Producer John Shanks Confirms Working With Van Halen

lets play with this idea for a momment:
van halen play’s what late night show:

jay leno
david letterman
jimmy kimmel
conan o’brian

Great news for this new fan. I grew up after Roth left VH so I never knew classic VH until just 3 months ago when I was on youTube and by chance, I clicked on the Unchained live performance in ’81. I was instantly hooked and downloaded 40 Roth VH from iTunes. Classic VH is new music to me. Can’t wait for the new album and will see them on the next tour. One question … I read that DLR recorded 2 songs for Best of Both Worlds. Did those songs get released? I looked through the song list for the album and didn’t see anything new recorded by Roth.

van halen is going for the MONEY not the FAME…….

Van Halen Superbowl 2012! It’s damn time!

if it wasn’t for wolfgang THIS would NOT be happening, EDDIE still would be a drunk and doing dumb things, he cleaned up his act for HIS son and HIS life. THANK GOD FOR THAT.

Try the other way around Nige-
It`s Rick Rubin that needs =VH=!
Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes tells a good story
about him-Rubin semi-produced thier album & didn`t ask for any credit`cause he thought it wouldn`t sell.
After the 1st 100,000 copies or so, he put his name in the liner notes without telling the band.
Class Act.

A few ramblings…
First, at this point, any news about VH with ‘new music’ anywhere near their name is good news in my mind.

As for Shanks as a producer… the producer’s role is an odd thing and often varies from band to band. Sometimes the are more audio engineer (ala Parsons with Floyd). Sometimes they straight up co-write or ghost write the songs (as with a lot of bubble gum pop).

But in short the producers job is to take a rough song, like what you might hear the band play in a bar, and make it something you’d hear on an album. Often those are recording/mixing/engineering choices, often it’s suggestions ala ‘hey, try using that chorus as the middle 8 instead…’

But a GOOD producer’s job is to help make decisions in all the vagaries of how to record, mic placement, post recording effects, track length, tempo tweaks etc. that help the band sound most like themselves. To bring the best of what’s in them out of them.

Great example, listen to some live version of Unchained… that song lives and dies by tempo… it can be too fast and not as good… it can be too slow and not as good. Check me on that, hit up you tube.

As a (bad) musician, I know that anything I’ve come up with can be done a few different ways, and I often play my own songs faster or slower, wait, try that riff on acoustic etc. Ed has given us plenty of examples of that… the intro riff to his live solo put on acoustic and released as 3:16.. the Ripley guitar Demo showing up on Piano as Right Now… the outro to Jump being the basis of Standing on Top of the World… the fade out of Growth (final bit at the end of WACF) coming back as Baluchitherium…

I know a lot of these examples have years or decades between them, but a good producer should be the guy taking a riff or rough song and guiding it to either Growth or baluchitherium. (there is a longer live version of Growth out there somewhere for better contrast). It’s filling in those blanks and solidifying that wiggle room to turn a work in progress to ‘in the can’. Not to say the band doesn’t have a role as well. But a producer’s job, as I see it, is kind of mediator/facilitator/sounding board/outside perspective. And the good ones just bring the best of that artist out. The bad ones tend to like to put their stamp on everything (with a few exceptions, George Martin was all over Beatles albums, but no one seemed to mind )

Also, sometimes the producer is the ‘adult’ that keeps everyone on task and reasonably on schedule. I seem to recall even Ed saying that is something he desperately needs on an album.

Now whether Shanks will do well or not is yet to be seen, but honestly, the acts on his prior resume (and my dislike of some of those) doesn’t really weigh in on how he will do with this group. For all we know, he is a hard core fan just like all of us that has been dying to work with a REAL rock group instead of this pop garbage he has been stuck with to pay the bills.

What I’d guess he WON’T be doing is telling Ed and Company ‘what’s what’ and ‘how it’s done’.

I could be wrong, but I’d assume one of the fastest ways to get your arse tossed from a studio would be to tell a musician of Ed’s stature and ability ‘no, no, that’s all wrong, play it THIS way…’

But it was a producer (Templeman) that heard Ed warming up before a show and heard a track in that wild guitar solo we know (And some of us worship) as Eruption. Ed never considered that for the album, was just noodling… Ted said ‘wait a minute, what was that you were just playing?!?’. To me, THAT is a producers job.

So in short, I am trusting the guy’s judgement and giving Shanks the benefit of the doubt even if I see some names on his resume I don’t like.

As for the silence, well… this is a band that has been through line up changes, drug and alcohol abuse, rehab… even with just Roth they have formed, broken up and tried to get back together several times. 1997, allegedly 2001… I mean, isn’t there even an entire 2nd Cherone album that is yet to see the light of day? My point being, it’s volatile. Recording and having a producer doesn’t really mean anything. It means they are working. But if it doesn’t work out and no new album comes of it, well… they didn’t promise anything did they? But if they hold a press conference proclaiming ‘heard you missed us, we’re back!!! New album on April 15th!!’ after having 7 songs finished, a few ideas… and then everything goes to hell, Ed and Dave start brawling in the studio etc…. now it’s a disaster. And time for another ‘best of’ with a few new tracks

by not announcing officially, they can still keep expectations a bit low. IN CASE it all blows up tomorrow. When the album is finished enough that they are certain it WILL be finished is the safe time to issue a statement I think. The hints, winks and nods are really there because it’s the one question all the fans want answered.

