Iron MikeyJ

Here is a few pics from my game room. Not the cleanest (my 5 year old is out there all day long).

@RussTCB,

After listening to your podcast, I got the impression that you prefer the Sammy years over the Dave years. It seemed as though you were recommending 5150, OU812, FUCK, and Balance OVER most of the Dave era (maybe not VH1, but certainly the rest). 

For the sake of conversation, if that is true, would you care to elaborate. Also how would you rank the albums?

1 minute ago, RussTCB said:

Thanks for listening man. I don't know why, but I knew ahead of time that they were gonna play a lot of great Sammy & Dave songs. Maybe I saw an MTV News report or something. 

I might of just stopped paying attention or something. I was junior in hs, so who knows where my mind was at the time. Even though I liked the album (and still do), I was jadded that they didn't bring Dave back after the best of vol 1. 

@RussTCB,

I just listened to your VH episode and I found it rather entertaining. My biggest take away is that "Fire in the hole was my go get a beer song." 😀 

I've always liked that song, better than Without You tbh. I didn't go see that tour because I didn't know they were going to play both Sammy and Dave songs. It was before the internet was, well the internet of today. So info was a lot more sparse. I was expecting the same sorta thing they did with Sammy, the ENTIRE VH3 album, plus Jump, Panama, Ain't talking bout love, and maybe Right now and Why can't this be love. That probably my biggest VH regret, not seeing them on that tour.

I knew a guy that DID see them on that tour, and when he told me what they played... I was pretty bummed.

4 minutes ago, RussTCB said:

Yeah, the 7" single. Sounds great. 

I bought the CD soundtrack just for that song back in the day. 

I LOVE Slash, so what I'm about to say isn't a slight at Slash. It's more praise of EVH, but Slash can NOT play VH, he just can't. That VR performance of Runaround was just plain dreadful (can you even find it on YouTube anymore?) I feel like it's been removed on purpose, because of how terrible it was. They did an ok job on ain't talking bout love. 

So the thought of gnr playing VH is NOT a good idea. EVH was on a different level than Slash, which isn't a knock on Slash cause EVH was on a different level than 99% of the people that ever picked up a guitar. Slash played Crazy train at some Ozzy thing a few years back, and that was terrible as well. He just struggles with the virtuoso style of guitar playing. He can play blues rock and riff rock like nobody's business, but NOT stuff like VH. 

I'd LOVE to hear Axls take on some VH songs though. That does appeal to me. 

On 10/2/2020 at 9:15 AM, RussTCB said:

I may just pass on this due to the screwed up artwork. I have every track on vinyl between other releases anyways. 

Buying this would more less be me giving GN'R money just to give them money. 

You have sympathy for the devil on vinyl?

I ordered two of these (one for me, one for my daughter). I don't have TSI on vinyl, so those two songs, sympathy and Shadow of your love make it worth while for me.

Honestly, I see the appeal of the greatest hits album for casuals. Don't get me wrong, it SHOULD have Brownstone on it at least (Nightrain as well). But for a casual fan, it's a solid first GNR album to buy. I think that's why it's been on the charts for so long. Having said that, Ain't it fun should have been replaced by Brownstone. I would have also replaced Yesterday with Nightrain. Other than that, its hard to argue about the rest of the songs included. Sure, Shadow of your love is HARDLY a GH, but that was clearly included just for this vinyl. I'm speaking more about the standard track list. Ive always been glad that Sympathy was on it, that song deserved a proper GNR release.

44 minutes ago, ZoSoRose said:

Irving Azoff said Alex and Wolfgang are going to go to 5150 and go through unreleased material to see if they can maybe release something. That is probably far off, but maybe there will be one last VH album. I think it would be cool if they could get Dave, Sammy, and Michael Anthony on it with Wolf and Alex. It would have potential to be great imo. 

He also said the EVH brand will continue, so they will still manufacture musical instruments and amplifiers

 

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/van-halen-unreleased-songs/

That makes me happy, to hear about the equipment. I literally JUST taught myself how to solder. Next year (or so), I am planning on building my own Frankenstrat style guitar. 

I bought a cheap squire strat (50 bucks). I just plan on using the body, adding a Floyd rose, new neck, and the official EVH humbucker. I wasn't going to do the red, white, and black paint job though. I was planning on going with the white and black striped look instead. 

Anyways, I am at least 6 month (if not a year away) from this project starting (I just spent a fortune building proton packs for Halloween). I DID worry though, if the EVH signature equipment would continue. If it didn't, they would sky rocket in value. 

20 minutes ago, RussTCB said:

It's not. The only 3 VH records not on vinyl are Right Here Right Now, VHIII, Best Of Volume I and Best Of Both Worlds. I have everything else, including Balance on vinyl. 

This Friday night, we'll be spinning all Van Halen at my normal gathering. You're always welcome to join whenever you wanna make the drive. 

We're also covering Van Halen on the next episode of my podcast which will be out Monday. 

