• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Michael Anthony Gets the Boot from Van Halen

#81
IMO MA was/is an integral part of the VH sound regardless of what you may think of his playing. My fave period from them was VH1 to Diver Down. I think they made some good music with Sammy but I prefer him solo and Gary Cherone is a talented guy. Joining VH was just not a good move for him.

I agree with those of you who think Eddie has gone off the deep end. VH has officially "jumped the shark"....

Jeff
 
#82
VH jumped the shark when they got Roth back for two songs and fired him shortly after their first public appearance. Apparently Roth was mad at Eddie for mentioning his upcoming hip replacement, and told him, "Tonight's about me, not you." A little selfish of Roth, but he was right.

I have very little faith in this reunion. Roth will say something that pisses off Eddie and Alex, and the tour will be cancelled. And instead of VH's reunion being the big news of the summer, the Police reunion will be the big news. Sting and Stewart Copeland may come to blows now and then, but they're pro enough to realize that there's money to be made in a Police reunion and won't F it up like VH will.
 
#83
I can't believe how many people think MA just plays root 8th notes. Just listen to Beautiful Girls. That song has some tasty fills, and the fade-out at the end is fun to play. The bass-line for that song is just as good as any other Classic Rock tune.

I also believe Michael Anthony jumped-off the sinking VH ship, and wasn't "fired". Who would you rather work with, the disfunctional Van Halens, or the (seemingly) easy going Sammy Hagar?

Also, many people are judging Wolfgang because of his age. He's also the son of a guitar virtuoso. He may have picked-up some musical knowledge from hid dad. ;) (Let's just hope he doesn't pick-up too much substance abuse knowledge).

And FWIW, Fender is making Limited Edition Custom Shop "Frankenstein" copys of Eddie's guitar, similar to what they did with SRV's #1.
 
#84
JimmyM said:
And instead of VH's reunion being the big news of the summer, the Police reunion will be the big news. Sting and Stewart Copeland may come to blows now and then, but they're pro enough to realize that there's money to be made in a Police reunion and won't F it up like VH will.
Click to expand...

Hah! I agree. I am very much looking forward to the Police reunion. I will try like hell to get tickets to that. As far as Sting and Stewart, they are friends. Bandmates will always drive you nuts, no matter how much you may like the person. If you saw them on the Hall of Fame, the way they interacted with each other seemed to be out of a great deal of affection.

The VH thing...man, I don't know. I would be far more excited if MA was in it. He may not be Jaco (and who among us is), but I think he is a fantastic rock bass player. I have been in a couple of bands that played a lot of Van Halen, and learning his parts is always interesting, believe it or not. Check out the groove he lays down on "Feel Your Love Tonight." Great stuff.

Then again, if you believe Eddie, he has said that he played all the bass on VH's records. Who knows? I am pulling for him in a way; I would love to see him reestablish his relevance. But I would rather have seen it with MA in the band.

Must be hard going from the biggest thing in rock to a footnote...wish I knew what that was like.
 
#88
Gee.....I'm so surprised.....:rollno:

Rock Hard
VAN HALEN Tour Postponed Indefinitely
Posted on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at 17:00:21 EST


Pollstar (www.pollstar.com/) is reporting that the much-hyped VAN HALEN reunion tour with DAVID LEE ROTH has already fallen through and is now "officially postponed indefinitely."

Sources tell the tour magazine that a tour announcement may have not been far off, and just last week, Rolling Stone posted excerpts from an upcoming interview with Roth about the reunion, which is slated for its next issue. The magazine's website also unveiled the first-ever group shot of the current lineup of the band, including Eddie Van Halen, his brother Alex on drums and his son Wolfgang on bass.

Sources also tell Denver's Rocky Mountain News that Van Halen's performance at next month's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony may be in jeopardy too.

Roth told Rolling Stone the band had been rehearsing together again and their chemistry is currently "combustible," though with today's news, it appears that combustion may have actually happened between Roth and the Van Halen family.

Van Halen was expected to do a full, 40 city tour this summer.
Click to expand...
 
#93
Eddie (and probably Alex) own the VH name but not the band. The band made it big cause all the members contributed big way (Eddie, Alex, DLR and MA). MA has contributed both on bass plying and vocals. Unfortunately, not all supportive bass playing can be both tasteful and flashy, but it's highly unlikely that singing as great as MA has and playing over the top flashy-yet-supportive lines can be done efficiently IMHO. It's sad to see a long term member been easily disposable like that
 
#100
I saw a couple of clips of Eddie on youtube playing solo original stuff and I was not, at all, impressed. His playing was sloppy and the tunes were little more than muzak. Keep in mind I'm a huge fan of their first 5-6 albums. I always thought that the best thing, musically speaking, for Eddie to do was join another band as a band member and contribute great guitar parts rather than always have to be a big shot. Seriously, it seems like Eddie has a permanent chip on his shoulder. I guess being in one the the worlds biggest rock bands, having financial security, nice kids and Valerie Bertineli as a wife (of course, now an ex-wife)is'nt enough to keep this guy from trainwrecking.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back