Q&A with Sammy Hagar autobiography author Joel Selvin

April 26, 2011 240 Comments

Examiner.com conducted a rare interview with Joel Selvin, the author of Sammy Hagar’s bestselling autobiography, Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock. Excerpts are below.

One milestone that Sammy’s always stood by—and it appears again in Red—that I’ve always been confused by is his insistence that he sold more records with Van Halen than David Lee Roth, but an RIAA search reveals that, as of 2004, Roth’s era of recordings has outsold Sammy’s by a nearly 2:1 margin, 34 million vs. 18 million. Where is Sammy getting his data from?

I’m not informed on the sales issues.

Have you read David Lee Roth’s 1997 memoir, Crazy from the Heat? Did that play any part in how you did or didn’t want to approach telling Sammy’s story?

I read ‘em all, but Sammy isn’t very interested in David Lee. I referred to a Van Halen biography, Everybody Wants Some, from time to time.

In your opinion, what were Dave’s greatest strengths and weaknesses as a member of Van Halen? How about Sammy’s?

No comment on Dave—no knowledge. Sammy obviously drove that band to some very fine musical and commercial peaks.

Even in the book, it’s still unclear as to whether Sammy was fired from Van Halen or left on his own accord in 1996. What’s the truth?

Funny word, truth. Sammy has his story. The Van Halens have theirs. Nobody seems to have the whole story. Ever see Rashomon?

Sammy also reveals a keen mind for business, opening celebrated bicycle shops, a travel agency, and of course his south of the border-themed tequila brand and restaurants. Do you think Jimmy Buffett had more of an influence on him with the latter two than Sammy lets on in the book? Do you know if he’s ever heard from Buffett about this?

Jimmy Buffett wishes he thought of the tequila first.

Filed Under: David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar, Van Halen

Shayne

@hubcap

Well if you had a big 4×4 with a 454 under the hood and traded it in for a Smartcar it would not matter which direction you wanted to go… you would certainly no longer be able to go up any 4×4 roads up the side of a mtn at speed….you would be driving down the paved streets a 30 mph.

All in good fun dude!!!
Roth_Leaps_83

@VH4 —

“Everyone got Van Hagar – pimply teens, angry loners, fat housewives…Dave for Sam? It was like replacing a perfect 24oz porterhouse steak with a shitty cheeseburger and saying it`s just as good, why can`t you love them both the same?”

LOL…..that’s what always makes me chuckle about the Hagar crybabies. They absolutely insist everyone in here love Roth-era and Sammy-era equally the same. How does this make any sense? Music is something you judge like anything else — such as food, movies, cars, women, etc. I will never like Van Hagar music as much as I love Roth-era, and I’m proud of that. The Van Hagar sheeples in here realize they are defending inferior music, so they need to front a Communist attitude to make themselves seem relevant.

@Strung Out —

“As of late I’ve been very let down by Sammy, and frankly I’m disgusted that he thinks his chances of rejoining VH are in the 90%+ range. David has been destined for this reunion from the get go, and as much as I enjoy the incarnations that followed 1984, I do not want Hagar back in the fold. Especially after the way he’s been running his mouth. I find it repulsive that he can joke about the racy subject matter of his autobiography (btw, Joel Selvin is a hack), and his jab at Cherone was uncalled for and unfair. Cherone has always been humble about his tenure in VH and Hagar has tried to buddy up with him numerous times, so I don’t know why he’s throwing his “brother” under the bus. Moral of the story: DLR is classier than Hagar by leaps and bounds, and always will be. Sure, those two have their share of mudslinging on their hands, but Dave knew when to move on. Hagar is grasping at straws and making an ass of himself. I like Chickenfoot but I know VH’s new album will blow IV out of the water, and RIGHTFULLY so. It’s f***ing Van Halen!”

It’s nice to see a Hagar fan finally living in a world of truth and seeing Sam for what he really is. My hatred of Sammy has increased exponentially in recent weeks because of the blatant way he is dissing Eddie, Dave, and even Cherone. His behavior is sickening even some of you Hagar followers — that’s how bad it has become. I welcome your honesty. Maybe you can talk some sense into these last few remaining Hagar apologists like Kayser, 5152, Motorscooter, and others who are still sipping too much of the red KoolAid LOL.
Halen High

motorscooter says:
“Rothleaps what you and the other diehards dont acknowledge is I admit sammys shortcomings. While you and some others very rarely ever acknowledge Roth or Eds flaws. I wish we had more Roth fans like Freddiesgirl and others.”

No – I have been a major critic of Eddie and Alex for the choices they made after Dave left. No one forced Eddie to hire Sammy, and it was Eddie who wrote the music – so much of it uninspired and forgettable.
Jeremy(Hagar Apologist)

Roth_Leaps_83,

You are a sad and pathetic little man dude! Once again, you call people who voice their opinions on here as “dummies, sheep, apologists, Quagmires,(which by the way gets a ton of ass) and among other school boy antics.

Your “fact” statement is like a dirty ring around a toilet bowl which you spew your shit from.

Being a VAN HALEN FAN is just that a fan. From the time I saw the original Van Halen open up for Ted Nugent here in Michigan all the way up to 2004, I’ve flown the flag like no other fan. But being a fan means I’m not objective to just one era and tear down everything else. I sit here on this site and read every article they post to remember days past, not to try and erase the past like some do or want to.

I asked you point blank to find me ONE ARTICLE on here where a fan is tearing on Dave as much as you do Sammy. It has nothing to do if Dave is better than Sammy or vice versa, I want to see the article. There isn’t one because a TRUE FAN OF VAN HALEN doesn’t do that sort of shit. Yes we have issues with this band and we have a right to say what we want, but your hatred and blatant disrespect for Sammy is boderline on the verge of insanity.

You seem to know an awful alot about this guy to his book to everything. You quote Feels So Good to Sinners Swing as to who would listen to what and it’s like comparing apples to oranges. They’re both good tunes and that’s the end of it. You have not ONE TIME admitted that your boy Dave AND Eddie ruined this band by clashing egos. My dig at Dave AFTER he left Van Halen is he just didn’t have anything left in the tank as an artist to make it beyond Van Halen. Eddie and Alex have said in the past they were tired of Dave’s act and look what Dave did when Eddie went into another direction? He took his ball and went to another playground only to find out that he was a boy among men.

You also like to say Dave is the greatest frontman alive and he’s up there, but he’s no musician. You mention this and I fell out of my chair laughing:

“LOL, yeah OK there, dummy. I’m sure Eddie, Alex, Mike carried Dave his whole career. After all, he was only in Van Halen because he owned a PA system. I guess that’s why so many 80?s rock frontmen emulated Dave — their dream was to be a PA owner. We can just dismiss all the other stuff Dave did because he was “carried” by the other 3 dudes — such as the cool thoughtful lyrics, amazing roundhouse kicks and split jumps, hilarious jokes and interviews, memorable stagewear, FU attitude to the critics and naysayers, legendary videos, awe-inspiring adventures around the world, timeless appeal, etc, etc. All of that pales in comparison to the Red Rockin’ Fraud, eh? Sammy is cool because he stole a beach bum image from Jimmy Buffett? Wow, impressive, kiddo. Dave cant possibly be that cool.”

