Sammy's got a major chip on his shoulder

[vanhalen5150]

Oh and there are only two things I truly don't like about ADKOT. The guitar tone, (which at times downright annoying, very nasel and cracked wah sounding) I also hate the whammy pedal, It sounds so thin and tinny. The other part I don't like is the mix which is hiding Eddies playing. It gets lost in the background sometimes; It doesn't cut through.

I agree with Ed getting lost in the mix. They have him in both sides and it really just blends in too much. I think some of that is the amp as well. It sounds like they were trying to cover every frequency. Stick Ed in the left side and and add the jape to the right. Don't mess with it.
Haven't done the headphones yet.

[fivecoyote]

they don't sound like anyone else...never have, never will and that's because Eddie is in a different mental sphere than everyone else

Agree but don't forget about Al! His groove his a huge, understated/rated part of VH.

[MrBeasty]

Oh and there are only two things I truly don't like about ADKOT. The guitar tone, (which at times downright annoying, very nasel and cracked wah sounding) I also hate the whammy pedal, It sounds so thin and tinny. The other part I don't like is the mix which is hiding Eddies playing. It gets lost in the background sometimes; It doesn't cut through.

I agree with Ed getting lost in the mix. They have him in both sides and it really just blends in too much. I think some of that is the amp as well. It sounds like they were trying to cover every frequency. Stick Ed in the left side and and add the jape to the right. Don't mess with it.
Haven't done the headphones yet.

Well, the genius of the Templeman's mix was to keep vocals, snare, kick in the center and bass slightly right; this dramatically opened-up the audio spectrum for him to make the guitar stand-out on the side. Everything had a specific place in the mix which left room for each instrument to come through without having to make a lot of adjustments. It is/was a very "Beatles-esque" mix IMHO.

When you start having guitar on both sides, overdubbed guitar parts, bigger sounding guitars, bigger drums, bigger bass, etc ... you quickly run out of room. The guitar competes with the bass' frequencies, the center is filled with layered-vocals and drums, the outsides are filled with layers of guitars, bass and keys/synths ... It becomes the famous Everything Louder Than Everything Else problem.
So to make certain things pop-out of the mix you have to move things in and out of the forefront.

VH-1 was already an eccentric mix for its time. I don't think it caught-on either. When you hear You Really Got Me on the radio these days, they mostly eliminate the hard-left panning. I don't know if they were issued an alternate mix or the radios just process audio in such a way that the sound is spread across both sides.

[cary chilton]

Any so called genius of Ted's wasnt panning. I dont think Ted is any better than most label producers out there.

[wjamflan]

Any so called genius of Ted's wasnt panning. I dont think Ted is any better than most label producers out there.

Ted's genius was supposedly producing vocals and vocal harmonies. It's also been said that he helped with arrangements of songs. I've always thought the mix was Donn's area of expertise. I would agree with Beasty that the mix of the original CVH albums is very Beatle-esque because of the panning and separation. I didn't like all of George Martin's productions, but some sounded great.

As far as Sammy goes, he's a part of the band's history, but he doesn't understand that he's history. Nobody but Van Hagar fans give a crap what he says or does. His book is about him and his perspective, which is about as broad as his non-existent lyric writing talents. He uses VH to keep himself in the news, otherwise he'd have to be judged by Chickenfoot alone, which is a horror show. The only reason he is still able to make records at all is b/c he was in VH. If he wasn't, he'd be on the nostalgia circuit with Tommy Tutone and other 80's one hit wonders. Chip or no chip, the fat toad needs to go away.....

[Sparky4444]

. The only reason he is still able to make records at all is b/c he was in VH. If he wasn't, he'd be on the nostalgia circuit with Tommy Tutone and other 80's one hit wonders. Chip or no chip, the fat toad needs to go away.....

