Van Halen Vs. Van Hagar...or Van Cherone?

[Dr. Thong]

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)

[GoldenTV]

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

[ABlairican Pie]

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?