So in order to be cool in a band you have to do roundhouse kicks, wear assless chaps, saying crap in interviews that makes no sense just to sound cool, and being obnoxious? Also what is the timeless appeal thing? His act died and dried up after Eat EM and Smile dude. I saw that tour and all he did to impress me was rip on Van Halen while Vai and Sheehan stood there looking at each other in disust. Funny those guys up and left him not to long after that huh? Timeless appeal my ass!

All Dave has on his resume is Van Halen which is a great thing to have but then what Leaps? What does he have that is better or greater than Sammy? Sammy has Van Halen on his resume as well and has just a little more accolades than Dave does. Is it the “brown sound” from 78-85? Is it the “thoughtful lyrics” as you have mentioned or his awesome videos that sets him apart from Sammy?

Well, if you remember right, all the stuff you mentioned was purely all about Dave and Dave only. Eddie, Alex, and Mike just wanted to play music and let the music do the talking. You think those guys liked doing that shit all the time when Dave would say “hey Ed, wear those candy cane socks cuz they will make you play better, to hey Mike, where those overalls to show your a man of the people look?”

I mean this whole band as I’ve said before has lied to ALL OF US and they still do. What you fail to realize and fathom in your DLR nut sack brain is you make yourself look like a giant ass for posting on a Sammy article each and every day. I’ve sat here as well as others who read you Hitler propaganda and we scratch our heads going “who the fuck is this guy to be a crusader against Sammy Hagar?”

Are you going to put on your Dave wig, get out your ass less chaps and spandex with your indian headdress and facepaint and have the CVH logo shined into the air and ride down on your giant inflatable microphone to Cabo and crush Sammy Hagar for his blasphemy of his book about the things he said? I mean that’s what I think of you and your retarded rants on EVERY ARTICLE THAT DOESN’T PERTAIN TO CVH!

Do I agree with what Sammy said in his book? I wasn’t there and in all honesty, only he knows as well does those who were around. To call Dave gay in his book was wrong, but the way Dave was acting AND wearing, bright blue spandex, would raise a flag by anybody especially in the late 90′s where being gay was out and accepted. I’ve enjoyed Van Halen’s music for 30 plus years no matter who was singing. Some songs on VH3 were ok but it’s not in my rotation on my iPod. The stuff Adam points out has some merit and in all honesty could be wrong to a point. But the biggest FACT you don’t admit to is that Montrose influenced Van Halen and if you knew anything about Van Halen, you would know that Warner Brothers wanted to replace Dave with Sammy back in 78. Do your research and you will see I’m right. It’s also in the book Everybody Wants Some or is that book full of lies as well because it paints Dave in a different light than you have him in on your wall still?

You can call me all the names you want, it only proves your mentality is that of a turd floating in the toilet. If you despise Sammy so much, quit coming to his articles man! It’s that simple and quite easy. But you like to waste YOUR time by being a one legged man in an ass kicking contest. Hurts falling down all the time huh?

Change your moniker on here to ROTH_LEAPS_83(ROTH APOLOGIST AND JOCK SNIFFER)

Myself and others love 78-85 with Dave hands down! I just realized when he did Crazy From The Heat EP he was done in Van Halen. How old were you when that went down? Proved to me Van Halen was on the skids and his insistence to do it only made him look more the fool walking away from Van Halen!

Do yourself a favor and be like Dave so more and walk away from this arguement like he did Van Halen!
freddiegirl

I don’t have to much more to add but I can admit one thing..
Ed most certainly isn’t without his faults; he’s a flawed human being as we all are. I’ve long since accepted that not only did Dave leave because he wanted to do other things but also because he didn’t like the direction the band was going. And…he also stated that he felt that Ed and Al’s addictions at the time were becoming absolutely toxic and that they showed no signs of stopping…and he didn’t want to be around for it. I understand that completely having lost contact with friends due to various addictions and losing a friend quite literally to heroin addiction. However…because Ed’s my fav member of the band and always has been since I heard him on VH1 at eight years old I give him more of a pass than either Sam or Dave. Call it blind love. And that there is as honest ad it gets!

One more thing…CVH is the best..my fav band of all time but Sam did fit better with the direction Ed and the gang decided to take. That’s all Ed. And to be fair to Sam he may not have really known what he stepped into as far as the addictions and destructive behaviour goes. Sam helped to keep VH going when they might very well have imploded. Later interviews with Dave suggest they would’ve. I think any VH fan can admit that.

Now I’m going out jogging/walking and to enjoy the beautiful day with CVH on my Ipod…I think I’ll play WACF today! And maybe some Pantera too…
the sandman

Jeremy(Hagar Apologist) says:

“You seem to know an awful alot about this guy to his book to everything. You quote Feels So Good to Sinners Swing as to who would listen to what and it’s like comparing apples to oranges. They’re both good tunes and that’s the end of it. You have not ONE TIME admitted that your boy Dave AND Eddie ruined this band by clashing egos. My dig at Dave AFTER he left Van Halen is he just didn’t have anything left in the tank as an artist to make it beyond Van Halen. Eddie and Alex have said in the past they were tired of Dave’s act and look what Dave did when Eddie went into another direction? He took his ball and went to another playground only to find out that he was a boy among men.”

You also like to say Dave is the greatest frontman alive and he’s up there, but he’s no musician.”

Wow. Lets see. 1 Platinum EP, 2 Platinum Albums, 1 Gold Album, 1 Platinum Video. Yea, poor Dave. He didn’t do anything after Van Halen. Of course, 99% of all musicians would consider that a great career. And take it from someone who followed Van Halen their whole career, David Lee Roth, in his prime, was THE MAN among boys. He may not be your cup of tea, but Dave is definitely one of the greatest frontmen of all time.
Roth_Leaps_83

@Jeremy the (unapologetic) Hagar Apologist —-

LOL….why you so angry, brah? The USS Sammy is swirling down the toilet and you’re clinging on tighter than a barnacle!

“To call Dave gay in his book was wrong, but the way Dave was acting AND wearing, bright blue spandex, would raise a flag by anybody especially in the late 90?s where being gay was out and accepted.”

Tight blue spandex was the norm in 80′s rock, brah. You just labeled every rock frotman from Vince Neil to Jon Bon Jovi as “gay” — and yet you’re so ignorant of how much pussy those “gay” guys scored. DUMB, BRAH.

“But the biggest FACT you don’t admit to is that Montrose influenced Van Halen and if you knew anything about Van Halen, you would know that Warner Brothers wanted to replace Dave with Sammy back in ’78. Do your research and you will see I’m right.”

Wow, you Hagar sheeples seem pretty desperate to tell the world how much Montrose influenced early VH. Newsflash for ya, bub — there were HUNDREDS of bands who influenced early VH. It was a very diverse mix of influences based on the wide array of covers VH was doing in the clubs — stuff from Cream to KC & Sunshine Band to KISS. Yet somehow, Montrose rose above them all, eh? DELUSIONAL.

