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Arbiter
June 5th, 2012, 10:20 AM
Executive Summary (that's fancy talk for "can't be bothered to read entire review"): Full-throttle balls-out awesome.
Disclaimer: I'm a bassist, only play guitar when I have to. Since I do all my music work these days at home, I do a lot of guitar playing, but it's not my thing. Just so you know where I'm coming from. I went to see a rock band, not for a sermon at the Church Of Edward.
Missed all but two songs by Kool and the Gang. This was unfortunate. They were great and rock solid.
But none of you care about that, right? The heart of the matter - Van Halen.
I wasn't expecting much based on a lot of what I've read around the internet, here, and viewed on YouTube. Well, surprise, surprise, the internet is full of it. They were great with no qualifications, but some observations.
Alex: does what Alex does, every time.
Eddie: does what Eddie does, every time.
Roth: Does what Roth does, did it well. Didn't forget any words, didn't talk lyrics. Most entertaining frontman I think I've ever seen. Funny as hell. Yeah, he doesn't have the vocal range he had when he was twenty, but neither do I, and anyone expecting THAT is just being unrealistic. The brutal truth is that Eddie is the talent, Roth is the show, and you cannot separate them. Together they are one of the best hard rock bands ever. Separate, they are...well, not much, really.
Wolfgang: Based on what I'd read, I expected a fat momma's boy who couldn't play his way out of a bag. For shame, internet. That guy was the hardest working dude up there - not that any of them were exactly taking it easy - and is obviously not taking the very large gift he's been given for granted. He can sing well enough that you don't miss Michael Anthony's vocals at all (as a bassist, I didn't miss Anthony anyway), he can play bass as well as his dad plays guitar, and he has obviously lit a fire under this band's ass. I look forward to what he'll do post Van Halen. Perhaps my highest compliment to Wolfie: I finally heard the old Van Halen tunes with bass parts I liked and found interesting. This man takes the band to a whole new and better level.
Speculation: A lot of brainpower's been put into decoding the "hiatus". I can tell you this much: this band does not hate each other. It's not that. Eddie's doesn't seem to be drinking again, I don't think it's that. Which leaves two possibilities:
1. Take Roth at his word literally: they bit off more than they could handle. This is the most likely explanation IMO; the last few Rush tours I've seen, they do a show anywhere from once every five days to one week. Van Halen's doing four shows - far more high-energy shows than most bands I've seen, I might add - in just twelve days here at the end of the tour. Three of the four of them simply shouldn't be playing that often.
2. Eddie's ill. Well, we knew that. I noticed a few things that may or may not have been medically significant about his appearance. I'm not a doctor so that's where I'm going to leave it, but I wouldn't rule this out as a reason.
Any way you slice it, if they come back out I would see them now because I don't think you'll get the chance again. And it was so worth it. There were a few songs where I had to look around at the conclusion to make sure the venue was still standing. Yeah.
They're that good.
Disclaimer: I'm a bassist, only play guitar when I have to. Since I do all my music work these days at home, I do a lot of guitar playing, but it's not my thing. Just so you know where I'm coming from. I went to see a rock band, not for a sermon at the Church Of Edward.
Missed all but two songs by Kool and the Gang. This was unfortunate. They were great and rock solid.
But none of you care about that, right? The heart of the matter - Van Halen.
I wasn't expecting much based on a lot of what I've read around the internet, here, and viewed on YouTube. Well, surprise, surprise, the internet is full of it. They were great with no qualifications, but some observations.
Alex: does what Alex does, every time.
Eddie: does what Eddie does, every time.
Roth: Does what Roth does, did it well. Didn't forget any words, didn't talk lyrics. Most entertaining frontman I think I've ever seen. Funny as hell. Yeah, he doesn't have the vocal range he had when he was twenty, but neither do I, and anyone expecting THAT is just being unrealistic. The brutal truth is that Eddie is the talent, Roth is the show, and you cannot separate them. Together they are one of the best hard rock bands ever. Separate, they are...well, not much, really.
Wolfgang: Based on what I'd read, I expected a fat momma's boy who couldn't play his way out of a bag. For shame, internet. That guy was the hardest working dude up there - not that any of them were exactly taking it easy - and is obviously not taking the very large gift he's been given for granted. He can sing well enough that you don't miss Michael Anthony's vocals at all (as a bassist, I didn't miss Anthony anyway), he can play bass as well as his dad plays guitar, and he has obviously lit a fire under this band's ass. I look forward to what he'll do post Van Halen. Perhaps my highest compliment to Wolfie: I finally heard the old Van Halen tunes with bass parts I liked and found interesting. This man takes the band to a whole new and better level.
Speculation: A lot of brainpower's been put into decoding the "hiatus". I can tell you this much: this band does not hate each other. It's not that. Eddie's doesn't seem to be drinking again, I don't think it's that. Which leaves two possibilities:
1. Take Roth at his word literally: they bit off more than they could handle. This is the most likely explanation IMO; the last few Rush tours I've seen, they do a show anywhere from once every five days to one week. Van Halen's doing four shows - far more high-energy shows than most bands I've seen, I might add - in just twelve days here at the end of the tour. Three of the four of them simply shouldn't be playing that often.
2. Eddie's ill. Well, we knew that. I noticed a few things that may or may not have been medically significant about his appearance. I'm not a doctor so that's where I'm going to leave it, but I wouldn't rule this out as a reason.
Any way you slice it, if they come back out I would see them now because I don't think you'll get the chance again. And it was so worth it. There were a few songs where I had to look around at the conclusion to make sure the venue was still standing. Yeah.
They're that good.