin’ himself quiet! I’d for one like to hear what he has to say!
May 6th, 2009 at 1:09 am
Does anybody notice that Erick and Gee Lopez, are always on all the Chickenfoot posts bashing them saying they don’t like them and the songs are this and that?
If you guys don’t like Chickenfoot or Sammy, why do you post then?
Your closet admiration of this band and Sammy Hagar is funny!
Just admit you like this music and quit being such tools and bashing them for what reason again?
Write me 4 decades of music like Sammy has and then talk to me.
This band was created out of fun and mutual respect for each other as musicians.
Not to go out on a nostalgia tour to make money and then go poof into the sunset for god knows how long again!
You 2 guys and everybody else who bashes Sammy was cranking Van Hagar till he left. Don’t lie and say you didn’t.
Now you post EVERYTIME they put a new Chickenfoot story on here and be all negative.
I guess when your “king” is Eddie, you have to be negative to like him.
Jealousy and envy are bad emotions and you 2 guys have it hard!
Don’t post on Chickenfoot stories no more on here and post when this site decides to post Van Halen news when it comes out, which will be NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 6th, 2009 at 2:32 am
I’d bet that everyone saying these songs are boring and uninspired would be foaming at the mouth with adulation if they’d have been produced by VH. If the the VH boys were behind these they’d be hailed as the rebirth of rock and roll…
May 6th, 2009 at 3:03 am
Once (if) VH releases a new CD with Dave, this will move where it belongs, into oblivion.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:08 am
Whatever you think about bette middler and dr. evil, they are not rock and roll and never were. That’s so painfully obvious, it’s beyond needing explanation.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:55 am
^ Don’t talk about Ed and Alex like that…
May 6th, 2009 at 4:51 am
Haha Karl, really funny. You know the difference between CVH and CF is that with CF, everybody constantly has to provide a reason why this is supposed to be so great, i.e. Joe is such a master at the guitar, Sam is such a versatile singer, Mike is such a great steady bass foundation plus his amazing backing vocals plus he’s being such a nice guy in touch with the Fans…blablabla and on and on and on, even Sam that’s all he does (and indirectly bashing Ed by saying Joe is the best guitar player he ever played with). While with CVH its self-evident for everybody with two ears, no further explanation needed. Being a virtuoso instrumentalist is something, no need to argue, but its not in itself rock and roll. Now Ed’s explosive style and how he reinvented the instrument, that is rock and roll. No need to even talk about Sam, to say he’s more rock and roll than dave is like saying Ophra Winfrey has more sex appeal than Jenna Jameson. Well, maybe, for some she does, there you go…
May 6th, 2009 at 4:54 am
Critics simply are people with too much time on their hands and no creative outlet for their writing skills. Considering that music is art and art is a reflection of the artist and his/her surroundings & life, I can’t imagine any artist actually taking seriously a critique of their life or life’s work. I would not. Unfortunately, critics are the same people that put the flavor of the month at the top of the charts & tell people what’s good and what isn’t. Shouldn’t that be for us as the listener to decide? Chickenfoot is probably the best gig Mike & Sam have right now and everyone in that group seems to be having a good time. Why ruin it for them with purely personal criticism?
May 6th, 2009 at 5:37 am
Soap and Drain, I believe are very good songs, but I think better ones are to come. Bands would not release all the songs they thought were hits pre-album release. So I already like these two, so Im looking forward to the rest.
OH YEAH! Simply rocks!
Some of you out there……..Just becuase you listen to or like Chickenfoot or Sammy Hagar, doesnt make you less of a VH fan! VH will never be surpassed imo, (DLR or SH), but its no reason to put blinders on and shun any new music. And CF is better than most new young rock bands! (IMO)
May 6th, 2009 at 6:05 am
I didn’t mean that it SOUNDED like Eat Em and Smile, just that it was the same business model.
Actually, I think the songs sound very similar to Ed’s porno sound track. A hastily written riff bludgened away at for 5 minutes.
May 6th, 2009 at 6:27 am
chickenfoot is the best music we have heard in years.
to hear mikes voice again is great
vh is stupid not to have that voice in the background
as for all the complaints
lets talk about and compare it to the new vh album
oh wait -
May 6th, 2009 at 7:37 am
No Karl, I wouldn’t be behind these if VH wrote them. I thought Balance, VH3, Carnal, and OU812 were garbage too.