Thanks, I appreciate the offer. I literally just jacked up my ankle, and am hobbling around like an old man today, probably won't be much better tommorow. 

What's the name of your podcast? Can you link it here when you do the VH episode? I'll give it a listen.

33 minutes ago, ZoSoRose said:

Band sounds good but few can properly emulate Eddie. 

Ya, I've been listening to them today. AsI said before, I couldn't give them a fair shake before. But now... It's the best we will get for the Hagar era tunes. 

As for the Dave era... I have no freaking idea. I don't have ANY interest in watching Dave solo. Without Eddie, I don't care much for Dave. 

11 minutes ago, ZoSoRose said:

I haven't heard much from The Circle, is Jason Bonham still with them? I bet it would be a good gig, Sammy is always good. Chickenfoot's first album was really solid imo, I think it would be cool if they could do another one one day and maybe throw some VH songs into that set, too. 

Yeah, it was their first performance of Girl Gone Bad since the 1984 Tour. Pretty cool. 

Ya, The Circle is Sammy, Mike, Jason Bonham, and Vic Johnson. I believe they play VH, Zeppelin, and Sammy solo songs. They do solid renditions of the Sammy era VH songs, but like I said before, Vic can't play Eddie properly (not many can). But the songs sound good, just not EVH good. 

1 minute ago, ZoSoRose said:

That is awesome. I never saw them with Sammy (I was in middle school and that was right before I got into music). I also skipped their last tour, which I now wish I went to because they did Light Up the Sky. 

I was at that 2012 show at the Palace and then I saw Sammy and Michael with Chickenfoot in 2008 and Sammy open for Aerosmith in 2010. He did some VH tunes that time. 

My wife and I were at that Palace show sa well. Did they play Girl gone bad that night? I can't remember. 

As for The Circle, I'm going to have to give them a shot now. I wasn't "against them" per say, I still really like Sammy and Mike. Vic Johnson just can't play Eddie very good imo. He's not horrible, but the songs sound different. I had been holding out hope for a Sammy and Dave super VH tour at some point. But now, it's going to be The Circle for the Sammy VH songs. So I might have to check them out (whenever concerts become a thing again).

6 minutes ago, ZoSoRose said:

1984 rules, the production is great and the songs are just as good, if not better than most of their other catalog. I don't really understand people who get mad about VH going more poppy, because they always wrote fun, poppy tunes with amazing guitar playing. I don't think 1984 was that huge of a shift. 

They did Girl Gone Bad for the first time in decades at the VH show I saw, that song is mean as hell. Jump is also solid, and I think that is one of Eddie's best solos

My ONLY VH regret is NOT seeing them on their last tour (when they played the deep cuts). I saw them in 2004 with Sammy (despite EVH being a mess, I'm glad I went). I saw them with Dave in 2012 (I think). So I saw them with both Sammy and Dave, and am grateful for that. I had opportunities to see them with Gary, and I wish I would have. In some ways, those were the best shows. I also saw the Sam and Dave tour and DTE (Pine knob). That was a fun concert as well. Dave had a straight EVH clone in his band though. 

14 minutes ago, ZoSoRose said:

I agree with VH3, I find it interesting too. People treat it like it is an abomination and it really is pretty cool in parts. There is some great guitar work and Gary has some awesome vocals. I would not call it a bad record. 

Fair Warning, however, is a fucking masterpiece. Unchained, Mean Street, Hear About it Later, Sinner's Swing, etc. God damn. 

My favorite is Dirty Movies. The rhythm on that song is sick. It's one of those Eddie rhythms that I have a hard time thinking someone could replicate properly. Its probably in my top 5 VH songs. When I found out the sad news, I played 1, 1984, and Fair Warning in that order. Fair Warning is the dirtiest, sleaziest, most Appetite like album VH ever did. 

Even though 1 and 1984 have all the hits, I still think they are the best VH albums. What can I say about 1 that hasn't already been said a million times? IMO it's the 2nd best rock debut album ever (behind only Appetite). 

1984 is the album that gets unfair criticisms imo. That album is a bonafide masterpiece as well. It's the apex of the DLR era. I absolutely LOVE every song on that album. People give Jump and I'll Wait crap. I'll Wait is a freaking amazing song. Try to NOT sing Eddie's guitar solo on it, you can't.

Jump brought VH mainstreem, which is a good thing and a bad thing, yes. But the actual song has a LOT more going on than people realize. Rick Beato (youtuber) did a video breaking the song down, and it's also an amazing song.

1 minute ago, ZoSoRose said:

A Year to the Day kicks serious ass imo

I find the majority of that album very interesting, and better than most give it credit for. It doesn't sound like VH of old, no (neither Sammy or Dave). So that probably turned off a lot of people. But different doesn't mean bad. Fire in the hole is probably the closest song to being a "hit" on it, and should have been the lead single instead of Without You. But the majority of the album isn't "radio friendly." That isn't a bad thing imo, Chinese Democracy isn't very radio friendly either, but I still enjoy it. I would also say Fair Warning isn't very radio friendly either, and it's my 3rd favorite VH album (after 1 and 1984). 

