Which is your favorite area of Van Halen?

I know I'm not going to like the way this poll turns out. :lol: I know that Diamond Dave Roth has already won. :lol: Even though I love the Roth era albums it will always be Van Hagar for. Which I'm sure comes to no surprise to those who know me. :lol: I will always hold a special place in my heart for the music Van Halen made with the Red Rocker.

I'm all about the classic six.

I like Sammy's singing the best but when you hear Van Halen you automatically think of Dave.

Man, poor Sammy is taking a beating in this poll. :lol:

Man, poor Sammy is taking a beating in this poll. :lol:

Sammy's taking a beating?? Look at poor Gary Cherone - he can't even register one vote thus far!!:eek:

Sammy's taking a beating?? Look at poor Gary Cherone - he can't even register one vote thus far!!:eek:


Yeah, but Sam's only vote is my vote. I think that I am going to have to pay people to vote for Sammy. :lol:

I'm all about the classic six.


Brad, I was wondering what you think of the 1981 album Fair Warning? That is my personal favorite of the Roth era albums and behind 5150 and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge as my third favorite VH album period. It is also the one considered by many die hards as the band's best album. It was also, not counting the Cherone album, the band's least successful sales wise. I think it is just a great rock album with songs like "Unchained". "Mean Street" and "Hear About It Later". It is also a little more serious subject wise then the other Roth era albums.

The Best of Both Worlds

Unchained is actually my least favorite of the Roth-era Van Halen albums, but it does have its moments. My favorite cut is "So This Is Love."

I'm surprised that For Unlawful... sold less copies than Balance. I did not know that. It was hard to escape "Right Now" when I was in the fifth grade.

Even though the music wasn't totally up to par with the Dave era, Van Halen actually worked better with Sammy Hagar, because Dave was a bit of a controller.

BUT--if anyone's read the latest Guitar World issue, Eddie Van Halen is back, and there is a possibility of a reunion with Dave in the works--but Michael Anthony won't be part of the lineup, Eddie's son Wolfgang will be on bass. Wow, just like one big happy family!!! :D (Though I would miss Michael Anthony... :( )

Haven't seen Van Halen since 1978 when they opened for Black Sabbath!!! :cool:

I'm surprised that [i]For Unlawful... sold less copies than Balance. I did not know that. It was hard to escape "Right Now" when I was in the fifth grade.


I'm not sure which one actually sold more. Some sources say that For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge sold three million copies where as Balance sold two million copies. Other sources have it the other way around. For me though For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge is by far a better album.

Unchained is actually my least favorite of the Roth-era Van Halen albums, but it does have its moments. My favorite cut is "So This Is Love."



My least favorite has to be Women And Chidren First. "And the Cradle Will Rock..." and "Everybody Wants Some" are both great songs, but I don't much care for the rest of the album. Still, I would take it over the Cherone album anyday. :lol:

I'm all about the classic six.

Yes def same with me..............

The Hagar era for me

The one with Eddie Van Bertinelli

I like Dave and Sammy, but the I prefer the Roth era.

Best Roth album: Van Halen 1 (Fair Warning is a very close second)
Worst Roth album: Diver Down

Best Hagar album: 5150
Worst Hagar album: For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (it sounds great, but half of it is just so-so)

Sammy was a better songwriter and lyrics than David Lee Roth as Roth was more of a showmanship. So will go with Sammy Hagar :)

https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2022-11-03/Getty_HagarEVH_110322.jpg

Interesting thing about the "Van Hagar" era of Van Halen. When it was clear that David Lee Roth was not working out with the band (which was indicative of the mercurial temperaments of both the titular guitarist as well as their showboating lead singer), they set out to replace him with a new vocalist. This seemed to be a common occurrence in the 80's, as it was nearly unheard of ten years before in music: When one band had issues about or whims regarding certain members "not making the cut" for whichever reason, they could easily be replaced by a more "competent" or "photogenic" musician. This was the case with such artists and groups including Whitesnake, Megadeth, and especially Ozzy and Black Sabbath by mid-decade.

Van Halen even attempted to replace the self-absorbed Roth with a female singer, which would have made quite a pairing. Was it Patty Smythe of Scandal to fill the role? Either way, it didn't work out. It appears that Sammy Hagar was chosen by the band's management and record label due to the singer's association with Montrose, a band previously on their roster. While Hagar lacked Roth's showmanship and egocentricity, a major headache for the band, he had his own charisma which fit right in with the band. In the mid-80's, Eddie Van Halen had shifted from being a top "shredder" guitarist who had re-invented 80's guitar and pop-metal to a more accessible musician and song composer for radio and MTV, and their choice of lead singer reflected this change. Not all were happy with the choice of "Van Hagar", as it reflected a step down for the band. It was similar when Ronnie James Dio replaced Ozzy in Black Sabbath in that while both vocalists had their own distinct style, they lacked a sort of "charm" which brought their bands to prominence, while still re-inventing themselves for newer audiences. Both Hagar and Dio had nothing but contempt for the vocalists they were replacing, citing both as "buffoons" which certainly led to the departure of their predecessors.

It is also noted that once Roth was out of the picture, the label insisted that the band change their name to something else, which made little sense because of the two brothers which comprised the namesake.

But what of their third vocalist, Gary Cherone of Extreme? This was the sound of a band struggling to keep it together. "Van Cherone" was ridiculed for not only their lack of a charismatic frontman as were Roth and Hagar, but the "III' album was considered a musical mess with lack of hit-worthy material lacking focus. Was anyone aware that Van Halen attempted subsequent album follow-ups and reunions with their previous singers?