New Van Halen single "Tattoo"..

[JD]

the problem i think is that there are no catchy van halen riffs. eddie doesn't play like he did in the seventies anymore. the playing had a more "punk" attitude if you get my meaning. nowadays his playing is technically good but ho hum. very rarely can you go back....

Dave is trying, but whiskey and green m + m's vocals over musak aint gonna work.

That's ironic since these are riffs left over from the 70s/80s.

But, I don't care much for it either :facepalm

 

[mike5150]

I've given the album a complete listen several times and you can tell they had fun making it as well as some of Eddie's solos being badass!!

 

[modelcitizen]

That's ironic since these are riffs left over from the 70s/80s.

But, I don't care much for it either :facepalm

well i'll give the rest a listen and see but maybe wrongly going by that video and eddies late 80's and nineties work, it looks like he's playing from an EZ chair and not fighting the riffs out like the m+m days heh.

 

[mike5150]

well i'll give the rest a listen and see but maybe wrongly going by that video and eddies late 80's and nineties work, it looks like he's playing from an EZ chair and not fighting the riffs out like the m+m days heh.

Trust me that video doesn't give the album justice! There are some killer solos on this album IMO!

 

[Wes R]

I was always more of a fan of Dave than the entire band and this just doesn't seem right for him or the band. I just think they're all past their prime.

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

Well, at least five of the "new" songs are simply repurposed stuff from 75-76. Tattoo is Down in Flames. Outta Space is Let's Get Rockin'. Big River is Big Trouble. She's the Woman is She's the Woman. Beats Workin' is Put Out the Lights. They were good riffs, but not enough to make the cut back in the day...

 

[cboath]

I'd be willing to bet every single band who's passed say 6ish albums has pulled stuff from their past to put on new albums.

Could be a conscious effort to get back to their roots and give people what they asked for as opposed to taking the easy way out as people are describing it (or at least it seems). People have been wanting old-style VH ever since Dave got the boot. They get it and complain it's rehash.

 

[modelcitizen]

i'd bet the old songs were more raw and had more fire then. therefore most likely better. but fifty plus year old rockers are not the same as when in their twenties obviously.

 

[Monster Dave]

hummm....the song is OK. Not great, not horrible.

I think that the thing which surprised me the most was seeing how much older they are now - Roth looks so different than he used to. That being said, I haven't actually 'seen' any members of Van Halen since 0U812 came out.

They sound good though - and that's all that I ever cared about! I'd love to see them in concert though!

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

I'll give it another listen when I get out of this office, but I'd swear some of it even sounds Sammy-era Van Halen. I guess I cannot complain to much. Some of the best bands have been putting out the same album for 30 years*cough*ACDC*cough*

 

[cboath]

I thought the same thing. There are guitar sounds from Ed in there that only appeared during the sammy run. I think some songs may have originated then as well. Personally I prefer the sharper, raw sound he had in the 70' and early 80's. Then again, most guitarists changed their sound to a degree with the ease of programmable equipment that exploded in the 90's... The rack he used in the 70's probably isn't even a rack. Today, there's probably 100k of equipment between him and the amp

 

[mike5150]

The more I listen to it the more I am enjoying it! There is plenty of energy on this album!!

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

I thought the same thing. There are guitar sounds from Ed in there that only appeared during the sammy run. I think some songs may have originated then as well. Personally I prefer the sharper, raw sound he had in the 70' and early 80's. Then again, most guitarists changed their sound to a degree with the ease of programmable equipment that exploded in the 90's... The rack he used in the 70's probably isn't even a rack. Today, there's probably 100k of equipment between him and the amp

If memory serves, it was a MXR Phase 90, MXR Flanger, a modded Marshall Plexi (With his own voltage mod tossed in..the "Variac") and the gain cranked to "SCREAM". There may have been an Echoplex tossed in there as well, but the guy really kept it simple.

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

*sighs* They've done it again. I am actually liking this new album, DESPITE the horrendous lyrical writing of "Tattoo". Dave does come up with some good lines like "When was the last time you did something for the first time?" on "That's the Trouble with Never". The musical work is as amazing as ever. The harmonies are well done in places, but I don't think they can pull it off live without Mikey.

I feel so dirty.

 

[cboath]

Turns out to be a good feeling though

I'm actually glad that the Tattoo video sucked - made me underestimate the album.

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

Yeah, I guess it is. I'm grooving to some of it. "Blood and Fire" has a Van Hagar mixed with Eat 'Em and Smile feel to it. "As Is" just smokes. Man, it's like Eddie never lost a step with his work and I don't know if Wolfgang is playing the bass in the studio, but there are some mighty fine bass grooves laid down on this piece.

 

[Rikarus]

Is it jsut me or Does DLR look like Steve Martin?

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

Is it jsut me or Does DLR look like Steve Martin?

No, it's not just you.

 

[Qui-Gonzalez]

Did you know that Van Halen had a rider in their contract about no brown M&Ms?

(Running joke is still running.)

 

[dbuck]

Nooooooo. Not the brown M&M's 'rider' talk again!

The first time I heard the entire album I wasn't particularly impressed. But after a couple of more times, I really like it. There is some good stuff there.