I liked the New Van Halen Song/Vid..

Sounded like Classic VH. What do ya think?

http://www.van-halen.com/

I was never into Van Halen, but saw them live once and there were moments when Eddie Van Halen's playing absolutely made my jaw drop.

So I checked out this video and you know what I think is cool? I don't think they give a damn, they're just a band playing together. And I think that's going to work well for them.

It's cool, but that pre-chorus is just awful.

Craig, you hit the nail on the head..The CLEARLY don't give a damn..Just doing there thing and it's cool. There tour will probably be a nice success for them and they get to finally jam some new music as well. I was very into Eddie in my teens and saw VH a few times. I'll get the album for sure and it looks like a buddy of mine and me will be going to see them here in Nashville in April.

I agree. I was hoping to like this... well, they look happy.

The pre-chorus is that best part of the song. The rest is just a jam.

That prechorus sounds the way Roth dances. More Merv Griffin than James Brown. More Al Jolson that Howlin' Wolf.

For me, I agree that they look like they are having fun, etc. They also seem to be carrying their age fairly well. That's great. The band sounds great. That's cool. But there's that hokey David Lee Roth shtick that should have been a one off joke back at his first solo album... that he seems to have taken on as persona. In his voice, his moves, his wacka wacka yuck it up Al Jolson thing.

We've all played with front men that rankle, right? We need them for focus, etc. But they just bug? I don't know or particularly care about their internal politics, I'm aware they exist through media. But just on the outside looking in...

...you know Eddie is gritting his teeth at the Roth yuckfest.

Nice cute Rolling Stone like non-statement but the pre-chorus is the song.

And that's the problem! For me. I'm not trying to be RS-esque. It's just the way I think and spout. I think they could've done more Jamie's Cryin' attitude and less Roth schtick.

And that's the problem! For me. I'm not trying to be RS-esque. It's just the way I think and spout. I think they could've done more Jamie's Cryin' attitude and less Roth schtick.

I'm not even looking at the Roth schtick. I just like the song.

If that's the case, then it's not a very good song. Contrast that to "Panama"'s pre-chorus, which set up the chorus quite nicely. The song had absolutely nothing to do with the Central American country, but the way it was set up, it just sounded cool nevertheless. Even lyrically, "Tattoo"'s pre-chorus ends with the word "Tattoo," which is also the first word of the chorus. We're not being set up with anything, both musically and lyrically.

And that's the problem! For me. I'm not trying to be RS-esque. It's just the way I think and spout. I think they could've done more Jamie's Cryin' attitude and less Roth schtick.

The pre-chorus sounded so awkward, you could tell there was a compromise made there :)

Eddie looks healthy. That alone is great!

Notice the Canon 7D (and the girl shooter), instead of the usual large handheld video camera for the stage cam? The 7D and 5D are effectively taking over in many situations.

That's why my "nonstatement" wasn't a nonstatement. "That prechorus sounds the way Roth dances." I mean that. It sounds wonky and awkward to me. Like he dances.

haha

that song needs a lude and a serious 20 minute drum solo

It's an okay tune. I enjoy seeing Roth and Eddie back together, looking happy as mentioned above several times. There's a nostalgia aspect about it that I find giving me enjoyment. If I heard the tune and it wasn't Van Halen, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't think much of it, but as it is, I give it a passing grade.

But he's admitted as such. He loves Al Jolson.

The Roth schtick is hokey, I'll give you that. I just don't think he ever tried to hide it or the Jolson aspect of it.

Anyway, here's my take:

I'd like to like the song. I liked VH's first two albums quite a bit. I'm saying this because I don't want to come across as someone who wants them to fail or someone who hates them or anything like that. So on to my opinion:

Where's the *riff*? Where's the *song*?

To me, the song just plods along. It's just there. It's not terribly catchy. There's no hooks. I actually think that the pre-chorus might be the catchiest aspect of the whole song. It doesn't suck, but the whole thing strikes me as "meh".

This, btw, is the same reaction I had when I heard the new Cars material. I love the Cars. But where's the song?

Anyway, I'm glad that VH appears like they might be having fun. If you buy tickets, I hope they show up. I think buying a VH ticket is about as risky as a Guns 'N' Roses ticket. Are they going to show up? Are they going to disband? Are they going to go back to rehab? Are they going to melt down? Who knows?

True. I guess my issue is... remember him before he came out as a closet Jolson fan. He had swagger. Then he did his silly stuff on MTV and that was great because, "wow, he's pretty cool letting his guard down and doing that sort of silly entertainment." He then became that. Instead of being a charismatic performer that was inspired by a great. He's copping it too closely. And that vibe, for me, works against the swagger of days gone by.

And what kills me is, at first I'm thinking in that video, he's got it back. Then he goes cheezewhiz on me.

What does that have to do with the music? Cause I hear it. he's projecting that. That's why I think that prechorus bites. It's too Cab Callaway. And here he's got Eddie Freakin' Van Halen and he's doing that? When he could've tapped a shred of VH's first for 'tude and vibe. 'Tude and vibe = nil.

Maybe it's just me.

No, it's not just you at all. But Dave became a caricature of himself a long time ago. He lost that earlier vibe around his 30th birthday, which was in 1984.

Hey, we all get older. Perhaps he was no longer comfortable being that other guy. Who knows?

I thought the first VH album was brilliant but it took a while before I listened to it because I remember the first time I saw it on sale, at K-mart or wherever, my initial impression was that Roth looked like a Jim Dandy clone and I didn't think the world needed another Black Oak Arkansas.

Yes, I really liked the first album but for some reason I totally lost interest in them after that.

I did think it was cool, however, when Sammy Hagar came aboard and I liked a lot of what they were doing at that point.

This song doesn't sound like anything that was, or could have been, on the first album. Other than that I don't really have much of a VH frame of reference to compare it to.

Wolfgang looks like the fat kid at school.

When did Charlie Watts join Van Halen??

Hey, welcome backl! How did the gigs in Asia go?

Hiya...thanXXX

Asia fell through...but i got to go to Europe!!

Or maybe he's simply not that guy anymore. We all change or change our interests. Indeed, who knows?

If he acted like the uber-frontman of VH I and VH II-era Van Halen, then we'd be mocking him for being a 65 or 60 year old who is strutting and preening and carrying on like he's 21.

True. I guess my issue is... remember him before he came out as a closet Jolson fan. He had swagger. Then he did his silly stuff on MTV and that was great because, "wow, he's pretty cool letting his guard down and doing that sort of silly entertainment." He then became that. Instead of being a charismatic performer that was inspired by a great. He's copping it too closely. And that vibe, for me, works against the swagger of days gone by. And what kills me is, at first I'm thinking in that video, he's got it back. Then he goes cheezewhiz on me. What does that have to do with the music? Cause I hear it. he's projecting that. That's why I think that prechorus bites. It's too Cab Callaway. And here he's got Eddie Freakin' Van Halen and he's doing that? When he could've tapped a shred of VH's first for 'tude and vibe. 'Tude and vibe = nil. Maybe it's just me.

If you watch just a short bit of the video, it probably looks like he's got it back. Or it looks interesting. But then you realize: no, that's it. There's nothing else. It's all cheeze.

For me, though, it's the whole song. It just doesn't grab me. I want a riff. I want a song.

The song doesn't suck. I just want a riff. I want a song.

Or did I say that already?