Okay that was one way to go… To be honest, done this way, I would have rather skipped the VHIII episode altogether. What’s the point of all the ridicule? This almost makes me feel stupid for liking the album. I can understand that it disappointed the Roth-era fans who had come to idolize Eddie’s early approach and output, but hey, cut your losses and move on. No need for all the negativity. Come on, comparing the opening of the YTTD solo to drunken uncle on stage? I for one liked the gradual shift in Edwards solo-style towards more bluesy melodic lines away from the singularly unique jazzy/beboppy phrasing of his earlier years - which I also absolutely love! Clearly the album is not perfect and suffers greatly from the absence of a strong independent producer, but it holds some very inspired material, at least in my view. Dirty Water Dog, Once and How Many Say I are actually among my all-time favorite VH tracks. It’s pretty condescending to say it’s “sad” that “he thinks he is at his creative peak” when “his creativity is not at his peak right now”, and that “that’s when you go to therapy”. Wow. In reality, according to his interviews, this album actually was the result of a creative burst following therapy. Indeed, it’s different, it's dark and it’s all over the place. Clearly too much so for some. Oh well, at least we now have some more insight as to why many early EVH fans really don’t (want to) like this album.
I would much rather have had a podcast featuring Gary Cherone, who may not be a guitarist, but would have offered a more interesting take on (the making of) the album.
I agree VHIII doesn't come close to the rest of VH discography. Christopher L mentioned this downfall maybe a result from the lack of leadership and that's a valid hypothesis. In my opinion I think Eddie tried to lead the project and avoid any source of conflict - do everything his own way. I remember Freddie Mercury saying the secret of Queen's quality and success was conflict and sometimes he provoked the other members to try to extract the best from them. Of course conflict also has a lot of disadvantages and not everyone can handle it for too long and maybe that's why Eddie tried to do everything his own way on this album.
In my opinion, "A Year to the Day" is the best track of the album and got a bit overlooked on this episode. The guitar parts are incredible and is the only track I think Cherone is at home.
Very happy to have a couple of episodes to listen to. Amsterdam and Aftershock are badass. Balance gets overlooked in the VH catalog, but personally I like it better than OU812. The glaring differences between Balance and VHIII make it clear that EVH was maybe struggling with some demons…and possibly some hearing loss. Balance was clean and shiny while VHIII is dark and muddy. Then compare to ADKOT where the fire was back with a vengeance…despite Roth’s shoddy vocals. VHIII is an obvious misstep … most bands have them. Again DZ thank you for this project. I enjoy it very much. Anxious for the next episode.
Dweezil, I see both sides of the statement Matt made about the VHIII album. I agree that some of the songs could have gone longer than a 7-minute segment BUT I appreciate your willingness to change it up.
Matt's comment about "Incoherent babble" hits home on this album. I think this would have been the perfect Eddie solo album and everyone would have been ok with his statement. Sadly, I think management pushed the idea that another singer could come in and do the same thing Sammy did. Edward WAS NOT in a good place.
95 AmBulance tour which ends in early November(hip surgery and potentially drifting back to drugs and alcohol)
96 The controversy of Sammy and Ed butting heads in early Jan/Feb. "Remember, Humna's Being is the song that broke the camel's back for the band. Ray Danniels convinces Edward and Alex to do the Twister music soundtrack AND include a Van Halen track and Sammy was exhausted. They make a video for Human's Being and Don't even get along on set. Watch the video and you can tell they are not happy even Edward doesn't smile but rather smirk almost. In June they announced a separation from Hagar. Danniels/Warner Brothers bring up the idea of DLR after convincing them to do a greatest hits album and they work on that with DLR. September 4 is the MTV debacle in NYC which in hindsight should not have been done because it was TOO CLOSE to the separation from Hagar. (It's akin to being married, divorcing, remarrying, and then divorcing your second wife only to turn immediately around and hang out with your first wife and proclaim your love) This sent them down a bad path.
