Billy Sheehan talks David Lee Roth and Van Halen
From BigMusicGeek.com:
Acclaimed bassist Billy Sheehan (Talas, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and Devil’s Slingshot, among others), always a man of many words and interesting stories, was kind enough to take a break from his decidedly hectic schedule to speak with us regarding, among many other things, the release of his latest solo opus Holy Cow…
Here’s the Van Halen-related section:
Todd: Looking back, are you surprised that Talas didn’t eventually achieve mainstream commercial success?
Billy: “No. We progressed along the lines that everybody else did. We got to a point where we got looked at by a lot of labels, we got promised deals, those promises were broken, we got promised more deals and those promises were broken. But we were still expanding and doing well. We were getting better and expanding our reach. We knew it wasn’t going to be a quick overnight thing…it was far from an overnight thing. …I had to replace two of the original guys with other guys. The band was still good, but it just wasn’t the same, so when David Lee Roth called, asking me to join him, I said ‘Well, the only band I’d ever think of leaving Talas for is Van Halen, so if David Lee Roth calls, I guess that’s close enough’ (laughs). So that was it. I was done.”
Todd: Did you initially find it difficult to make the transition from the relative obscurity of Talas to truly high-profile exposure of playing with David Lee Roth at what was arguably the peak of his career as a solo artist?
Billy: “Well, it was quite a transition. …I had a ’77 (Ford) Pinto. You know those fake tires that come with new cars that you’re supposed to use in case you get a flat? It’s not a real tire and you’re only supposed to use it to drive like ten miles to get to the gas station to get in fixed? Well, I had that on my car for two years because I couldn’t afford to buy an actual tire. So I did my time with poverty. But we had fun, but boy were we poor. So I went to L.A. Dave flew me in. I was the first guy he called and we started planning a band. Within two nights, we were playin’ in a club and there were Paparazzi waiting there, so I went from driving my three wheeled Pinto to having my picture taken by Paparazzi comin’ out of a club (laughs). That’s quite a steep little curve there. …It was an interesting time. We had a blast.
The original guitarist was Steve Stevens (Billy Idol). That’s who Dave had in mind. It didn’t work out, so I told Dave ‘Hey, I know another Steve that would be just perfect’ and sure enough, he called Steve Vai and he came down. I love Steve Stevens. He’s great, but I think Steve Vai was the perfect fit for Eat ‘Em And Smile. He’s a wonderful guy. They’re all just fantastic. I just had dinner with him and all of the Eat ‘Em And Smile guys the other night. Of course it was minus Dave because we couldn’t find him, but it was still myself, Steve (drummer) Greg Bissonette and the keyboardist Brett Tuggle…all of the guys that we did the tour with. We’ve done it a couple of times where we have an Eat ‘Em And Smile reunion. We all sit down, have dinner somewhere and tell stories. It’s always a laugh riot…”
Todd: What ultimately led you to your decision to no longer work with David following the release of (1988’s) Skyscraper? Was there the proverbial ‘…creative differences…’, or was it something on a more personal level?
Billy: “Dave took a chance. He decided to try a new direction with the music. In a way he was right because he wanted to mix dance beats into the music. He was like ‘We need to be more Dance-orientated’. And I was like ‘That’s great, but…’ …It just wasn’t me. I just couldn’t get up there and do that kind of thing. So I was gone, but in a way he was right because Dance music did become the next giant thing and now that’s pretty much all there is. I call it Karaoke Aerobics. It’s basically people doing Karaoke because they’re singers who don’t really sing on their records and just get pitch-corrected. And then they get eight to twelve people to do Aerobics next to them and that’s ninety percent of the music that you see on TV now. So in a way, he was right, but the problem with doin’ a switch like that when you’re a Rocker guy is that the Rockers are going to hate you because you’ve turned on them and the Dance guys are going to hate you because you were once a Rock guy. …So unfortunately, he fell between the cracks, but in a way he was right. He accurately predicted that Dance music was going to come in. It did, but at the same time, we had a lot of other great music by a lot of other great bands. I just think he threw the dice and they just didn’t come up with the number he needed.”
Todd: Any truth to the rumors that you were approached regarding replacing Michael Anthony in Van Halen? In hindsight, it’s a seemingly logical move considering your connection to David Lee Roth as a solo artist…
Billy: “Yeah, I was. For a long time, I denied it because (former Van Halen bassist) Michael (Anthony) is a dear friend of mine. I love him so much. I was kinda caught in the middle. …It’s happened several times. Once right after we (Talas) toured with them in 1980, it happened again in ’82 after the Diver Down record, it happened again just before Dave called me…and then, when I was out of Mr. Big before the Gary Cherone thing (i.e. 1998’s abysmal Van Halen III) happened, I spoke with them and then I spoke with them again after that as well. So it’s happened a bunch of times. We’ve always been toying with it (laughs). I went over to Ed’s a couple of times and we jammed and talked about stuff. He’s such a wonderful guy. I would love to go out with just Ed and a drummer, ya know?
But as much as I would have liked to be in the band, I didn’t want the band to change, because I’m a fan of Van Halen. If Michael ain’t up there, it ain’t the same band, even if it’s me, ya know? But I’m sure if the opportunity would have gone further, I would have taken it. We talked about it seriously a couple of different times as several different points, but it never actually materialized.
When they got back together with Dave and went out without Michael, I was kinda sad about it. So I’m very honored and I love all of those guys. …Alex, Eddie, Dave and Michael, I love them all completely and I wish they were all together again. At least Dave and Eddie are back together again. I’m happy about that, ya know? That’s how it goes. …Who knows what tomorrow will bring. I’m just glad they’re back together and hope they’re happy. I love Van Halen. I love all four of the Van Halens and they’ve all been a great, great influence on me.”
Todd: Commercially and musically, what do you feel has been your single greatest musical accomplishment?
Billy: “Basically, it was Talas, David Lee Roth and Mr. Big. There were a few other things in between, but I never really joined any other bands. I toured with UFO, I did a brief stint with Max Webster, (guitarist) Kim Mitchell’s great band and a few other little thing, but the only bands that I was really in were Talas, a brief stint in a band called Light Years, David Lee Roth and Mr. Big. …Mr. Big, of course, was my biggest success. It was more nine, of course, than David Lee Roth. David Lee Roth is Dave’s band, but that was my first taste of it, so that was incredible. It’s hard to pick one or the other. And the early years with Talas…most everything that I know now I learned back then (laughs), so they all hold a significant place. I’m glad to say that I’m still friends with everybody now after the smoke has cleared from Talas, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big and all points in between now. I’m really lucky to have those people as friends because they are some truly wonderful people.”
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June 30th, 2009 at 3:11 am
Thats pretty interesting, I always wondered about the rumoured request of replacing Mike with Billy after Fair Warning.
“If Michael ain’t up there, it ain’t the same band, even if it’s me, ya know?” - what a great summary. This is a guy that truely appreciates classic Van Halen!
Interesting to hear Ed’s take on why he wanted Mike out, but I guess that will stay hidden away forever.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:24 am
So…..I guess Mike left the band !!! Sounds like they have been shopping for a new bassist for alot of years. Mike is better off…..these aren’t friends….
June 30th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Billy’s a class act and his respect for MA is admirable. Eat’em and Smile was great, saw them twice on that tour including Dave’s B-Day at the Meadowlands Arena. I remember Vai getting booed for playing Eruption in his solo. Great Show!!
June 30th, 2009 at 6:56 am
mike was key to the van halen sound on record with dave and sammy.
i dont consider vh3 a van halen record but a eddie side project!
without mike the new van halen record will sound like shite.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Billy Sheehan is a class act. God Bless him for his integrity.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:19 am
So EVH and Billy talked about him joining the band, but why didn’t it happen? Either Billy was never formally offered the job or he was offered it and he turned it down. Wish Billy could have clarified a little.
If they wanted him that bad then wouldn’t it have been the perfect opportunity after Mike was finally out to get him in? He would have been a much better fit than Wolfgang.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:28 am
I had heard that Ed had been looking to replace Mike, but I didn’t know that it went as far back as 1980! My Gosh! That is only 3 albums into Van Halen’s record releasing history.
Billy wouldn’t have any reason to make that stuff up. Plus, he didn’t conduct the interview with malice and stated that he loved Van Halen. The mystery is why Eddie wanted to ax Mike in the first place. It is also puzzling why he didn’t go ahead and fire him way back when. It is a real wonder that Mike lasted as long as he did!
June 30th, 2009 at 7:43 am
The truth always comes out in the end…
June 30th, 2009 at 8:19 am
Come on now, Billy. You was asked only once by the camp to join and that was only after Mikey had a bad night. Alex brought it up, Ed joined in asking. Don’t be starting stuff, Billy.