@RussTCB,

Do you know if Live Right Here Right Now is on vinyl? I did a quick Google search and couldn't find it. I have all the DLR albums on vinyl (except for Diver Down and ADKOT). The only Sammy album I have on vinyl is 5150, so I'm looking to add more to my collection, and as I said earlier, I really like Right here right now.

25 minutes ago, rocknroll41 said:

Apparently he and Sammy Hagar privately made peace with one another a few months back, according to Howard Stern.

I hope this is true.

I love the Sammy era. Yes, I like the Dave era better. But for me, the Sammy era WAS my VH. I do remember Dave's original run with the band, but I was pretty young. Funny story, when I was in kindergarten, the teacher asked the class "what are your favorite nursery rhymes." All the other kids said things like "Old McDonald," "London Bridges," etc. I said "Jump by Van Halen."

But for my junior high and high school years it was the Sammy era. I still to this day LOVE Live Right Here Right Now. Yes, I know it's not a "real" live album, but I love the versions of all the songs on it none the less. Most, if not ALL of the songs on it I like better than the studio counterparts. It just REALLY captured the Sammy era to a T imo. 

I also bought VH3 the day it came out. I also don't think it's as bad as people say. Yes, it's my least favorite VH album (but that doesn't mean it's bad, plus it's better than Tokyo Dome). Eddie really put a lot into that album, so it's interesting for that reason alone. I've always felt that VH3's failure, mixed with Eddie's cancer, was the main reason why VH has been so sporadic this century. Eddie really did some creative and unique things musically (not just guitar, but musically) on that album. To see it get trashed critically and publicaly seemed to take the wind out of his sails imo 

I have been at a loss of words since I found out. EVH was IT for me. I love Slash, Page, Hendrix, etc BUT Eddie was just a step beyond all of them imo. As others have said, his rhythm playing is second to none. For me, he was hands down the greatest guitarist that ever lived, especially in the rock world. I know people cna argue Vai, Buckethead, etc. Which they were all great... But Eddie was even on a different level than them imo. He wasn't all speed and flash (although he had tons of it), he was a "feel" player first and foremost, but a "feel" player with unbelievable technique. You just don't see a lot of that.

I hate to say it, but we will never hear VH songs played properly again. Even the best of the best guitar players have a hard time (in some cases impossible) job replicating Eddie's guitar parts properly. Ya, sure you can hear a random guy do Ain't talkin' bout love or Unchained properly, but for the most part, Eddie's catalogue is not replicatable. I watch TONS of videos of people playing VH, and I can ALWAYS pick out what they are doing wrong (which I'm not saying I can do it myself either, just making the point). Which it's mostly his rhythm playing that people struggle with (some solos as well). Don't get me wrong, they can make the song sound good, even great. But they can't make it sound like Edward Van Halen. 

He was MY Jimi Hendrix... Crushed.

I noticed how Downzy is completely absent from these points by DD and Len... 

Again, what does this have to do with the topic at hand? This is why I stopped posting here. No matter what topic I was in, Day and a few others ALWAYS turned it into a religious discussion. Yet I got suspended for taking a thread off topic.

2 minutes ago, downzy said:

But 4.3 percent of priests is still a lot of priests for an organization that claims the moral leadership of the entire human race. 

Once again, you’re missing the point. You make excuses for organizations and leaders you don’t have a problem with but impugn an entire movement based on the actions of a very small minority. You’re employing arbitrary and capricious evaluations that are devoid at even the hint of consistency. 

The leaders of the church don't condone that behavior, that's the difference. I'm not saying that excuses the behavior, just like (I'm sure) you don't condone the rioters behavior. The Catholic Church is 100% against the behavior of these priests. I know someone is going to say "they covered it up." But that's not the truth. The truth is, they had to protect the sanctity of confession. Whether you agree with it or not, but that is something that is a grave sin if a priest breaks the sanctity of confession. Kinda like doctor patient confidentiality. So even the innocent priest that knew, were forbidden to discuss it. You can't expect people to go against their religion, even for purposes that seem worthy. That holds true for all religions, not just catholicism. So it wasn't this massive "cover up" it was about protecting the sanctity of confession. But I'm sure you won't understand this. Plus the media never talked about this side of it either. 

As for BLM, their leaders are very troubling. No matter how you spin it, that fact remains. 

10 minutes ago, downzy said:

You said that in the last 50 years the Catholic Church only had 4.3 corrupt priests.  @Dazey and I are trying to figure out what a third of a priest looks like. 

I forgot to add the %... Geez.

What does any of this have to do with the topic at hand. I believe I got suspended for "taking a thread off topic." More examples of Downzys complete abuse of power.

1 minute ago, downzy said:

So with BLM, the movement is the leaders, not the people?  

When you have radical leaders, you create radical followers. As Dazey pointed out the Catholic church had 4.3 corrupt priests in 50 years. BLM has had 7% violence in a little over 100 days. But you say it's only a few... Food for thought.