97 Danniels turns around and needs a singer since he has lost both and turns to his band Extreme. He forces the third marriage all while Edward also is still battling health and anxiety issues and alcohol goes in and out. I believe forced sobriety could be a term used for him in 1997. Danniels job from WB is to refocus Edward and convince him Gary is a great partner. Alex is now stuck with Danniels because he played his hand and it has ended in disaster but can't because of Danniels in his family. (Dweezil, certainly correct me if I am wrong about any of this)
1998 for this tour you convince Edward to play more of the early Van Halen because there was such a high of seeing DLR at the music awards and prop EVH up with the marketing of "Who the F**k is EVH?" Counter all of this with his flame out of the album sets EVH back YEARS if not a decade.
1999 make another album and it sounds the same as VHIII and suddenly WB wants nothing to do with them beyond previous albums. Fallout is horrible and EVH retreats to 5150 and begins a downfall. 2000 Nothing
2001 Nothing
2002 Nothing 2003 Glen Ballard circles back around to help keep EVH on target for 3 new songs for WB getting them to do another GH only this time you have Sammy playing 3 songs. 2004 Reunion debacle tour where EVH begins HEAVILY drinking and is sloppy and unfocused. Danniels needs to blame someone for all of this and he decides to convince Alex that Michael Anthony is the problem because he hangs with Sammy. 2005 Nothing (Is there EVH does the porn films)
2006 Nothing but Michael Ninn-directed adult film Sacred Sin 2007 Get DLR back and bring Wolfgang in to tour to make some money but ultimately "health issues" sideline this again. 2008 Tour continues and Ed goes to rehab for 6 weeks
2009/2010/2011 Recording and creating for ADKOT
All of this to say, Edward did not have a lot of self-esteem. Greg Renoff's book documents this over and over. Ted Templeman, for all the bad press, was able to channel EVH and stay focused. EVH ultimately didn't like nor understand what Ted did. VHIII is THE example of a band without a leader. It's Raw, it's different, and as Blues said, is incohesive.
in reference to III, I remember reading an interview that coincided with the release and Ed seemed to be very happy with a newfound sobriety, being in therapy and having a new love.
all things mentioned during From Afar, by y’all.
I always joked that I was one of 11 who liked this record. I think it was all about the timing of hearing it, which is so important to the music we like. I’m in agreement with all the points you bring up about production and and meander and lack of focus, but I’ve listened to it so much I still like it.
I've been looking forward to the VHIII episode since I subscribed here. What a let down. Suddenly there is a 7 minute time limit to discuss each song? And you get two guys that don't like the album, didn't want to talk about it, haven't listened to it more than once in 24 years, and get them judge each song based on the intro? Every other episode has been excellent. WTF happened to make you give up on this project?
This album has always been a challenge for Van Halen fans. No matter how the album is approached there are some obstacles to overcome. The music is not as familiar to many fans and for that reason I decided to shift the parameters of the podcast to create a “first listen” type of experience rather than a deeper exploration. We did try to bring out the best hidden gems that resonated with us and we did explore theories behind the creative process but we wanted to keep the pace moving so that each song could have roughly the same amount of discussion time, hence the 7 minutes.
I’ve put a tremendous amount of effort and energy into this project because I’m a life long fan. I really do try to make every episode as good as I possible can so I see things from a different perspective than you.
Much like VHIII, the boundaries of the content style were pushed.
I would be curious to know more about some things you felt were missing. Maybe I’ll be able to do a follow up.
You should do a follow up! I think you should do it only do it with people that know the album (as challenging as that may seem to find an older VH "fan" willing to listen and not immediately s**t all over the first track because it starts with an acoustic guitar and piano). I think going for a "first listen experience" does not do any justice to it at all. None of the other episodes followed that format and this isn't American Idol right? This is supposed to be a celebration of Ed's legacy right?
I did enjoy hearing the origins of some the riffs. Ed did extensive interviews with Guitar World about the writing and the recording of almost every song. That "shaker" on "Dirty Water Dog" is actually Ed sweeping the floor and you hear Ed say "s**t" as the handle breaks off.
Maybe my expectation were too high but I figured you would be devoting the same amount of time and detail to each album to really explore the VH discography as a whole. But listening to that last episode I can totally see why Ed really lost the passion for releasing new music when his own friends and fans weren't even willing to really listen anymore.
will the non-album tracks from Greatest Hits and Best of Both Worlds compilations be addressed at some point. Would love to hear your take on those tunes.