As for how it will sound… man, what a catch 22. First full album with Roth in (sit down for this) TWENTY SEVEN YEARS. If it sounds like a follow up to 1984 and Fairwarning, some fans will be thrilled, others will complain about how it just retreaded the same old stuff and how ridiculous singing about fast cars and loose women is when in your 50′s is. And if it’s really edgy and experimental… people will complain about how it sounds nothing like the old VH they loved and expected. So, to somehow conjure the old magic, while still sounding fresh… with THAT much time elapsing… that is no easy task.

And my own opinion on how that should shake out is worthless here. I am a die hard. I even liked a lot of VHIII (but sorry, even I can’t behind ‘how many say I’). I will buy anything Ed puts out. I mean, how many times have I bought a porn… for the freakin’ soundtrack?!? (and was happy to do so, Catherine easily makes a top 10 EVH/VH list in my book)

And as for Ed putting his name on gear… hey, if it’s good gear… (I LOVE my 5150 combo… and might be thinking about this new 50 watt 5150 III…)

Anyway, just my 2 cents on some of the points I saw being made in the comments.

MIKEY`s GONE kiddies…
QuitcherBitchin!!!!
Live in the Future
Not the Pasture!!!

Let’s Rock: Ted Templeman produced the Doobie Brothers new album. I have to say, Eddie hasn’t let us down before(well other than VH3 according to some fans) I don’t think he will now. If he went with John Shanks, there’s a good reason.

If you’ve already decided you hate something, then you probably will anyway.

Cant wait….seen them twice before & I am sooo ready for some more!!

@voodoo.child
“how many times have I bought a porn… for the freakin’ soundtrack?!?”
haha, that’s awesome!

all you fuckers should quit bitchin about the producer- shut up and get a life and be happy they are making a record.

i consider myself a fan off the van halen music…..i like it………….its cool…….something about a van halen song and a nice summer night, windows down, driving around……………………………eddie is fun to listen to…….alex got a nice drum sound………..im interested………..so. im hoping new music- soon………..but this band is notorious for obstacles………………..saw namm videos, eddie looks healthy……like the long hair look on him…….makes me feel like he’s eddie again……..janie did a good job perhaps, ya know? shaping him up…………woman can either destroy you or make you…….i hope there are some really old demos on this new release…….sounded good then , now it would sound killer with technology and all………i have a headache, must lay down. hey van halen- thanks for the music.

@ voodoo. child – No, phillster was talking about me. LOL. I am prone to posting very long winded rambling comments. I’m glad you posted yours, makes me not seem quite as weird for always posting such long ones.
btw I read the whole thing, Good post man. I can relate to the rambling mindset you have and it’s nice to not be the dude with the longest comments every once in a while, haha.

I might as well put my two cents in about Shanks while I’m at it, what the hell. I wasn’t gonna post anything, but since phillster took a potshot at me I might as well.

If I only go by who Shanks’ produced, i.e. all of the pop artists people have posted here, Shanks definitely wouldn’t have been my choice (if I was given the choice for some odd reason) to pick a producer for the next VH album. Having said that though, I don’t really know anything about Shanks except for what has been posted here. So obviously the guys in VH know something that I don’t. I have been hanging on to the little bit of faith that VH would make a new album with Roth for years now, so I guess it’s just par for the course that I put a little more faith in VH that they picked the right producer for what they are trying to achieve on the next album.
I’m not a music producer, but it seems plausible that a very talented producer could be capable of producing several different genres of music. The biggest thing to me would be knowing if he is TRULY a fan of Hard Rock and he would have to prove it to me after seeing some of those people he’s previously produced, eeesh.
He does have a Pink Floyd shirt on though, so that’s definitely a good sign to me.

Like a few others here, Rick Rubin popped in my head. I think he is a very talented, well rounded producer. He did wonders for Johnny Cash late in his career, helping to get him back on top again after the country community turned their back on him. Rubin helped introduce Cash to a new demographic and generation and helped him be “cool” and gain more success/popularity again. (He was Always cool to me, Johnny Cash is the fucking shit)
btw phillster I didn’t hear that story about Rubin and the Crowes. If that’s true then that is pretty weird and kind of shitty. But if he produced it, then I guess he deserves the credit.
But anyway his resume includes the likes of Tom Petty, RHCP, Audioslave, Slayer, NIN, etc., etc. Compare that with Shanks work, just sayin’ (To be fair, Rubin has had a couple of stinkers too…Limp Bizkit, UGH!)
But I guess at this point in VH’s history, should any of us complain about new music (or the production of it, rather) Hell No! My God, in reality at this point I don’t care who produces their album. I just want a new VH album to play incessantly until my stereo gives out or until my wife breaks the CD over my head.
I’m just shooting the shit for the sake of shooting the shit.
Another cool choice would’ve been Vinnie Paul. I’ve been nominating him here at VHND for Chickenfoot after hearing about the possible absence of Chad due to his obligations with the Chili Peppers. But Vinnie is also a producer and a Big Van Halen fan. Can you imagine how he would’ve made Alex’s drums sound?
Talk about believing in the power of thundering big guitars (Dimebag Darrell anyone?) And Big Bass Drums…C’mon!!

