Van Hagar Satriani

[StrummerJoe]

A mediocre singer and songwriter ? You out yo dang mind and yo also out yo dang mind to say Joe can replicate EVH parts effortlessly . I have yet to hear Joe replicate any of Ed's parts, let alone effortlessly .

I almost had a fucking stroke reading that.

 

[Leonard Neemoil]

Reading Hagar's bio changed my mind about him, for the better. As for Wolfie, I dunno... seems like a nice kid with his head on straight, but does anyone really listen to his music other than us old farts? I can guarantee no one under 25 I know has ever heard of him. It's hip hop or country all the way down, at least in my neck of the woods.

I can't imagine anyone OVER 25 listening to WVH. Imo, his music is terrible, but as has already been said, good on him for doing his own thing. I'm happy for him in that aspect.

 

[guitarbilly74]

I think Joe is doing a good job. He's not exactly like Ed, but he doesn't have to be, he's not a tribute band guitar player, he's a guitar hero in his own right with his own style, with a 30+ year career using his guitar as the main voice in his music. And he has a history of writing with Sammy in Chickenfoot. Obviously the 2 like working with each other.
He can thread the line between playing the songs correctly while adding his own touch.

I'd be more concerned if they tried to hire a VH "clone", that would've been lame.

Getting a player that can standout on his own is the right approach for this gig, because there's no cloning Ed. Joe knows that. Sammy knows that. DLR knew that when he hired Vai. There's no copying Ed. No one will play these songs like him. So Joe might as well play them like Joe. He'll be fine.

 

[tallcoolone]

It obviously makes sense due to genetics

Or from him hearing and seeing those songs being played constantly his entire life

These guys don’t have much time left and they have FU money—I can promise you they did not set out to do the “best” anything and they def don’t give a shit whether someone else “can do Eddie better”. Pretty sure most of them think Eddie was an asshat anyway. They are going on tour with friends to have a good time. I’m going down to Nashville to see them in a few weeks and am really looking forward to it. Honestly more than if it was VH with Eddie. I’ve seen that 4 times and I’ve only seen Satch once.

 

[Dogs of Doom]

Or from him hearing and seeing those songs being played constantly his entire life

he probably was playing Eruption at age 5... Mean Street intro & Hot For teacher at age 6...

 

[colchar]

I'm pretty sure the Roth era was more successful. I think most people like that era best...hands down.

I said commercially successful. Here is the chart performance of each album from each era. Based on this, the Hagar era was more successful.

Roth Era
VH I peaked at #19; VH II peaked at #6; WACF peaked at #6; FW peaked at #5; DD peaked at #3; 1984 peaked at #2.

Hagar Era
5150 hit #1; OU812 hit #1; FUCK hit #1; Balance hit #1.

 

[colchar]

Or from him hearing and seeing those songs being played constantly his entire life

Well yeah, when EVH is your guitar teacher you're going to nail VH songs.

 

[harleytech]

I never liked Van Hagar, but I like Sammy solo or with Montrose...

 

[StrummerJoe]

I said commercially successful. Here is the chart performance of each album from each era. Based on this, the Hagar era was more successful.

Roth Era
VH I peaked at #19; VH II peaked at #6; WACF peaked at #6; FW peaked at #5; DD peaked at #3; 1984 peaked at #2.

Hagar Era
5150 hit #1; OU812 hit #1; FUCK hit #1; Balance hit #1.

The DLR era sold more units.

I like both eras, except Sammy's love songs.

 

[Lo-Tek]

The DLR era sold more units.

....

That's what I've always read. Their iconic songs are DLR, imo.

 

[StrummerJoe]

That's what I've always read. Their iconic songs are DLR, imo.

It tends to be a generational thing. Took me a while to ok understand the new direction the band took with Hagar and EVH being able to explore different styles and expanded styles do to Hagar's superior vocal range vs. the more straight ahead rockers about women and drink youth tends to favor.

Sammy sang songs about love, DLR sang songs about raw dogging.

The band sold more units with Dave, but had more chart success with Sammy. The whole Sammy vs Dave thing is boring to me. I listened for what Ed and Al were doing.

 

[Lo-Tek]

It tends to be a generational thing. Took me a while to ok understand the new direction the band took with Hagar and EVH being able to explore different styles and expanded styles do to Hagar's superior vocal range vs. the more straight ahead rockers about women and drink youth tends to favor.

Sammy sang songs about love, DLR sang songs about raw dogging.

The band sold more units with Dave, but had more chart success with Sammy. The whole Sammy vs Dave thing is boring to me. I listened for what Ed and Al were doing.

As a casual VH fan DLR era seems more rock and roll and/or fresher.
Hagar era was more mainstream- MTV ready, arena rock. I can appreciate some of the material but if it seems a little boring.

Some people think bands usually do their best work young- young and hungry. I'm not sure the theory is true but I think it applies to VH. I did like some of the newer DLR tracks but I think maybe they were old tunes redone.

 

[Dogs of Doom]

As a casual VH fan DLR era seems more rock and roll and/or fresher.
Hagar era was more mainstream- MTV ready, arena rock. I can appreciate some of the material but if it seems a little boring.

Some people think bands usually do their best work young- young and hungry. I'm not sure the theory is true but I think it applies to VH. I did like some of the newer DLR tracks but I think maybe they were old tunes redone.

I think it comes across as the Mk II version was sounding over-produced... Whereas, Mk I was heavily produced to sound raw... That was, IMO, the genius of Ted Templeman...

He'd make sure to capture the band f'king around in the studio, in their off moments & then embarked on those antics... Some of it, was re-enactment, like reality TV takes, which then came across as corny, but, then, that corny was also part of the schtick...

They were a seriously, non-serious band. Over-the-top, in your face party 'til you drop, all out over-excess band...

When Sammy joined, Edward took over all production, started playing more keyboards, & they got serious about being more serious... but... then, when they tried to do any of the earlier antics, it didn't come across as genuine...

Not to say that the Mk II version is bad, it's just a totally different approach, & IMO, not really to be compared.

Also, EVH, as far as tone, started using higher gain amp's & lower volume recording & it became more polished, along w/ the keyboards & more traditional vocals that Sammy brought to the table...

 

[Kendall124]

Dave vs. Sammy??

Make no mistake…..

Van Halen was never about the singer.

 

[Dogs of Doom]

Dave vs. Sammy??

Make no mistake…..

Van Halen was never about the singer.

according to Edward, it was all about the drummer... ...

 

[TXOldRedRocker]

The whole Sammy vs Dave thing is boring to me.

Me too.

[rant on]
A band that exists for two decades (or more) can't make the same album over and over and over. Evolution is natural, and necessary. Look at ZZ Top. Many prefer the 70's albums over the more synthesized 80's albums, and beyond. Fair enough. But they couldn't just do the 70's style for 5 decades. IMHO.

After 1985, Dave is gone. VH can't just fold, they have to evolve too. MUST hire a replacement. Eddie said that having a singer with Sammy's range provided him with another instrument he could use in his writing. Good for Ed. He could write songs he couldn't write before. Seems to me, that helped the band evolve and stay relevant, by not writing the same style over and over and over.

In the entire VH catalog, I have favorite songs. If I list them, some are DLR and some are Sammy. I have some I don't like at all. Some are DLR, some are Sammy.

I'm a VH fan.
[rant off]