Baluchitherium was always my favorite song off Balance. When I first heard it, I thought the riff always sounded like the riff from the song Eyes of Love by Trevor Rabin. Years later I remember reading in some guitar magazine an interview with Trevor Rabin where he mentioned that Eddie contacted him to make sure he was ok with the riff sound similar to his song. I wish I could find the article as I thought if I remember correctly, it either sounded like they were friends and Eddie asked before album was released or maybe he tried giving Trevor some credit or $ or something? Too long ago to remember the article exactly, but what I got from the interview was that Eddie was a pretty stand-up guy for the influence/ coincidence of that riff.
Really enjoyed the VH III album episode. It really is a difficult album to listen to and like you Dweezil, I go back every so often and try to talk myself into it! There are a few moments I like but overall I just can't get past the way Gary sounds so forced, like he's singing in the wrong key. I'm a fan of Extreme and I think Gary is a very talented singer, but I think Ed was running the show at that point and perhaps Gary didn't feel comfortable pushing back. A more involved producer may have helped. I do think they sounded good on the VH III tour though and it was nice to hear some of the older material after such a long time. When they played "Josephina" live acoustically it was much better than the album version.
I think Blues made a great point about how in retrospect Dave and Sammy both did an amazing job finding cool melody and lyric ideas around the riffs.
It is such a shame that Ed did the press and was so proud of the record, because when it bombed commercially it clearly affected him for a long time afterwards.
When you discuss ADKOT maybe you can discuss the 2 DLR tracks that they put out on the Best Of? I think they were both excellent tracks, even though (if what I've read is to be believed) it sounds like it was a bit of a chore getting the vocals recorded for those.
Loved the VH III Episode. I am by no means a fan of the record, but I am a fan of what Ed tried to do. He did something different. I actually liked Neworld and Without You. Even on the first listen there was continuity. I liked that Neworld started off light, and turned dark and foreboding and I thought Without You kicked ass. I had high hopes, but soon found myself rummaging for nuggets. I actually liked his cleaner tone on the record and there were bits and pieces of songs and his playing that I thought were really good. On the whole it was a miss and it seems worse because collectively those guys never missed, let alone whiffed on anything. But to have it treated it like a crime or a joke had to hurt. I don't think it's a coincidence that his darkest period came after III.
For me the real disappointment is that I think by and large the failure and more importantly the response to III is the reason we went so many years without new music. Ed had a vision, took a risk and people threw rocks. Big rocks. If that is the response to taking a risk, why ever experiment or take a risk again? Bring Dave back, re-work some old songs, and jam with Wolf. End of story. If you're Al or Wolf why open up the vaults and let people hear what's in there? Honestly if I were Wolf I wouldn't let anyone near that stuff.
Anyway thank you for the episode. Loved the way it was done live, the quick turnaround was fantastic. Not sure how many more are left, but make it easy on yourself and do them in one take.
Great episode, I certainly share Andy’s love for this record and the right here, right now, live era. It was when I got into Van Halen. I share so many of his thoughts! The ‘glassy tone’ on don’t tell me that reminds him of Slash’s Use Your Illusion tone was a nice observation. Always loved that UYI ‘liquid’ wah-tone and I get what he’s saying. I’m happy he called out the solo to ‘Can’t stop loving you’, which has always been one of my favorites – completely out of character, indeed almost session player like. I was really surprised to hear Andy bringing up Extreme’s Play With Me…that’s always been the song I compare Big Fat Money to as well, together with ‘We didn’t start the fire’ by Billy Joel (I’ve even got those three programmed together on a playlist), much more so than the Led Zep one. I also share his view on the solo-record thing…’aren’t they all’? His take on the Aftershock/Enter Sandman comparison also hits home to me…I see quite a few people saying he ripped off that riff, but to me it never really sounded alike, probably for that ‘meandering, wobbly sitting in the pocket’ reason Andy gives. I also like the observation that the band had matured gracefully. They had pretty much reinvented themselves (again) at this point, and the fiery maturity during these few years was amazing (also just listen to those 2 new Roth tracks in '96...)
Anyhow, too many nuggets on this album to mention, and I really enjoyed the listen.
