New Van Halen video - They're back!

[Spaceboy]

I have fingers crossed... but without hating too much, we all already know how this is going to turn out...

 

[Rogue]

It's not the 80's anymore....who knows if the magic is even still there?

Which is exactly why they don't need to play 80s shit. I know that will upset many grey haired men, but bands have to be relevant to succeed. I'd love to see them carve out their own niche in the modern era. They used to, but man, that was a long time ago. I hope Eddie has something other than Catherine to offer, and that was a result of a broken drunken mind or something.

I don't really have any expectations one way or the other, but it does seem the deck is stacked against them. I'm just going to give it a listen to when it comes out and hope I find something I can dig. If Eddie is sober and in a good spot in life, there will probably some guitar worthy of hearing and that is really the only expectations I have.

 

[Gainzilla]

It's not the 80's anymore....who knows if the magic is even still there?

Which is exactly why they don't need to play 80s shit. I know that will upset many grey haired men, but bands have to be relevant to succeed. I'd love to see them carve out their own niche in the modern era. They used to, but man, that was a long time ago. I hope Eddie has something other than Catherine to offer, and that was a result of a broken drunken mind or something.

Totally disagree, VH had a sig sound and style that put them on the map, it they come out with anything close to that, theyre golden.

As far as relevance goes, theyve been relevant since day one. In the 14 years since their last album theyve barely done anything aside from a few tours here and there and people everywhere( as in VH fans ) are rabid as hell for a new album and tour.. That pretty much proves their relevance. The album could be just as bad as III and it still wont matter IMHO, Theyll still sell out shows all over...

 

[Superunknown]

Totally disagree, VH had a sig sound and style that put them on the map, it they come out with anything close to that, theyre golden.

As far as relevance goes, theyve been relevant since day one. In the 14 years since their last album theyve barely done anything aside from a few tours here and there and people everywhere( as in VH fans ) are rabid as hell for a new album and tour.. That pretty much proves their relevance. The album could be just as bad as III and it still wont matter IMHO, Theyll still sell out shows all over...

+1....

 

[rupe]

It's not the 80's anymore....who knows if the magic is even still there?

Which is exactly why they don't need to play 80s shit. I know that will upset many grey haired men, but bands have to be relevant to succeed. I'd love to see them carve out their own niche in the modern era. They used to, but man, that was a long time ago. I hope Eddie has something other than Catherine to offer, and that was a result of a broken drunken mind or something.

Totally disagree, VH had a sig sound and style that put them on the map, it they come out with anything close to that, theyre golden.

As far as relevance goes, theyve been relevant since day one. In the 14 years since their last album theyve barely done anything aside from a few tours here and there and people everywhere( as in VH fans ) are rabid as hell for a new album and tour.. That pretty much proves their relevance. The album could be just as bad as III and it still wont matter IMHO, Theyll still sell out shows all over...

There it is...my thoughts exactly

I'm not even a VH fanboy but I thought there was some cool stuff on III and I didn't even hate Catherine...it may not be standard "Ed" but it wasn't a standard application either.

 

[Mudder]

I going to treat this VH offering like I treated the new Alice in Chains offering, pensive optimism. I really want it to be good, but I don't want to be disappointed. The new AIC was pretty good. If the new/old is close I'll be happy.

 

[Rogue]

Totally disagree, VH had a sig sound and style that put them on the map, it they come out with anything close to that, theyre golden.

As far as relevance goes, theyve been relevant since day one. In the 14 years since their last album theyve barely done anything aside from a few tours here and there and people everywhere( as in VH fans ) are rabid as hell for a new album and tour.. That pretty much proves their relevance. The album could be just as bad as III and it still wont matter IMHO, Theyll still sell out shows all over...

In 1995, the last Sammy era album put out, it was so NOT 80s and hit number 1. When the 80s was officially dead and grunge was the rock of the day, VH was still on top. Do you honestly think they would have been there rehashing 1984? Where was DLR at this time? Wouldn't have happened.

