Billboard Music Awards

[garbeaj]

That's the thing, he has lost some range but he could easily sing those parts in the right rhythm. Even if he talked his way through them, monotone. The pocket could be there. And should! He just seems intent on ruining all the phrasing. It's not appealing to me.

george

And I'd go a step further and say that he could sing at least as well as he did on the 2007-2008 tour (which was pretty damn good) if he worked hard with a vocal coach. But Dave doesn't seem to want to work hard at singing...and that sucks and the fans get cheated. If you listen to the 2007-2008 tour you can tell that he really worked hard at the phrasing and he worked very hard at singing things much closer to the recordings. He did a great job on that tour...too bad Eddie was having the problems with his right hand wrist at that time.

Eddie has played MARKEDLY better since the surgery (carpal tunnel I believe)...But now that Eddie is playing well, Dave has fallen off the discipline wagon again. Which is a commentary on how things never seem to go right for Van Halen.

[fivecoyote]

Watched it live on the tube and thought it was great...though when they cut to the audience it seemed like they didn't know what to do with the steak in front of them, they were expecting skittles...if you know what I mean. Ed's tone sounded cocked wah to me. Honestly feel like it would sound 50% better if he dialed back the gain, but that's my ears to my taste, and I'm for sure not even in the same universe as the mighty Ed. My kids loved it.

Dave doesn't bother me -- he's always been that way.

[chrisom]

I thought it would be a total trainwreck, so I was relieved that it was as good as it was. As for the DLR comments, go back and watch the Castle Donnington footage of them doing 'Hot For Teacher' in support of the 1984 album. Roth was doing the same thing clear back then. That's what I've said all along about his live work. But I'm still glad he's back for any potential new studio tracks...

[chrisom]

The Nicki Minaj comment seemed ill-advised and ill-received though, but that's Roth...

[rgorke]

The Nicki Minaj comment seemed ill-advised and ill-received though, but that's Roth...

Really, I loved that. Better than saying "Taylor Swift"...

[rgorke]

Ed's tone sounded cocked wah to me.

Really ??? I actually listened for the the nasal tone and didn't hear it. I really liked his tone.

Dave doesn't bother me -- he's always been that way.

Yeah, I have a dozen or more of early VH live boots and Dave's act is and has always been like this. Now we are able to dissect it ad nauseam because we have the instant video. Before we were all caught up in the concert and high or drunk or both and his antics were all part of a fantastic show. Now we are older, he is older and we are seeing it with different glasses.

[Bag302]

I went back and gave those Kimmel performances a good listen and I have to say, aside from Dave, the band is tight!

Ed has a little too much gain and still uses that horsie squeal waaay too much. But that's really being nit picky. His sound isn't bad and At least it's not over processed like 0u812 van Hagar.

Wolfie is really good on bass - no slight to Mike.

Ed and wolfs backing vocals are spot on.

Alex is immortal.

They are playing the classics pretty much how they were recorded. It's hard to ask for too much more.

[fivecoyote]

^ Word

[garbeaj]

Ed's tone sounded cocked wah to me.

Really ??? I actually listened for the the nasal tone and didn't hear it. I really liked his tone.

Dave doesn't bother me -- he's always been that way.

Yeah, I have a dozen or more of early VH live boots and Dave's act is and has always been like this. Now we are able to dissect it ad nauseam because we have the instant video. Before we were all caught up in the concert and high or drunk or both and his antics were all part of a fantastic show. Now we are older, he is older and we are seeing it with different glasses.

But the thing is he hasn't always been that way. He was 1000% better on the 2007-2008 reunion tour. Dave has NEVER sung worse than he is singing now. And he was actually able to pull off 90% of the vocals nearly the same as you hear them on the record from 1977 up until 1981 with a few bright spots in 1982 and 1984.

[Bag302]

Ed's tone sounded cocked wah to me.

Really ??? I actually listened for the the nasal tone and didn't hear it. I really liked his tone.

