Notable because he's always talking about "tapes".

Notable because he slams keyboards.

Also just a fun read.

http://www.vhlinks.com/pages/interviews/evh/gu072378.php

I enjoyed that...

I've been re-reading "Crazy From The Heat". Roth takes a few potshots at the Van Halens, but most of it is nuts and bolts stuff like the Eddie interview, just way more rambling. Oddly, much better the second time through. I think I got more of his groove now, the rap he has going. I can keep up with his rhythm. Dig that jive! Skoobalee oobalee!

I remember hearing a radio interview with David Lee Roth way back in the day - when Crazy from the Heat or Eat 'Em and Smile came out - and he was a hoot. At one point he said when writing lyrics, you can't be afraid to start saying gibberish.

Yeah he brought that up in the book. I got the basic principle, oft repeated, that vocals, lyrics and the music are way too tightly controlled "these days" (which at the time of that book was the late 90s). Hang loose! The first take is always the best! Etc, etc.

I can't forgive him for "A Little Ain't Enough", but I think he's pretty spot on for most of the narrative. Talking about visiting national parks and monuments after hours to soak up the spiritual energy without all the tourists killing the vibe. If you can avoid getting arrested, it's a damn fine idea.

I remember A Little Ain't Enough being more in the vein of Eat 'Em and Smile and less Skyscraper, but (1) that was a million and a half years ago and (b) I never really heard all of Skyscraper, just that atrocious single "Just Like Paradise." I'm kinda tempted to listen to it again, but I know it'll be bad, so I don't want to put any effort into actually finding the album.

I'm alright with "Eat Em And Smile". Steve Vai! And the cover of the album never fails to get a rise out of people when I pull it out.

Yay? Spotify has the entire David Lee Roth discography.

So I made it about halfway through the title track, tried ten seconds of the two following tracks, and am now getting ready to do the same on Skyscraper.

We ought to start a thread on bands that were just fucking useless when the founding members left.

Slams having a keyboard player actually. At that,point, he was only comfortable with a three piece alignment. What did blow me away was him saying they had a well of like 50 songs after the first album was done! It does make sense as the new album is apparently a bunch of unrecorded songs from the 70's, but goddamn. I always kind of felt like EVH was a genius figure in his time, which that statement may or may not confirm. How much good riffs and melodies were actually composed after 1978???

Yeah, it is surprising how average/lacklustre VH II is if they had such an overhang of songs. The Roth-albums with Vai still get a spin in my house one in a while. Stuff like "Just Like Paradise" is horrible, agreed, but songs like "Yankee Rose" or "Hot Dog And A Shake" are fun.

VH II was always my least favorite of the DLR era, but recently I went back to it and decided it was pretty good. nowhere near the first album though.

Heh, when he says that, I keep on thinking about that legendary fairly recent show (last few years or so), where the keyboard sample to "Jump" is being played back in some weird tuning, so the band is fucked to find an adequate tuning for it, and play through the song horribly out of tune. Then Dave is like, "fuck, i'll just ride the big mic, and hopefully no one will notice".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjx_GjyXCs4

Ha! I was thinking the same thing.

Great minds think alike, my man!

The funny thing about that version of "Jump", is that the crowd is cheering incessantly after it--could be the first encore or something. You wonder how many people realized how completely off the tuning was. I guess that Dave riding the big mic had, indeed, provided an adequate distraction.

Oh my god, if that video isn't enough reason to stay the hell away from re-union-tours I don't know what is.

that is amazing.
Roth sings it in key, or at least as well as he's ever been in key.

Here they are (present day) talking about how bad the record companies fucked them on their first deal. And even with a firm understanding of how reptilian record companies are, this is pretty fucking crazy:
http://vimeo.com/37045572

They had a two record a year deal!