One question for Dweezil: you mention that parts of the Big Fat Money solo are patterns he uses elsewhere on the Wild Life soundtrack. I’d be curious to hear what parts you mean, since it doesn’t really sound pattern based to me, and it seems to fit the weird rhythm playing behind it very well. It’s another one of my favorite solo’s of his, again very atypical. If you’re doing a Wild Life episode, please link back to this observation!
Really enjoying the Balance Ep! The discussion of Big Fat Money is fun and there are so many references in that tune. The piano isn't the only connection to A Apolitical Blues, the first vocal line and overall feel are a pretty direct nod to Little Feat's Teenage Nervous Breakdown. 70s Little Feat rules and probably one of the swinging-est bands around. Wonder if all of VH were into them or if it was a Sammy thing?
Another excellent episode, Balance is still one of my favourite Van Hagar albums. I don't think Bruce would have contributed the arrangement ideas such as a Beatles part or Led Zep vibe though, I think that was just coming from Ed and Al, and Sammy too in his vocal delivery. I think Ed allowed his influences to come out more prominently at this time and then even more so on VH III, with nods to everything from the blues to Peter Gabriel. Apparently 'Strung Out' was taken from hours of a recording where Ed destroyed a rather expensive piano! I saw an interview around that time and Ed said that 'Baluchitherium' was supposed to be a vocal track, but Sammy couldn't come up with lyrics for it?
Great episode with Andy Wood. Dweezil, I can say VH III really did make me dive into Van Halen more. I had heard other albums for all the songs that made it to the pop charts, but that spring of 98 I was invested. Seeing the concert 3 times that summer with Gary was one of my favorites because the concert spanned all three eras. Loved Gary in the band. I think I was drawn to this album more because so many people just wrote it off. While it isn't my favorite album at the moment, it does circulate through my rotation frequently. I think I like the album more and more because of the hate for it. In my opinion, a true Edward Van Halen listens to that album and notes what he was trying to accomplish. Knowing what we know now about his bouts with depression and the vulnerability of his mind makes it all the more special to me because Gary was able to encourage him to sing. Encourage him to just play and let the sound be raw.
Love this series so much. Chris
I agree, Chris! I loved the show with Gary. We got to hear more songs from all three eras. Your opinion on the album resonates with me. It may not be my favourite, but every now and then, I've got to listen for what they did accomplish.
I too saw Gary with VH on their 3 tour and really enjoyed it. But, it wasn't until I bought the VH 3 guitar tab book that made realize that Ed was a layering genius, especially on tunes like " From Afar " as well as " Fire In The Hole. " I believe that more people will come to enjoy VH 3 in time.
Well, while I think it was a good thing that Dweezil finally answers the many comments over here, his email brings nothing new, and I'm sorry but still isn't answering specifics questions like:
1) Fractal presets??
2) Reverse engineering brown sound episodes??
3) Futur episodes?? approx ETA??
This reminds me the techniques of politicians, when you ask a specific question, and their answer is so long, that you don't even remember what you asked, and you're left with your question unanswered...
Oh well, at this point, and as much as I love the content he released and the promise of all these wonderful things, this is not happening.
I give up :-)
Maybe in the next 2 years, I'll be surprised by a Newsletter announcing the above!! who knows!!
Hi Freak6767 -- To tide you over, do check out the most recent Fractal Factory Axe-Fx III/FM9/FM3 Presets "Eruption" and "The Brown Sound" until Dweezil can get to creating some for us (and that will survive the fast firmware updates of the past 6 months). I find theFactory presets still pretty good surrogates -- maybe a just dial the wet back a little for delay and reverb, and they are pretty killer and fun to play.
Big D. Thanks for the update. The "Running with the Dweezil" episodes have been great, and I am certain the remaining episodes will continue with the same content quality level - if not better.
If it was easy everyone would be doing it - even the complainers here (probably because their mom kicked them out of her basement).
Ok Blues. I'll take VH3 over your TRANSMISSION OK any day of the f*****g week. Two seconds of "swimming"... Marcus Is Out. Peace Brother.
