I know Eddie Van Halen's Been Hopped Up on Painkillers, But COME ON...

Ksyrup · 09-22-2003, 02:20 PM

From an MTV.com article about the last few months in the life of Fred Durst:

"As Durst so eloquently puts it, "What the f--- am I doing? I'm not a guitar player." But after auditioning as many as 11 guitarists, including none other than Eddie Van Halen, the frontman finds himself, along with engineer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, strumming the songs for the new record. With live shows around the corner, that has to change."

100 to 1 EVH thought he was at an alcoholics anonymous meeting, or Durst is making stuff up about him in the same way he does about all of the hot chicks he wants to hook up with. You know, the chicks who, when a reporter mentions that Durst has said he wants to hook with them, recoil in horror and immediately change their unlisted phone numbers.

sterlingice · 09-22-2003, 02:28 PM

The Van Halen fan inside of me is rolling over in the grave Gary Cherone kicked him into and dumped concrete over.

SI

Franklinnoble · 09-22-2003, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sterlingice
The Van Halen fan inside of me is rolling over in the grave Gary Cherone kicked him into and dumped concrete over.

SI

I couldn't have said it better. Van Halen was done as a band the day they decided it would be a good idea to bring him on as a lead singer.

Marmel · 09-22-2003, 03:05 PM

I have a perverse love for Limp Bizkit and Fred Durst. I can't explain it one bit, and cannot wait to hear their new CD which I believe comes out tomorrow.

I will say that their first CD was the best, and while each CD got progressively worst, they are all pretty good. They rock in concert too. Picture a 30 year old guy on the floor with hundreds of angry teenagers moshing.

FrogMan · 09-22-2003, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Franklinnoble
I couldn't have said it better. Van Halen was done as a band the day they decided it would be a good idea to bring him on as a lead singer.

Amen.

FM

Ksyrup · 09-22-2003, 03:12 PM

I have never heard the Gary Cherone/VH stuff, and I'm glad I haven't. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cherone, but I knew that wasn't going to work from the moment I heard about it.

His recent Tribe of Judah release is excellent, though. It's more in keeping with the experimental rock that both he and Nuno are great at. I just wish they'd get back together.

Draft Dodger · 09-22-2003, 03:21 PM

I don't know what scares me more - that my musical idol actually auditioned for that crappy band, or that THEY TURNED HIM DOWN.

I love Eddie - I'm a huge fan of his playing, and, I with a straight face often say that I think he is the most underrated guitar player of my generation.

Losing Roth in the 80's SHOULDN'T have worked for Van Halen. Remember, Eddie wanted Patty Smyth from Scandal - boy, THAT would have been cool... But, they got Hagar, he was a GREAT fit, and the band went on to make some terrific music again for a number of years. But, I think Eddie was convinced that the change worked not because of luck, but because his skill and songwriting could carry the band. So, when Hagar wanted some R&R and the band wanted to go into the studio, he was booted - after all, anyone could sing for this band, right? um, wrong.

I've listend to VHIII only a couple of times (I actually bought the "limitied edition collectors CD" for like $30). Gary Cherone is not the reason it sucked. The songwriting was terrible.

Kodos · 09-22-2003, 03:25 PM

Sammy's albums have been crap since he went solo again. I wish he'd put out something as good as "I Never Said Goodbye" again.

sterlingice · 09-22-2003, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Draft Dodger
I've listend to VHIII only a couple of times (I actually bought the "limitied edition collectors CD" for like $30). Gary Cherone is not the reason it sucked. The songwriting was terrible.

While this is true, weren't DLR and Sammy the ones behind the writing while they were there?

It just seemed like they wanted to "feature" the music to the point where vocals were useless. This translated to the musicians getting to do all the pet projects (crazy guitar solos, etc) they've wanted to do for 20 years and Cherone didn't have enough of a name to step in and say "no, guys, we need to do this right and make good music".

I could very well be mistaken on all of this, but that's what VHIII sounded like to me: too much trying to be an instrumental group instead of putting together whole songs.

SI

Franklinnoble · 09-22-2003, 03:41 PM

Some sick part of me wishes that Eddie had died of cancer right before he decided to kick Sammy out of the band... then I could remember Van Halen in a nice way...

Kodos · 09-22-2003, 03:50 PM

Part of me holds out hope that Sammy will return to the fold one day. After all, they all would like more money. See the Eagles for a precedent.