Who cares if there were a couple WB suits who wanted to replace Roth? That happens with every band, dumbo. There’s always some record company geek who thinks he’s the shit and can out-think everyone else. Roth doesn’t appeal to everyone and I’m sure some pencil-necked assholes at WB were probably jealous Dave was getting so much pussy for being an un-signed act that they wanted to get some revenge. Dig deep enough and you will hear these kind of stories about the beginnings of any good band. Besides, who gives a shit about what may have happened in a WB boardroom 35 yrs. ago? Last time I checked, Roth-era VH had six multi-platinum albums produced in 7 years, along with six phenonemal sold-out world tours. Whoever suggested Roth be replaced is probably still working the Burger King drive-thru.
Tater Salad

Hmmm….now it’s not Sam vs. Dave, it’s Roth Leaps vs. Hagar Apologists!! Some of you guys are just as bad or worse than Roth Leaps because of what you’re saying about him… I don’t mind it when people say they like both eras or prefer one over the other, but when you start implying that Hagar is what made CVH sucessful, it bothers me. He kept Van Halen relevant, yes. And yeah they released good music. But CVH was it’s own beast and it sold itself. Please don’t try to rewrite history.

As for who left Van Halen in 85 and 86, I think both times it was mutual. 85 from what I gathered Dave wanted to do a movie, the bros wanted to release an album, they parted ways. 96, sounded to me like the bros wanted to work, Hagar wanted to not work. So the bros brought back Dave because he was willing to work and Van Hagar was no more(until 2004). Hagar may be more active in the past 10 years but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have a bad work ethic at the time. (on a side note I think VH3s lack of success coupled with divorce, addiction, and a failed tour in 04 is what we can blame the lack of activity on in the past 10 years). This is what I’ve gathered from interviews I’ve read.

I know, it’s only rock and roll, but I like it
whambamsam

Back to the actual article and interview…

That was the worst interview I’ve EVER read. Terrible questions, and even worse answers…

Sam’s book was a pretty good read, but I thought it could’ve had plenty of more exciting stories (like Keith’s book had in it), and it got a little boring at times – now I know why.
temple5150

@ Roth_Leaps_83:
“I will never like Van Hagar music as much as I love Roth-era, and I’m proud of that.”

See scene from “Dumb and Dumber”:

LLOYD: Come on, give it to me straight. I drove a long way to see you, the least you can do is level with me. What are my chances?

MARY: Not good.

LLOYD: You mean not good, like one out of a hundred?

MARY: I’d say more like one out of a million.

LLOYD: So you’re telling me there’s a chance?

Sooooo…Roth_Leaps_83 you DO like Van Hagar? ha

@ =VH=Rob:
I just think it’s funny to see people argue over lead singers when 3/4 of the band are the same people from day 1. I am glad to see on these latter posts people mentioning that — Mike, Al, and Eddie are the constants in this circus. It was Eddie who started taking the music in a new direction and there’s been a LOT of debate of whether Roth’s pipes could have done what Sammy’s did for that particular era of Van Halen (and contributed to why Dave scooted).

I myself am looking forward to the new(old) incarnation of Van Halen, but alas we’re back to the 3/4′s equation…are we going to bash them because it’s Wolfie, not Mikey on background vocals — probably not. But let’s face it Mikey’s contribution to harmonizing was pretty great…

Let’s welcome this new era with an open mind, much like the Sammy era (new fans/old fans) welcomed him when Dave walked away. I myself can’t wait — not only to see what Eddie’s been up to, but to see if Dave still has his pipes (which, after the 2007 tour has me hopeful).
Halen High

Strung Out says:
“As of late I’ve been very let down by Sammy, and frankly I’m disgusted that he thinks his chances of rejoining VH are in the 90%+ range. David has been destined for this reunion from the get go, and as much as I enjoy the incarnations that followed 1984, I do not want Hagar back in the fold. Especially after the way he’s been running his mouth. I find it repulsive that he can joke about the racy subject matter of his autobiography.”

Sammy should retire. He is 63 YEARS OLD and even his one true strength, power vocals, have long faded. And it wasn’t only Eddie who inspired the shocking reviews of 2004. Sammy was singled out in many press reviews for being overweight and lacking energy.

His recent tirades against Van Halen are those of a very bitter and twisted guy. Can you imagine if he was brought back? He has generated so much anger, even among many of those who tried to accept him, that it would be impossible. With all the animosity towards him now, the memories of 2004 and those awful new songs and shows, and now with all the EVH/VH bashing – I think they would struggle to sellout 3000 seat venues.
Halen High

Tater Salad says:
“Some of you guys are just as bad or worse than Roth Leaps because of what you’re saying about him.”

I was thinking the same thing.
Halen High

whambamsam says:
“Back to the actual article and interview…

That was the worst interview I’ve EVER read. Terrible questions, and even worse answers…”

I thought the questions were okay – the answers were barely worth publishing.

“Sam’s book was a pretty good read, but I thought it could’ve had plenty of more exciting stories (like Keith’s book had in it), and it got a little boring at times – now I know why.”

I read excerpts of Keith’s book and some of it was VERY interesting. Sounds like I should buy it.
whambamsam

Keef’s book is awesome – great stories, no punches pulled – he even gives some tech talk for guitar players. Only the very last chapter gets a little slow.
=VH=OZ MAN

@ Halen High. I couldn’t agree with you more. This jerk who wrote Sammy’s book is an ignorant idiot!!
Question: In your opinion, what were Dave’s greatest strengths and weaknesses as a member of Van Halen? How about Sammy’s?
Authors answer: No comment on Dave—no knowledge. Sammy obviously drove that band to some very fine musical and commercial peaks.

WTF?!!! No knowledge of the Dave era VH?!!! This book was a farce and doomed from the start. Isn’t it the norm when an author writes someones bio he naturally would research ever part of their clients history? Especially in Sammy’s case when he joined a global phenomenal band called Van Halen!!! Surely when he only referred to the ‘Everybody Wants Some’ book as a reference to Van Halen he would know Van Halen & Roth is VAN HALEN!!! This guy is an idiot. But I’m not surprised Sammy surrounds himself with these idiots, takes one to know one!
Roth_Leaps_83

Can’t say I’m a huge Stones fan, but I saw a video on YouTube where Richards slams a guitar over some asshole’s head after he runs onstage and before security escorts him away. Just based on that, Keith’s book has to be a really fun read. Him and Diamond Dave were cut from the same cloth.
Halen High

freddiegirl – you are a calming influence here

Regarding your thoughts:
“One more thing…CVH is the best..my fav band of all time but Sam did fit better with the direction Ed and the gang decided to take. That’s all Ed.”

Absolutely it was Eddie who drove what became of VH. But if they had to go in that direction, why choose a replacement who is (a) a poor lyricist, (b) someone who disrespects the acheivements of the original band, its fanbase and have an attitude about singing CVH material?

To be fair, perhaps they didn’t realise this at the time, but they had all the power to tell Sammy before they hired him; “we are doing 4-5 CVH songs at our shows because obviously the fans still want to hear them, and don’t get involved in our issues with Dave – that’s between the four of us. It won’t be a good look with a lot of our fans for a new member to be bashing an original in the press.”