Okay that was one way to go… To be honest, done this way, I would have rather skipped the VHIII episode altogether. What’s the point of all the ridicule? This almost makes me feel stupid for liking the album. I can understand that it disappointed the Roth-era fans who had come to idolize Eddie’s early approach and output, but hey, cut your losses and move on. No need for all the negativity. Come on, comparing the opening of the YTTD solo to drunken uncle on stage? I for one liked the gradual shift in Edwards solo-style towards more bluesy melodic lines away from the singularly unique jazzy/beboppy phrasing of his earlier years - which I also absolutely love! Clearly the album is not perfect and suffers greatly from the absence of a strong independent producer, but it holds some very inspired material, at least in my view. Dirty Water Dog, Once and How Many Say I are actually among my all-time favorite VH tracks. It’s pretty condescending to say it’s “sad” that “he thinks he is at his creative peak” when “his creativity is not at his peak right now”, and that “that’s when you go to therapy”. Wow. In reality, according to his interviews, this album actually was the result of a creative burst following therapy. Indeed, it’s different, it's dark and it’s all over the place. Clearly too much so for some. Oh well, at least we now have some more insight as to why many early EVH fans really don’t (want to) like this album.
I would much rather have had a podcast featuring Gary Cherone, who may not be a guitarist, but would have offered a more interesting take on (the making of) the album.
Very well put, Rolf d.
Hi,
I agree VHIII doesn't come close to the rest of VH discography. Christopher L mentioned this downfall maybe a result from the lack of leadership and that's a valid hypothesis. In my opinion I think Eddie tried to lead the project and avoid any source of conflict - do everything his own way. I remember Freddie Mercury saying the secret of Queen's quality and success was conflict and sometimes he provoked the other members to try to extract the best from them. Of course conflict also has a lot of disadvantages and not everyone can handle it for too long and maybe that's why Eddie tried to do everything his own way on this album.
In my opinion, "A Year to the Day" is the best track of the album and got a bit overlooked on this episode. The guitar parts are incredible and is the only track I think Cherone is at home.
DZ,
Very happy to have a couple of episodes to listen to. Amsterdam and Aftershock are badass. Balance gets overlooked in the VH catalog, but personally I like it better than OU812. The glaring differences between Balance and VHIII make it clear that EVH was maybe struggling with some demons…and possibly some hearing loss. Balance was clean and shiny while VHIII is dark and muddy. Then compare to ADKOT where the fire was back with a vengeance…despite Roth’s shoddy vocals. VHIII is an obvious misstep … most bands have them.
Again DZ thank you for this project. I enjoy it very much. Anxious for the next episode.
Dweezil,
I see both sides of the statement Matt made about the VHIII album. I agree that some of the songs could have gone longer than a 7-minute segment BUT I appreciate your willingness to change it up.
Matt's comment about "Incoherent babble" hits home on this album. I think this would have been the perfect Eddie solo album and everyone would have been ok with his statement. Sadly, I think management pushed the idea that another singer could come in and do the same thing Sammy did. Edward WAS NOT in a good place.
95 AmBulance tour which ends in early November(hip surgery and potentially drifting back to drugs and alcohol)
96 The controversy of Sammy and Ed butting heads in early Jan/Feb. "Remember, Humna's Being is the song that broke the camel's back for the band. Ray Danniels convinces Edward and Alex to do the Twister music soundtrack AND include a Van Halen track and Sammy was exhausted. They make a video for Human's Being and Don't even get along on set. Watch the video and you can tell they are not happy even Edward doesn't smile but rather smirk almost. In June they announced a separation from Hagar. Danniels/Warner Brothers bring up the idea of DLR after convincing them to do a greatest hits album and they work on that with DLR. September 4 is the MTV debacle in NYC which in hindsight should not have been done because it was TOO CLOSE to the separation from Hagar. (It's akin to being married, divorcing, remarrying, and then divorcing your second wife only to turn immediately around and hang out with your first wife and proclaim your love) This sent them down a bad path.
