I know most of you probably won't admit to being fans, but the relevance of this is pretty big.
Word around the campfire -- and this is unconfirmed -- is that Warner Brothers has cancelled Van Halen's contract.
If this is true, don't count on seeing that long-rumored reunion tour ever.
And Please. Don't turn this thread into a "Hagar/Roth" argument or a commentary on when they stopped being a "good" band or the quality of their music.
I'm personally not a fan, but I'd rather discuss the relevance of this potential news than how much their last album sucked or what you liked or didn't like from them.
Thanks.
Jason Baldwin Head Writer, 4-Color Review And the guy behind PAPER CUTS! TRUTHFUL comic book commentary Every Thursday, only at 4-Color Review http://4colorreview.com
What REALLY sucks -- and my best friend pointed this out -- is that this can signify bad news for other acts with multi-year WB record contracts.
Like REM.
If WB is cutting VH, REM can't be far behind.
Jason Baldwin Head Writer, 4-Color Review And the guy behind PAPER CUTS! TRUTHFUL comic book commentary Every Thursday, only at 4-Color Review http://4colorreview.com
I would look this up if I was worried by this - but I'm not
I'm not worried about VH or REM getting dropped myself. I think, however, we're going to see some BIG changes happening in the music industry in the next year if this comes to pass.
VH signed a multi-year multi album deal with Hagar as the lead singer, didn't they?
They've been with Warner Brothers from the beginning, actually.
VH with this new guy apparently isn't a draw in WB's view.
LOL. What new guy? They don't have a singer right now.
REM hasn't had a line-up change have they?
Bill Berry (IIRC) left the band after an aneurysm.
I wouldn't think REM would have too much trouble getting picked up by someone else even if they did leave.
They haven't had a "hit" record in arguably 6 or 8 years.
VH is damaged goods right now...
And they have been since they dropped Hagar as their frontman and got Gary Cherwhateverhislastname is.
Jason Baldwin Head Writer, 4-Color Review And the guy behind PAPER CUTS! TRUTHFUL comic book commentary Every Thursday, only at 4-Color Review http://4colorreview.com
Eh. Like I said, I was only speculating. Obviously I'm not keeping up too much with VH. I probably should have stayed out of this thread but I wanted to poke fun at VH for not having a lead singer I've ever heard of when they could just have let Dave sing.
Oh, and they could have been huge for 20 years. But no. Eddie had to be the star.
Fuck Eddie.
On the REM side - I don't think REM needs another hit to stay popular with their core fans and make people money for the next 20 years. Lots of bands hang around for a long time without a hit record
Who in the blue hell is the singer right now anyway?
Eddie's ego.
Seriously, though, they don't have one at all.
Jason Baldwin Head Writer, 4-Color Review And the guy behind PAPER CUTS! TRUTHFUL comic book commentary Every Thursday, only at 4-Color Review http://4colorreview.com
Actually, according to Van Halen News Desk, it's the other way around. Van Halen split from their label. Sources are expressly stating that Warner Bros. did not drop Van Halen.
What does this mean for the band? Van Halen's a free agent, folks. No longer tied down by label management and recording contracts. They could start their own damn label tomorrow and make their own damn record. Seems the only thing stopping a DLR or SH reunion now is just Eddie's ego.
On a related note, Van Halen News Desk states that the trademark "Van Halen" was recently re-registered to "E.L.V.H., Inc."
And there is some speculation that WB may release some previously-unreleased Van Halen tracks, for that one last bite at the apple.
But why are you listening to me tell you this? Click Here to get the story from the source.
"People say that if you don't love America, then get the hell out. Well, I love America." - "Born on the Fourth of July," 1989. "One day, we will be reunited. But until then, my spirit will always be with you." - "Mortal Kombat," 1995.
I don't thinks bands like REM need to worry. Why? Because people still buy their albums...
Van Halen's last studio release with Sammy Hagar was released in January 1995. That's 7 years ago. Since then, VH has released a Greatest Hits album (w/new DLR songs), kicked Sammy out of the band, released an ill-fated album with Gary Cherone (ex-Extreme) at the lead which, to the surprise of no one, flopped, and kicked him out of the band, Eddies had hip replacement surgery and was diagnosed with cancer.
None of that made anyone any money, and none of that was any good to the band at all.
The rumour I heard sometime last year was that Warener Bros was going to drop VH unless they brought back Dave or Sammy. If that was true, then severing the contract is a good move for both parties: VH isn't backed into a corner by having to choose Dave, and WB is done with a band they can't control or make money off of currently.
"You can see a million miles tonight, but you can't get very far." - Adam Duritz
Why doesn't VH do something like YES did about 6-7 years ago, only in reverse?
Jon Anderson has been the lead singer thru pretty much every incarnation of YES, and they did an album and tour with both of the bigger lineups of the band (Bruford, Wakeman, & Howe)(Rabin, Squire, White, Keys).
