Van Halen: Three Choices

The rumors - or truths - continue to fly that a reunited Van Halen are about to embark on a fall stadium tour. The current line-up will be the original, minus Michael Anthony on bass. Instead, Eddie Van Halen's teenage son Wolfgang will fill that role.

In the summer 2007 edition (issue 108) of Classic Rock magazine, the editor's provide a tip sheet on buying Van Halen. Most every album the band has ever released is considered at least "good." The album to avoid - according to the editor's - is Van Halen III.

Here's a secret: I don't own Van Halen III, and I'm not certain I've even ever heard one track off this poorly rated album. Of course, this is the only Gary Cherone era release, and I suppose that speaks volumes right there.

Does anyone out there own Van Halen III? Would you leave me a comment and explain why it's either a good or bad release?

In the Classic Rock article, the editor's write "Gary Cherone was that wuss who sang in Extreme - wearing a leotard...Van Halen and Cherone were a disastrous mismatch, and produced just one album - that sold on 500,000 copies, when every other VH album had shifted at least two million. The reason is that Van Halen III stinks like a wet dog. Every song sucks, and Cherone sings them like a drowning man."

Wow. This is not a good review people. I did a little YouTube research, looking for some Cherone-era VH clips. Surprised, I found more than a few.

I'll be honest. I watched a few of the clips, and didn't seem that disheartened with Cherone. Yes, I like Extreme, but he doesn't sound like Extreme while standing next to Eddie Van Halen. In some respects, Cherone sounds like a poor woman's David Lee Roth.

I suppose this in itself is a little creepy.

So, let's compare. Here's Gary Cherone performing "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love" during Van Halen's 1998 world tour.

Now, here's Sammy Hagar performing the same song during a Van Halen tour stop. Judging by the clothes, this is a late 80s or early 90s tour.

Diamond David Lee Roth originally sang the lyrics to "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" for Van Halen's massively successful debut album, released way back in 1978. This clip is from the 1984 tour.

So, which is better? You decide.

Comments

[Bumbles]

I am going indulge the Queen comparisons just for a bit. Where does it come from? Nuno, not Gary. If you remember your Hit Paraders and Circus interviews with then Extreme members, the Brian May comparisons were the genesis of parallels drawn between the compositions of Nuno and Brian. Lyrically, and that is where the bulk of Gary's contributions came from for Extreme, are not similiar to the Freddie Mercury verbal contsructs of Queen.

On stage flamboyance of Gary.....Didn't Dave corner the market on that, if not set the tone of the era with both on stage and off stage flamboyance? Is that you, Thunderlips and maybe Boxhead (or should I say marc in boston) just can't accept change? How many Sammy shows did you collectively go to? 17? Would you still be going to the shows if Sammy never left? Did the drama of Eddie tire you two out as it has everyone else? Is Gary just an innocent victim of the bar being set way to high or an ego gone out of control? These are the questions that keep up at night and willing to see new incarnations of the band because the alternatives are just subpar. Well except for the Atomic Punks they do kick ass.

And the fat bassist is most assuredly the MVP. I second that whole heartedly and will probably have the most issue with that replacement than any of the voice boxes.

[Stan Keytaint]

Go fuck yourself Bumbles, and go fuck Queensryche

[Farnklin N. Beans]

Yeah fuck Queensryche and that poor excuse for a hair metal band, Bumbles.

[thunderlips]

You need to come out to boston and see the "Atomic Lucidee's" the best Queensryche coverband in the world.

[Marcboston]

I thought this was suppose to be about VH. Bumbles you can rant and rave that Nuno is more guilty of being infulenced by Queen. But the fact is the surviving members of Queen at the Freddy Mercury Charity concert said "This band perhaps best knows what we are all about", they were speaking of Extreme. Gary is a sensitive and metro-sexual frontman. More in the vein of Freddy Mercury wouldnt you say?
- Out

[Bumbles]

Wrong on all accounts with the Gary Cherone/Freddie Mecury comparisons. Look at the liner notes and the lyrics, listen to the guitar. You opened the Queen door and stepped thru. I just tried to push you back into discussing VH. As for Thunderlips.....I am not sure he knows what he is talking about. I don't think I ever saw him read a a Circus or Hit Parader. I think he is just trying emulate Mikey.

So the new question is will you go to the VH show when it comes to your neck of the woods or will protest in misery and long for the Punks who you won't see until next year?

[thunderlips]

The only Circus I'm involved w/ are the ones w/ midgets....You don't have to read a magazine to see the comparisons between Cherone and Mercury. If that were the case then my dad would be a gyneocologist from all the Husters and High Society's that he's read over the years. Both are extremely flamboyant jumping on stage wiggling around holding a marching band cane as a prop....I think if you go to 13 plus
Halen shows it gives you an opportunity to voice your opinion and gives you a respectable ethos upon the subject....
I will be going to the show if they don't break up again,.I'm a glutan for punishment

[thunderlips]

and doughnuts

[Bumbles]

glutton or glutan? I think a glutan is a doughnut or colored variety of Elemrs. If a rock band plays in forest will anybody hear them over the falling trees or will the sound of aged sqwuishy vaginas of groupees drownd out the music? I can hear you David. It is all coming back to me now. Put down the pot and stop with brown M&Ms and vertically challenged stage props that Kid Rock is trying to steal.....