The CVH bashing is not new and was not limited to Dave – I remember reading an interview with Sammy in the early 90s in which he was promoting the release of LRHRN. The interview was going fine then he started making deragatory comments about CVH’s live shows. I remember because it really pissed me off, because to me, the original band was sacred.

“And to be fair to Sam he may not have really known what he stepped into as far as the addictions and destructive behaviour goes.”

I agree but I do remember an interview with Sammy way back, when he was asked about what he knew of VH before he joined. He laughed and said something like he thought they were a pretty wild and crazy bunch of guys (the start of the Panama video was playing while he said this LOL!)

“Sam helped to keep VH going when they might very well have imploded. Later interviews with Dave suggest they would’ve. I think any VH fan can admit that.”

Yes, they probably would have imploded. Didn’t Dave say in his book that they were almost coming to blows in the studio? They needed rehab and time off from each other. But even then, I believe Eddie wanted VH to be his band and he’d tired of working with Dave.
anythingleftinthatbottle

@ motorscooter-everything you say is crap. I bet I could choose close to every band you like and I don’t even know you. A person likes CVH for reasons un-defined. Look at the long list of professional musicians that peg CVH as one of their main influences. Most of them would tell you that it’s simalar to BC/AD! There was life-With Dave-& after Dave. Hell, Even Dave wasn’t as good afterwards. There was just something magical about it. NO ONE was bigger and NO ONE made you feel better about living the party than CVH in the day. They made you dream. Sam just sang good. Hell, that puts the entire top 10 of american idol up there……I don’t think so!
1218

OMG. Some of you people really need to chill the ef out. So what if Sammy can’t remember all the facts about his life to a “T”? Can you? Who cares if Dave is better than Sammy?IMO, I like Sammy 100-percent more than Dave. Yep, I admit, I’m a Sammy Hagar fan. Always have been, always will be. Does that piss some of you people off? If it does, too bad, I don’t care. I’m also a Van Halen fan, but the more I read about all you over the top Dave fans, the less I care for Dave. If all you Dave fans act like this, my world doesn’t need your drama. I’m hoping that when VH gets around to releasing an album, that it does kick some ass. But if it doesn’t, it won’t really surprise me. I feel that there are too many factors involved that may sink the ship. All of this “debating” about Dave vs. Sammy just kills me. Both guys were the lead singer of Van Halen. Both guys made some killer tunes with Ed, Al, and Mike. Give it a rest. Just because Sammy is lying or misrembering some trivial facts that might “tarnish” the CVH legacy, some people feel the need to break the story and run to the rescue of Dave. I got 2 words for that. WHO CARES!! If the music produced by a band is still being purchased and enjoyed by the public after decades of it’s release, that for itself speaks volumes. Getting your panties in a bunch over something as trvial as Sammy not giving Dave or CVH it’s props is so sad that it’s almost funny. There have been 4 incarnations of Van Halen, the first 2 rocked, the 3rd, meh, and the 4th? Can you say a shadow of it’s former self? That might be the version that tarnishes the CVH legacy. As for Sammy? Love the Foot, keep rocking all of us Red Heads, and for the love of god, get your facts straight so roth leaps quits blowing an overy every time an article about Sammy Hagar is on the VHND. That guy needs some new meds or a bong hit from SCAR.
Strung Out

I suppose my main point is that comparing Van Halen with David Lee Roth and Van Halen with Sammy Hagar is like comparing apples to oranges. Both have their strengths. CVH is raw and hungry, right on par with the energy of Led Zep bar an obvious generation gap. I’m 20, so obviously I wasn’t fortunate enough to have witnessed either band in their origin years, but one listen to Van Halen’s debut and it’s clear why they set the world on fire. I treasure my CVH records, and as an aside, THANK GOD vhnd is finally mentioning the 30th anniversary of Fair Warning! My album is scratched, guess I’m blaring it as loud as my laptop speakers will let me in celebration tomorrow! A perfect example of the crass that makes DLR-fronted VH so endearing.

I must exclaim that I am an UNABASHED Sammy Hagar fan. Twister got me into VH, and we all know which lineup recorded Humans Being!! Needless to say, soon as I saw that sucker listed on their Best Of: Vol. 1, I bought it straight away and was gloriously thrilled to discover Eruption within the first second of playing the album. I was hooked for life. I quickly decided I had to listen to EVERYTHING these guys put out, and from there began my ongoing journey into the genius of Van Halen. I’ll proudly wave the flag for Hagar any day, Balance is my favorite album and F.U.C.K. hasn’t left my truck in weeks. For my money, Van Hagar is capable of rocking just as hard as CVH, albiet in a different vein. Look at Don’t Tell Me, Humans Being, Judgement Day, Aftershock, The Dream Is Over…those songs have balls, they hardly fall under the category of commercial radio fluff. Feels So Good? Love Walks In? Hey, I’ll be the first to admit those songs are tailor-made for mass consumption, and I realize that’s a big part of what sets Van Hagar apart from CVH. That doesn’t mean those tunes lack substance! Look at Jump. CVH had its own guilty pleasures and could still pull them off with style. Nothing’s new here, VH had already shown everybody they could do keyboards without selling out. I don’t consider Van Hagar’s balads sell out fodder, Eddie was an accomplished pianist and it only made sense he develop that skill into his future endeavors. This was disconcerting for Roth, but it help keep the band in the mainstream and regardless which era sold more records, the fact stands that Van Hagar was a successful, if not slick, machine throughout the 80′s. I’d rather listen to Why Can’t This Be Love than whatever Warrant was dumping on the airwaves back then…sorry Warrant apologists

So I’ve established I love Van Hagar. Will I ever pay a dime to see Van Halen with Sammy at the helm if his bogus 90% chance of rejoining actually happens? Nope. Does he have a right to be bitter? Hell yeah! He’s no longer a part of the mighty Van Halen, wouldn’t you be? VH carried him to far loftier hights than he’d ever have achieved had he stuck with the lyrical comfines of Trans Am or I Can’t Drive 55 on his own, and then of course there’s the most crucial component of his success: Eddie Van Halen. No matter how sour the breakups in ’96 and ’04, he has no right to trash the band after everything they’ve paid for him. Especially when Van Halen itself is starting NO drama of its own! I’d get a good laugh if Dave aims a couple songs on the upcoming album squarely at Hagar. Dave’s clever that way. Moral of the story: I enjoy Van Hagar, I’m not about to kiss Sammy’s ass. I think he’s a real outgoing dude, me and him seem a bit similar in that way, and I’d gladly share a beer with him. It ends there.

David Lee Roth is the heart and soul of Van Halen. It’s because of his incarnation of the band people aren’t saying, “Van Who?” and the music has stayed relevant. Yes, there was a time Sammy Hagar was keeping Van Halen relevant. That “dream is over,” and his attempts like this autobiography aren’t going to win him any converts. Roth is who everyone wants to see in this band, he’s been the only one all along. Hagar and Cherone were welcomed into the fold with optimism and occasionally excitement, but I think it’s safe to say 99% of the world would have ushered the Diamond One back upon his throne with uproarious acclaim had the circumstances permitted. Van Halen without Roth is still better than no Van Halen at all, and they put out some solid stuff, but it’s time to get real. So that’s why I’m annoyed seeing more Sammy-related news on vhnd lately than Roth…who cares what Sammy has to say, Roth is what’s current and what’s eternal. Although I appreciate vhnd making something out of nothing and always giving us updates.