June 30th, 2009 at 8:25 am
I’m with you Mark…
WTF?
Why sack Mike…
Someone get to the bottom of this please!!
June 30th, 2009 at 8:53 am
Interesting.
June 30th, 2009 at 8:59 am
“But as much as I would have liked to be in the band, I didn’t want the band to change, because I’m a fan of Van Halen. If Michael ain’t up there, it ain’t the same band”
why is Ed (and maybe Al) the only person who doesn’t understand this?
June 30th, 2009 at 9:03 am
the issue with Mike keeps coming up - he has spoken for himself - he says he was fired and Ed says he quit.
I was privy to what really happened - and they are both correct.
In a nutshell, without jeopardizing confidences, here is what happened:
1. Ed told Mike to not be on-stage with Sam during his Wabo tours.
2. Mike said he was bored and wanted to play live.
3. Ed said if he caught Mike on-stage with Sam, he would be fired from VH.
4. Mike played anyways.
5. Ed found out and the rest is history.
This all happened in 2001. When Mike played in the reunion tour with Sam, he was an independent contractor. End of pathetic story.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:37 am
^^^
Because Ed thinks he and Al are the only components of VH that matter. I would have thought he should have learned his lesson on this kind of thinking after the VHIII debacle, but apparently not.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Van Halen is Ed’s group. Until Dave left, it was Ed and Dave’s group. As Ed got more and more popular and influential, his confidence to have things done his way grew, naturally.
We can’t assume to know the entire story about why they wanted Mike out. Maybe he just doesn’t mix well. Ever meet two guys you get along with, but they can’t stand each other. Sometimes personalities clash. No one knows but the people involved. Maybe he’s a pain in the ass to deal with. Who knows?
Speaking strictly from a technical perspective, why would they want Billy instead of Mike? It seems pretty obvious to me: they felt Mike was holding back the music. Listening to the Chickenfoot outing; Mike is doing the same old drill -nothing very new or challenging.
Finally, it had to grind on Dave, Ed and Al to give Mike a quarter of the writing credits when he contributed the least. Think about it: Ed and Al write by jamming together, Dave and Sammy created melodies, lyrics and served in a producer role shaping songs. What did Mike do? The same old root note bass lines and harmonies a third up in pitch. That’s a generous payout for a pretty minimal contribution.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Considering recent news I don’t know why I am so suprised to read this, but I really had no idea that they ever considered replacing Mike so far back. Especialy back in the early eighties.
I agree that Billy would have been a better fit than Wolfgang, but Billy was right. “If Michael ain’t up there, it ain’t the same band”
But what a problem for Billy to have. Can you imagine as a fan of Van Halen, to already be freinds with Eddie; Alex, Dave and Mike and on top of that to have at least a mention from Eddie of possibly joining the band (although you would have to replace Mike after he was fired to do it). As far as problems go that is pretty crazy.
It will never feel the same without Mike, but Billy is a super human musician and probably would have been great with VH. I am hoping that Wolgang will work into it better when they start recording new music since so far we have only seen him play the classics. After all, he does have the Master showing him how it’s done.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:12 am
I always loved that blonde in the pic behind dave.
Cute and smokin’ hot at the same time…my fav combo!
June 30th, 2009 at 11:19 am
I remember reading an article a few years back where eddie said that mike sure was making a lot of money off of them and he doesn’t come in and help write any songs. So, basically I think ed was getting tired of writing everything himself and wanted someone to bounce ideas off of when he and al jam together. Just a guess! could be wrong!
June 30th, 2009 at 11:41 am
I find it so funny that no matter what the topic it’s always VH will never be the same. Eddie should be doing this. Alex should be blessing that. To show how many of you are so tuned into “what should be done to make things better” you never even made a comment about the blonde behind dave. What is this? A “fruit” salad? Jeez…
I think billy is a class act too but we’re talking over 20 years ago here guys. 20 years. Shit happens. I miss mike too but goddammit life goes on. The guy’s happy….so why arent you happy for him? VH is dead? Then why bother coming around? Cause nobody probley gives a rat’s ass to talk with any of you people in person. Let’s just waste our morning’s afternoon’s and evenings going on a website where a lot of you cant even stand eddie. Makes NO sense to me at all.
How about some good memories or expieriences you had when attending a VH concert. Or how you remember having sex for the first time with dance the night away in the background?
And another thing….as much as I like brian may he’s not gonna change my view on sammy hagar or chickenfoot. I make my own musical decisions with what I listen to. The best to them…i truly mean that but it aint VH so im really not intrested. Let’s all be grateful for what did come out of VH and get over it.
Now who wants a hug?
June 30th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
FAMAC nailed it. Mike seems like a nice guy and all and does provide good back up vocals - but this guy has never been a revolutionary bassist or anything close to that. So, why all the crying about Mike - because he was a good guy? It certainly isn’t due to his musical prowess.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Perhaps Mike did offer his ideas in writing new music but was discouraged to do so - kind of like “Hey genius at work over here, don’t bother me. (Insert Tom Scholtz)” And whoever said his playing is the same on Chickenfoot - not so fast my friend. His playing on the album is the most “audible” and well let’s just say a lot more than single notes over and over. Sure it’s not Billy but it’s the best playing I have heard him do….ever. And if you knew the guys wanted you out of the band, how much effort would you contribute. It’s hard to say.
June 30th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
It is all high school drama ….but why is it that Ed can jam with anyone he likes ( there is video all over the place showing him doing so ) but mike and Dave cannot. Whatever…I am still looking forward to new music with Van Halen . Hopefully with Dave as vocalist.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
FAMAC, I get the sense that while Ed got to have things his way more and more, plenty of things went the way *Sammy* wanted them. He’s got just as dominating a personality, and seemed to have as much control as Ed (plus having Ed Leffler as manager certainly helped, given the connection Leffler and Sammy already had).
Plus Ed let the whole DLR debacle happen in 1996.
So it seems like VH didn’t *truly* become “Ed’s group” until after that?
Also, like Mark Sachs’s comment, given Billy’s comment it seems strange that Mike wasn’t fired a long time ago. I’m not saying he *should* have been, of course, it’s just strange he wasn’t.
My only “theory” is that the same thing happened during Sammy’s tenure that did in 2004 — Sammy insisted Mike be kept in. And Ed Leffler, who everyone respected, backed Sammy up on that. After Ed Leffler died and Sammy was fired…surprise…all of a sudden they were looking to replace Mike again. (Going by Billy’s words, that post-Sammy but pre-Gary they were again looking to replace Mike.)
The hole in my theory is why Mike was brought in at *all* for the 2000 sessions with DLR.
And…why Ed would care if Mike played with the Wabos if he didn’t want Mike in the band anyway. (Unless Ed’s ultimatum was a way to not have to “fire” Mike. Which conforms to what Rock divulged, that both Eddie and Mike are right.)
That said, Billy Sheehan’s words confirm once again that no one except the parties concerned *really* know what’s going on, and Billy was not one of them.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Russ, even Sammy said in an interview that Mike doesn’t write songs. That’s why on the Chickenfoot album all but 1 song is credited to just Sam and Joe.
What I don’t understand from the Mike lovers, is that in your minds and hearts , it’s OK for Mike to play, tour and record with who ever he wants. But when Ed wants to play,tour and record with who he want’s then ALL the Mike lovers cry FOUL and pour Mike was treated like crap.
If you want to talk CLASS at least Ed shared writing credits and royalties EQUALLY with ALL members!!!!!
June 30th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
So how many of you when you went to VH concerts (Dave OR Sammy) actually went “just” to see mike play? I’m curious.
How many of you sat through the show with ALL eyes on mike?
When I was growing up and saw a VH video or concert footage I couldnt keep my eyes off Eddie and Dave. I remember a lot of stellar back ground vocals granted….but mike liked to stay in the background and keep to himself. He even said that in many interviews. As far as the bass solo…sorry..always thought it was the weakest of the shows. Couldnt stand listening to it…..maybe cause im not into bass guitar? Bullshit. Play me anything from the the cliff days in metallica. You’ll never hear a complaint.
I will always say mike seems like a really cool guy…without a doubt. But thats not enough to make me shed a tear over losing a bassist in a band…
June 30th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
So it seems that Mike had to be replaced as early as 1980!(I had heard rumors at the time).
How did he resist until 1998? In his shoes I would go out immediately. Why he did not follow Sammy in 1996?
June 30th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Adding to Russ’ point, I also think Mike was in a no-win situation. Eddie saying “Mike contributes little to the band given his pay” is disingenuous if it’s true that Mike *did* offer ideas but was always discouraged (and so he stopped offering). Ed *wanted* to write all the music itself.