Ksyrup · 09-22-2003, 03:51 PM

Hey, you should console yourself with the knowledge that if VH never again records a note of music, we've still got countless Lifetime movies starring his wife to watch. Ahhhhh, memories.

Leonidas · 09-22-2003, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Draft Dodger

I love Eddie - I'm a huge fan of his playing, and, I with a straight face often say that I think he is the most underrated guitar player of my generation.

It's funny how history has soured on EVH. Back in the early 80's any poll of 15-25 year olds on who the best guitarist in the world was would easily have listed Van Halen as the top guy. There was even serious discussion back then comparing him the Hendrix. I'm not saying you're wrong in this quote DD, but it strikes me as really wierd the day has come when we seriously talk about Van Halen as being underrated. I just remember how over the top huge he was 20-25 years ago.

Now he's barely even a footnote to musical history. And it really makes me laugh when modern critics and kids today talk about Kurt Cobain as THE guitar god. Please, Cobain didn't have a fraction of the skill of Van Halen. He had a unique style and one really huge song that changed the musical landscape. But technically, he really was nothing special.

I guess if Eddie had died in his prime history would be kinder.

Franklinnoble · 09-22-2003, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kodos
Part of me holds out hope that Sammy will return to the fold one day. After all, they all would like more money. See the Eagles for a precedent.

Nah... Eddie will croak before that happens. I mean, he looked half dead ten years ago even BEFORE he had cancer.

Kodos · 09-22-2003, 04:04 PM

I just remember those happy days when Sammy had just joined the band, and they were so enthusiastic because they finally had a singer who could sing. I must have watched their "Live Without A Net" concert over a hundred times with my buddy Greg. That was back when MTV didn't suck. Those were the days...

sterlingice · 09-22-2003, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kodos
I just remember those happy days when Sammy had just joined the band, and they were so enthusiastic because they finally had a singer who could sing. I must have watched their "Live Without A Net" concert over a hundred times with my buddy Greg. That was back when MTV didn't suck. Those were the days...

Back when MTV actually had music on it. Those were the days...

SI

Ksyrup · 09-22-2003, 04:13 PM

The only thing about Eddie, IMO, is that he never really did much of anything different. He burst on to the scene, and he was different at the time. But he never really seemed to grow as an artist. He just rested on what he had done before. I mean, he did two things different that I can recall - he wrote keyboard-based songs for 1984, and then he played his guitar with a power drill.

Draft Dodger · 09-22-2003, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Leonidas
It's funny how history has soured on EVH. Back in the early 80's any poll of 15-25 year olds on who the best guitarist in the world was would easily have listed Van Halen as the top guy. There was even serious discussion back then comparing him the Hendrix. I'm not saying you're wrong in this quote DD, but it strikes me as really wierd the day has come when we seriously talk about Van Halen as being underrated. I just remember how over the top huge he was 20-25 years ago.

Now he's barely even a footnote to musical history. And it really makes me laugh when modern critics and kids today talk about Kurt Cobain as THE guitar god. Please, Cobain didn't have a fraction of the skill of Van Halen. He had a unique style and one really huge song that changed the musical landscape. But technically, he really was nothing special.

I have a two-part reason why I think he's underrated. You touched on one part. Kids today just don't have an appreciation for what he brought to playing guitar. You could NOT listen to a guitar-based song in the 1980's and hear his influence. Even people who didn't listen to him, were influenced by someone who did. There may have been better guitarists (Vai, Satriani...etc), but none of them would have existed if VH hadn't changed what lead guitar sounded like. I would compare it a bit to Hendrix, in terms of how radically different he was from what was there in that era, but I think Hendrix we still appreciate just because no one else really approached the guitar in the way he did, solidifying his unique style; EVERYONE copied EVH.

And, I think that's part of the other reason he's underrated - because so many people emulated him, and some even would improve on what he did, he loses some of his appeal. In the end, a guitarist who had such a unique approach and technique began to sound like everyone else...because everyone else was trying to sound like him. People also look at EVH as a bit of a one-trick pony - just looking at him for his signature two-hand tapping technique. In reality, this was just a part of his playing - I think, for example, his rhythm playing is one of his best skills. Listen to a song like "Drop Dead Legs" - it's just filled with deft, subtle rhythm guitar. So, yes, he did get his accolades back then, but, I honestly believe as highly as he was praised, it still didn't do him justice.

Sadly, I think he also is somewhat to blame. His idiotic attacks on his former singers, and the fact that he didn't push his playing/writing as far as he could have hurt opinion of him.

