I was a pretty big Van Halen fan back in the day. I spent hours listening to their albums while trying to draw the perfect VH symbol on my notebooks and book covers - but never on my jean jacket (though I’m not sure if it was because I was too cool, or just too afraid I’d mess it up!)
Speaking of messing things up, I even stuck with them through “5150,” when Sammy Hagar showed up and pussified their sound. That is until I found Tesla’s “Mechanical Resonance” and realized I didn’t need Van Hagar anymore. Besides, to me, the real Van Halen will always be the David Lee Roth led version.
But any thoughts I might have had about checking out the recent reunion efforts were quickly quelled when I saw who they would be touring with for their big comeback….
Kool & The Gang
Yes, you heard me right. The mighty Van Halen will have Kool & The Gang as their opening act. And while I have nothing against the band and their music, and in fact , really like “Jungle Boogie” and “Get Down on It,” they are not a rock band by any means. For one thing, they have an ampersand in their name! Umlauts are cool. Ampersands, not so much. And then there's this...
Point is, after seeing such a double bill, I didn’t even have to listen to the “new” VH album to know it was going to suck. So rather than waste my money and taint my fond memories, I’m just going to go back to 1978 (and “1984”) and enjoy some real music. Seems like everything was cooler back then. Even Kool & the Gang!
Everything WAS cooler back then, including US! However, I did spring for the new Van Halen album, and it isn't really too bad. Dave's voice has lost quite a bit of range, and really needs Michael Anthony to support him, but Wolf Van Halen is a decent bassist, and Eddie and Alex really haven't lost a step musically. Stream it on Spotify to check it out. It holds its own.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to picture the hardcore Van Halen fans sitting through a song like "Cherish" while anxiously awaiting the act they actually came to see. I bet it's kind of funny. "Misled" was a cool tune by those guys though.
And Van Hagar wasn't that bad...it just wasn't authentic Van Halen! If they had just taken on another name, I bet every Van Halen fan from the Dave era would have loved them.
Clearly you've hit on a topic that hits close to my heart.
Well maybe all the other 70's/80's rock bands they could have toured with are either in rehab or filming their own humiliating reality show, and k &the g was the only act left.
ReplyDeleteChris, the fact that you use the phrase "close to my heart" shows you've listened to one too many Van Hagar albums
ReplyDeleteAnd Sue, K & The G? Really?
You are just jealous because I have a very big one. Heart, that is.
ReplyDeleteMust be from letting all that love come walkin' in
DeleteWas typing on my phone - preserving thumb strength and avoiding auto correct to "cool", not some kind of hipster colloquialism.
ReplyDeletePhew! You had me worried there for a minute!
DeleteI do LOVE a studio version of birds chirping! ....let's take a walk together...near the ocean shore, hand and hand....you and I.....chirpy chirpity!
ReplyDeletePS. Congrats on FB free Feb! What it did for me was create a longing for more Blog of Wood! I relied on your three Blog of Wood Blogs during this time. Are they called Blogs? I am not up on Blog lingo.
ReplyDeleteSee you on the Face side!
Right back atcha! Rumors of your capitulation were greatly exaggerated
Deleteand yes, I say blog, or blog post