97 Danniels turns around and needs a singer since he has lost both and turns to his band Extreme. He forces the third marriage all while Edward also is still battling health and anxiety issues and alcohol goes in and out. I believe forced sobriety could be a term used for him in 1997. Danniels job from WB is to refocus Edward and convince him Gary is a great partner. Alex is now stuck with Danniels because he played his hand and it has ended in disaster but can't because of Danniels in his family. (Dweezil, certainly correct me if I am wrong about any of this)
1998 for this tour you convince Edward to play more of the early Van Halen because there was such a high of seeing DLR at the music awards and prop EVH up with the marketing of "Who the F**k is EVH?" Counter all of this with his flame out of the album sets EVH back YEARS if not a decade.
1999 make another album and it sounds the same as VHIII and suddenly WB wants nothing to do with them beyond previous albums. Fallout is horrible and EVH retreats to 5150 and begins a downfall.
2000 Nothing
2001 Nothing
2002 Nothing
2003 Glen Ballard circles back around to help keep EVH on target for 3 new songs for WB getting them to do another GH only this time you have Sammy playing 3 songs.
2004 Reunion debacle tour where EVH begins HEAVILY drinking and is sloppy and unfocused. Danniels needs to blame someone for all of this and he decides to convince Alex that Michael Anthony is the problem because he hangs with Sammy.
2005 Nothing (Is there EVH does the porn films)
2006 Nothing but Michael Ninn-directed adult film Sacred Sin
2007 Get DLR back and bring Wolfgang in to tour to make some money but ultimately "health issues" sideline this again.
2008 Tour continues and Ed goes to rehab for 6 weeks
2009/2010/2011 Recording and creating for ADKOT
All of this to say, Edward did not have a lot of self-esteem. Greg Renoff's book documents this over and over. Ted Templeman, for all the bad press, was able to channel EVH and stay focused. EVH ultimately didn't like nor understand what Ted did. VHIII is THE example of a band without a leader. It's Raw, it's different, and as Blues said, is incohesive.
Y’all are being way too harsh on vhIII.
F.u.c.k is my favorite vh album
in reference to III, I remember reading an interview that coincided with the release and Ed seemed to be very happy with a newfound sobriety, being in therapy and having a new love.
all things mentioned during From Afar, by y’all.
I always joked that I was one of 11 who liked this record. I think it was all about the timing of hearing it, which is so important to the music we like. I’m in agreement with all the points you bring up about production and and meander and lack of focus, but I’ve listened to it so much I still like it.
I've been looking forward to the VHIII episode since I subscribed here. What a let down. Suddenly there is a 7 minute time limit to discuss each song? And you get two guys that don't like the album, didn't want to talk about it, haven't listened to it more than once in 24 years, and get them judge each song based on the intro? Every other episode has been excellent. WTF happened to make you give up on this project?
Hi Matt,
This album has always been a challenge for Van Halen fans. No matter how the album is approached there are some obstacles to overcome. The music is not as familiar to many fans and for that reason I decided to shift the parameters of the podcast to create a “first listen” type of experience rather than a deeper exploration. We did try to bring out the best hidden gems that resonated with us and we did explore theories behind the creative process but we wanted to keep the pace moving so that each song could have roughly the same amount of discussion time, hence the 7 minutes.
I’ve put a tremendous amount of effort and energy into this project because I’m a life long fan. I really do try to make every episode as good as I possible can so I see things from a different perspective than you.
Much like VHIII, the boundaries of the content style were pushed.
I would be curious to know more about some things you felt were missing. Maybe I’ll be able to do a follow up.
You should do a follow up! I think you should do it only do it with people that know the album (as challenging as that may seem to find an older VH "fan" willing to listen and not immediately s**t all over the first track because it starts with an acoustic guitar and piano). I think going for a "first listen experience" does not do any justice to it at all. None of the other episodes followed that format and this isn't American Idol right? This is supposed to be a celebration of Ed's legacy right?
I did enjoy hearing the origins of some the riffs. Ed did extensive interviews with Guitar World about the writing and the recording of almost every song. That "shaker" on "Dirty Water Dog" is actually Ed sweeping the floor and you hear Ed say "s**t" as the handle breaks off.
Maybe my expectation were too high but I figured you would be devoting the same amount of time and detail to each album to really explore the VH discography as a whole. But listening to that last episode I can totally see why Ed really lost the passion for releasing new music when his own friends and fans weren't even willing to really listen anymore.