Don't get me wrong, 1984 is my favorite VH release, but they evolved as rock evolved and maintained their identity. Rehashing 80s sounds with Roth's ohs and ahahahahahas won't get them in the top 100 today, unless every 40+ year old woman buys their man a copy for Valentines day in hopes to give him a boner like the 80s while they've already bought a another copy the week before.

Yeah, they'll sell out shows (whether their new stuff is good or not) until the old people stop going......unless they find a place in the modern world. Rehashing 80s stuff won't cut it. Sorry, it won't. How do I know this? Because the 80s died and is still dead for a reason, it won't be resurrected with VH.

 

[Gainzilla]

In 1995, the last Sammy era album put out, it was so NOT 80s and hit number 1. When the 80s was officially dead and grunge was the rock of the day, VH was still on top. Do you honestly think they would have been there rehashing 1984? Where was DLR at this time? Wouldn't have happened.

VH was on top because it was VH. As for Balance doing well in 1995, its my personal opinion that it did well because Music in general at that time was crap AND it was VH. What they put out wasnt 80's or 90's IMHO. And Yeah, I have no doubts that if they rehashed 1984, it would have done well.

Don't get me wrong, 1984 is my favorite VH release, but they evolved as rock evolved and maintained their identity. Rehashing 80s sounds with Roth's ohs and ahahahahahas won't get them in the top 100 today, unless every 40+ year old woman buys their man a copy for Valentines day in hopes to give him a boner like the 80s while they've already bought a another copy the week before.

They dont need to get into the top 100 today, theyre VH... Theres a whole other generation that worships VH for all of the same reasons the one before them did.

Yeah, they'll sell out shows (whether their new stuff is good or not) until the old people stop going......unless they find a place in the modern world. Rehashing 80s stuff won't cut it. Sorry, it won't. How do I know this? Because the 80s died and is still dead for a reason, it won't be resurrected with VH.

When the old people stop going, VH will be too old to play and probably dead. The 80's arent dead by a long shot, the same can be said about just about any other relevant period in Rock. Grunge is gone but most of the bands that defined it are still going strong..

Your points might have merits with other bands but certainly not with a band like VH. Look at Metallica, theyve made millions churning out crap for years now but guess what? They still sell tons of albums and they still sell out shows all over because of who they are..

 

[kiff]

80's, 90's styl, blah whatever.... I doubt they live in such a complete bubble that they have no clue where music's gone, but I also doubt they'll be a slave to the modern monotone crap. They can make a good record if they just let it flow while not overthinking it or just crapping something out. what concerns me is that it sounds like they just recently got a "record deal", so hopefully they don't rush it.

edit:

VH was on top because it was VH. As for Balance doing well in 1995, its my personal opinion that it did well because Music in general at that time was crap AND it was VH. What they put out wasnt 80's or 90's IMHO.

pretty much what I was getting at...

 

[Rogue]

VH was on top because it was VH. As for Balance doing well in 1995, its my personal opinion that it did well because Music in general at that time was crap AND it was VH. What they put out wasnt 80's or 90's IMHO. And Yeah, I have no doubts that if they rehashed 1984, it would have done well.

VH was still on top because they were producing music that resonated with that culture. I agree it wasn't 80s or 90s...that's what I've been saying. They didn't rehash 80s stuff in the 90s, but they're 90s stuff, while not the grunge of the day, was still modern (ei not old stuff).

They dont need to get into the top 100 today, theyre VH... Theres a whole other generation that worships VH for all of the same reasons the one before them did.

I'd like them to be in the top 100. I'd like to see them pick up where they left off. Roth's ohs and ahahahas will just sound stupid today. So will the party lyrics. VHs popularity continued (and grew) post Roth was because they evolved beyond the 80s.

Grunge is gone but most of the bands that defined it are still going strong..

Because the bands evolved beyond the grunge sound, but still kept their identity. The ones that didn't are gone.

Your points might have merits with other bands but certainly not with a band like VH. Look at Metallica, theyve made millions churning out crap for years now but guess what? They still sell tons of albums and they still sell out shows all over because of who they are..

Metallica too evolved beyond the 80s. Every band that still has relevance evolved but kept their identity. BTW, there is good stuff on every Metallica release to date, even if the whole album fell short of previous glory.