If VH did an album and tour with both David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, that would satisfy the DLR and Sammy fans, plus it might get casual fans interested in what was going on again. Cherone can forget it ;-)
Speaking on R.E.M. I thought their last album was pretty good, and much better than "Up." When I had that and U2's "Pop" out around the same time, I had lost faith in two of my most favourite bands. Luckily, U2 came back in a big way with ATYCLB, and R.E.M. had a solid comeback. "Up" was such a disappointment after "New Adventures in Hi-Fi," which for me, was their best album since Document. I realize most people see it much differently tho.
What does this mean for the band? Van Halen's a free agent, folks. No longer tied down by label management and recording contracts. They could start their own damn label tomorrow and make their own damn record.
Breaking from WB did wonders for Princce too. Look at his career after he left. But VH hasn't done anything I like in years anyway. I thought they retired. It is not like they need the money. They will be on VH-1 whenever they get a new singer, trying to hype the latest album I am sure.
January 4th 1999 - The day WCW injected itself with 10 gallons of Liquid Anthrax...AKA...The day Hogan "Defeated" Nash to win the WCW title in front of 40,000.
Breaking from WB did wonders for Princce too. Look at his career after he left. But VH hasn't done anything I like in years anyway. I thought they retired. It is not like they need the money. They will be on VH-1 whenever they get a new singer, trying to hype the latest album I am sure.
Oh, come on... comparing Eddie Van Halen's ego to Prince's ego (and apparent mental problems) is like comparing Albert's "bad workrate" to the bad workrates of Buff Bagwell and Kevin Nash. Eddie's just suffering from full-blown egomania. Prince lost his grip on reality a long time ago.
"Retired"? "It is not like they need the money"? Since when has that stopped any rock and roll band? I'm guessing you're not a Van Halen fan?
Prince wanted out of WB because they apparently weren't letting him release enough material. Then he puts out albums that did exactly bupkus - double-albums and triple-albums don't necessarily sell that well. We can only speculate on why Van Halen wanted out of WB - though rumors claim that Michael Anthony stated a few months ago that a reunion with DLR was imminent until the lawyers got wind of it and shut everything down.
I will concede that, barring maybe "Humans Being" and the two DLR tracks on the Greatest Hits album, VH hasn't done anything good since "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" in 1991. But look how excited fans were in 1996-1997 when it looked like they might have a DLR-VH reunion tour. Who's to say that something like that isn't the kick in the ass Van Halen needs?
Call me old school, call me an optimist, call me late for dinner even... but I'd rather see and listen to a Van Halen reunited with either David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar than most of the crap out there today.
"One day, we will be reunited. But until then, my spirit will always be with you." - "Mortal Kombat," 1995. "HOLY CRAP! A wuvluv is in my house." - Dean Rasmussen
KISS did their biggest tour ever when the original lineup reunited, supporting no album whatsoever. Then they put out an album, and by today's standards, it bombed. But they still did pretty good business at the box office on the support tour, and they did phenominal business on the subsequent "farewell" tour.
Styx has been running around for nearly two years now doing big business with no album...and no Dennis De Young...fronted by a singer/keyboardist hardly anybody south of the Canadian border has ever heard of.
Chicago still moves more tickets than most of the "Top 40" artists today on the summer "shed" circuit.
Poison managed a successful tour last year.
David Lee Roth and Van Halen would have no problem selling tickets, album or not.
Sammy Hagar and Van Halen would have no problem selling tickets, album or not.
None of the dino-rockers are moving albums anymore. But they're moving tickets.
Not to ME (except KISS), but SOMEBODY'S buying.
Besides...This is the worst time in the world to be putting out an album. Nobody's buying. Everybody's stealing off the web. The best thing recording artists could do right now is to NOT release product. All the money is in touring anyway.
Actually, according to Van Halen News Desk, it's the other way around. Van Halen split from their label. Sources are expressly stating that Warner Bros. did not drop Van Halen.
Isn't Mariah Carey trying to say the same thing about her parting company with EMI?
By the way, if someone wants to pay me $49 million to release a bad movie and an equally-bad soundtrack, I'm available. Just let me know.
Steph
I'm going twenty-four hours a day...I can't seem to stop - "Turn Up The Radio", Autograph
If VH did an album and tour with both David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, that would satisfy the DLR and Sammy fans, plus it might get casual fans interested in what was going on again. Cherone can forget it ;-)
drew2
What?!?!?!?!
I am assuming that you mean this in complete sarcasm. But in case you weren't...
Yes worked because not everyone hated each other. Sammy hates both Eddie and Alex Van Halen, and I believe the feeling is mutual. He also doesn't care for Dave.
If, and that's a huge if, Dave rejoined Van Halen, then that album and tour would work, hands down. As heard on the 2 tracks on Greatest Hits, they still have some magic together, and all VH fans would love it. MTV would even buy into it. That's what everyone wants.
Sammy fans are doing fine. Hagar's released 3 albums since the break-up, and while they aren't as good as, say, 5150, they are fine works, and his concerts are tons of fun.
"You can see a million miles tonight, but you can't get very far." - Adam Duritz
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