Deja Vu, I’ll concede, 3 covers is weak. You got me there. However, I don’t think Steve sounded anything like Joe on EEAS. Oh well. To each his own. And yes, Sinatra IS more musical than CF, even if it is a cover.
What wrong with not liking a particular artist for their craft? Am I not allowed to dislike Sammy’s music? What does that have to do with the VH brothers?
May 6th, 2009 at 8:26 am
I think we should all ( Dave fans and sammy fans) meet up somewhere in a big field and just beat the shit out of each other….
May 6th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Bette Midler, Dr. Evil - HILARIOUS!!! Don’t forget about Will Ferrell. Who does Mikey Look Like?
May 6th, 2009 at 9:01 am
Dr. Evil is tha man! Haha
Bette Midler could use a little help with the crayons when writing lyrics though!
May 6th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Amen dirty duck…you forgot that we should all sit down and play guitar hero Van Halen after…while listening to chickenfoot.And buying sneakers and guitar picks while blogging about a band that hasn’t released new material in over ten years.Wait a minute ….didnt people used to write new material and tour and have a good time playing rock n roll? Maybe it’s just me….
May 6th, 2009 at 9:45 am
To Deja Vu:
You said “Sammy playin stadium gigs. I dont think so.”
Um, last Summer, Kenny Chesney’s tour, what the hell was that about?!?!?!
Now I love Sammy but he plays small places because he just doesn’t have the fans to fill large places. I for one, like it that way.
May 6th, 2009 at 9:46 am
If VH put out these songs I would be incredibly disappointed and I wouldn’t offer one bit of praise for them. The lyrics are terrible and the songs do just what the reviewer’s said they did, plod along for too long.
If you wan’t to hear what is hopefully going to come out of camp VH check out “Me Wise Magic”, “Can’t Get This Stuff No More”, and the aggressive playing behind “Human’s Being”. It is clear to me Eddie wanted to rock again and these songs prove it. Shit, even the new music that he did with Sammy was killer but god the lyrics killed all three tunes. Eddie himself stated in interviews right after Balance was released that he had problems with Sammy’s lyrics. I mean listen to the incredible music behind “Amsterdam” and then listen to the idiotic rants of smokin’ dope Sammy chose to lay over the music. Plain and simple Sam could no longer keep up.
Long time VH fans keep up the negative post’s against this shit Chickenfoot music becuase I for one am just tired of hearing Sammy continue to rape the very band that made him what he is. That fool would have probably eatin’ himself to death by now if Eddie didn’t pick him up in 85′. And whoever renamed Sammy as Bette Midler, that is awesome and seriously hilarious.
And for the record Eat Em’ And Smile was an amazing disc, covers and all, although there were a ton of them. If you want to get your head ripped off by some killer guitar check out Elephant Gun and Shy Boy.
May 6th, 2009 at 9:59 am
I would never name a song: Soap on a rope.
Just not a good visual when I’m trying to rock out…
May 6th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Good for these guys. In my opinion this is a way for Hagar to get back into making music, not selling tequilla. Hagar’s last few albums have been awful. The guys got a great voice and is a true musician but he was making cd’s as a marketing tool for Cabo. At least Hagar is making “new” music. While the VH boys keep saying they have albums worth of new music. VH has now become a merchanding machine..shoes,video games. Not as bad as kiss but getting there.
May 6th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Too much drama here, but the name Dick Bacon is hilarious!!!!
May 6th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Agreed Scar, agreed. Scar, if you’re ever in NYC, let’s meet up and get some chili dogs.
May 6th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Sounds like a good date!
Chili Dogs, Man Hugs, and a whole lot of Chickenfoot Hate On!!
But seriously… do all the Haters have like only six CD’s on their CD rack? (How sad.)
I’m wondering. What if Dave died back in ‘85? Would the hate for Sammy be so strong today? Or would it be more like when Brian Johnson stepped in for Bon Scott? No, I’m not saying Sammy saved Van Halen, but come on, would you all have rather had the crew just put all their instruments on the rack and called it a day?
The more I listen to the Chickenfoot tracks, the more I like.