 

[Gainzilla]

VH was still on top because they were producing music that resonated with that culture. I agree it wasn't 80s or 90s...that's what I've been saying. They didn't rehash 80s stuff in the 90s, but they're 90s stuff, while not the grunge of the day, was still modern (ei not old stuff).

Meh, thats pushing it. I still stand by what I said, It had more to do with the state of the music scene at that time and the fact that it was VH. The Album might have hit number one but I think that youd be hard pressed to find any fan that would think that album was any where near to be as strong as their past, defining material.

I'd like them to be in the top 100. I'd like to see them pick up where they left off. Roth's ohs and ahahahas will just sound stupid today. So will the party lyrics. VHs popularity continued (and grew) post Roth was because they evolved beyond the 80s.

Who wouldnt? Id be willing to bet you that fans would go berserk for anything that comes close to prime Roth area material. MAybe you dont but thats just your opinion, just dont try to pawn it off as fact.

Because the bands evolved beyond the grunge sound, but still kept their identity. The ones that didn't are gone.

Like who? Nirvana? a shotgun shell killed that band lol!!! Fans want what put a band on the map. If theyre lucky, there new "evolved" music is just as relevant as what made them. Sadly that is rarely the case.

Metallica too evolved beyond the 80s. Every band that still has relevance evolved but kept their identity. BTW, there is good stuff on every Metallica release to date, even if the whole album fell short of previous glory.

And the overwhelming majority of Metallica fans want material that recalls Kill Em All-Master of Puppets. The fact that they get one or 2 likeable songs on new releases means nothing IMO. People CRAVE the old stuff for a reason.

 

[BYTOR]

The good thing is that everyone on this board has always been irrelevant when it comes to playing/releasing music that matters, so there is no worries about losing what you never had in the first place!!

VH could shit out better stuff even today, than anyone on here could produce( myself included )

At least this release is from a group of guys that have a chance at making some magic

 

[Mudder]

The good thing is that everyone on this board has always been irrelevant when it comes to playing/releasing music that matters, so there is no worries about losing what you never had in the first place!!

VH could shit out better stuff even today, than anyone on here could produce( myself included )

At least this release is from a group of guys that have a chance at making some magic

I don't have to be EVH to know if a song sucks.

 

[Rogue]

Meh, thats pushing it. I still stand by what I said, It had more to do with the state of the music scene at that time and the fact that it was VH. The Album might have hit number one but I think that youd be hard pressed to find any fan that would think that album was any where near to be as strong as their past, defining material.

A lot of post Roth era VH popularity had nothing to do with Roth era VH. They had more number 1 hits, more number 1 albums post Roth. Largely because they expanded beyond the 80s and evolved with the modern era that appealed to a larger base and still were different than everyone else....that and Sammy was a more appealing singer to the masses.

Who wouldnt? Id be willing to bet you that fans would go berserk for anything that comes close to prime Roth area material. MAybe you dont but thats just your opinion, just dont try to pawn it off as fact.

I am pawning nothing more as fact than you. Not particularly relevant to the topic though.

Sure, a lot of 40+ year old men will go berserk for 80s material. That will not make them a relevant band today. And less face it, they aren't going to put out something like they did back in the day, and thus half or more of these people will be upset and dislike it. It's much more prudent to write music that fits in somewhere in the modern age. They did fine with this model even though old fans were kicking and screaming about the 80s.

Like who? Nirvana? a shotgun shell killed that band lol!!! Fans want what put a band on the map. If theyre lucky, there new "evolved" music is just as relevant as what made them. Sadly that is rarely the case.

Nirvana was the only grunge band in the 90s? Were you stuck listening to 80s music in the 90s? There were a lot of bands in the 90s that faded away, just like any era. Typically because they were unable to come up with new material.

You ever listen to a band that releases a new song and you go "that's just a rehash of the great song they did". Did you EVER say, "cool!" I should hope not. Booooorrring.

And the overwhelming majority of Metallica fans want material that recalls Kill Em All-Master of Puppets. The fact that they get one or 2 likeable songs on new releases means nothing IMO. People CRAVE the old stuff for a reason.