Draft Dodger · 09-22-2003, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sterlingice
Back when MTV actually had music on it. Those were the days...

SI

if you watch MTV long enough, for like 27 hours in a row, or something, you actually will see a music video.

I don't believe anyone has ever successully done this, but I am told they do have videos on there. Maybe it's just a rumor.

FrogMan · 09-22-2003, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Draft Dodger
if you watch MTV long enough, for like 27 hours in a row, or something, you actually will see a music video.

I don't believe anyone has ever successully done this, but I am told they do have videos on there. Maybe it's just a rumor.

Has anybody searched Snopes on this allegation? I'm sure they'll show it to be a urban legend...

FM

Franklinnoble · 09-22-2003, 04:38 PM

The only time I've watched music videos on MTV in the last ten or eleven years was when they were part of regular episodes of Beavis and Butt-Head.

Ksyrup · 09-22-2003, 04:41 PM

I've watched more videos in the past 5 years on my PC from the enhanced versions of CDs I've bought than I have on MTV in the past 10 years. In fact, I think I've shown more videos on my PC than have been shown on MTV over the past 5 years...

sterlingice · 09-22-2003, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Draft Dodger
if you watch MTV long enough, for like 27 hours in a row, or something, you actually will see a music video.

I don't believe anyone has ever successully done this, but I am told they do have videos on there. Maybe it's just a rumor.

No, that's true. They have music at some point in the wee hours of the morning. Needless to say, I can't find much I like about most music nowadays so I haven't watched it for a couple of years now.

SI

Anthony · 09-22-2003, 06:55 PM

EVH is not underrated. he's in the Pantheon of Guitar Gods. i hate revisionists. i swear i do. always trying to put a different spin on what really happened.

EVH has been around too long. he went against the "live hard, die young" routine that Cobain succumbed to, he was clean cut for the most part and had a guy next door personality. if anyone sticks around for 20+ years they're bound to tarnish their legend.

but Eddie is a legend.

this coming from someone born in '77, wasn't into rock in the 80's and only started to appreciate the great acts of the 70's as a teen in the 90's. the 90's were when that act started to go sour. blame it on Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

but you don't say he's underrated or he's lost "it" just because the music he makes is no longer accepted. it's hard to accurately guage his worth in the big picture now because any music he'd write wouldn't be totally accepted in this hip-hop, nu-metal era. his time has come and gone. simple as that. but his legend, his "thing" that he brought, his influence - you don't diminish that.

no one will know who Durst is 10 years from now. but our kids will still be picking up VH cd's and listening to his music for the 1st time. at least my future kids will.

he was a phenomenom. truly gifted. music wouldn't be where it is today if EVH didn't come around. he gave birth to guitar-driven, guitar solo-centered rock and even metal. give him his props. and learn your history.

at least you appreciate the wonder that is "Drop Dead Legs". one of the sexiest guitar rhythms ever, and the solo in that song is in my top 5 of all time.

Ksyrup · 09-24-2003, 07:33 AM

An update, FWIW:

From www.melodicrock.com....

LIMP EXCUSE FOR FRONTMAN TO GRAB SOME PUBLICITY:
It seems Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst has been caught out in another example of his own generated BS. MTV.com featured a report on the new Bizcrap album and the situation of the band needing a new guitarist. Durst stated that, among others, Eddie Van Halen had auditioned for the role. You would think MTV would check that fact - they didn't. But I did - and a trusted source confirmed that Eddie had met with Durst.

But there's more to the story - the truth to be precise. This morning another trusted source - who read my news item yesterday and the MTV piece, e-mailed me with the real details of the pair's meeting.

The absolute truth of the matter is Fred invited Eddie over to jam - which the guitarist did. He just went over and played with them for fun. My source makes this quite clear with the line: "[to suggest that] Eddie auditioned for ANYONE is just pure un adulterated bullshit and it's an insult to Ed and anyone that knows him. Fred, ever the PR man, loves to get his name in the papers... Ed is gonna be pissed off when he finds out what Durst is saying about him!"

Draft Dodger · 09-24-2003, 07:51 AM

well, I feel better now

Axxon · 09-24-2003, 09:10 AM

I've always been a HUGE Frank Zappa fan and truly have believed that his guitar work has been vastly underappreciated.

I googled Frank and Eddie and came up with this interesting interview. It makes FZ sound sorta like a dick but in re his music he actually really was but at the same time I don't think he exaggerated his ability or his importance. It just sounds dickish to toot your own horn.