I hope I just established there are, indeed, hardcore Van Halen fans who see both sides of the story. Oh yeah, to whoever made the remark about Wolfgang being the driving force of this reunion, very insightful post mate.
Marcin

Assless chaps, spandex…
Pretty tough stuff, but would be tolerable if Dave would sing some Van Hagar tunes.

I just don’t get it why people blame Hagar for singing litlle or not singing CVH tunes, while current lineup not only is not performing VHagar tunes, but also ERASED all albums past 84 from official discography (just like VH3, which was erased during 2004 during Sammy reunion)?
Erasing the whole albums seems childish and it applies to whole VH lineup, both with Sam and Dave.

Tell me that Good Enough, AFU, Pondcake, Crossing Over, Humans Being (to name just one per one cd) are bad tunes that don’t deserve playing live? Am i wrong?

And one more thing – it is ridiculous to say Hagar made VH keybord-laden band. C’mon – it was the 80′s. Nearly everyone used them – including rock bands like Bon Jovi, Nazareth, Thin Lizzy, Foreigner, Whitesnake etc. Didn’t Roth use them (Skyscraper for example)? Didn’t use them CVH is forgetabble songs like Dancing in the streets (1982!) and Jump (can You call it great rock song?)

Finally, Sam’s jab at cherone was classless, while (deal with it) VH3 was my favorite VH lineup and Cherone is known for avoiding trash talking at anyone. Though, when watching it at YT I had an impression that the guy talking with Sam (Kimmel)provoked it laughing at Gary together with the audience. Therefore, the audience booing Hagar few seconds later seems litlle strange.
Jeremy(Roth_Leaps_83 Bullshit Detector)

Leaps,

I’m not angry my VHND party pooper, I just find you to be a complete asshole! You come on every article to prove what point is it again? That you don’t like Sammy Hagar, but you mention his name on every article, you post on articles that don’t pertain to Van Halen WITH Roth, not with Sammy and your usual rants are always the same.

As you stated and I quote:

“Tight blue spandex was the norm in 80?s rock, brah. You just labeled every rock frotman from Vince Neil to Jon Bon Jovi as “gay” — and yet you’re so ignorant of how much pussy those “gay” guys scored. DUMB, BRAH.”

Dave showed up in 2002 wearing all that crap with the Dahm triplets to prove what? Once again, a guy holding onto a persona that was DEAD in those times! In the 80′s was fine, not in the 2000′s!

And as usual you revert to saying those guys who dressed like that get tons of pussy, but on another thread you post Dave’s lyrics glorify women and he shows them class?????

Wow, so how do you treat women if you get some? Are you a “Dave” guy or are you a Bon Jovi or Vince Neil guy???? See I’ve called your ass out to prove to those on here that all you are is a weasel who has a closet crush on Sammy and won’t admit it. You know EVERY FACT about him to his songs, to his look, to his everything and you support your fact finding mission like Indiana Jones only to fall short every time.

Have you ever seen the classic lineup Leaps? Not on Youtube or anything else, but live? As I’ve read before you haven’t so how do you know what was good then as to what is good now? Were you there to see VH play almost their first album and blow Nugent off the stage? I was and when I saw that show, my fav at the time KISS went out the door. Not because of Dave, but the whole experience. When I saw Sammy Hagar on tour back in the day, it was the same experience and I knew the guy was the real deal.

We all get that you don’t like Sammy (I know you do) but you are always gonna be the jack-ass who doesn’t need to post on these articles. It’s immature and a waste of your time unless your mommy says it’s okay for you to stay in the basement and type to your cyber friends.

We should just brand you Waldo because you must be that type of guy to hold such a grudge because Sammy stepped in Dave’s spot and did just fine with it. A spot Eddie asked Sammy to do which is something you never touch on and lay the blame solely on Sammy. It’s also funny that once again you say that HUNDREDS of bands influenced VH but you have to throw in Cream to Kiss to validate your point that it wasn’t just Montrose that was a influence but you can’t give credit where it’s due. The Beatles influenced EVERYBODY as did Elvis and if I said that it would’ve been okay to include them in this conversation on who was an influence?

It’s easy to sit here and defend what isn’t ours to begin with, but when you got douche bags like you Leaps who sit here and defend an era that was 26 years ago is quite simply a stalker and a delusional little boy trying to be a man.

This last parting shot shows you can’t hang with logic:

“Who cares if there were a couple WB suits who wanted to replace Roth? That happens with every band, dumbo. There’s always some record company geek who thinks he’s the shit and can out-think everyone else. Roth doesn’t appeal to everyone and I’m sure some pencil-necked assholes at WB were probably jealous Dave was getting so much pussy for being an un-signed act that they wanted to get some revenge. Dig deep enough and you will hear these kind of stories about the beginnings of any good band. Besides, who gives a shit about what may have happened in a WB boardroom 35 yrs. ago? Last time I checked, Roth-era VH had six multi-platinum albums produced in 7 years, along with six phenonemal sold-out world tours. Whoever suggested Roth be replaced is probably still working the Burger King drive-thru.”

This sentence proves my point that you are a one-sided asshole:

“Besides, who gives a shit about what may have happened in a WB boardroom 35 yrs. ago?”

Really? So who gives a shit about what happened 35 years ago as you have stated? IT’S YOU MORON!!! Your the one that still brings up shit from 35 years ago. Your the one who can’t let go of the PAST, and live in the present, and your the one who can’t get past Sammy Hagar and his time in Van Halen. Your on here on a daily basis expressing your hatred for somebody you can’t stand, but yet you know so much about. You quote things from his book, his songs, his tequila, his look, his weight, his hair, his teeth, his everything. You then make ridiculous statements how Roth’s lyrics glorify women “respectively” but then put on here Roth got or gets ass like he’s in a boy band. But then turn around and say Sammy’s lyrics trash women because he says “US Prime Grade A stamp guaranteed, grease it up turn on the heat!”

But this lyric from Dave is not demeaning a woman:

“Alright
We’re gettin’ funny in the back of my car
I’m sorry honey if I took you just a little too far, yes
Uh too too far
Uh so I, I told the fellas out behind the bar
So let me tell you honey just how fine you are, yes
I guess you are ”

So what is Dave trying to get across in Feel Your Love Tonight Leaps? Is he telling a joke? Is he looking for spare change? Why did he have to tell his buddies behind the bar? How fine was she as in what terms?

See how stupid and ignorant you are when you respond to people on here? You tell ALL OF US that Dave is god, he does no wrong EVER in the world of Van Halen or it’s legacy? Why did he walk then Leaps? Why did Dave leave after having the greatest album in his career and a #1 single? Why did it take 22 years for Van Halen to bring him back full time?

As I’ve said before, Eddie, Alex, and Mike carried his ass. Not because he had a PA system or do you not care that happened 38 years ago just like the WB suits remark either, but wait you said that in your other post that’s why he was so important to be in Van Halen back then. Which is it brah?