Yet, they are still popular and selling out shows. In fact, more than before. People like to hear old stuff, sure, but rehashing the same old stuff is boring as hell (see point above).

 

[Rogue]

The good thing is that everyone on this board has always been irrelevant when it comes to playing/releasing music that matters, so there is no worries about losing what you never had in the first place!!

VH could shit out better stuff even today, than anyone on here could produce( myself included )

At least this release is from a group of guys that have a chance at making some magic

I hope so. I look forward to it. As long as Eddie hasn't lost his ability to write, there should be something on there worthwhile. At least, I hope.

 

[ejecta]

Personally I hope Wolfgang breaths some new life into the situation and brings a youthful ear to the table that won't let them sell out by being too modern or retro. I don't care to hear them remake the same music and sound they did in the 70's and 80's. That said I don't want to hear them try and be relevant by trying and get a Godsmack, Nicklecrap, etc vibe either.

Like Kiff said just be themselves and let it flow and don't force anything one way or the other. If they do that and Ed is sober... IMHO it will be some good music.

Good music is good music no matter what time period it's from.

A lot of post Roth era VH popularity had nothing to do with Roth era VH. They had more number 1 hits, more number 1 albums post Roth. Largely because they expanded beyond the 80s and evolved with the modern era that appealed to a larger base and still were different than everyone else....that and Sammy was a more appealing singer to the masses.

True.

 

[Shark Diver]

It's not the 80's anymore....who knows if the magic is even still there?

Which is exactly why they don't need to play 80s shit. I know that will upset many grey haired men, but bands have to be relevant to succeed.

So what would make them relevant today? Getting Gaga or Bieber to front? Rap? Cookie monster into a mic about Satan? Win American Idol? Create a reality show?

There is no win for them. If they stray too far from their roots all the old fan base won't dig it, and they'll never stray far enough away for any new fans to really jump on the band wagon. Except for a few songs here and there how different is any Aerosmith, AC/DC, Stones, KISS over a 30 year period. 90% of the people here would say none of these bands put out anything relevant the last 20 years of their careers. Look at the Metallica bashing anytime they stray just a little. If Zepplin could get back together I don't think fans would really want them to sound like Iced Earth or lil' Wanye. Most would love to get Kashmir II.

Once you blaze the trail, it's blazed. If everyone keeps waiting for you to blaze new trails, well that's unrealistic. How many new genres of music could Nirvana usher in? Why should VH care if some kids who just got their man hair find them relevant? I'd go see VH for the same reasons I'd go see Paul McCartney. They paved the way for everything after them. And even if I could only catch a glimpse of the old magic it would be worth every penny.

 

[ejecta]

Once you blaze the trail, it's blazed. If everyone keeps waiting for you to blaze new trails, well that's unrealistic.

I would agree but over the time of their career they have continued to change, evolve, and IMHO innovate. VH1 sounds nothing like 1984 and 1984 sounds nothing like OU812. Plus I think OU812 has just as many good songs as 1984 or VH1. They are are just different. I'd argue 5150, OU812 etc were a new trail.

 

[Shark Diver]

Once you blaze the trail, it's blazed. If everyone keeps waiting for you to blaze new trails, well that's unrealistic.

I would agree but over the time of their career they have continued to change, evolve, and IMHO innovate. VH1 sounds nothing like 1984 and 1984 sounds nothing like OU812. Plus I think OU812 has just as many good songs as 1984 or VH1. They are are just different. I'd argue 5150, OU812 etc were a new trail.

I hear ya. But to me the trail was blazed with Eruption - VH 1. Everything after that is just a different flavor. VH 1 is what sent everyone into the woodshed to practice. - and work on their tone.

 

[Rogue]

So what would make them relevant today? Getting Gaga or Bieber to front? Rap? Cookie monster into a mic about Satan? Win American Idol? Create a reality show?

The same thing that made them relevant in the 90s when the 80s was dead. They did what they did and did it well. They didn't stay stuck from decades past and wrote new material that had a place in that era. It doesn't have to sound like Bieber, Godsmack, or Nickleback to works it's way into the culture. That is exactly what VH always did. They never sounded like anyone else, but was always a popular band until whatever it was that happened happened and they just stopped.