Anyway, the interview.

http://members.tripod.com/~navanax/d-zappa82.html

Spoken as a fan of both performers but in the examination of who was "best" I'm with Zappa. May I suggest "shut up 'n play your guitar" as a great entry into Zappa's music with all the grace that is his musical genius but without the novelty lyrics which fueled what fame he had.

The three cd set btw is entirely instrumental guitar work and was a commercial success. How many such collections has the great EVH had?? I love Eddie but really, I just don't get the hype.

Leonidas · 09-24-2003, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ksyrup
An update, FWIW:
Ed is gonna be pissed off when he finds out what Durst is saying about him!"

Eddie's gonna be so pissed he's gonna sic Valerie on Fred. I think she can take him. She must have four, five inches on Durst.

09-22-2003, 02:28 PM	#2
sterlingice Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Back in Houston!	The Van Halen fan inside of me is rolling over in the grave Gary Cherone kicked him into and dumped concrete over. SI __________________ Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!"

09-22-2003, 03:05 PM	#4
Marmel Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Manchester, CT	I have a perverse love for Limp Bizkit and Fred Durst. I can't explain it one bit, and cannot wait to hear their new CD which I believe comes out tomorrow. I will say that their first CD was the best, and while each CD got progressively worst, they are all pretty good. They rock in concert too. Picture a 30 year old guy on the floor with hundreds of angry teenagers moshing. __________________ 81-78 Cincinnati basketball writer P. Daugherty, "Connor Barwin playing several minutes against Syracuse is like kids with slingshots taking down Caesar's legions."

09-22-2003, 03:12 PM	#6
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	I have never heard the Gary Cherone/VH stuff, and I'm glad I haven't. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cherone, but I knew that wasn't going to work from the moment I heard about it. His recent Tribe of Judah release is excellent, though. It's more in keeping with the experimental rock that both he and Nuno are great at. I just wish they'd get back together. __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

09-22-2003, 03:21 PM	#7
Draft Dodger Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Keene, NH	I don't know what scares me more - that my musical idol actually auditioned for that crappy band, or that THEY TURNED HIM DOWN. I love Eddie - I'm a huge fan of his playing, and, I with a straight face often say that I think he is the most underrated guitar player of my generation. Losing Roth in the 80's SHOULDN'T have worked for Van Halen. Remember, Eddie wanted Patty Smyth from Scandal - boy, THAT would have been cool... But, they got Hagar, he was a GREAT fit, and the band went on to make some terrific music again for a number of years. But, I think Eddie was convinced that the change worked not because of luck, but because his skill and songwriting could carry the band. So, when Hagar wanted some R&R and the band wanted to go into the studio, he was booted - after all, anyone could sing for this band, right? um, wrong. I've listend to VHIII only a couple of times (I actually bought the "limitied edition collectors CD" for like $30). Gary Cherone is not the reason it sucked. The songwriting was terrible. __________________ Mile High Hockey

09-22-2003, 03:51 PM	#12
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	Hey, you should console yourself with the knowledge that if VH never again records a note of music, we've still got countless Lifetime movies starring his wife to watch. Ahhhhh, memories. __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

09-22-2003, 03:25 PM	#8
Kodos Resident Alien Join Date: Jun 2001	Sammy's albums have been crap since he went solo again. I wish he'd put out something as good as "I Never Said Goodbye" again.

09-22-2003, 03:41 PM	#10
Franklinnoble Banned Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Placerville, CA	Some sick part of me wishes that Eddie had died of cancer right before he decided to kick Sammy out of the band... then I could remember Van Halen in a nice way...

09-22-2003, 03:50 PM	#11
Kodos Resident Alien Join Date: Jun 2001	Part of me holds out hope that Sammy will return to the fold one day. After all, they all would like more money. See the Eagles for a precedent.

09-22-2003, 04:04 PM	#15
Kodos Resident Alien Join Date: Jun 2001	I just remember those happy days when Sammy had just joined the band, and they were so enthusiastic because they finally had a singer who could sing. I must have watched their "Live Without A Net" concert over a hundred times with my buddy Greg. That was back when MTV didn't suck. Those were the days...

09-22-2003, 04:13 PM	#17
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	The only thing about Eddie, IMO, is that he never really did much of anything different. He burst on to the scene, and he was different at the time. But he never really seemed to grow as an artist. He just rested on what he had done before. I mean, he did two things different that I can recall - he wrote keyboard-based songs for 1984, and then he played his guitar with a power drill. __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

09-22-2003, 04:38 PM	#21
Franklinnoble Banned Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Placerville, CA	The only time I've watched music videos on MTV in the last ten or eleven years was when they were part of regular episodes of Beavis and Butt-Head.

