5150... would we *really* have wanted Roth to stay in the band after all?

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Listening to 5150 as I am right now, it's clearly obvious that the inclusion of Hagar made the songwriting and overall feel of Van Halen compositions more "urgent" and less "fun." Is this the direction VH was heading anyway? How much of it has to do with Hagar? Personality clashes aside, could it be possible a main reason Roth left was of a musical nature?

sub-thread: TS - 5150 vs. Eat 'em and Smile...

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 16 September 2006 04:06 (nineteen years ago)

'eat 'em' was urgently trying to be fun. 'that's life', 'i'm easy' = 'fun', not fun. already on '1984' there was 'i'll wait' and 'drop dead legs', doobie brothers/country fair shit

― dave q (listerine), Saturday, 16 September 2006 10:11 (nineteen years ago)

When I left Van Halen, it was not something that I was delighted to do. I was not celebrating. I was not relieved. It was one of the scariest moments in my life. I perceived that Van Halen was heading towards catastrophe. So do you ride that plane all the way into the sand? I said no, we’d already been through a year’s worth of the Hatfields and the McCoys with the bottle of moonshine in between—and I’m not a prince. I am not Mr. Not Guilty at all, but the chemistry between us was becoming morbid, it was becoming threatening and nonproductive. You can hear it in the music, it started turning melancholy right after I left. That’s great, there’s plenty of room for melancholy music, but it’s not my personal constitution....Some six months later, perhaps less, somebody deposited a stack of magazines as long as your forearm on my desk, full of all the new Van Halen interviews. It had been easier for them to put a new album together because I had worked with Edward on half of that album already.

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Saturday, 16 September 2006 12:11 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.rotharmy.com/leavingvh.shtml

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Saturday, 16 September 2006 12:11 (nineteen years ago)

"Why Can't This Be Love?" is great pomp-rock (as opposed to Roth's Vegas-rock; a fully deserved hit too. The rest runs from tolerable to meh.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 16 September 2006 12:20 (nineteen years ago)

Van Halen was a lot better with Roth fronting, and there's not arguing against that. They were more "fun" with him, which is exactly why they were better.

"Why Can't This Be Love" kind of worked though. I guess the spirit of David Lee Roth was still in the band to some extent then.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 16 September 2006 12:40 (nineteen years ago)

1984 is pretty overrated, but "I'll Wait" is still better than "Dreams."

― Zwan (miccio), Saturday, 16 September 2006 12:58 (nineteen years ago)

Dave calls him Edward?

― Eppy (Eppy), Saturday, 16 September 2006 13:09 (nineteen years ago)

says "edward!" clearly before the guitar solo in "could this be magic"

― dave q (listerine), Saturday, 16 September 2006 13:14 (nineteen years ago)

that is a great quote

― john, a resident of chicago. (john s), Saturday, 16 September 2006 13:37 (nineteen years ago)

The "1984" album has the best synth theme ever on it, and is classic for that sole reason.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 16 September 2006 13:45 (nineteen years ago)

Eat 'Em and Smile is awesome, I think.....Roth's Vegas schtick writ large....also some darknes still...Ladies Night in Buffallo is funky.

― M@tt He1geson: Real Name, No Gimmicks (Matt Helgeson), Saturday, 16 September 2006 14:43 (nineteen years ago)

"Why Can't This Be Love" kind of worked though. I guess the spirit of David Lee Roth was still in the band to some extent then.

ugh. horrible song. I hear no roth in there at all...all sammy brought to halen was tedious stodge, an MOR sensibility and a lack of personality. and far more powerful and competent vocals, obviously.

being a big fan I persisted with van hagar for years until one day it just hit me - this stuff's just no good. it doesn't have any of the characteristics I loved about original halen. (this was all after the fact, by the way. I'm not THAT old. I 'discovered' VH when 'a little ain't enough' came out.)

so you amay not ve surprised to hear I think 'eat 'em and smile' is a far better album than '5150'. much more lively and imaginative and full of dave's persona, which was lacking a bit on some of '1984'. that's a very strange album. half is great (hot for teacher, house of pain, panama), and then there's some really sub-par, sterile stuff (top jimmy, I'll wait, even jump). clearly the band was being divided even then.

― mister the guanoman (mister the guanoman), Saturday, 16 September 2006 14:59 (nineteen years ago)

I prefer Roth's vocals, but I guess it's an aquired taste. Personally I cannot stand metal, and I like Lee Roth exactly because he does not sound like a typical metal (or even heavy rock) singer.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 16 September 2006 15:01 (nineteen years ago)

I definitely prefer roth's voice (although the disdain in my ladyhusband's face whenver I put VH on suggests it is something of an acquired tasste).

but technically, hagar is a better singer. I have to concede that.

― mister the guanoman (mister the guanoman), Saturday, 16 September 2006 15:04 (nineteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

"Get Up" has a great riff! If the song was slower and had a sludgy guitar tone and got rid of the pre-choruses it would be great song!

― dave q (listerine), Friday, 6 October 2006 16:16 (nineteen years ago)

seven years pass...

The song has been stated by Sammy Hagar to have been written about an alien visit from his youth. Hagar claims that aliens downloaded/uploaded information into/from his brain in an attempt to learn about him. He further states that his soul may have jumped from his body and had been replaced by another soul during the self-claimed ordeal. [1][2][3][4][5]

― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Wednesday, 15 January 2014 05:58 (twelve years ago)

The aliens also gave him a tequila recipe worth a fortune.

― ...out of that weakness, out of that envy, out of that fear.. (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 15 January 2014 08:33 (twelve years ago)

ten years pass...

Love Walks In sounds like a fuckin Bad English song

― rick beato meato manifesto (Neanderthal), Monday, 15 July 2024 20:44 (one year ago)

You say that like it’s a bad thing

― calstars, Monday, 15 July 2024 21:32 (one year ago)

Tried to revisit 5150 a few months ago after hearing Dreams for the first time in many years and finding it's acquired a pretty potent "vaporware" kind of sadness, promising something that was never delivered.
Made it as far as the "hey waitress!" part in Good Enough. With Roth I might draw the bow only to relax it after the moment has passed, but it doesn't feel anything like schtick when Sam does it.

― Deflatormouse, Tuesday, 16 July 2024 01:24 (one year ago)

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