Save yourself the trouble and stick with what’s good for to post on and that’s “classic” articles like the new one about Fair Warning! That there should give you a hard-on for at least a day until something new comes in about Sammy!!
‘Lemon Scented Pledge’ (bbl70)

Sparks: Hell yeah man!!! We will most certainly need to get together when VH comes to town. Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later. Dude, your posts were so funny. In fact, if laughter adds years to your life, I must have just gained about 8 months because this whole thread was hilarious, entertaining and enlightening all at the same time.

Adam: Great posts. Thanks for the research. You did your homework and I appreciate that. I agree with most of your thoughts here.

Leaps: You got beat up pretty bad on this thread brah but you still come back with a vengeance. You are like the Terminator—the ClassicVanHalenator—programmed to seek & destroy all that is not CVH. No problem brah, you are over the top but I really get a kick out of your posts.

Rockn: Dude that is an incredible story form the 1981 show. I love stuff like that.

This article was a total waste of time but the thread is exactly what I love about this site. Since Sammys book tour, I have lost a lot of respect for the guy. I still love ‘Man on a Mission’, especially the live RHRN version. I think F.U.C.K. is a great album. Sammy is not the best lyricist but I don’t care—it still rocks and that is what is important to me. I have tried, but I just can’t seem to get into Chickenfoot at all. I hope their next album is better than the first one.

Leaps: You know I love the CVH better but please don’t terminate me or go CVH jihad on my ass for liking some of the Sammy stuff too.
bonzomillan

The ghostwriter is no slave to the truth. Before anybody dumps on Sam, justified or not, everyone should keep in mind that 1) this book was ghostwritten by somebody who’s not always been a big fan of Sam’s; 2) he has almost said straight up that he based virtually everyting on Sam’s recollection, including remarkably detailed accounts of things that happened thirty years ago; 3) he put it together in lightning speed and obviously did not check facts becuase he couldn’t have in the time he says it took to put it together; and 4) he is well-known for making technical errors and for making things up when it is convenient (check out his Wikipedia page). Of course there will be errors, omissions, and mistakes… or what some here have called lies. Maybe they really are lies, maybe they are not; but keep it in context, and far less insidious picture emerges.
TheRock5150

My first exposure to VH? 1984. Fell in love with the band with that album. DLR was one of the top 3 frontmen of all time, I will not argue that. That being said, I am Absolutely a Hagar era fan. They blew MY mind away, just like I am sure the earlier stuff did for people like Leaps. THATS what makes Halen great. For almost 20 years, they were blowing peoples minds. Who was better? It all depends on your point of view (and probably, more than most of us would care to admit, our age…lol..grew up in the 70′s? Roth fan. 80′s? Hagar). Even if you hate Hagar-he didnt destroy the band-the worst he did was keep it going for the “Triumpant” return of DLR for all the CVH fans. But why would, if Sammy was such a hater of CVH, they do CVH tunes? Why would Sammy come out and praise them before he sang them? Why would Dave NOT do some Hagar tunes? There were, according to most of the CVH fans on here some “ok” tunes, right? Dave cant take them and make them his own for a show? Ed wrote the music, right? So there is SOME tie to CVH, why wouldnt he do them? To me, that shows that EVERYBODY in this band, past and present have issues…lol…just like we all do.
My point is that over the lifespan of any great band, change is inevitable-thats part of growing and maturing. As much as we would sometimes like it to be,it cant be 1978,or 1984, or 1988 for ever. And as much as I like watching “Dazed & Confused” and wishing we could go back, we cant. We continue to grow and evolve, just like VH did. We need to judge the body of work as a whole, not just the few points we think are the greatest. I wouldnt change anything about VH-except maybe VH3…no offense at all to Gary. VH3 should prove to ANYBODY that as much of a genius as we think Ed maybe, that it was the chemistry between him and Dave, and then him and Sammy that made VH mighty…
As for who has more solo success? DLR-loved his stuff. Sammy-loved his stuff-VH solo/Gary:so-so. Sammy worked hard-he just wanted Balance in his life between personal and professional. The brothers, at least at that time, had car wrecks for personal lives so they naturally wanted to work 24-7 to forget the hard parts of their lives. Can’t fault them for being human, but cant fault Sammy either then.
Anyways, Leaps will say i have rambled long enough…lol…but let me just say this….has anyone cosidered that maybe Sammy is just setting the table for a HUGH DLR-VH reunion by sturring up all this crap? Maybe it is actually Ed who asked Sammy to do it? They WERE best friends for a long time-maybe they have buried the past and Sammy is helping his buddy out??? Or maybe the aliens made him do it….either way, VH will always live on and no matter WHO you think is better, the music, not the person, will ALWAYS set the tone for many of our lives……as it should be….cus we are all just Humans Being….wow…so profond….lol
Carnal Knowledge

Leaps: Dude, you need a prozac. Or, a sawed off shotgun. Not sure which one would help you more….

You Roth/Eddie Aplogists can spew venom all you want about Hagar. It’s a free country. But, you sound like idiots.

Does every single thing in music have to be compared to original Van Halen? Grow up
TearItUp

Q. “RIAA search reveals that, as of 2004, Roth’s era of recordings has outsold Sammy’s by a nearly 2:1 margin, 34 million vs. 18 million. Where is Sammy getting his data from?”

A. “I’m not informed on the sales issues.” <–LOL, of course you're NOT, douche!! You just wrote what Cabo Wabo Buffet whispered in your ear. What a worthless, uninformative interview that was!

Joe Selvin = douche bag secretary for Hagar…nothing more.
Bort

I’m still trying to figure out why you can’t like both Sam and Dave?! I’m still trying to figure out why the Dave fans are mad at Sam when Ed made the phone call to get Sam in the band. Why is it a battle? Why are (I’m guessing) adults arguing like children and calling names over a rock band? Odd behavior and I would honestly be embarrassed with myself if I took it as seriously as some of you. Good luck when a serious issue arises.
http://vhnd chuckie lee

jeremy, you are a moron. you have a closet thing for leaps. and he is dead on with his oppinions. carnal challenge, yes it does, on the van halen news desk…..deal with it….while we eat em and smile at u..
MasVH

Well said Adam!! Sam belittles Van Halen’s first incarnation so much that it’s truely disgusting to me & any VH fan that knows the true history of the band during the Roth years. Hagar’s delusions & insecurities are off the charts when it comes to actual FACTS! I wouldn’t waste a dime on this pile of crap book.