But, let’s all be angry and keep on putting each other down… it’s fun right?
May 6th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
It was fun, but getting rather boring at this point. I have about 22,000 mp3s on my computer, so there’s plenty of music to be enjoyed without Dave or Sammy.
May 6th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I agree with Jake. I absolutely disagree with Karl that CVH fans would love this music if they thought that it came from the EVH/Dave camp. I, for one, would still find it exactly as uninspired. I am not saying that it’s terrible music. It’s just not great. All of the rudiments of good rock n’ roll are there, but I don’t hear any creative fire in it.
Also: for the record, absolutely no one is saying that the Chickenfoot album sounds like Eat ‘Em and Smile. They are different albums from two very different times in music. The similarity is that they are both from post-VH singers (Dave and Sammy) who have assembled an all-star band to back them (Sheehan, Bissonette, Vai; Anthony, Smith, Satriani).
The albums are pretty comparable: Eat ‘Em and Smile is the epitome of Dave just as Chickenfoot is the epitome of Sammy. I personally like Eat ‘Em and Smile better, but that’s just because I like Dave better. If you like Sammy better then you will probably like Chickenfoot better. No harm done.
As a CVH fan, it’s not so much that I don’t like Chickenfoot as I am frustrated that there’s no new VH. This is not to say that I don’t think that Chickenfoot could have done better on this album. Knowing where these players came from, I think they could’ve put together something a lot more original than this.
Is Chickenfoot a new band? Yes, but we’ve heard so much from each member that it’s hard to accept them as ‘new’ and judge their music blindly. I think if I heard this music coming from twentysomethings who were just getting started in the biz I would be very excited for them and their future. However, coming from fully developed and experienced rock musicians these songs are a bit of a letdown.
That’s what I think!
May 6th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
I own over 5000 cd’s and yes I’m proud to say that the first 6 vh cd’s are a part of that. I’ve listened to sammy tracks and they never did anything for me…anything. Never liked his voice…love DLR’s. That’s that. Case closed. I dont think its sad that I only like the first 6. I think it shows that I love my rock n roll raw and in your face. That era gave me that….i grew up with it ya know?
I find it funny how some people here feel that “Balance” was the best rock album VH ever recorded. Are you kidding me?
To me that was the end for VH with sammy. The lyrics are absolute garbage (ex; Amsterdam , Big fat money , Cant stop loving you) and there is not one song that “grooves” or “kicks ass”. This is why its hard for me to stay on these boards for long periods of time. I dont understand how anyone could prefer a VH “love” song to what the band created from 1974-1985! It’s confusing around here at times. I dont know if im talking with people who have been a fan since the beginning…or if it’s some geeky teenager who’s first exposure to the band was fuckin’ 0u812! This will FOREVER be a discussion and debate. There’s too much love here for something we ALL believe in. Not every person will ever be satisfied. Not every person will agree on what the other believes in. I can understand that. Opinions rule this school. But to say that you WERE a van halen with david lee roth fan UNTIL you heard sammy?
THAT i’ll never understand….ever.
May 6th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Hey Jeremy:
This is a VAN HALEN News Desk…I´m a Van Halen fan. And I got the right to express my opinion, because this a space to the Van Halen fans…
If you don´t like it, it´s your problem. I don´t gonna excuse myself if you are crying for read my opinion. Please go to chickenfoot website or Redrocker.com…. There ,i garantee, you don´t gonna find my posts…
If somebody post here something about chickenfoot, and if is another Sammy talking about “how good, better is” cf than Eddie or the band, you better be ready for my kicks!!
And one more thing: I hear the chickenfoot songs. I just don´t think is so good like Sammy keep saying…There nothing big “like Zeppelin or Van Halen” there. It´s my opinion.
When stopped the chickenfoot news on this site, i´m post exclusively about Van Halen.
May 6th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
I would have liked to hear their thoughts on “Oh Yeah” as that song has so much personality to it. Looking forward to the release since it will be the first CD/album I have purchased in a while now.
To many people still taking sides on the whole Van Halen Roth/Hagar front man issue. Both these guys are great and Van Halen was great with both as well. Why can’t everyone just enjoy it for what it was, or should I say “What it still is” for years to come. I don’t care if its Hagar or Roth, but I still turn up the volume when either one of these cats come on the radio.