All this is making me sound like an Ed hater, and I’m not. Again, only the parties involved know what happened.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I Love Eddie, he is my King.
But after read this i´m feel sorry for Mike. It´s sad to a fan to know something like this, about his favourite band and musicians. After all, Eddie, Alex and Dave…they never be really friends for Mike.
Acting and planing behind his back. In 80´s when the band reach is on the top, they planned to replace (fire) him!!
Poor Mike, nobody deserve this.
Van Halen turned a Mighty Van Halen in part because the chemical and combination between different personalities.
Blly Sheehan is a real class act man. In fact, he is a best bass player than Mike. It´s a virtuoso.
But, despite the Eddie opinion, Michael Anthony plays (and sings!) BETTER than Wolfie.
Wolfie just replaced Mike´s space, because Sheehan don´t do it. (In fact, nobody wants to be on the place of an former member of the Classic Van Halen. Ask Gary Cherone…)
Until yesterday, i´m hoping and praying to have Mike back on VH. For now on, i change my mind and i think the better thing to Mike is be on Chickenfoot and play with people who really respect him.
Who´s gonna play bass (really play, writing the bass lines…) on the “new record” of Van Halen??
Wolfie??… or Eddie?
Good Luck Mike!!
RESPECT!
June 30th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Reading this garbage pisses me off. I have been into Halen since 77′ and my draw was the bombastic beat, wild guitars and the great harmonizing. No hard rock band had played so hard but could sing. Please guys! Dissing Mikey is bullshit!Ya let Ed sing the fucking backing vocals, on the records (and live) instead of Mikey. I’ve seen every tour and last tour without Mikey was the weakest I’ve seen the VH engine… Roth or Hagar. Van Halen’s backing vocals is/are created by Mikey…period. Hey listen to “How Many Say I” from VH III which features Ed the voocalist at work…ouch!!! Settle down now, the music “selection” from the last tour was probably the best since 81′and I loved the show!! I’d like to hear “Dance the night away” with just Eddie on backing vocals…hahaha. Guys Mikey is a SINGER, a SINGER bass player who is capable. Jon Entwhistle, John Paul Jones great bassist right??…did they sing… well… NO!
Thanks Billy for clarifying what we already knew; Mikey was forced out. My rant is over now get EVH back in the studio to release some more memorable material…peace.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
People here who somehow cannot hear a word they even THINK may be a slight against Ed without going off the deep end are either - Drunk …or - Employed by evlh. And Anyone who thinks the guitarist is the only person in a band who makes a difference as far as the overall sound goes is immature and delusional. There’s a reason they call it a band.EVERY member contributes as long as they play in a certain band. You bitter guitar heroes need to relax and leave the 80’s behind.No man is an island.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
maybe when wolfie goes to college they’ll get billy
June 30th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
So Billy turned down the opportunity to play with VH? Is that what he is saying? I think I smell some BS here.
June 30th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Or maybe Ed will say we have to get Wolfie off to college before we can go back into the studio. Kind of like when he said I have to get married and Wolfie has to graduate. Obiviously, I´m being sarcstic, but I´m like everybody else in the sense that I want a new Van Halen.
June 30th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I am going to end the debate about solo’ artists once and for all. A minority here on this site feels that Micheal Anthony is replaceable , in effect Van Halen with Roth and Sammy would have been fine without him? C’mon poseurs , give me a break! If they had a bass player as self indulgent and bright as Eddie it would’ve sounded cluttered and just like a bunch of musicians jacking-off. Mike Anthony’s bass style while not over the top ( Really great bands and bass players are prominent in the mix but in the pocket’ so to speak ) and hold things together-which i may add was severely missed at the concerts in 07-08. Say what you want but all i hear sounds like head games and clique’ bullshit. I feel bad for Roth because now with Ed , Al and Wolfie….he is on his own. I wouldn’t speak or do interviews if i were him either( Roth) . Mike’s strength is his ability to be where he belongs and that makes a team. There should only be ONE team and that’s all there is to it.Every mans job is important .Grow up boy’s , you can’t win by getting rid of all your support players.
June 30th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Good Ol’ Billy Sheehan along with Steve Vai and Gregg Bisonette were the real talents during Dave’s eat em’ and smile album and tour. Billy formed another group of real talents like Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert and Pat Torpey to form Mr. Big. Roth had no talent whatsover!!!!
June 30th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
You guys just won’t or cannot understand how important Mike is to the harmonies of Van Halen. One of the things I love about Van Halen is the backup harmonies. For those who say what did Mike bring in writing or helping with an album? You’re joking right? Given the egos of Eddie & Dave, good luck with that not too mention your brother is the drummer. This crap about playing with other bands and Eddie wanting him out is another lie via Billy Sheehan. I love Van Halen but Eddie is such a prick and his business side of the music sucks the life out of the next album. All Eddie had to do was tour with Mike after the Hall of Fame induction (Reunion Tour) and said to him this is it were going another direction with Wolfie. End of story and close the book but he couldn’t even do that.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Why would Wolfie go to college?
June 30th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Roth said he asked Mike to go with him when he left Vanhalen, and I think the first time I heard of the Billy rumors was from Roth! He said Eddie wanted to replace him and Alex said no.
Without Mike its a different band, no matter who they get in. Just like when Sammy was there it was a different band. I think Wolfie pulled it off live and will only get better. When they first announced that they were taking a 16 year old who had never even played a club before, on a world stadium tour……I thought it was child abuse! But the kid did it and was successful!
June 30th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
I think (Dirty Duck)sums it up. I like Ducks no B.S ways. And just to be fair the rest of you cool kats that lay it out with out all the put downs. See you all at the next show. Billy`s an awesome bass playing Dude!and a great guy to boot…..
Hey one more thing let us true fans keep this a classy site. And I think Wolf is a great player and a great guy to. Seeing him and his dad playing together was really something. Now Roth,Ed,Alex and Wolf.The V.H drums are beating……………America needs some V.H more know then ever.
June 30th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
mike was the key to van halen sound on record.
sammy said so and i bet dave would admit it too
to say he did not contribute you need to go back and actually
listen to van halen records and you will hear mike in ever damn refrain or do you want ed singing back up?
stupid comments. mike was an integral part of the vh sound
you can replace his bass but not his voice.
end of story.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Redarrow, I couldnt agree more. I said something similar a few days ago on another blog. There is NO REASON why Mike couldnt be a part of the reunion tour. At least for the fans. However, they are all a bunch of children. Especially Ed. I love Ed as a musical talent and an idol of mine growing up but as a person i have lost respect. They could have done the tour with Mike and then told him they are going to continue with Wolf. Its all very fuckin stupid.
Regarding how important Mike is in the group, there is no doubt that Mike played a huge part in the VH sound. Sure, he was not in the front and the bass was not standing out, but they couldnt do that because it would take focus off Eddie. I think if eddie got Billy in the group it would take away from his shine. Besides, if you do listen to all VH records, you can hear Mike bass playing in the dave albums so much more. Listen to tracks like ROmeo Delight. Since there is no rhythm guitar tracks, you hear Mike walking all over the place. In Sammy ALbums Mikes bass is just in the back and not very exciting. He even mentioned that in interviews. He just played the rhythm. This is the same for backing vocals. The first several albums with dave, his voice is VERY important. His background vocals are a HUGE part of the songs. Runnin w devil, Im the one (show ur love). Listen to songs like Fools or Women in Love. All you hear is Mikes vocals. This is such as HUGE part of the especially early VH sound. He also admitted in recent interviews that in the later Hagar albums like FUCK and Balance the background vocals were not as Prominent.
As for replacing him with Billy, these rumors have been around for a long time. Even Dave has admitted in interviews that Eddie had played some of the bass parts on some of the early albums. Im sure for a good 20 years + mike was walking on egg shells in that band. It sucks. He is a totally cool and the nicest guy. I have met him a couple times and he is just down to earth. Over the years we have all seen him in interviews with VH and “if” he had a chance to speak, (with ed’s permission) it was real short or cut off by ed or al. He alwaqys had an uncomfortable look on his face. especially later years. Watch interviews especially with Gary, Mike said NOTHING! Mike is a nice guy. He is a cool guy meaning he is normal. I think he never fit into the “rock star image” like dave, etc. He was kind of the geek in the group. The chubby kid who got picked on. However, ther chubby kid who always gets picked on always comes out the mist ahead in the end. Chickenfoot just may do that for him. Im happy for him that he is out of the fucked up bizzar world of VH and doing something he loves with people who want to play with him. On the other hand, I would love to hear some new VH tunes with whoever is singing or playing bass! I am a VH fan for life and will listen to any and all related projects with current or past members. Well…almost all…Sorry Gary!