Thanks for exposing all the BS in Sam’s little autobiography, Adam. I wonder if the pages dissolve in water? Seems like the only use for this book is to wipe your ass if you run out of paper.
temple5150

Time rolls on
And that’s as it should be
Here and gone
Seems to move so quickly

Man, we were happy
In our restless hearts
It was heaven right here on earth
Yeah, we were laughin’
As we reached for the stars
And we had some
For what it was worth

Those were good times
Damn good times
Those were good times
Damn good times

Hey, take a look at this picture,
Can you believe that was you?
And who’s that standin’ there in the corner?
Not me!!!
Ahh, the crazy things we used to do
Sure, we was acting like a couple of kids
Good to remember
You know that it is
I still feel it
Like the sun on my skin
Maybe that’s better

Cause these are good times
Damn good tiemes
Talkin’ about good times
Damn good times

So it’s one for the money
But that don’t make the show
Count to three and I’ll be ready
To follow that road (yes I will)

I see it comin’
Yeah, and this one is outs
We got heaven right here on Earth
Ain’t nothin’ like it
When you’re reachin’ for stars
And you grab one
For what it is worth

You can tell ‘em
We’ll be having good times
Damn good times
I’m talkin’ good times (yessir)
Damn good times
alexandre

=VH=Rob,thanks for awsering a post from a brazilian fan! I was just reading all the stuff said about work ethic and remembered that situation showed in the video. Just want to stay clear that i was jokking and don’t take part of Eddie or Sammy (but i learn a lot about Van Halen history with you, guys!). I’m a VH fan since 1984 record and enjoy the two versions of the band. Hope new music come soon! Greetings from Brazil!
Jeremy(Roth_Leaps_83 Bullshit Detector)

Chuckie lee,

Get a grip and your the moron. I have a thing for a guy who claims he hates Sammy Hagar but is on EVERY THREAD posting about him. Silence about not liking somebody speaks louder than words.

He sits on this site on a daily basis waiting at the chance to voice and spew bullshit about a guy he knows nothing about as do I. All we know is what we saw, see, hear, or read about Van Halen or anything else the guys in the band have done or do.

I like the MUSIC Van Halen has produced, not Dave’s eagle spread splits jumping off the drums or his oufits. Yes it was the norm back in the day to be that way, but all the shows I went to, everybody was digging the vibe of the tunes and to watch Eddie shred.

All 3 versions of Van Halen had something to offer, but the first 2 were special. Guys like Leaps and among others on here find it funny or childish to voice an opinion on a thread that has NOTHING to do with Van Halen from 78-85. It’s about Sammy’s writer and what he said in an interview. Just because it mentions DAVE doesn’t mean the Roth ball sweat brigade has to come out and defend his honor as always. There was no dig at Dave by Joel Selvin, he just knew what the guy was trying to do by goating him into comparing the 2 singers. Once again, silence speaks volumes and some that come on here need to do the same when it pertains to Van Halen AFTER 85-96 when it didn’t involve Roth!
Jeremy(Roth_Leaps_83 Bullshit Detector)

TheRock5150,

Good post and I agree with you, but you better be prepared for the backlash of what you said about Sammy stirring shit up for Eddie and VH.

As Gene Simmons has said “all publicity is good publicity, good or bad!”

The thing some on here don’t like is that Sammy was called by Eddie to do this gig, not the other way around. They can’t fathom or comprehend that one little tidbit that Edward Van Halen called Sammy Hagar to front his band. In my opinion, Sammy did a fine job. Sure when you went to a show and didn’t hear the old tunes, you got bummed to a point, but also you knew and respected that Van Halen was a new band with a different singer with a new sound.

Dave went out and hired a new band that had sort of the same sound and song structure he had with Van Halen and it was good for barely 2 albums in my opinion. Dave held on way too long to his time in Van Halen and it showed in his music. All he had going for him was he was the frontman in Van Halen and he tried to keep that going while not in the band.

Dave from 78-88 was untouchable as a frontman and as the guy in Van Halen. No denying it! His voice to his screams are legendary as well as his stage persona. But as I’ve said before, if he didn’t have Eddie, Alex, and Mike to back him up the way they did, it wouldn’t have lasted very long. If I had those guys playing behind me, I would’ve thought I was the king to. But the king is only going to last as long as those who serve him are treated right. And according to Eddie and Alex and Mike, he treated those guys like they were beneath him as time went on.
gamby5150

sammy saved van halen ….
Halen High

gamby5150 says:
“sammy saved van halen ….”

If this is true, why does every artist who ever talks about Van Halen as an influence and a great band only talk about CVH or Roth-VH? I have never heard or read an interview with a musician or singer in which they have said “Sammy era VH was a huge influence on me” or “VH with Sammy made me want to play the guitar” or “I was never into VH until Sammy joined” etc etc.

The only accolades from their fellow performers are for 1974-85.

There is nothing wrong with appreciating the Van Hagar era, but statements like “Sammy saved VH” sound like something you would only read in a book written by Sammy Hagar.
Halen High

MasVH says:
“Well said Adam!! Sam belittles Van Halen’s first incarnation so much that it’s truely disgusting to me & any VH fan that knows the true history of the band during the Roth years. Hagar’s delusions & insecurities are off the charts when it comes to actual FACTS! I wouldn’t waste a dime on this pile of crap book.

Thanks for exposing all the BS in Sam’s little autobiography, Adam. I wonder if the pages dissolve in water? Seems like the only use for this book is to wipe your ass if you run out of paper.”

We have all heard about Sammy’s insecurities regarding CVH over the years. Even Mike has talked about them. But I didn’t realise they ran that deep until the last few weeks.

His book tour has made him look so bitter and pathetic. Maybe he read the fantastic reviews in the press for the 2007/08 VH tour, read about the packed stadiums, the tributes from other artists etc and it tipped him over the edge.
Halen High

Marcin says:
“I just don’t get it why people blame Hagar for singing litlle or not singing CVH tunes, while current lineup not only is not performing VHagar tunes.”

I went to the Kiss reunion in the mid-90s and they only played the music of their original era. I think that’s just how reunions work – even if not ALL original members are involved. With current VH, the six-pack is so revered that most fans only want to hear the CVH stuff.

“but also ERASED all albums past 84 from official discography (just like VH3, which was erased during 2004 during Sammy reunion)? Erasing the whole albums seems childish and it applies to whole VH lineup, both with Sam and Dave.”

Yep – that was pathetic. I can understand them wanting to focus on marketing CVH and the current line-up, but it was childish. There will always be fans who are interested in all eras of the band and you can’t erase history.

“And one more thing – it is ridiculous to say Hagar made VH keybord-laden band.”

You are right – it was Eddie.

“Didn’t use them CVH is forgetabble songs like Dancing in the streets (1982!) and Jump (can You call it great rock song?)”

Dancing in the Streets was awful. I hold Dave responsible for that! Jump is a great POP/rock song for its timeless melody and cool lyrics.

“Finally, Sam’s jab at cherone was classless, while (deal with it) VH3 was my favorite VH lineup and Cherone is known for avoiding trash talking at anyone.”

I didn’t like VH3 but Gary is a class act.
http://hubcapdave.blogspot.com HubcapDave

Bort Says:
“I’m still trying to figure out why you can’t like both Sam and Dave?! I’m still trying to figure out why the Dave fans are mad at Sam when Ed made the phone call to get Sam in the band. Why is it a battle? ”

Bort, you CAN like them both. You will find that most people who like Sammy era generally like ALL Van Halen. Out of the three factions it seems to me that people who like both eras are the largest. Then you have the Roth Army, which can be quite vocal about their preference for Dave-era. Lastly, you have people who prefer Sammy era over Dave era, though that seems to be a vast minority.