[Van Halen rocks!]

Yes, Extreme was influenced by Queen. And it showed bigtime. So what? How many rock artists are influenced by Queen? Plenty. Gary Cherone was not in this band long enough to be judged fairly, imo. It was such a short stint. He was a great frontman live for Van Halen and though Van Halen 3 could have been better that is EVH's fault and not Gary Cherone's. The album I heard was totally rushed by the label. There is not much there at all to judge by, we were given 1 album to judge and it was a decent album but nothing groundbreaking. The Cherone era should be remembered by Without You and the live VH shows.

Because truthfully there just isn't much to it, 1 and done, more or less. Van Halen will always be the Roth and Hagar era's. Gary Cherone gave this band Without You, Fire In The Hole and A Year To The Day, in time they will go down as classic Van Halen songs. Also, From Afar was a fresh sounding Van Halen, I liked it. It's just that there isn't much there to fairly judge. He may have been great. All we have is good enough.

[Van Halen rocks!]

Oh, Gary Cherone is as accomplished of a lead singer in Extreme as David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar are in Van Halen. With Extreme this guy totally is amazing. My comments reflected juding Gary Cherone in Van Halen alone. I just don't think it's fair to judge, a real short time as the frontman, good enough is what I say.

[Van Halen rocks!]

That performance in Australia with Gary Cherone totally rocked, I guess though no matter what people saw this guy as just a fill in for the band. They would never accept it, there was just something about it they did not like. Perhaps his name. The energy he brings live was very evident. I think this guy is just one amazing singer.

[Marcboston]

"Van Halen Rocks" you are either Gary Cherone or someone blowing them. The Australia show was flat! It was their first concert, only to the end of the tour did the band gel. Again, it was an incorrect formula and doomed for disaster. When Hagar joind the band Van Halen was riding good will from "1984", in addition the general public belived that David quit the group and left VH high and dry. So many die hard VH fans stayed loyal and gave Hagar a chance. I was one of them, I remember seeing the 5150 show and being impressed but chringing when they played "I can't drive 55" So while I liked VH with Hagar I always wanted DLR to come back into the fold but not 20 years later. Gary really ad no chance, VH had but spent all of their political good will when they dumped Hagar and dumped DLR shortly after the MTV award show. Let it be known that was VH only chance for a sincere DLR comeback.
"VH Rocks" I would not venture to say that Gary is an amazing rock singer perhaps a better Broadway actor "Jesus Christ Superstar". I dont know what is more embarrasing, that, or the "DLR Radio Show" when it pertains to the VH saga. Oh I know DLR reunion 20+ years later with no Michael Anthony. I think that anwsers your question Bumbles. If you still do not know what I am saying then when VH comes around my neck of the wood I choose to put on a set headphones, put on Fair Warning and stick my head in the sand.
I think "Van Halen Rocks" is "Bumbles" familiar tones and writting styles in your essays.
- Out

[Tawny]

I cant wait for the Dave Lee Roth Van Halen shows. Will I have to dance on a Jaguar to get their attention, oh wait, I thought this was the Whitesnake blog. Gotta run I have to belt sand my face for the show.

[the Belated Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin]

Crikey,
You folks have seen VH in Australia, That Cherone fella is nasty. That bloke poisoned the band worst than a bite from a Coral Snake. Without my mate Mikey in the band they'll sound worse than a Komodo dragon biting me wife's fat backside. That big fellas bass playing was just simply GORGEOUS! As for Wolfgang throw that little shrimp on the barbie.
Before you know it this tour will be dead in the water (like Me).
Whoaa, do you see that it's David Lee Roths dead vocal chords coming too visit the big zoo in the sky. Must go examine the little fella......Come back here little fella i'm not going to hurt you we're already dead.....Say hi to bendi for me

[Beetle a girl]

Brown M&Ms are my favorite as is Gary's and Freddies's and Wolfie's. Just need the midgets to pull them out.

[John "Stumpy" Pepys]

Gary Cherone looks like he won a reality show contest in that clip. "Rockstar: Van Halen"

[Bungee]

Hey man!! what's with all the country dancing and did Wolfie eat tValerie and Mikey?

[RavenVoice]

It's an unfair comparison really, as with the David Lee Roth Clip the band are in their prime, by the time Cherone landed the gig they were washed up & past their sell by date. I seriously don't think that Roth or Hagar could've focused the band for a performance that was even passable by this point in time & it's a near miracle that Gary did. You've also got to understand that it's a melody written by Roth for his own voice. I don't think that Roth or Hagar would fair too well if they tried to sing No Respect or Cynical. Purely from a singing point of view alone, Gary is in a different league from both Roth & Hagar. However, I do think that Roth is a much better fit for Van Halen & the Roth era is the only era that I consider the 'proper' Van Halen. With Van Halen, the frontman's performance technique has ALWAYS been more important with their fans than their actual ability to sing. Remember people, a singer has no impact on the composition of the songs when it comes to EVH & with the mess that he wrote for Van Halen III it's amazing that Gary could even thread a melody together at all for it. ...Gary deserves much more credit than he got from the VH fans & it certainly isn't right to keep using him as the fall boy because God forbid anyone says anything about the infallable EVH.

[Bungee]

Your right Raven, screw EVH with silly six strings. Did you hear they photoshopped Mikey out of the old Van Halen covers and put Wolfie in?