June 30th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Does anyone remember reading a late 1990s an interview with Mike where he is quoted as saying that he wouldn’t go out on tour with VH if Roth rejoined the group? In that interview he said that he couldn’t stand being in the same room as Roth. I used to have a copy of that interview; I don’t remember much else about it, but I remeber being surprised about those quotes.
I’ve met Mike a couple of times and he is the nicest guy in the world, as is his wife. But I don’t think his playing ability was as outstanding as he is given credit for. His backup vocals are great and definitely helped shaped the vocal sound of the band, especially in the early years. But I think having Billy in the band instead would have made the songs more interesting.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
So many people here are worried and angry for what has happened to Mike, but they don’t realise that he is the LUCKIEST man on earth.
He became Millionarie and famous thanks to Eddie and joining VH.
Then when Ed decided to fire him, the replacement (Billy Sheehan) didn’t accepted, Lucky Again, he stayed with the band 24 more years (more money and fame).
Then he leaves VH to tour with the VH coverband The Other Half and gets replaced by Wolfie.
Gets hired by his friend Hagar to do Chickenfoot, Lucky again.
And people are worried for this guy, he is the Luckiest guy on The Planet,
STOP CRYING PEOPLE!
Mike is happy on the new band, and became who he is thanks to VAN HALEN.
Move on!
Ed is Happy with Mike out and Wolf in.
Mike is Happy with chickenfoot
End of story.
Long Live VAN HALEN
June 30th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Shame he didnt accept joining.
I had the pleasure of meeting Billy last year, what a really nice, genuine guy with suprisingly soft hands
July 1st, 2009 at 2:26 am
no mike
no van halen sound.
thank god some of you guys realize this!
this is a fact and mike’s voice mixed even better with sammys in my opinion.
the reason van hagar albums sound like shite with his bass lines is because they need to be remastered now!
the greatest tits double disk album proves this.
just listen to how much better finish what ya started sounds
please edward remaster 5150,0u812, and FUCK
they sound like dogcrap. the mix is god awful.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:53 am
I recall Jeff Berlin saying in an interview that Ed asked whether he would like to join Van Halen on bass around 1983, but he didn’t think their music suited where he wanted to go. No surprises at all then with what Billy had to say, they were looking around, big deal. I love Van Halen with whoever is in the band period, as long as Ed is on guitar!! On another note, that bird with Dave is one fine looking woman!
July 1st, 2009 at 5:03 am
This guy sounds pretty classy..I gotta tell you though I agree with some above comments, playing oldies is one thing, but making a new album without Mike? It is def going to be tough.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:28 am
R A 8 1 2
You make great points brother but lets be realistic here.
If there’s tension between anyone in a rock group its gonna be a problem….especially with touring.
If you had a band and you and the bass player havent spoken in a long time, and there’s some bitterness between you both, how to you expect to go out on tour? The way i look at it is: Eddie had to take a BIG chance working with roth again. that right there was a BIG step. Now he’s gonna call mike who he doesnt get along with and tell him to hop on board? Uncomfortable situation for everyone.
Also…do you have any children? I dont (and at the moment happy i dont!)Wouldnt you want to have your son stand next to you on stage then someone you truly cant stand at the moment? It’s not rocket science man…
July 1st, 2009 at 5:35 am
From Guitar Player, April, 1980:
GP: On your records, Michael Anthony’s bass parts are subdued compared to what you do. Is this intentional?
EVH: Yeah. He’s a damned good bass player. He plays bass. He’s not Jack Bruce; he doesn’t play guitar on bass. When Al and Mike are playing, it’s an open world for me. I can do whatever I want. They’re right there backing me up, feeding me. Whereas if he was a Jack Bruce, I’d be in competition with him.
Here’s a revelation for those of you that have never been in a band: - A band is the sum of its parts. Sure they’re not always equal. Some bands, like a team, may have star players, but ultimately everybody contributes to the final result. Mike may or may not have written material, but his cheery, animated stage presence fitted VH’s look. It just so happened that his vocals became his signature contribution to VH’s sound. Unless you’re Billy Sheehan or Mark King, bass players are often the unsung heroes in a band.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:49 am
“Robert”
I do remember that interview man. Not to bash mike but that’s EXACTLY what he said. But to be fair…not many got along with roth back then. But it is a fact that mike said he would never tour if roth was involved.
Funny thing is that mike was interviewed back in 2002 during the dave and sam tour and mike said he was “blown away” by roth’s band. He said something along the lines of watching them play and he said he felt that old energy that VH had back in the day. When he went to talk with roth after…dave blew him off. I dont blame him one bit. Mike hasnt always had the best things to say about roth and we all know that dave is not a fake.
Funny quote i read once: The first time mike met dave his exact words were: Get this fuckin’ guy away from me! LOL!
July 1st, 2009 at 6:43 am
So if it’s an article on Billy, why is there only 2 pics of him and 6 of goof ball Roth ???
July 1st, 2009 at 6:59 am
I think the facts speak for themselves:
1) Mike wrote no tunes with Van Halen
2) Mike co-wrote 1 tune with Chickenfoot
3) Mike was easily replaced by a 16 year old beginner
Mike is expendable. I agree his style suits Van Halen, but Wolfie can easily replace him on new material.
On the matter of Mike’s vocals; they sound good with Dave and Ed who both have baritone registers. But Sammy and Mike almost have the same vocal range, and their chorus harmonies often turn into a brutal “who can sing higher” contest as we see on several tunes on Chickenfoot.
Mike is more a mascot than a real musician.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:04 am
MARK!
FINALLY! SOMEONE NOTICED THE BLONDE!!!!! LOL!!!
I thought for awhile this truly was a sausage party around here! Jeez!
If you want to see more of her she’s actually on the “DAVID LEE ROTH VIDEOS” vhs tape (not out on dvd as far as I know.)
While dave talks she poses and blows kisses the whole time….but she looks great! I could be wrong but i think her name is kelly and he dated her for a couple years.
That is one chick i would start at the “bottom” and work my way to the “top”
DROP DEAD LEGS!!! Whooohoo!
July 1st, 2009 at 9:55 am
FAMAC I must disagree on the vocals comment. The Chickenfoot harmonies are welcome and easy on the ears. Look guys I know it’s hard to admit it but we all really do want Mikes vocals in VH. We really do want Mike in VH. And WE ARE ALL FRUSTRATED over helplessly watching our favorite band implode. What’s done is done. Admit it. Chickenfoot is the VH album we have waited years for and we are now even more frustrated. Although revenge is not the best motivator, I do give EVH and DLR a good chance to “get back”. Chickenfoot was Sammy’s Eat ‘Em and Smile. Not DLR and EVH will try to out Eat ‘Em and Smile Chickenfoot. I am concerned about the “Eddie never listens to music” comments. Isn’t that where you get ideas from? Music builds upon itself. I often wonder what is left in the tank…are there enough ideas there for viable songs?
July 1st, 2009 at 10:28 am
Russ obviuosly not everyone shares your views man…
Speak for yourself.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:49 am
“in the end on dreams we will depend, because thats what love is made of!”….ed, dave, al, wolfie are happy with VH IV. sam and mike are happy with chickenfoot and gary is happy with the extreme reunion. i think it’s great! no more need for bickering. time to move forward for everyone including us fans. life is too short for bitterness…
July 1st, 2009 at 11:02 am
I 2nd that phil!
Although, I would have used a quote from the roth era:
“Change…..nothing stays the same…unchained!
Rock on!
July 1st, 2009 at 11:34 am
I’ll toke to that phil!!!
July 1st, 2009 at 11:44 am
FAMAC,i have to ask you what has alex contibuted to van halen that mike has not?if you make mike the drummer and alex the bass player on all those albums you’d see wolfie playing drums and calling alex a solid bass player.the only thing alex has over mike is the right last name and not talent.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Pete…your beef with people who dont see what you see in mike is understandable…
But to say that alex isnt talented? C’mon man…gimmie a break!
Alex Van Halen is without a doubt, one of the BEST drummers in the world. That’s not just me being opinionated…
It’s me speaking the truth! He put the mileage in and from what i saw in the 06′/07′ tour he was still killer.
You must have something against him man cause thats the craziest statement I ever heard…
July 1st, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Pete,
Alex didn’t take his cut of the money,fortune and fame then TURN HIS BACK on EDDIE and the Van Halen Fans when things got rough.
Hot for Teacher one of the most FAMOUS drum intro’s EVER!!!!!!!!!!!
He’s NEVER played tour or recorded with any other band!!!!!
Rev. Al Is the GREATEST DRUMMER EVER!!!!