09-22-2003, 04:41 PM	#22
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	I've watched more videos in the past 5 years on my PC from the enhanced versions of CDs I've bought than I have on MTV in the past 10 years. In fact, I think I've shown more videos on my PC than have been shown on MTV over the past 5 years... __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

09-22-2003, 06:55 PM	#24
Anthony Banned Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Astoria, NY, USA	EVH is not underrated. he's in the Pantheon of Guitar Gods. i hate revisionists. i swear i do. always trying to put a different spin on what really happened. EVH has been around too long. he went against the "live hard, die young" routine that Cobain succumbed to, he was clean cut for the most part and had a guy next door personality. if anyone sticks around for 20+ years they're bound to tarnish their legend. but Eddie is a legend. this coming from someone born in '77, wasn't into rock in the 80's and only started to appreciate the great acts of the 70's as a teen in the 90's. the 90's were when that act started to go sour. blame it on Nirvana and Pearl Jam. but you don't say he's underrated or he's lost "it" just because the music he makes is no longer accepted. it's hard to accurately guage his worth in the big picture now because any music he'd write wouldn't be totally accepted in this hip-hop, nu-metal era. his time has come and gone. simple as that. but his legend, his "thing" that he brought, his influence - you don't diminish that. no one will know who Durst is 10 years from now. but our kids will still be picking up VH cd's and listening to his music for the 1st time. at least my future kids will. he was a phenomenom. truly gifted. music wouldn't be where it is today if EVH didn't come around. he gave birth to guitar-driven, guitar solo-centered rock and even metal. give him his props. and learn your history. at least you appreciate the wonder that is "Drop Dead Legs". one of the sexiest guitar rhythms ever, and the solo in that song is in my top 5 of all time.

09-24-2003, 07:33 AM	#25
Ksyrup This guy has posted so much, his fingers are about to fall off. Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: In Absentia	An update, FWIW: From www.melodicrock.com.... LIMP EXCUSE FOR FRONTMAN TO GRAB SOME PUBLICITY: It seems Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst has been caught out in another example of his own generated BS. MTV.com featured a report on the new Bizcrap album and the situation of the band needing a new guitarist. Durst stated that, among others, Eddie Van Halen had auditioned for the role. You would think MTV would check that fact - they didn't. But I did - and a trusted source confirmed that Eddie had met with Durst. But there's more to the story - the truth to be precise. This morning another trusted source - who read my news item yesterday and the MTV piece, e-mailed me with the real details of the pair's meeting. The absolute truth of the matter is Fred invited Eddie over to jam - which the guitarist did. He just went over and played with them for fun. My source makes this quite clear with the line: "[to suggest that] Eddie auditioned for ANYONE is just pure un adulterated bullshit and it's an insult to Ed and anyone that knows him. Fred, ever the PR man, loves to get his name in the papers... Ed is gonna be pissed off when he finds out what Durst is saying about him!" __________________ M's pitcher Miguel Batista: "Now, I feel like I've had everything. I've talked pitching with Sandy Koufax, had Kenny G play for me. Maybe if I could have an interview with God, then I'd be served. I'd be complete."

09-24-2003, 07:51 AM	#26
Draft Dodger Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Keene, NH	well, I feel better now __________________ Mile High Hockey

09-24-2003, 09:10 AM	#27
Axxon Pro Starter Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Phoenix, AZ	I've always been a HUGE Frank Zappa fan and truly have believed that his guitar work has been vastly underappreciated. I googled Frank and Eddie and came up with this interesting interview. It makes FZ sound sorta like a dick but in re his music he actually really was but at the same time I don't think he exaggerated his ability or his importance. It just sounds dickish to toot your own horn. Anyway, the interview. http://members.tripod.com/~navanax/d-zappa82.html Spoken as a fan of both performers but in the examination of who was "best" I'm with Zappa. May I suggest "shut up 'n play your guitar" as a great entry into Zappa's music with all the grace that is his musical genius but without the novelty lyrics which fueled what fame he had. The three cd set btw is entirely instrumental guitar work and was a commercial success. How many such collections has the great EVH had?? I love Eddie but really, I just don't get the hype. __________________ There are no houris, alas, in our heaven.

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