Dweezil—
will the non-album tracks from Greatest Hits and Best of Both Worlds compilations be addressed at some point. Would love to hear your take on those tunes.
Hi Jared,
I do plan to explore those songs as well. Just working on guests at the moment.
Baluchitherium was always my favorite song off Balance. When I first heard it, I thought the riff always sounded like the riff from the song Eyes of Love by Trevor Rabin. Years later I remember reading in some guitar magazine an interview with Trevor Rabin where he mentioned that Eddie contacted him to make sure he was ok with the riff sound similar to his song. I wish I could find the article as I thought if I remember correctly, it either sounded like they were friends and Eddie asked before album was released or maybe he tried giving Trevor some credit or $ or something? Too long ago to remember the article exactly, but what I got from the interview was that Eddie was a pretty stand-up guy for the influence/ coincidence of that riff.
Really enjoyed the VH III album episode. It really is a difficult album to listen to and like you Dweezil, I go back every so often and try to talk myself into it! There are a few moments I like but overall I just can't get past the way Gary sounds so forced, like he's singing in the wrong key. I'm a fan of Extreme and I think Gary is a very talented singer, but I think Ed was running the show at that point and perhaps Gary didn't feel comfortable pushing back. A more involved producer may have helped. I do think they sounded good on the VH III tour though and it was nice to hear some of the older material after such a long time. When they played "Josephina" live acoustically it was much better than the album version.
I think Blues made a great point about how in retrospect Dave and Sammy both did an amazing job finding cool melody and lyric ideas around the riffs.
It is such a shame that Ed did the press and was so proud of the record, because when it bombed commercially it clearly affected him for a long time afterwards.
When you discuss ADKOT maybe you can discuss the 2 DLR tracks that they put out on the Best Of? I think they were both excellent tracks, even though (if what I've read is to be believed) it sounds like it was a bit of a chore getting the vocals recorded for those.
Dweezil,
Loved the VH III Episode. I am by no means a fan of the record, but I am a fan of what Ed tried to do. He did something different. I actually liked Neworld and Without You. Even on the first listen there was continuity. I liked that Neworld started off light, and turned dark and foreboding and I thought Without You kicked ass. I had high hopes, but soon found myself rummaging for nuggets. I actually liked his cleaner tone on the record and there were bits and pieces of songs and his playing that I thought were really good. On the whole it was a miss and it seems worse because collectively those guys never missed, let alone whiffed on anything. But to have it treated it like a crime or a joke had to hurt. I don't think it's a coincidence that his darkest period came after III.
For me the real disappointment is that I think by and large the failure and more importantly the response to III is the reason we went so many years without new music. Ed had a vision, took a risk and people threw rocks. Big rocks. If that is the response to taking a risk, why ever experiment or take a risk again? Bring Dave back, re-work some old songs, and jam with Wolf. End of story. If you're Al or Wolf why open up the vaults and let people hear what's in there? Honestly if I were Wolf I wouldn't let anyone near that stuff.
Anyway thank you for the episode. Loved the way it was done live, the quick turnaround was fantastic. Not sure how many more are left, but make it easy on yourself and do them in one take.
Be well,
Scott
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Great episode, I certainly share Andy’s love for this record and the right here, right now, live era. It was when I got into Van Halen. I share so many of his thoughts! The ‘glassy tone’ on don’t tell me that reminds him of Slash’s Use Your Illusion tone was a nice observation. Always loved that UYI ‘liquid’ wah-tone and I get what he’s saying. I’m happy he called out the solo to ‘Can’t stop loving you’, which has always been one of my favorites – completely out of character, indeed almost session player like. I was really surprised to hear Andy bringing up Extreme’s Play With Me…that’s always been the song I compare Big Fat Money to as well, together with ‘We didn’t start the fire’ by Billy Joel (I’ve even got those three programmed together on a playlist), much more so than the Led Zep one. I also share his view on the solo-record thing…’aren’t they all’? His take on the Aftershock/Enter Sandman comparison also hits home to me…I see quite a few people saying he ripped off that riff, but to me it never really sounded alike, probably for that ‘meandering, wobbly sitting in the pocket’ reason Andy gives. I also like the observation that the band had matured gracefully. They had pretty much reinvented themselves (again) at this point, and the fiery maturity during these few years was amazing (also just listen to those 2 new Roth tracks in '96...)