July 1st, 2009 at 3:16 pm
I am sure that in a few less than sober moments Ed asked Sheehan to join the band. He also asked the chick singer from Scandal, you know “The Warrior” to join the band before Sammy.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Wolfgang not only sang Mike’s part perfectly but he is a better player. Just listen to the better quality audio from the tour. The MSG tour from May is a good place to start.
July 1st, 2009 at 3:44 pm
you misunderstand what i said,i said alex is no more talented than mike.now if you believe billy sheenen then it sounds like eddie and alex wanted to turn their back on mike on many occasions.i really have nothing against alex but the only real thing he has over mike is the right last name.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:43 pm
^^^ What? You must be hearing things I didn’t. I don’t think Billy would have made a good fit for VH, but I love his playing. Eatem’ and Smile is one of my favorite albums to this day, and frankly, my favorite Vai work as well.
A good parallel would be the mighty Metallica. Jason Newsted was left out of most of the writing for those albums, then told what to play. Then, was told NOT to write or play music outside of Met., whatever. It’s like that for many bands. It doesn’t make Jason any less a part of Metallica (I do like Rob though).
Long live Billy, and lets see a Eatem’ and Smile reunion with Dave, to heck with VH. I hope I’m wrong, but I have a funny feeling there won’t be any “new” music released.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:57 pm
What trips me out is that Ed would tell people all these years that Roth was impossible to work with. Now he can’t get along with Mike Anthony long enough for a tour? Mike “Switerland” Anthony? If Mikey never contributed then why did Ed play bass on VHIII? Wouldn’t he ENCOURAGE Mikey to play if he never contributed? Mike doesn’t suck. I’ve heard the bootlegs…he’s solid and a likeable personality. Fans love this guy and was an integral part of the VH sound like it or not.
Also, all of these years I’ve read that it wasn’t the same not having Roth in there, but now Mikey is “expendable.” “It ain’t VH without Roth!” Well…it STILL ain’t the “same” VH without Mikey. At least be fair in the arguement. We STILL don’t have a proper reunion because of Eddie Van Halen. It took 20 years to get Roth back and Ed still finds a way to screw it up.
It’s been his leadership since 96′. Own it Eddie.
July 1st, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Big Al…
You must not listen to Rush, Blink 182/Boxcar Racer, Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave, Motley Crue, Red Hot Chili Peppers/Chickenfoot, The Who nor even Genesis nor… the Beatles.
Al is good.
He ain’t no Drumming God.
Personally, I think he should be ashamed at his electronic kit he used on ‘5150′ & ‘OU812′. Terrible sound… terrible!!
July 1st, 2009 at 8:51 pm
So embarrassed…
And Nirvana/Tenacious D too…
July 1st, 2009 at 8:54 pm
“Wolfgang not only sang Mike’s part perfectly but he is a better player. Just listen to the better quality audio from the tour. The MSG tour from May is a good place to start.”
FAIR WARNING THAT IS THE MOST PATHETIC STATEMENT I’VE EVER HEARD AND I’VE HEARD MANY PATHETIC STATEMENTS FROM THE SHEEP ON THIS SITE. YOU HAVE YOUR NOSE SO FAR UP ED’S KOOL-AID HE OUGHT TO BE PAYING YOU. I SUGGEST YOU CLEAN YOUR EARS OR SIMPLY ADMIT THAT YOU ARE KING SHEEP.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Well said Top Jimmy.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Fuck this debating. You all can go on forever and it won’t change a thing! Get a life.
All I know is that bikini blonde is insane and yes… she wants me! Cuz I’m the Man. End of story.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:22 pm
To all you no no`s Alex is the best. He has put sooooooo much in to the music.I love that guy. Please people stop compairing players. Music is universal. And we as a people should thank god we have these awesome dudes to rock us out!!!!!!! Shine on…..
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:19 am
Hey Vanicionado,
The Beatles, Genesis, Motley Crue and The Who have all had a drummer that had his own signature sound. Alex Van Halen not only had that but took it one step further he like John Bonham had a reconizable sound that is historic. Alex’s snare sound is the most famous of them all. And his cymbal sound is just as famous!!! As for Rush, Blink 182/Boxcar Racer, Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave,Red Hot Chili Peppers drummers to mentioned, they all sound too similar.
As far as Big Al’s drumming, listen to
1. Loss of Control: the roots of speed metal are all there to see!!
2. Hot For Teacher: the best ever double bass boogie feel you will ever hear!!
3. Top Jimmy: A tighter groove like no other. His accents and fills are like a cobra striking it’s victim!! Powerful!!
4. Jump: Alex’s playing during the guitar solo is as complex and backward as it can get in a pop arrangement song!! Ever heard of the phrase “falling down the stairs and landing on your feet”?
There are many other, I couldn’t be bothered telling you, just go back and listen to the albums…albums sound better!!
Alex Van Halen I hold right up there next to John Bonham, Ian Paice and Ginger Baker!!
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:54 am
We really have to leave Al out of this one. From where I was sitting at numerous tours, Al just got better and better. Each time I thought that he reached a new plateau in his ability and taste, the next tour was even higher. I would go as far as to say that he has been the one and only member of VH who has re-invented himself and bettered himself musically as the years have passed,(no disrespect to Ed, he reached the highest plateau years ago, how much more can the poor guy invent??) and I don’t think anyone can debate that.
As far as Billy replacing Mike, I believe it would have just been a horrible mess on record and on stage. What made VH so great to listen to was Ed’s acrobatic playing, with a nice solid groove behind him, NOT, a “who can play more notes” competition between bass and guitar. Nothing against Billy, I like his playing WHEN HE IS IN THE RIGHT ELEMENT, and VH just isn’t it………..in my opinion only guys.
July 2nd, 2009 at 6:16 am
Very true Vanicionado. Al has disfigured many a Van Halen track with his over fondness for his hissing, sizzling cymbals.
July 2nd, 2009 at 6:58 am
If Ed would have just said “I want my son in the band” I think people would understand that better than trying to pretend “Mike quit” when that is clearly not what happened.
Anyone that thinks Mike would quit something he was so loyal to is beyond convincing because the facts are the facts.
Eddie has been diminished by years of substance abuse, and the lingering paranoia and torment have left an angry S.O.B. where a truly original and “game” musician once existed.
Long ago he was fond of saying “we all agreed in the early days we’d spit everything 4 ways, since so many bands split up over that kind of thing.” Clearly this has eaten away at him over the years. It’s too bad though that he just couldn’t “man up” and be honest though. It’s the pretending that Mike quit part that just makes people feel lied to…and besides…it’s a terribly unconvincing premise.
The Billy rumours has been around for years, but it’s cool he filled in a few blanks.
Ed…the reason you feel like a bad guy is because you lost whatever class you once possessed years ago. You were great, but now you’re like the exact opposite of everything you stood for in the past.
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:28 am
A lot of this Mike hating (or at least dismissing) seems to be yet another extension of the Dave/Sammy thing.
My bet is that if everything had gone down exactly the same way, only Mike had joined DLR on tour instead and SH was in the band now, quite a few folks here would have a different opinion.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:01 am
Just get that DLR video pictured above and you can hear Dave himself say they always been trying to hire Billy back in the day and now he’s got him for Eat ‘Em and Smile. Then how Steve Vai and him met in a jail cell and when they got out the split a peanut butter sandwich.
July 2nd, 2009 at 10:53 am
Gentleman lets not forget al’s playing on one of the BEST VH songs ever recorded: “Girl Gone Bad.” The last 10 seconds of that song alone in goosebump material as far as drumming is concerned.
Also go back and watch the little jam session between al and ed during the US TOUR in 83′. What you see there is a prelude to what would eventually become that song…
Smokin!
July 2nd, 2009 at 11:53 am
AMEN Pete!
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:27 pm
DUCKY…you’re so right…I’ve always dug the drums at the conclusion of Girl Gone Bad. That whole song is just awesome, and certainly one of the heavier tunes from early VH. I had to spin that tune as soon as I read your comment…
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Top Jimmy
Shut up and get over yourself. The kid can sing. Did you even listen to him on “Dance the Night Away” or “I’m the One”. I was there bitch. Front row at NYC standing right in front of him (and right next to his hot mom!). The kid fucking rocks on the bass and sing those high falssetto parts just a well as Mike did. It’s not the same, it’s better. The kid is a Van Halen. Would you expect anything else!
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Pete….cool brother! Yeah…thats some stellar playin’ right there brother! That whole song gets mr pumped! Classic!
I think I’ll do the same and play it on the way home from work in my 70 chevelle babay!!! Rock on pete! Keep it LOUD!
Booger muncher…LOL! Funny guy you are! And cocky too!
Keep in mind though…that “blonde” is a grandma now!
