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Van Halen - It's Your Move
April 19, 2001 -
David Lee Roth officially confirmed the worst kept secret in the music
business this morning - he's been collaborating with Van Halen again.
The cone of silence that has hung above both the Van Halen and David
Lee Roth camps since the departure of Gary Cherone in November 1999 has
finally been lifted.
Now the $64,000 question is this: what happens now?
First of all, now that Dave has come clean, so should Van Halen. The
secret that was already out has been confirmed, and more silence on the
issue from the band will only damage the relationship that they have
with their fans. For almost 18 months, Van Halen has kept their fans in
the dark about their plans. "No news is good news" is all we've heard.
The worrying thing about Dave's statement is that he says he hasn't been
in touch with the guys in Van Halen since last July. That's a long time,
and explains why no album or tour has come out of the reunion. There
are a lot of questions that need to be answered quickly, otherwise we
may see another fan backlash similar to 1996.
For those that don't remember, many fans thought Dave was back for good
when he recorded two new tracks with the band in 1996 for the Van Halen
Best Of Volume 1 album. The "reunion" was thought to be permanent
when Dave joined his old bandmates on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Things turned sour when Dave wrote his open letter to the fans revealing
that he was not back in the band. Van Halen later revealed that Gary Cherone,
formerly of Extreme, was the new lead singer.
Van Halen released Van Halen III in 1998 and toured, while Dave released
DLR Band in 1998 and toured the following year. Both albums sold poorly
when compared to previous efforts. According to SoundScan, Van Halen III
sold 505,000 copies to January 2000, while DLR Band sold 52,000 on Dave's independent
label. Both had been used to automatic multi-platinum success during the previous 20 years.
Gary left the band in November 1999 and within seconds of the announcement,
Van Halen and David Lee Roth fans began preparing for the inevitable reunion.
It's time now for Van Halen to issue a press release. We've waited long enough.
[Return to Current Headlines]
Dec 31, 2000 - 2000: The Year In Review
2000 has come and gone, and I don't have to tell you that it was probably
the most frustrating year ever in the life of Van Halen fans. "No news is
good news" got old real fast.
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