May 6th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
This album is better than Van Halen 3 already.
The songs are as good or better than anything
Ed has done since 1995.
Amsterdam is a great song with party lyrics.
Van halen was still a party band until Gary joined.
in 95′ ed did not want sam or dave on board because of the party image.
May 6th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
well said Rog…
May 6th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
All hail Rog!!
May 6th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Well well well!!! There’s your proof that this Chickenfoot thing is not what it’s all hyped up to be!! King Edward Van Halen shines through yet again!!! He’s the master and a brilliant, brilliant songwriter, yes people a “SONGWRITER”. It’s about SONGS!! Eddie has them in his DNA like the greats Lennon/McCartney and others!! (Oh King Edward also just so happens to have re-invented the guitar too!!)
And to think of it ‘Ronald McDonald’ Sammy Hagar and his Cabo Wabo big mouth said Chickenfoot will the new Led Zeppelin??!! HELLO!!! Got news for all you Sammy lovers (including Sammy himself!) there will never ever be another LED ZEPPELIN or a VAN HALEN ever again!!! Sammy’s statement that it’s going to be like Led Zeppelin already set himself & his band up for failure!!
What makes my day is Wolfie’s in school, Eddie’s getting married, Big Al is doing the lords work and Diamond Dave is plotting and planning the ‘MIGHTY” in Van Halen to melt our record (CD’s for all you kids!) collection and make way for a new VH album to grace our stereo, car, iPod, pickup truck or private plane!!! Oh this is music sweet to my ears. And to think of it the mighty Van Halen have not release any new music since 1984!!! (Let’s try to forget the VH Dark Ages 1985-1996 ok!!)
THE REAL VAN HALEN IS BACK!!!!!!
May 6th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
To Ducky/Dirty Duck & Jake!!
Amen!! I salute you and all the Van Halen people all around the world!!!!! The 2nd coming is a COMING!!!!!!!
P.S. I’m making room for the new Van Halen album to take its rightful place in my music collection. In the Van Halen alphabetical order V then A B C…
May 6th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
i suggest that the people that like the orig. line up only (i like both eras) go to classic van halen .com and stop whinning and bitching on this site.
the reason we hear about TWO ex-van halen members is because there ARE IN THE NEWS!
if you want to make pretend and playland about classic van halen then go to the site. jesss. us.
as for the band now they are like black sabbath or RATM.
got back together and got over each other to tour live and give the people want they want to hear
the classic good ole shit
dont expect more
its not 1985 anymore when eddie peaked in my opinion
nor 95 when he peaked again.
chickenfoot is solid quality New and original fresh rock and roll
something along the lines of daves DLR band album or Van halen’s FUCK.
the people who claim van halen is soo good now and is coming back to reconquer their greatness need to put down the bong for a moment and realize its 2009 people not 1979 or even 1999 where it MIGHT have been possible
eddie wasted 10 years of his and his fans lives
like it or not
i am a glass full kind of guy and im glad he is not on the juice anymore, is fricking alive (cancer)
happy and not mentally insane anymore
beggers cant be choosers…
enjoy the foot and stop ya bitchin’
you people send like malrats for god sakes!
May 7th, 2009 at 12:17 am
Ducky/Dirty Duck, what I really don’t understand is why anyone gives a shit who sang or sings with Van Halen. As long as Edward is playing the guitar Céline Dion could be singing lyrics written by Stephen Hawkins as far as I’m concerned. For the record I prefer the DLR output, but it’s not a deal breaker whoever’s singing. A good example is VH3 - if you block out the monumentally, catastrophically awful singing there’s plenty of great Ed on that record. Right from the off, listen to the great solo in Without You - even the simple device of letting Ed’s amp buzz away in the background. Anyone else would Pro Toolsed that out - the fact that Ed left it in is every bit as unique as the creation of Cathedral or the solo in Top Jimmy. Van Halen is Edward, everyone else is a just side show.