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Got another for you guys who love al’s drummin!
How’s about’s: Outta Love Again!
Another kick ass song with a drum solo at the break.
So funny to think that at one time eddie played drums and al played guitar….who would’ve thunk!?
July 2nd, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Karl,
Thank god we had Mike’s spectacular backing vocals to cover up for the “disfiguring” of all those songs by Al. And his “solid” bass playing made up for that hack on the guitar! You people are f’n jokes! The band is called Van Halen, and not “Anthony” for a reason. Even Dave, who has an ego bigger than most, realized that Ed made the band what it was, and said the band should be named Van Halen. Dave was replaceable - by Sammy, Sammy is replaceable - by Dave, Mike is replaceable - by Wolf, and dare I say it, Al (who I think is one of the greatest drummers ever) could be replaced and it would still sound like Van Halen because of Ed’s sound. Ed is the only member of this band who isn’t replaceable. I love all eras of VH, but to say that it is not VH without Mike is a rediculous statement. Wolfgang did a great job on tour - I did not for one second miss Mike’s bass playing or backing vocals.
As many of the intelligent fans have said here - Mike and Sammy are happy in Chickenfoot, Ed, Al, Wolfgang, and Dave seem to be happy (at least we haven’t heard otherwise), so why don’t you all get over it and stop bitching!
Unfortunately this site seems to be overrun by EVH haters - I don’t understand why they just don’t stop coming here and go to the Chickenfoot website instead.
July 2nd, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Greg:
I think the bottom line is that pople understnad all of this, but would like to have seen Mike on the reunion tour. Thats all. Then they can all do whateverthefuck they want. To respond to someone else saying they were in front row in NYC and Wolf was Awesome next to his mom Val, etc. I saw the tour 3 times from First, Second and Fourth Rows. Val was near us too in San Jose. However, I agree I thought the kid did well for what it was. He played the parts and sang. However not only do I go to shows to hear the good music of VH but to be entertained as well. Watching Wolf was about as entertaining as watching paint dry. It is also rumored that Wolfs vocals were synthisized or something. Talented or not, he os only there because his name is Van Halen. As I mentioned once before on another blog, what would happen and woudl Ed and Al have this much control if Dave had not suggested using the name Van Halen? If they had stayed with Mammoth if they could or Trojan Rubber Company or whatever? Would be interesting to see how that would have panned out. Ad by the way, Dave did not suggest the name Van Halen because he thought Eddie made the band what it was. He just thought Van Halen was a cool and catchy name.
July 2nd, 2009 at 5:47 pm
RA 8 1 2,
Of course Wolfgang wasn’t very entertaining - he was 16 years old, playing on stage in front of tens of thousands of people with 3 rock legends - he was nervous, and not to mention, if he ran around stage acting like a fool, people would be criticising him for that! I saw them in Boston, and he more than held his own, and from what I have read, he was gradually coming out of his shell as the tour went on. He is not going to be the stage presence that Mike was, but that is not what most if not all of the critics are crying about, they are all saying that without Mike’s bass and background vocals that it isn’t VH. Most of the posters here weren’t just complaining about the reunion tour, they don’t want to see Mike out of VH period. And of course Wolfgang wouldn’t be there if his name wasn’t Van Halen, but Mike still wouldn’t be there - someone like Billy Sheehan would be and all of the Sammy and Mike fans would be bitching about that. No matter what the issue is, the Sammy fans would find something to find fault with Ed for.
It is what it is - Mike is now in Chickenfoot with Sammy and having a blast - Ed is the proud father playing in a band with his son - and there is hope on the horizon for a new VH album for the first time in a long time. For everyone who keeps bitching about it - GET OVER IT!
Also - Dave could have come up with any cool and catchy name - he knew that Ed’s gutiar playing was going to set VH apart from everyone else -I’m sure that it had some bearing on the decision to name the band Van Halen.
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:20 pm
To Greg
I agree with you on Eddie being the one that isn’t replaceable in Van Halen. But so is Alex!!! For your information it was Dave’s idea to call the band Van Halen, in honour of Alex. Alex was the leader, the boss; he basically was the manager in the early days of Van Halen. Check out the DVD ‘Van Halen Early Years’. If want further proof of how irreplaceable big Al is? Then I suggest you go on youtube and watch Mike playing with his VH cover band. The drumming doesn’t even come close, it’s all wrong!!! Even when Sammy’s band played Van Halen songs; the guitar is no way close enough, but who can emulate King Eddie anyway, but the drumming doesn’t even come close. Alex is one of the hardest to emulate and copy; it’s not all crash and bash!! Alex has a lot of finesse, explosive dynamics and flow to his playing. He can play on top of the beat or under it (almost dragging it!) Though I must admit in the early days Alex was bashing, crashing and rushing, but that’s a result of the truck load of Beer that he consumed!!!
and to Ducky/Dirty Duck
Amen!!! As a drummer ‘Girl Gone Bad’ is ULTIMATE BIG AL at his best!!! I’ve never heard a drummer play so within and without the guitar part. There is some scary stuff being played on that song by Alex. In fact 1984 was stated as Eddie’s coming of age (no arguments there!) but it also put Alex to the front. IMO everything that is best about Alex Van Halen is on 1984, it still sounds fresh 20+ years since it was released. Apart from the hit songs on 1984, it’s the other little gems that get better with time, Top Jimmy, House of Pain (tell me the double time part is classic power rock at its best!!) Drop Dead Legs… ah fuck it!! The whole damn album is classic Al!!!! My idol, my hero and a bro of the drumming brotherhood; Alexander ‘The Great’ Van Halen!!!!
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Who cares who wrote the songs, look at the Eagles, Don and Glen write pretty much everything, same with Kiss, Gene and Paul act a lot like Ed and Alex.
July 2nd, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Don’t get me wrong - I love Al - I constantly get in arguements with my buddy who is a big Rush fan about Alex vs. Neil Peart. I think Alex is one of the greatest drummers there are! I was just trying to make the point that Ed’s guitar is the key to the VH sound. Yes, I may have sold Alex a little short in trying to make my point - I was just trying to point out how dumb the comments are about how it’s not VH without Mike.
July 2nd, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Vanicionado , you need to pull your head out of your ass , the who ? nirvana ? motley crue? better drummers ? you must be on crack . The ONLY drummer that can claim more talent than big Al is Neil Peart . Do you even play drums , most likely not . Playing drums for 15 years , I can play anything from these so called great drummers you list , but i still have a hard time playing some of Pearts music . You make comments like a man with a paper ass .
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:44 am
Alex is amazing on Girl Gone Bad…you guys inspired me to get off my ass and throw in 1984. That critical attention to detail, actually referencing a song instead of relying on memory. Thank you. The end of Girl Gone Bad is a drum solo in itself. Which leads into House of Pain, with some unreal, uncommon drumming. Have you heard the bootleg Guitar Man? It has a 20 minute guitar and drum track with all the riffs and a long jam on Girl Gone Bad. At first I was not sold on it being Eddie. But I’m pretty sure it is. He didn’t realize it would be a boot some day, so there’s some dead time in between licks.
For those of you selling Mike short as expendable to the Van Halen sound, take a listen to Van Halen 1 again. His distinct high background vocal is all over the album. The first sounds of Van Halen that all of us heard, with Mike all over it. I will dare to venture to say that along with Ed’s unheard of guitar licks for the time period, Mike’s harmonies with the band were also a stand out and what many of us remember when we first heard VH. None of us realized it at the time and it maybe took years to realize, but that was the lowly bass player, largely responsible for that element of the Van Halen sound. To the guy that was trying to sell us on Wolfie…no offense Wolfie, but that’s just plain stupid. I don’t care if you were standing next to his Mommy sportin’ a woody the whole concert. Good for you – I hope you rubbed one out after the show. Trying to say he was better than Mike? Just STFU. Seriously.
For the record, I am glad Mike is with Chickenfoot. We’re getting to hear the Mike’s bass and vocals and it’ good. The icing on the cake – he’s appreciated. I think he’s where he needs to be. But he was and always will be, integral to the real Van Halen sound. Giving him any less credit is just bullshit.
Hey Duckey / Dirt Duck: My first car was a 1970 Chevelle Malibu. Paid exactly $1000 for it in 1986. An older woman had sitting in her garage for 10+ years cause she couldn’t drive anymore – only 32K miles. It could be worth $20K or more today if it was in the same shape. Sorry to get off track!
Back to VH… I’ve been following all of these threads for years. And I really have fun reading an occasionally posting. What I haven’t seen? And no one seems to be posting? The production and engineering. My humble opinion and observance…things went south when Eddie started leading the band in decision making – both band member wise and production wise.
