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cmakry t1_ityex7k wrote

"David Lee Roth, he's lost a couple of nuts and bolts. When you meet him, it's like, 'What's wrong with him?' He's like somewhere else, you know?"

…Ozzy Osbourne

79

GrumpyCatStevens t1_iu0gcrb wrote

On their first European tour, Van Halen opened for Black Sabbath. And by several accounts (including the band members themselves), they blew Sabbath's doors off.

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1982000 t1_iu1lwtp wrote

I saw them at MSG on this tour, and they really were something else. I loved Sabbath, but Roth really was incredible, as was the rest of VH.

10

Dogribb t1_iu0ybqr wrote

From dark Sabbath to Sunny California romp in good old high octane RR.You bet they did.

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ScienceOverNonsense t1_iu1lyyb wrote

I thought the same thing when I first heard them as the opening act at a Stones concert in Orlando, circa 1979. Roth out Jaggered Mick Jagger.
The Stones were late too, so by the time they hit the stage, my drugs had worn off.

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Dumpfrumperson t1_ityflj3 wrote

Roth>Hagar

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turborontti t1_itzdaqm wrote

More consistent and definately an excellent singer for his whole career, but Roth was definately better frontman for a short period of time imo :)

10

BartholomewBandy t1_iu0grmm wrote

Roth was also a much better writer. Clever and funny. Sammy wrote “only time will tell if we stand the test of time”….(sighs) Sammy could sing, but I couldn’t care what he was saying. Seems like a good guy, though.

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turborontti t1_iu0jv6o wrote

I agree. Sammy knows how to party, Roth was the party :P

But in their todays condition and if Eddie would still be alive, i would have preferred the reunion with Sammy.

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BartholomewBandy t1_iu0ktmc wrote

I finally saw VH in 2015 with DLR and he was way past his sell by date. Loved it, crazy grandpa singing songs I knew by heart. Getting a set of early material made it worth while. They started with Light up the Sky, which is a favorite for me. Eddie made it look so damn easy…

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somajones t1_iu0k0b6 wrote

> Sammy could sing, but I couldn’t care what he was saying.

Yeah. I loved Standing Hampton but I could never remember if there was more than one way to rock or if there was only one way to rock.

9

BartholomewBandy t1_iu0sc5m wrote

The initial One Way to Rock theory, originally proposed on the Standing Hampton album, has been supplanted by Six Ways to Rock as outlined in Sammy’s book “Ways to Rock”. There have been, however, several studies indicating the possibility of a seventh way to rock. These studies are awaiting peer review.

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KalessinDB t1_itz1v3s wrote

Diamond Dave. The epitome of the 80s rocker stereotype.

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krokus_headhunter t1_itzzixs wrote

The prototype. Always emulated but never replicated. He was the fucking man.

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1982000 t1_iu1m1s9 wrote

That's right, prototype. The rest were stereotypes.

2

zombie_gas t1_iu1ovn4 wrote

Great frontman. Some dudes were just made for the stage and he was one of them.

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406highlander t1_itz4dno wrote

Jump may not have been the best Van Halen song...

...but Jump was definitely the song they did that most epitomized the sound of 80s music. Words can't express how much I love that song.

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138Samhain138 t1_itz3254 wrote

the whole damn lot of’em rocked …. I think I’ll reach down between my legs…. Ease the seat back !

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Remarkable_Cloud_322 t1_itze6iw wrote

Imagine my initial confusion over the title when I read it as a Roth IRA.

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runs4beer2 t1_itzmbpn wrote

My Dude.... it takes a pretty lengthy explanation to get there, but they are the exact same thing. I wish I had time to cover it with you now...

9

RamblinGamblinWillie t1_iu0h5to wrote

Give me a bottle of anything… and a glazed doughnut… TO GO

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LewisEFurr t1_itzn9sp wrote

The first Van Halen is the #1 "driving down the highway on a hot summer afternoon with the windows down" album.

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davekay113 t1_iu111j7 wrote

Growing up, my dad used to take my brother and I for ice cream in his '67 Firebird. He had two tapes he always kept in there. Van Halen I, and Dr. Feelgood. He'd always play Kickstart My Heart when we got onto the main road and send the pedal through the floor. I still drive too fast when that song comes on.

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LoganCaleSalad t1_iu0w3wy wrote

Agreed got the double disk greatest hits & never leaves my changer.

2

voitlander t1_ityaqjl wrote

Van Halen V was on my Jean jacket in junior high school.

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LoganCaleSalad t1_iu0vhrq wrote

🎶GO ON & JUMP 🎶 Say what you want Diamond Dave maybe an egomaniac with a screw loose but my god what a showman. Only other person that has ever come close to Freddie Mercury stage presence.

9

kaltorak509 t1_iu0atq3 wrote

saw them so many times between 78-84, great times

5

SnooPeppers6081 t1_itze20k wrote

That's around the time I saw them. It was worth it.

3

ArtVice t1_iu0aeuk wrote

Was never a big fan but I did get to see them live back then and glad I did.

3

Dogribb t1_iu0y4kl wrote

That explains all the back surgeries.

3

azcheekyguy t1_iu12s50 wrote

There was a period around 83 when everything I owned had a VH logo drawn on it

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NewHumbug t1_iu1klb1 wrote

!!!! I was just trying to explain to a much younger co-worker the amazingness of Diamond Dave !! The quintessential front man. Love me some DLR.

3

dirtman81 t1_iu0wmyc wrote

I saw them live a couple of times in Louisiana around 1981/82 and what really stands out is how tall some of the things Eddie was jumping off. I was genuinely nervous for the guy during the show. I was positive he was going to break a leg, but nope, he nailed everything, including the guitar licks.

2

savedbytheblood72 t1_iu27j6c wrote

I mean, you couldn't keep your eyes off Dave when he was on stage! He was just all over it.

2

tmadik t1_iu0dnnw wrote

Jeez, that guy had ups!

1

1982000 t1_iu1mluf wrote

Really a good athlete/high kicker. He was something.

1

motornedneil t1_iu0q0d5 wrote

Won’t you hear me let the good times roll

1

Tha_Watcher t1_iu0wpth wrote

It's impossible for me to think of the 80s and not think about David Lee Roth and Van Halen!

1

[deleted] t1_iu1fkga wrote

Saw him in concert in Miami and I remember his Jumps, because of his Martial Arts background, he was awesome!

1

Thunder_Mug t1_iu1h16p wrote

Am I the only person that liked Van Hagar better?

1

nomdeguerre99 t1_iu2mqre wrote

Only male rocker who had leg warmers as if about to do some cirque de soleil moves

1

Chai-Tea-Rex-2525 t1_iu2swxs wrote

My first concert on the 1984 tour. Some girl ran onstage, grabbed Eddie’s leg and would not let go.

1

DonRicardo1958 t1_iu0xjgk wrote

He left the band in the mid 80s, turned out a horrible cover of “just a gigolo“ and then disappeared.

−6

debzmonkey t1_itysoyn wrote

Loved Eddie, despised David Lee Roth with the heat of a thousand suns.

−13

Due_Knowledge817 t1_itz3d6s wrote

They had maybe 3 songs worth listening to maybe

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