May 7th, 2009 at 1:32 am
As much as I hate Sammy for destroying VH, I must admit that I’m positively surprised by this Chickenfoot stuff. Solid rock with powerful, addictive guitar riffs is all I’ve ever expected from a post-VH band. And that’s what David Lee Roth has never attained during his solo career. DLR’s guitarists (Vai included) just couldn’t play good riffs in EVH style, though they’ve tried so hard. But Satriani really can do it and even Sammy’s voice can’t spoil the fun.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:05 am
van halen was dlr from 1978-1985 riding the huge wave edward gave him.
dave made and managed the band and built it from the bottom up
dlr made them what they are today
he was a genius.
sam was the new voice that some rejected but most excepted and ed became more of van halen to compensate the fact that sam was sam and not trying to be dave of course until 96
and it has been eds band since 96 so while i agree with you karl the outcome of a edward run enterprise has not been that good
and yes vh3 has good tunes but only a guy who is trying really hard to sound like a second rate sammy hagar singing .. because edward wanted to be emperor.
not always a good thing.
case in point.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:32 am
Karl, back in the day DLR was a hell of a lot more than just a side show, he was at the time the GREATEST front man/singer!!! He along with Eddie were the main event of VH back then, just re-watch the old Oakland videos - pure fucking magic!!!!
May 7th, 2009 at 6:02 am
Karl; I dont know man. VH 3? Heard it a couple of times and could never “feel” anything when gary sang. Never been an “Extreme” fan but I’ve always said that “Extreme III: 3 sides to every story” had some of the best vocals I ever heard at that time. It was flawless. Could def see why eddie would be intrested in wanting gary to sing for the band.
But that doesnt mean he FIT into VH. I agree with the horrible singing….I thought it was a joke when I first heard it. It was a sad time for VH man….
You remind me of an old friend I used to talk to on classicvanhalen.com. He went by the name: Unchained.
This cat would always say: Edward is VH man…period! And I def respect that. But lets be honest here too. EVERY great rock band has a GREAT frontman. I dont care how well you play…all the pieces of the puzzle need to fit….or the creation isnt complete. The way you love eddie as a guitarist I love Dave as a frontman. It’s the same kind of love. Frontmen have always been what caught my eye and ear when i first started getting into rock as a kid. So yeah to me it DOES matter who sings and what they bring to the table. After hearing dave singing for VH for years it was hard to accept change. If the band had kept their orginal sound (Ex: acdc after bon died)maybe i wouldnt be so hard on sammy. But to me he ruined the band. Just my opinion…and obviously a shit load of others too. We may not always agree on everything here but at least we agree that we love VH.
May 7th, 2009 at 7:01 am
Hey I agree with Jake…A long time ago, Van Halen actually helped Sammy out…That was the best move he made was joining that band…Also, I have interviews with Eddie in the early 90’s talking about how great VAI & SATCH are & how they blow him away…I think CHICKENFOOT is going to be alright. I really don’t think Sammy should have made those comments about how SATCH is the best he has ever played with. That was a direct hit to Eddie…The question is will Edward use that as fire-power in some new music…He is a great songwriter and nobody can play like him. Nobody. Once again, EDDIE VAN HALEN STARTED A SCHOOL AND NOBODY HAS GRADUATED! INCLUDING SATCH…Thank goodness CHICKENFOOT has this site for advertisment…Mr. Jimmy
May 7th, 2009 at 8:01 am
Oh yeah Karl, VH1 through to 1984 would have been equally breakthrough albums that sold millions, if Celine Dion was singing???!! What an inconceivably moronic dipshit you are!!VanHalen was and is only as good as the sum of it’s parts. Whether they hated each other or not, they still made incredibly creative music TOGETHER as a a band!! I am a guitar player and was a hundred percent influenced by Eddie,and will always think he is the king, but don’t take credit away from Dave Alex or Mike for the personality that they put into it!!
May 7th, 2009 at 8:10 am
Ed, Al, Dave and Wolfie will be back with a vengeance.
The new album will be superb.
This is just what Ed and Dave’s ego needed to make a killer record.
Hopefully it is done before the Tour.
Now that would be magical.
It’s on now.
May 7th, 2009 at 10:01 am
WELL SAID Ducky / Dirty Duck !!!!!
May 7th, 2009 at 10:18 am
OK guys, don’t take the Céline Dion/Stephen Hawkins thing too literally. Just making a point.