July 3rd, 2009 at 3:46 am
Guys,
Alex is EDDIES BROTHER……BEEN WITH HIM SINCE THE DAY HE WAS BORN. I HAVE EVEN READ INTERVIEWS WHERE EDDIE HAS PRETTY MUCH STATED THAT HE RELIES HUGE ON ALEX AND HIS DRUMS FOR THE INSPIRATION FOR THE CLASSIC SONGS YOU LIST. I SUSPECT THAT EDDIE WOULD NOT HAVE WRITTEN HALF OF THE STUFF HE DID WITHOUT JAMMING THEM OUT WITH ALEX FIRST. AND I AM A GUITAR PLAYER, AND EDDIE DISCIPLE!!!!ALEX AND EDDIE ARE PRETTY MUCH ONE MUSICAL MONSTER. ONE COULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT THE OTHER
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:39 am
HEY DRUMMERS…I’ve seen Rush and VH a bunch of times. There is no question that the finest drummer in the world is Neil Peart.
That being said, my “favorite” drummer is still big Al.
There’s a difference between “the best” and your “favorite”, and I have to give the crown to Neil Peart. (His books are awesome too.)
I love watching Neil, and his restraint during his solo impresses me too. He doesn’t just bash, or go fast for nothing. It’s all musical.
That being said, I’ve always dug Alex’s groove, and especially, his snare sound. I think the best audio capturing of his drum sound was on FUCK…from Zep to VH no one captures a rhythm section like Andy Johns.
DUCKY…”Out of Love Again”…another tasty choice…so I had to play that one too!!!!!!!!!!! You have an ear for classic drums! How about the breakdown part in “Light Up The Sky”…very rhythmic.
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:50 am
Whats the deal with bashing wolf? I dont get it.
When I was 16 years old I was still playing nintendo
when not outside playing baseball! I couldnt even imagine
doing what that kid does. I salute him. It takes a lot to be that age and stand in front of 1000’s and play….especially when ALL EYES are on you cause you’re “you know who’s” son.
I’d rather watch him play a REAL instrument, then watch a bunch of kids play guitar hero like a bunch of goof balls.
The truth is fella’s…we’re not as young as were were. Seeing someone like wolf live out many of our wildest dreams can make us feel our ages. But look at it this way…like him or not, if it wasnt for this kid..there would have NEVER been a reunion tour with roth…period! Wolf was the one that got eddie listening to the old material again. And that right there…started the spark.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:18 am
I certainly agree the “Kid” needs some stage presence. He was 16! I love Mike, but he is replaced vocally and offered nothing else, quite frankly.
On another note, Ed often credited his sound to Al and his snare. He also said that many of his riffs were inspired by Al’s drumming. I do not think VH would continue without Al. However, it will continue once the “Kid” matures. My kids will be listen to new VH stuff, hopefully, for their entire lifetime.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:21 am
CA1984
right on about those drums! As my name infers, Fair Warning is best LP. That includes Al’s drumming on just about every track. I happen to really lover everything drummer wise on side 2!
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:38 am
Fair Warning DOES sound great, especially the rhythm section. The clarity of Al’s drums and the uniqueness of his tone comes through on the intro to “Dirty Movies” especially.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:39 am
QUESTION: Does anyone know why Michael MacDonald shares co-writing credit on “I’ll Wait”? He doesn’t in the credits of 1984, but does in the credits of The Best of Both Worlds. I can’t imagine that “I’ll Wait” infringes on anything of the Doobie Brothers, so if you have an answer, I’m very curious.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:16 am
Pete…I’m thinking maybe it was a favor from producer ted templeman at the time? Or vice versa? Keep in mind 1984 was the last album with roth and from what i read from both camps, was a tough process to get through.
Just a thought…
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Hey Fair Warning!
It really pains me to say which is my favourite Van Halen album, I love everything Alex does!! But IMO I didn’t really like Balance, and VH 3 would have been better had Alex’s drums sounded like the FUCK album! But I must agree with you that the Fair Warning album was Big Al at his most brutal, dark/sexy/blues groove, and most creative!! ‘Sinner’s Swing!’ ‘Mean Street’ ‘Dirty Movies’ & ‘Unchained’ In fact I’d like to add Alex took some risks that others wouldn’t even dare try. That being said I still think 1984 is a masterpiece!! All the elements that are Van Halen are on that album!!
Here’s something that will fascinate you!! On Led Zeppelin’s live album ‘The Song Remains The Same’ the length of the song Dazed & Confused is the same length of Van Halen’s 1984 album!! CLASSIC!!!
July 4th, 2009 at 5:14 am
Pete
Love that song! I always wanted to see that played live. I am so curious how Ed gets those sounds. The drums are a perfect example of how brillant AVH really is. I also love sunday afternoon in the park. It is so simple but Al’s playing is so cool and makes the song - IMO
July 4th, 2009 at 9:40 am
So… from what I’ve gleaned from what I’ve read here is, in order to be able to properly critique any instrument played by anyone, you have to be proficient at said instrument? (barre entzminger)
That’s bogus.
I don’t play piano, but I know the difference when I hear someone who has mastered the “Turkish March” or someone who is butchering “Chop Sticks.”
That being said, I did infact play the drums as a kid. They were my brothers. And since we had so many kids in my family and little room in our house, the drums were phased out in favour of room. I’ve sat down at kits since then and can keep time still, but sadly, I’m not where I should be. But I guess that doesn’t qualify me to comment on anyone else’s drumming ability…
But I will.
“Atomic Punk”, “On Fire” and “Outta Love Again”… those blew me away when I first heard them. And of course, “Everybody Wants Some” and “Hot For Teacher” too, but where has Al been since? There’s that garbage drum solo on Balance.
But what else?
Someone made a comment that Alex can’t be duplicated? Sorry? Have you heard the drums on David Lee Roth’s “It’s Showtime!” Uhh… it’s like they ran it through the AVH Clone-O-Matic 3000. (Eddie is somewhat replicated on that song too.)
Sorry I ruffled those Sensitive Al-Lover’s out there, but I guess, like Mikey, in the the long wait between glimmers-of-hopes-of releases, I got bored. I actually explored the universe of music out there and found players who are not only on par, but far exceed my expectations of what I thought was solid rock n roll.
So… I’ll go pull my head out of my paper ass?? (I still don’t understand what that means)
As long as you go downtown and get that mullet removed from your head…
Long Live VH, may they release new material on us soon.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Interesting that the Neil/Alex thing came up. I love Peart’s playing. His solos are far superior to Al’s in terms of them being a complete piece of music. Al always seemed to just batter on until he did some cool South American thing on the 95′ tour. That being said, I prefer, by far, Al’s sound. Neil’s always seemed too tight to me. Al’s sound is like wood blocks being beaten with a 2X4. I can see the dust coming off them. It’s a strange feeling…I can actually SMELL it.
As for the production question that was brought up earlier…Eddie lost his sound in 98′. That 5150 II amp was terrible. He claimed it was the early sound. It could never be. The tubes weren’t the same to begin with. I remember hearing the 98′ show in Phili going…”What is that awful sound coming from Eddie?” That was my first inkling that Eddie was bullshitting me. I bought the amp anyway (as a fan does). I got it to sound ok. Channel 2 on the 5150 III is REALLY good, but the other channels are rough. I liked the Balance sound a lot, but I also like the VH2 straight up power tube distortion sound. That Marshall didn’t have EL-34’s in them either. GAWD…what were they? Anyone remember? If I was going for THAT sound I would find those tubes.
July 4th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Hey Fair Warning
Did you guys notice that on the “Live Right Here, Right Now” album during Mikes Bass solo, he plays part of “Sunday Afternoon ib the Park” and Al playes with him. Im sure you may have but I know how some people tend to skip over the bass solo on an album.
July 4th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Again “Dirty Duck” has it right. Rippin on Wolf I just don`t understand that. Any true V H fan watching Ed rockin out with his son would be over joyed.
And uncle Al well What`s understood dosen`t need to be discssed.Just the best of the best. I`v always loved his snare sound just awesome…
July 4th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
My comments are directed at questions Pete asked me much earlier - comparing Al and Mike musically. I wasn’t trying to do that. I guess I should have fleshed out my thoughts a little better but I assumed people knew about Van Halen’s working method.
According to everything Ed has said, the beginnings of many Van Halen tunes start with Ed and Al jamming. Anyone who plays guitar knows that if a drummer starts playing a beat you like, you find something to play along with. So many tunes developed in band formats start with a drumbeat.
But these guys are related to each other, so they are far more likely to have a no-ego musical partnership - which means Alex probably has an important hand in shaping tunes that end up as Van Halen songs.