...I agree with most of that statement..however, I strongly believe that without Sammy, Van Halen would not have survived into the 90's, or at the very least, had the huge success they did...VH had another 2 albums with Roth before grunge hit and they would have been hard-pressed to stay afloat with Roth during that period -- partly because Roth wouldn't have been that effective at singing the more pop orientated stuff that set Van Halen apart in the 90's...partly because Roth would have become another Vince Neil in terms of self-destructing...

[wjamflan]

. The only reason he is still able to make records at all is b/c he was in VH. If he wasn't, he'd be on the nostalgia circuit with Tommy Tutone and other 80's one hit wonders. Chip or no chip, the fat toad needs to go away.....

...I agree with most of that statement..however, I strongly believe that without Sammy, Van Halen would not have survived into the 90's, or at the very least, had the huge success they did...VH had another 2 albums with Roth before grunge hit and they would have been hard-pressed to stay afloat with Roth during that period -- partly because Roth wouldn't have been that effective at singing the more pop orientated stuff that set Van Halen apart in the 90's...partly because Roth would have become another Vince Neil in terms of self-destructing...

VH made one (non-Gary Cherone) record after grunge hit - 1995's Balance - which has been trashed as forgettable pablum. So I'm not sure you can attribute "survival" to the fat toad. If so, they didn't survive long....

F.U.C.K. released June 17, 1991

Nivana's Nevermind released Spetember 24, 1991

DLR = Vince Neil????? I don't think so. I don't think even Vince would go that far. Vince was a self-professed DLR wannabe. But I get it it. You think the master would have become the apprentice and the fat toad rules all.... oh well.....

[Sparky4444]

DLR = Vince Neil????? I don't think so. I don't think even Vince would go that far. Vince was a self-professed DLR wannabe. But I get it it. You think the master would have become the apprentice and the fat toad rules all.... oh well.....

I am not saying Hagar rules all -- I don't know what you're reading...What I'm saying is that I think Roth would have derailed himself if he would have stayed in Van Halen...They would have been good for a couple more albums after 1984 but I don't how much creative growth the band would have had with Roth's limited vocal range and style...I am saying is I don't think Roth's style and voice would have faired well for the material that was to come for the '90's...grunge or no grunge, classic hard rock was well on its way out by '89 into '90, no doubt about it...VH would have needed to redefine itself and Hagar is way more versatile than Roth --..that's my two bits..

I love Roth VH ..I love Hagar VH...two legitmate superstar versions of the band...I think VH fans are pretty lucky in this respect...think about Journey or Foreigner -- yikes...

[wjamflan]

What I'm saying is that I think Roth would have derailed himself if he would have stayed in Van Halen...

I'm not sure why you would say this. It seems like a guess to me, a guess that you're basing on his solo career. That's not VH....

They would have been good for a couple more albums after 1984 but I don't how much creative growth the band would have had with Roth's limited vocal range and style...

Van Hagar made 3 albums before grunge hit. I'd like to think CVH had at least that many in it....

I am saying is I don't think Roth's style and voice would have faired well for the material that was to come for the '90's...grunge or no grunge, classic hard rock was well on its way out by '89 into '90, no doubt about it...

The point is that Dave was a creative partner and never would have allowed a song like When It's Love to be released. Sammy sang along to whatever he was given, which is why he eventually wanted to go back to being a solo artist. That and he wanted to hear his own shitty guitar playing live, and on record.

VH would have needed to redefine itself and Hagar is way more versatile than Roth --..that's my two bits..

I'm not sure how you are defining versatile. Jump isn't pop enough for you? Dave actually has tried out many different styles of music while Sammy has always been MOR pop/rock pablum. This is totally false.

I love Roth VH ..I love Hagar VH...two legitmate superstar versions of the band...I think VH fans are pretty lucky in this respect...think about Journey or Foreigner -- yikes...