Why is it a battle? Why is anything a battle on the internet? People can post things anonymously on the internet they would dare to another person face to face. I’ve met people who don’t like Sammy era (one of them was an old roommate), none of them ever called me a Hagar apologist for liking his stuff.
gumby812

=Van Halen= saved Sammy….
freddiegirl

*whispers* I..I like Dancing in the Streets… *runs* Okay, it’s no ‘Mean Street’ or ‘D.O.A’ but it’s fun and I love Eddie’s tone in it. I love his tone through all of Diver Down actually.

Halen High..thanks for the shout out.. I think gamby 5150 may have meant that Sammy kept VH relevant for longer than they might’ve been had Dave stayed. I could be wrong but I’ll assume that’s what he/she meant.. And it’s true, Sam did. Perhaps I didn’t love the direction the band was going but I could tell times were a’changing when 1984 came out and I heard ‘Jump’. Did he ‘save’ VH? In a way he did; our band was stranded with no lead singer! It was just hard for us CVH diehards to watch what was/is in our opinion, the coolest frontman ever leave the most bad@$$ band; it hurt ya know?

Got a question for you other Roth Army/Roth die-hards though..or anyone who would know. Dave left for a few reasons..to do a movie (maybe), because the bros.’ addictions and habits were becoming toxic and unbearable (understandable on Roth’s part) and because he didn’t like the more pop-friendly direction the band was taking. He (supposedly) didn’t like ‘Jump’ yet he himself went a more radio-friendly and pop music direction with his second full-length release, ‘Skyscraper’. Why do you guys suppose that was? I’m actually very curious as it almost seems hypocritcal. I’m not being critical but I’ve always wondered about that! Thanks to anyone for an answer!
john

Nobody here really understands exaggerations do you? The way he describes their shows is just him blowing smoke. If you don’t like what he says, don’t buy his book. There’s plenty of other books out there from lying rock stars
http://hubcapdave.blogspot.com HubcapDave

freddiegirl, thank you for bringing that up about Dave’s solo efforts! The only song I could ever stand from Skyscraper was Damn Good.
Jeremy(Roth_Leaps_83 Bullshit Detector)

Freddiegirl,

My dear you are spot on with your post girl! I’ve asked those same questions to guys like Leaps and others and they fall on deaf ears. The reasons why Dave left have been explained numerous times by those who “assume” what they think they know. Dave said he was fired, Eddie said he quit.

As for him doing Skyscraper, I can only assume he went that way because he figured that was the way to go to keep going in the business. His movie deal fell through and he made EEAS which was good and he probably figured what a better way to show Eddie he could keyboard style tunes as well, hoping he could come back.

Bottom line, the reason or reasons why Dave left or fired is between those guys. The problem on this site is those who love Roth so much blame Sammy for it and it’s wrong. All Sammy did was accept an invitation and did his best to be a part of the band. That’s it!
Halen High

freddiegirl says:
“Got a question for you other Roth Army/Roth die-hards though..or anyone who would know. Dave left for a few reasons..to do a movie (maybe), because the bros.’ addictions and habits were becoming toxic and unbearable (understandable on Roth’s part) and because he didn’t like the more pop-friendly direction the band was taking. He (supposedly) didn’t like ‘Jump’ yet he himself went a more radio-friendly and pop music direction with his second full-length release, ‘Skyscraper’. Why do you guys suppose that was? I’m actually very curious as it almost seems hypocritcal. I’m not being critical but I’ve always wondered about that! Thanks to anyone for an answer!”

Good question. It’s interesting to think about it. Maybe he realised that Jump was a great pop/rock melody after all, so he wrote some really cool lyrics and compromised. But I think with VH he wanted to keep it to a minimum.

As far as his solo career goes, after a good start I think creativley he became a ship without a rudder – not really knowing which direction to take, so he ended up going with the mid-late 80s trend of pop/rock with keyboards, then experimenting with other genres. He should have just stayed true to his roots. My favourite Dave solo album by far is DLR Band.

I remember the mid-late 80s well – keyboards everywhere!!!
http://vhnd.com VH4

@freddiegirl, I think, and I`m definitely on the RothArmy side of things, that he wanted to be loved after he left VH. He figured everyone (the public, I mean) loved “Jump” and the pop-moments from VH1 too, so why not recreate it?

Maybe you can answer me this, as I always find it a bit puzzling – Eddie`s album was FW, Dave`s was Diver Down, which was pretty commercial…two years later Ed wants to go more pop-orientated and Dave wants to leave because of it?

Obviously solo-Dave wasn`t close to anything he`s done with Ed, but what`s he gonna do, quit? I like his solo stuff a lot, but I wouldn`t say he ever did a great album, there were always a couple of weak songs (esp. on “Skyscraper” and the two after that). I agree with Halenhigh, DLR Band was great, probably my favourite now.

I`m sure Dave`s feeling of regret is why “Damn Good” was on “Skyscraper” – it was a shout out to Ed, it was his Gob Bluth from “Arrested Development” moment; “I`ve made a huge mistake”.

Where do you go when you leave Van Halen? You KNOW your best work is behind you, even if you`re Gary Cherone!
Halen High

Jeremy(Roth_Leaps_83 Bullshit Detector) says:
“Dave said he was fired, Eddie said he quit.”

No – Dave said he quit. And there are plenty of interviews with Eddie in which he confirmed this.

I read an interview with Eddie in GW (I’m pretty sure it was GW) back in ’85 or ’86, in which Eddie was asked about what went down with Dave. In this interview, Eddie responded with a very direct, “yeah he just quit”, and according to the writer, Eddie ‘choked up’ as he talked about it.

It was an emotional and difficult time as they had all been through a lot together.

Those four guys worked their guts out to get to the top.
Halen High

Jeremy – that interview with Eddie was conducted by Steve Rosen for the Guitar World September ’86 edition.

Here is the part I was talking about:

GW: Did Dave really pull the plug?
Van Halen: (emotionally) Yeah, he quit! We weren’t getting along, but we never did, basically.

My memory is not that bad for an old timer!!!
Halen High

Jeremy(Roth_Leaps_83 Bullshit Detector) says:
“The problem on this site is those who love Roth so much blame Sammy for it and it’s wrong. All Sammy did was accept an invitation and did his best to be a part of the band. That’s it!”

Jeremy – I don’t blame Sammy for accepting an invitation or for being the performer he has always been. There is a niche for Sammy and that’s fine by me. I even like some of his stuff. But I do hold him to account for his attitude, his disrespect to Classic Van Halen and their fans, and his lies.

But most of all, I blame Eddie Van Halen for hiring him, and for forgetting what this band was all about. And Eddie was my favourite member of VH, so it’s not easy to be angry at him!

But we shouldn’t take it too seriously – it’s only rock n’ roll!
Halen High

freddiegirl says:
“*whispers* I..I like Dancing in the Streets… *runs* Okay, it’s no ‘Mean Street’ or ‘D.O.A’ but it’s fun and I love Eddie’s tone in it. I love his tone through all of Diver Down actually.”

freddiegirl, do you remember the Mick Jagger/ David Bowie version? I actually prefer that LOL!