Anyway I better stop while I’m ahead, don’t wanna outdo voodoo.child.

voodoo child, that was more than your two cents…that was at least a buck fifty!!

Here’s to hoping we actually do get a new album out of VH sometime this year!!

meet US in the FUTURE not the PAST.

doesnt matter who the producer is if eddie doesnt come up with some good songs, the old saying ” you cant turn chicken shit into chicken salad” comes to mind, vh are professionals if the album isnt good its there fault!!!! not the producers… and “tim” me wise magic placed on the mainstream rock singles chart not the top forty, im just not as excited for this album like i would have been 10 yrs ago or 1996 when this tour and album should have happened!, the last song by vh i liked was humans being, the two roth songs on best of volume 1 were ok mwm was kinda good, sorta ok but not great,and the other one was just tired sounding and had a pete frampton talk box solo!!!! pretty gay!!!! and the songs they did with hagar on best of both worlds were the same way all lame and not catchy at all!!!, cant imagine that people other than vh crazies “really” though they were actually good song, but i still hold out hope that this new album will come out and have a couple hit singles and change my perception of vh back to how great i used to think they were

A) Happy Birthday Ed “Benjamin Button” Van Halen!

B) It’s terribly easy to dismiss all of the views of the “perfect producer selection peanut gallery” but I am also troubled by the “One more, then, none more” crowd. Are these people familiar with the Rolling Stones? The future holds many uncertain line up options. Al may tap out from neck/back trouble and the big W may take over on drums. We could see Mike again or Billy Sheehan or neither. We will never know just what direction the comet known as “Van Halen” is heading, but no matter who is a part of it, no matter what members of past, present and future line-ups get involved, it’s never going to flame out and you all know it. Now, if only this comet would make more frequent stops on Earth than it has in recent decades.

One more reason to live!
May another grow to hear real talent again…

@Tim and Tater Salad
Thanks a lot! I found both “Me Wise Magic” and CGTSNM on iTunes and YouTube.

@Tim
The VH demo tracks are great. Let’s Get Rockin’ is especially good. They sounded like veteran rockers even before cutting their first album. Roth has one of the most distinctive voices in rock.

Here in Denver…we have a rock station that plays the latest and greatest which is what I usually listen to and then we have two classic rock stations. The one that I usually listen to was on a commercial so I switched it to one of the classic rock stations and they were gettin ready to play three VH songs cause of EVH BD, they played Runnin With the Devil, Poundcake, and Pretty Woman and the DJ was talking about how VH is currently in the studio with DLR recording a new album…which was cool to hear them talk about it on the radio.

What album was Pouncake on??? cause it sounded like shit compared to the other two songs. I honestly don’t know because I didn’t follow the Van Hagar era and I was reminded today of why not.

After listening to the three songs, I turned it to the other classic rock station and I swear on everything that the DJ was talking about EVH BD and how they are currently in the studio making a new album with DLR and then he played Where Have All the Good Times Gone.

The word is out for sure!

51504VH: Poundcake is on For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. I like the drums on it, for some reason they just really sound cool to me.

Can’t wait!!!! Thank you Rock God! My prayers have been answered!!

ME WISE MAGIC n CGTSNM are great songs !!!, now they wld be great live The rythem guitar in both of them is fantastic , Daves voice is a bit thin in CGTSNM.

I do think ed has written far too many differant parts for these songs which distracts from the overall songs, shorter songs wld have been better , instead we got long intro/outros

ITS ABOUT TIME , UP FOR BREAKFAST , LEARNING TO SEE , the first two are great bar the stupid lyrics for UFB. i cld live without LEARNING TO SEE , its ed trying to write an epic stairway to heaven , which he has never been able to do , SAME WITH YEAR TO THE DAY (ruined by cherones screaming) , same thing with HAGAR .

Compare both lots n you see ROTH has a hell of a lot more character then HAGAR even though HAGARs voice has held up better .

Short sweet songs with ROTH will be a hit .

The local radio station in sydney is saying VH will tour june/july

THE ISSOLATED GUITAR TRACK FOR SOMEBODY GET ME A DOCTOR , IS AMAZING!!!!!! IMAGINE SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON THE NEW ALBUM PLEASE ED!!!!!!!!!