One superstar version of VH - CVH - and a watered down version of VH that had some pop success. Speaking of Journey and Foreigner, does Joe-public know the names of the replacement singers? I don't think so. Maybe that's your point, but the simple fact of the matter is that VH enjoyed declining success with every album after 1984. This decline was due to the wretchedness of the material and the horribbleness of the singing and lyrics.

[Sparky4444]

...I thing Hagar can be a turd, no doubt...but I can respect the guys talents and I like the Van Hagar era...you have every right not to...I agree, though, he's just bitter, still, even after professing to be this enlightened spiritual guy...he's two-faced at times, no doubt about it...all his money, Hawaii/Cabo mansions on the cliff and hot-milf wife can't satisfy his ego at this point in his life...I'd be surprised if he persists with the mud-slinging -- but you never know, these guys are still adolescent high-school idiots at heart...

[mightymike]

Sammy is high if he thinks Chickenfoot is better. Face it Sammy, Roth Era VH is preferred by the fans. Even Roth Solo stuff is better. I'll take Yankee Rose, Bump and Grind, Elephant Gun, and Tobacco road over I can't drive 55, There's only on Way to Rock, and Where Eagles fly. Roth's music is on a different level. Sammy is like Ronald McDonald music is comparison.

Rant over.

[BrownSound1]

Sammy is high if he thinks Chickenfoot is better. Face it Sammy, Roth Era VH is preferred by the fans. Even Roth Solo stuff is better. I'll take Yankee Rose, Bump and Grind, Elephant Gun, and Tobacco road over I can't drive 55, There's only on Way to Rock, and Where Eagles fly. Roth's music is on a different level. Sammy is like Ronald McDonald music is comparison.

Rant over.

This^

I've said this before, but Van Hagar was basically Loverboy with a better guitarist. How in the hell can a band go from Unchained to Love Walks In? The Van Hagar era proves that giving Eddie free reign on the music is a very bad idea, and he needs someone like Diamond Dave to keep things in check. Also, Sam pissed on the old stuff when he came into the band, and all we ever got from them live was You Really Got Me, Panama, Ain't Talkin' Bout Love, and Jump. Oh there's the occasional Unchained, but other than that forget it. He never could pull them off anyway...

To be at their absolute best, Ed needs Dave in the band, and Dave needs Ed. They balance out each other's bad points, and what comes forth is pure magic.

[Sparky4444]

Sammy is high if he thinks Chickenfoot is better. Face it Sammy, Roth Era VH is preferred by the fans. Even Roth Solo stuff is better. I'll take Yankee Rose, Bump and Grind, Elephant Gun, and Tobacco road over I can't drive 55, There's only on Way to Rock, and Where Eagles fly. Roth's music is on a different level. Sammy is like Ronald McDonald music is comparison.

Rant over.

I think you're high if you think Roth's solo stuff is better than Sammy's...

[paulscape]

Great thing about Dave back in the band is you'll never hear any Hagar songs live, bad thing is we'll have to listen to running with devil endlessly. I hope they try pull out some more obscure CVH when touring.

[chrisom]

by mightymike » Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:29 pm
Sammy is high if he thinks Chickenfoot is better. Face it Sammy, Roth Era VH is preferred by the fans. Even Roth Solo stuff is better. I'll take Yankee Rose, Bump and Grind, Elephant Gun, and Tobacco road over I can't drive 55, There's only on Way to Rock, and Where Eagles fly. Roth's music is on a different level. Sammy is like Ronald McDonald music is comparison.

Sammy looks like Ronald McDonald too...

by BrownSound1 » Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:45 pm
I've said this before, but Van Hagar was basically Loverboy with a better guitarist. How in the hell can a band go from Unchained to Love Walks In? The Van Hagar era proves that giving Eddie free reign on the music is a very bad idea, and he needs someone like Diamond Dave to keep things in check.... To be at their absolute best, Ed needs Dave in the band, and Dave needs Ed. They balance out each other's bad points, and what comes forth is pure magic.

+1 Veritas