Premier Guitar's review of ADKOT is shoddy

[rdodson]

I normally like Premier Guitar but this review is shoddy journalism:

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/I ... Truth.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Marshall SL12301]

The one thing i agree with is the statement about eddies recorded tone now vs when ted and donn were at the helm

[rdodson]

The guy is very knowledgeable. But the vast majority of VH album and ticket buyers, and rock fans in general, have never and will never hear the original demos. Furthermore, what made VH great was not them being some kind of fusion experimentalist band. EVH and Roth (and SH) wrote great pop tunes with hard rock arrangements and terrific musicianship.

The last bit about wishing for some kind of groundbreaking stuff with a different singer is the mark of a guy who needs to go back to listening to Phish. And there is nothing wrong with that; I love Holdsworth, Montgomery, EJ...but that ain't VH.

It is like asking Kelly Clarkson to do a classical/opera record. She could probably pull it off...but why?

[bman5150]

I don't know....I think the author makes a few decent points (ed sure is liking the wah; tone is pretty "processed") but he's way off as far as I'm concerned. The more I listen to the album the more I like it. And some of these songs are going to sound friggin kiler live. Outta Space and even the panned Tattoo will go over well in an arena setting.

[leadguy]

Kelly Clarkson with VH, might be worth seeing that.

[chrisom]

They should've got 3.95 picks. The revitalized VH is definitely just going to keep getting better and better as time goes on, foregoing anything unforeseen. The reviewer was clearly not willing to give them any leeway for being out of the game for so long, but except for some of the guitar tones, I think they made a pretty great showing. When Lance Armstrong came back he had to build up again to where he was previously. Eddie is definitely making the effort and I think he'll do fine getting there. They've all gotten their act together and I'll bet the next album smokes even hotter than this one.

Especially if Ed and the boys break out the old plexi Marshall, variac, & bring in Templeton, Rubin, Andy Johns & Donn Landee- Hey, I can dream, right?

[dirtycooter]

Especially if Ed and the boys break out the old plexi Marshall, variac, & bring in Templeton, Rubin, Andy Johns & Donn Landee- Hey, I can dream, right?

Thats how this record shoulda been done first IMHO but Ed has gear to sell-and thats what is in the way of that happening.
Probably forever...........

[MrBeasty]

The album will be #1or #2 in the charts this week ... and that guy can just go eat his hat!

[reggyboy1970]

Elephant in the room?

It isn't really VH without Michael Anthony's vocals and playing. Just saying.

While Eddy was a god back in his day - artistically his peak was 1984. You can argue he has made more money, better sales, etc, etc, but the bottom line for me, he hasn't been innovative since the last Roth Album back in 1984. Even blind freddy can see the booze has taken it's toll in recent years and to be fair Eddy ain't no spring chicken anymore. Mortality sucks huh?

So whatever this album does in the charts is irrelevant these days. Who looks at charts anyway?

The review pretty much sums up what I thought privately, from what I've heard so far. Just like the 80's the party is well and truly over - time to move on folks - what you're feeling now is called a hangover.

[vanhalen5150]

Just sounds like rock album to me. I think thats what they were trying to put out. What more would I expect from Ed? I think the "journalist" is still pissed he got his ass handed to him by a 9 year old girl at Guitar Hero VH.

[Star*Guitar]

These are way more accurate and fair.

http://social.entertainment.msn.com/mus ... 35d3972e8e" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://social.entertainment.msn.com/mus ... 5a931eb852" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[rdodson]

Those two are good.

You can't have it both ways. Either they go off in some experimental direction (see VHIII) or they do what they do best. Hard rock pop tunes.

The reasonable question regards Ed's tone and production. Both are now modern. Could they get modern production with an older Marshall sound? I think so, but besides Ripley er...Blood and Fire, they (Ed) chose not to. B&F is my favorite song of the record. I'm now hearing that the old Marshall was in the mix on the lead parts of Tattoo - and yes there is a midrange focus on those parts. I don't know for sure.

With the modern compressed and hairy sound of the 5153, Ed goes for the wah to replace the dynamic expression in the old Marshall tone. I don't like it as much, but I understand it.

[Star*Guitar]

My favorites are Outta Space, Beats Working, Get Frosty, Bullethead, China Town, Not in any order.

[SteadyEddie]

I haven't heard ANY of the new songs on classic rock radio yet...

[Rich_D]

The writer is an egghead. Wanting more than rock from a rock band is pretentious and academic. No one who loves Van Halen wanted Van Halen MachIV or Pink Floyd. Innovation is not what rocking is all about, it's about sitting in the grove and laying it down. Yes, Eddie innovated rock guitar; He can't draw on his own vocabulary to make a record? If the band hasn't earned the right to vamp themselves, then fuck off. The whole band shows incredible versatility on this record, from the melodic pop of You and Your Blues to the school locker head banger Bullethead, earned by decades of rocking. To criticize the inclusion of catalog songs that were never intended for release before now shows a basic misunderstanding of how a rock band creates songs. Critics, psssh. Go get laid.