Anyhow, too many nuggets on this album to mention, and I really enjoyed the listen.
One question for Dweezil: you mention that parts of the Big Fat Money solo are patterns he uses elsewhere on the Wild Life soundtrack. I’d be curious to hear what parts you mean, since it doesn’t really sound pattern based to me, and it seems to fit the weird rhythm playing behind it very well. It’s another one of my favorite solo’s of his, again very atypical. If you’re doing a Wild Life episode, please link back to this observation!
Really enjoying the Balance Ep! The discussion of Big Fat Money is fun and there are so many references in that tune. The piano isn't the only connection to A Apolitical Blues, the first vocal line and overall feel are a pretty direct nod to Little Feat's Teenage Nervous Breakdown. 70s Little Feat rules and probably one of the swinging-est bands around. Wonder if all of VH were into them or if it was a Sammy thing?
Another excellent episode, Balance is still one of my favourite Van Hagar albums. I don't think Bruce would have contributed the arrangement ideas such as a Beatles part or Led Zep vibe though, I think that was just coming from Ed and Al, and Sammy too in his vocal delivery. I think Ed allowed his influences to come out more prominently at this time and then even more so on VH III, with nods to everything from the blues to Peter Gabriel. Apparently 'Strung Out' was taken from hours of a recording where Ed destroyed a rather expensive piano! I saw an interview around that time and Ed said that 'Baluchitherium' was supposed to be a vocal track, but Sammy couldn't come up with lyrics for it?
Great episode with Andy Wood. Dweezil, I can say VH III really did make me dive into Van Halen more. I had heard other albums for all the songs that made it to the pop charts, but that spring of 98 I was invested. Seeing the concert 3 times that summer with Gary was one of my favorites because the concert spanned all three eras. Loved Gary in the band. I think I was drawn to this album more because so many people just wrote it off. While it isn't my favorite album at the moment, it does circulate through my rotation frequently. I think I like the album more and more because of the hate for it. In my opinion, a true Edward Van Halen listens to that album and notes what he was trying to accomplish. Knowing what we know now about his bouts with depression and the vulnerability of his mind makes it all the more special to me because Gary was able to encourage him to sing. Encourage him to just play and let the sound be raw.
Love this series so much.
Chris
I agree, Chris! I loved the show with Gary. We got to hear more songs from all three eras. Your opinion on the album resonates with me. It may not be my favourite, but every now and then, I've got to listen for what they did accomplish.
I too saw Gary with VH on their 3 tour and really enjoyed it. But, it wasn't until I bought the VH 3 guitar tab book that made realize that Ed was a layering genius, especially on tunes like " From Afar " as well as " Fire In The Hole. " I believe that more people will come to enjoy VH 3 in time.
Well, while I think it was a good thing that Dweezil finally answers the many comments over here, his email brings nothing new, and I'm sorry but still isn't answering specifics questions like:
1) Fractal presets??
2) Reverse engineering brown sound episodes??
3) Futur episodes?? approx ETA??
This reminds me the techniques of politicians, when you ask a specific question, and their answer is so long, that you don't even remember what you asked, and you're left with your question unanswered...
Oh well, at this point, and as much as I love the content he released and the promise of all these wonderful things, this is not happening.
I give up :-)
Maybe in the next 2 years, I'll be surprised by a Newsletter announcing the above!! who knows!!
Hi Freak6767 -- To tide you over, do check out the most recent Fractal Factory Axe-Fx III/FM9/FM3 Presets "Eruption" and "The Brown Sound" until Dweezil can get to creating some for us (and that will survive the fast firmware updates of the past 6 months). I find theFactory presets still pretty good surrogates -- maybe a just dial the wet back a little for delay and reverb, and they are pretty killer and fun to play.
Big D. Thanks for the update. The "Running with the Dweezil" episodes have been great, and I am certain the remaining episodes will continue with the same content quality level - if not better.
If it was easy everyone would be doing it - even the complainers here (probably because their mom kicked them out of her basement).