This is all but confirmed by Alex pushing to have Light Up The Sky be a single for Van Halen II. If you sit down and listen to that tune, it’s a song a drummer had a hand in - lots of tight ryhthm changes.
That’s why Ed says he and Alex are Van Halen. Of course it’s not totally true, but Ed has been downplaying the role of Dave and Sammy for years.
But the one thing he has never had to compete with is Michael Anthony. If you notice, there are no musical disputes with Mike (he wanted to do this, we wanted to do that) - its all ‘what’s the best excuse to bounce this guy.’
So yes - Ed’s excuses are lame, but again - its his band and I support bringing another Van Halen into the mix. Ed and Alex were already a formidable team - imagine what another equal partner can bring to the table. Wolfie will have huge influence - he picked most of the set list - he’s going to keep Van Halen fresh - something Michael Anthony couldn’t do, even if given the chance. No offense, but the dude is old.
So really, Van Halen has never been stronger musically. All the pieces are in place: a happy musical unit, with David Lee Roth (and perhaps olfie) as producer/directors - its classic Van Halen with a new equal partner - Wolfie — to me, that seems like all up-side.
July 5th, 2009 at 6:19 am
Pete
re- Michael McDonald and ‘I’ll Wait’. I used to think that this was an error printed on the original 7-inch vinly label of the single (British version, but not on the American version - I have both - and McDonald was not on the credits of the vinyl 1984 album either). I thought that this was carried over and repeated on the compilation you mention. McDonald is noted on ASCAP’s database for the song - otherwise all 1984 songs are credited to Eddie, Dave and Alex. I think Mike got cut out in the mid-90s as a result of VH renegotiating their publishing (I think this was when Dave got screwed as well because that useless idiot Ray Danniels renegotiated without consulting him, so DD was left with a measly percentage of the publishing. Until he took VH to court - Dave spoke about it in interviews at the time). As far as Mike goes - I think they started out with an all for one attitude and split credit evenly amongst the band. Mike’s removal just reflects that they were getting proprietorial about who actually wrote the songs. If you read the excerpts of Hagar’s aborted biography (which is still floating around on the internet) then he is adamant that Alex and Mike did not co-write anything. I’d guess that Ed and Dave were the main songwriters. Anyway, you can search for song titles here at ASCAP and see writing credits:
http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?mode=search
and it tells you publishing credits and other artists who have covered the song, etc.
McDonald must’ve been hanging around in the studio - it’s possible Ted was working on a Michael McDonald solo record at the same time
July 6th, 2009 at 6:52 am
“Eddie lost his sound in 98?. That 5150 II amp was terrible”
Actually, Eddie lost his sound when he stopped playing crap lash -up guitars.
July 6th, 2009 at 7:11 am
greg, you might want to go back and read my post again. Yep, not a single mention of MA v Wolf or any of the other things you brought up in your post and certainly no Van Halen hating, just a simple statement to the effect that Al is sometimes too fond of his sizzling cymbals.
July 6th, 2009 at 7:25 am
BIFF MALIBU:
Yeah…I love my chevy brother. Bought it in mint condition back in 99′ for $3500. It’s a beaut. Just got it redone and repainted (10 years can do alot to an old car). Looks great!
What did you do with yours?
As far as al’s playing….D.O.A has another great ending with some sick guitars. As roth used to say: U knew when alex was knocking at your door cause all the “really good” classic VH songs end up faster then they started…
How true!
July 6th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
VERY COOL POSTS my brothers…thanks for shining a light on my question and/or sharing some very cool insights.
DUCK…good freakin’ point…1984 was pretty tough for all concerned, so it’s interesting to think of what might have happened there.
FAIR WARNING…you are so right about “Sunday Afternoon In The Park”…cuts like that are what I have always dug most about full albums vs. singles. I rarely find the singles more interesting than the rest of a “really good” album, and Fair Warning is F*&%in’ amazing.
VANICIONADO…you make some really interesting points! Though I don’t agree about Mikey, alot of your post had me either laughing along or nodding…or both!
RA8212…I freakin’ LOVE the fact that Mikey and Al teamed up on bringing “Sunday Afternoon In The Park” off the shelf and back into the limelight. It was a very inventive use of bass-solo time, and it really shone a light on what a cool groove that was to begin with. Very cool indeed…
FAMAC…very interesting too man…you know what you’re talking about.
JOHN…thanks for answering my question man!!!!!!!!!!! I think it’s pretty cool you can post an occassional question here and someone who is a bigger fan/nut than me can shine a light. Thanks for taking the time man…that’s really interesting!
Cheers guys,
Pete
July 7th, 2009 at 3:03 am
Most of you know this already but for those that don’t; mainly the Sammy lovers! “Sunday Afternoon In The Park” of Fair Warning album was NOT Michael Anthony playing bass, it was all King Eddie!!! Ed wasn’t to thrilled with Mike’s contribution from 1980 onwards. Eddie started doing or re-doing some of the bass parts, because what Ed was hearing and wanted in the song Mike couldn’t cut it!! Hell even when Sammy did his solo album soon after joining Van Halen he asked Eddie, rather than his best buddy Mike to play bass and produce!! I guess all you Sammy lovers must have freaked out that it was a new riff that Mikey come up with on his solo on the live album ‘Right Here, Right Now’. Settle down you poor lot, if only Mike could come up with a riff like Ed masterfully does, he would retire on a beach!!!
July 7th, 2009 at 5:22 am
Kudos to pete and his attitude on this website!
If only there were more like him around here….
July 7th, 2009 at 5:50 am
Good job Pete!!!
Finally, something positive to read!!
July 7th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Hey JimmyV8 It would be nice if Van Halen would do something you know kinda like the real king Sammy and his new band. Sam was the best thing to happen to Van Halen.
July 7th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Hey JimmyV8…you need to get your facts straight. Sammy was obligated to produce an album before his contract was done in being able to join VH. He was barely into a year with Van Halen when he asked Eddie to help him out. You make it sound like Mike & Sammy where best of buds in the begining which they were not. Another fact was Sammy and Mike didn’t get close until Sammy left/got fired Van Halen the first time.
July 8th, 2009 at 6:38 am
Thanks guys…
By the way, I think it’s extra cool to consider that Ed did “Sunday Afternoon In The Park” on a kids toy keyboard. If you can coax something cool out of something like that then that makes it EXTRA cool.
I really miss Eddie’s experimental whims like that. I hope he gets back into that.
July 8th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Yes, I agree with redarrow, Jimmy V8 Ed and Sammy were best buds. Sammy was not close to Mike then. Only at the end of the Balance tour when they shared a limo together and dressing room as the VH brothers were always smoking, etc. He became closer friends with Sammy after Sammy left VH. If Alex was sucvh a great drummer why didnt Sammy have Alex play on that album instead of David Lauser (sp). Same concept. He only asked Eddie to help. Im sure it was in the contract they did for his last album in order for Sammy to Join VH is Eddie had to participate in order to sell more records. Eddie actually did the little guitar solo part on Eagles Fly on that album too. (FYI)
July 8th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Word up Pete!
I totally agree with your comments about Eddie’s mess up point of view.
In the long run, we all want new Van Halen, hopefully sooner than later!
July 8th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
i think mike brought up some good points on the michael anthony debacle.if you read your overview it sounds like ed and al were treading a fine line between loyalty and business. they probably put it on the backburner and were careful to not pull the trigger to quickly, however michael anthony was making equal money to ed and al. eddie was staying up days in a row to make that classic music while mike was probably not working as hard.
pushtoshove- it just gets freakin old hearin the same ol’ song and dance. ex: ed’s lost it, ed’s to old now, ed’s nothing, ed’s a drunk. in the 80’s it was cool for the band to be drunk and or drink onstage and now that eddie doesn’t look 23 anymore it’s suddenly sad. i don’t condone alcoholism but the comments sound like jealous, hurtful comments instead of healing helpful ones.
also, does anyone who likes hendrix stuck in the 60’s? what if you like the who? does it mean your trapped in the 70’s? i wave my van halen flag high and am damn proud of it.
July 8th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
I worked the Paradise tour….played Steves guitars the night before he even did at rehearsals in Lakeland…..that was the best crew ever assembled for any tour that year and the band line up was absolute top notch….will never forget that crew….Tonto
July 12th, 2009 at 5:00 am
J5149.5…yes its true that mike was making equal money as ed and AL and not working as hard as eddie but niether was alex.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:37 am
John…
How was that tour? Was it as big as the “eat em’ and smile” ?
You must have some great stories man…
Not my favourite roth solo effort, but “good times” and
“hina” are STILL great tracks!
So i guess the big question would be: Did you get to meet roth?
Tell us some stories man! Im sure their are many like me who would love to hear em!
Get us away from the constant b.s. floating around here….