Dave doesn't bother me -- he's always been that way.

Yeah, I have a dozen or more of early VH live boots and Dave's act is and has always been like this. Now we are able to dissect it ad nauseam because we have the instant video. Before we were all caught up in the concert and high or drunk or both and his antics were all part of a fantastic show. Now we are older, he is older and we are seeing it with different glasses.

But the thing is he hasn't always been that way. He was 1000% better on the 2007-2008 reunion tour. Dave has NEVER sung worse than he is singing now. And he was actually able to pull off 90% of the vocals nearly the same as you hear them on the record from 1977 up until 1981 with a few bright spots in 1982 and 1984.

I agree with this. Dave was good on that 07-08 tour. I saw them in Tampa and was impressed that he pretty much stuck to the script. He didn't babble on too much (just a little), try to sing out of his range or forget lyrics. Ed's hand was really giving him trouble at that show though - I really just thought he was washed up, but they canceled the tour shortly after.

[garbeaj]

I agree with this. Dave was good on that 07-08 tour. I saw them in Tampa and was impressed that he pretty much stuck to the script. He didn't babble on too much (just a little), try to sing out of his range or forget lyrics. Ed's hand was really giving him trouble at that show though - I really just thought he was washed up, but they canceled the tour shortly after.

Correct...that carpal tunnel surgery he had really worked! He started playing the best he's played since 1986 when they went back out on tour, but unfortunately Dave's singing took a nose dive at the same time that Ed started to play well!

[wjamflan]

He started playing the best he's played since 1986 when they went back out on tour, but unfortunately Dave's singing took a nose dive at the same time that Ed started to play well!

Allen - I don't know if I'd go that far. Ed's never had the same fire and fluidity since his dad died in Dec. '86. The closest he's actually come to the old fire was in 1998 when he had something to prove. Since then his playing has been pretty spotty (IMHO). But I do agree he was consistently better in 2012 than 2007, although the May 2008 shows were at the 2012 level. And you're right about Dave's singing...

[dirtycooter]

I never heard Ed had carpal tunnel. I heard it was his tendon in his pinky was f'd up. And they did surgery on that.
Of course we will never know probably exactly what it was but his playing here is bad ass in my book.

[garbeaj]

My understanding was that it was carpal tunnel, but I might be incorrect. It was his right hand wrist motion that was messed up. He couldn't tremolo pick at all when I saw them in New Orleans in 2008 just a few shows before the tour was cancelled and then in 2013 he was pulling off the "Ice Cream Man" lick...while he was sitting down granted, but he hasn't played that anywhere close to fluidly since 1986.

[plexified]

Thanks Jimi for posting that I missed the program but that was one hell of a performance in my opinion. I thought they sounded great . If you were Wolfie , how proud would you be looking over at your Dad playing like that ? I actually am saddened at the criticism the whole band gets . I only hope I can play like that when I am in my 60's! I almost feel like this band got demonized in a way. They deserve praise and waive the critisisms please. Roth is eccentric because he is a hyper intellect . Does anyone know how smart that man is ? All he spends his time on is learning and becoming a better human. Ed himself has beat some major diseases and he still killed it on this performance. It was like such a natural outprouring I am still a bit stunned . Alex is a monster , still , and he is 60 plus . Almost unreal to me . Even the stones analogy is valid . Except Roth is so vibrant with life he can clearly not contain himself . I would just hope everyone could feel the joy they displayed. One day I hope to jam with my son and feel what they feel . That was a family , just rocking so hard and the love was just blooming . Sorry to think some missed that vibe . I saw Taylor Swift almost in tears embracing her friend in the audience feeling it. And Nikki Minaj got it. Anybody ask her about it . She surely was blessed with Daves reference. Dave lives for this stuff , full on , since day one. I admire the guy to no end. Vaudville was cool , and if Dave wants to channel it or house music and trance , I say do it . Dave if you need another musician , call me , I would be there in a heartbeat.