Sure, Dave is one of those special front men (if a bit of a clown at times) and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to lump him in with the likes of Plant, Jagger, Mercury, Tyler, Bono and Scott. And you’re quite right, original VH was one of those rare moments when greatness collides, just like Plant/Page, Mercury/May, Scott/Young. But Edward was the shining star at the centre of VH and if you had to pick just one person to blame for the brilliance of VH it would have to be him. And how far do you think Dave would have got if he’d have teamed up with a merely OK guitarist? Might he have even looked a bit daft if he wasn’t backed up by the most revolutionary guitarist since Hendrix? On the other hand I think it would have taken a pretty duff front man to have stopped Ed changing the face of Rock forever.
And besides, sometimes I can’t decide if Dave was the embodiment of rock, or just a cartoon…
May 7th, 2009 at 10:29 am
Roth’s silence is deafening, and time is ticking. Coming off their nostalgia tour, nothing substantive is happening with VH at this time. Shoe’s and other merchandise ain’t gonna cut it. The music is where it’s at. Say someting, Dave!!
Meanwhile, rock on Chickenfoot!!
May 7th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Dave doesn’t speak.
Kind of Ironic.
Think about it…when is the last time over the last 15 years you ever heard (or saw) Dave out and about. Outside of Stern, Washington Park, NY and EMT news…nothing.
No news print, no video…nothing.
He does that on purpose. It’s how he likes it. But once the house lights go dark…it’s All Dave all night.
Bottom Line: Ed is getting married, Dave is in Fiji, Wolfie is finishing school and Al is on a hiatus.
It will come soon enough.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:32 am
They’re going to strike gold when it does finally come. It will be like the AC/DC thing with all this pent up demand.
May 7th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I think dave has done enough “speaking” to last a lifetime man! LOL! His interviews are priceless. They should just sell bootlegs of those!
May 7th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Exactly Ducky..
That’s the irony.
Dave is a recluse and that is how he likes it.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
I don’t know man. I think Dave was being a recluse for a long time because his career was such that he wasn’t in the limelight. When Dave is in the limelight, he thrives on it and is never, ever at a loss for words. That’s what always made him so entertaining.
Didn’t you think it was very odd that once during the reunion tour with Dave, there were never any interviews or behind the scene news? After the press release announcing the tour that was it. Period.
That’s not Dave’s nature and any Dave fan knows that. I’ve always wondered if Ed made it a legal condition of his return that he not speak to the media and Dave just figured a muzzled return was better than no return it all. It’s the only thing that makes any sense. Makes you wonder just how much the on-stage appearance during the reunion tour that they were getting along was just a big act.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Kayzer..you are very warm.
Dave knew he screwed it up before. His career was all but done and knew he would once again be a millionaire after the Tour.
He did not rock the boat.
Ed was done with his antics and he took a separate plain, train and automobile…to the show.
Knowing he would be rich, and did not want to screw it up again.
You will see a different Dave now that he can pay the rent.
Which could be good or bad.
However, in his defense he has grown up a bit.
He may be a jive talker whammer jammer, but he’s no dummy.
May 7th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
dave and ed was perfect combo
just like orig. line up of sabbath and ac/dc it was what we remember them for
van hagar was a good band and just like ac/dc and sabbath they moved on and continued to make great music
i grew up on van hagar so i have a special attachment to those songs
at the time there was no chance of roth coming back and quite frankly most of the hagar stuff kicked ass
the real problem started with vh3..
i think chickenfoot will sound even better in their second album and like to make a comparison to audioslave
cheers!
May 7th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
dave isn’t gonna blow it a second time so i think he is being quiet on purpose. eddie is the ringleader nowadays and dave knows that VH is his bread and butter. it’s a shame though, because dave’s greatness is his ability to shoot from the the mouth and be witty…
May 7th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Groan… I’m so sick of hearing about cf. I couldn’t possibly care less about them. It’s like hearing Foreigner is back together…and touring with Heart. I do kinda wish they had called themselves HSAS. But,even if they had, I still wouldn’t give a shit about them.
When, oh when, will there be anything real going on with VH?? Which does not include any sort of video game.
May 12th, 2009 at 11:34 am
this is just not good! i cant believe vh fans i revere to have outstanding taste in music would settle for this!!