Maybe that's because 75% of the band are your family, Mr. Van Halen.

Or Van Halens, for that matter.

"I'm just a guitarist in a kick-ass rock and roll band"

Great phrase, and classy considering Eddie is an ass kicking/out of this world guitar player, Hendrix level to say the least. Roth has seen better days, but still, the album totally rocks. Zlozower's book about him is great BTW, full of great pictures, it's always in our coffee table.

i am actually shocked that there are THAT many indifferent people who are supporting this incarnation with money so that the guitarist is able to say words like "we are going to do this a long time".. hmm.. if it's THAT easy to impress people i should have learnd to play that frickin' drums. damn.

"and a son who doesn't smoke, drink or do drugs"

idiot

Isn't there another Van Halen to replace DLR? /sarcasm. Really, though, if you've ever learned anything from Metallica, stop with this family bullshit, now. Next thing you know, Alex will start sucking, you already replaced the bassist with someone that doesn't belong in the band, DLR is already acting like the retard that doesn't fit the style of music and you'll start having sing-a-longs for your trendiest song. FML.

The new record is amazing, and I'll say that this tour, even on it's worst night, still beats the hell out of that godawful Sammy Hagar era.

You would think that over all these years Alex or Eddie fathered a child somewhere that could sing these songs well. Then this would truly be a 100% family affair.

Oh well, must accept as is.

Then bring your "family" to the show you scheduled in Sacramento !

I'm for a couple hundred to visit with them......and I still don't know if and when you're coming....

Here's hoping that Ed's positive comments about the condition, as well as thetfuture of the band, STILL ring true--I'd definitely bet that this interview predates the cancellation of VH summer shows!

As if he's anonymous lol.

Sounds like it is time for the Van Halen's to open a theater in Branson, like the Osmonds.

nice that you are healthy and want to play in a band with your son but that does not excuse your treatment of your former bass player. to fire him in the press with no explanation and then act as if he was never part of the band's history is just petty. all because you don't like your former lead singer? oh wait he had the nerve to actually play music while you were busy being a meth head and sitting around doing nothing right? as for everyone getting along you are not kidding anyone,those of us who were around when you fired roth the first time remember what you said about him and it sure did not sound like somebody telling you what to say. and what about all those we are like brothers stuff you said about Sammy when he was in the band? no you are back with roth because you burned the Sammy bridge and the cherone version of the band was a flop. you had no choice and roth had no carreer without you so are putting up with each other. as for the tour after all these years you did not know tours were a grind? you would rather tour japan than give your fans here what you promised? the really sad thing is the music on this album is some of the best ever but the vocals are awful! lead and backing both just terrible. would have been thier best if somebody in the band could sing.

What is this bullshit about how MA found out on the internet that he had been fired? He was told in 2003 that they didn't want him in the band anymore. He signed away his rights, did one last tour and then left with Hagar.

You are on the mark 110%.

New CD is awesome as was the tour. Hope they do in fact keep going!

If only they could also play the songs of the Hagar on their concerts, that would be awesome.

By the way, Eddie, your son doesn't do drugs, but sure eats like a whale.

I read the entire article and the main problem in the band has always been Edward, yet he has never once taken responsibility and has always portrayed it as being someone else.

Part of the article that doesn't appear on the above thread:

"Looking back at their checkered past, Eddie reflects: “It wasn’t really us – it was people around us. When you’re doing drugs, drinking and partying you start believing the shit people tell you. Those days are gone. We’ve gotten rid of people who don’t belong here.”

Now explain to me what Michael Anthony ever said to Ed that warranted being fired from the band? I can take a guess...."Edward, this is MA, when are you going to get off your drunken crack headed ass and start making music? I've been waiting patiently for 10 years"...That might have been it.

Fuck Edward Van Halen. Roth is a hack beyond all recognition, and waiting 20 years for new music that is nothing more than re-hashed demos is a crock of crap. I do not support the current state of $cab Halen and that delusional addict will never see another penny from a once loyal fan.

"the main problem in the band has always been Edward"

Bullshit. DLR overestimated himself and left. Hagar was asked to leave because he became more interested in his new wife and his tequila than VH.

What's your explanation: that Eddie has a habit of being "the sweetest guy in the world" for 10 years, then he wakes up one morning and decides to get rid of the singer for no particular reason?

EVH, AVH and MA all said the same thing about DLR in the mid-80s.
EVH, AVH and MA all said the same thing about Hagar in the mid-90s.

Eddie had problems with drugs and was spiraling down hill. His marriage collasped because of his abuse. He was a mess. You don't remember those awful pictures of him with the rotten teeth and looking like he was 80 years old. I'm glad he cleaned himself up and is playing at this level again. He was a mess on the last tour with Hagar and the few years previous and after the tour with Hagar.

The new CD has excellent guitar work. The vocals are weak. Even covered up in the studio they are weak. Roth in concert is hit or miss within the same concert. He is awful at times. Way off key and tone. The same with the back up vocals. Nothing against Wolfgang his back up vocals are weak.

No one being fair whether you love Van Halen 1 or not can fairly say they vocals are not weak. Guitar work great in concert and on the CD, vocals second rate.

I saw them last week and Roth's voice was fucking toast. The band itself was great but I sang more of the lyrics than Roth did that night. I hope they learned their lesson and don't try and pull off a 6 month tour next time because they will never be able to pull it off with Roth on vocals.

"I'm just a guitarist in a kick-ass rock and roll band. What more could I ask for?""

um,.................. MICHAEL ANTHONY!!!!

I guess it's cheaper having your son handle bass duties, (cue the classic background vocals on tape!) and not have to pay him and send him to his room if he complains!

MA - long gone - with his hair.

Not the Hagar backing tapes claim again?

WVH is a good singer. He sings VH songs from start to finish during sound checks (leaked online) as Roth doesn't do sound checks.

It's evident there are no back up tapes of Anthony. The back up vocals are terrible unless your on drugs yourself.

Why is Wolfgang the exact double of Alex?
hmmmm...just wondering?

As much as I want to bitch about this, and still adamant that MA is irreplaceable--live, most of all--I just pray for another album that compares in quality and intensity to Truth.

CD is good nostalgia with great guitar work that makes the CD. By no way their best work just by virtue of the vocals and some pretty lame lyrics.

of for fcks sake lets give it a rest with the same old ma bs. the guy made millions because of edward van halen & david lee roth. it's not the other way around. i've said it before & i'll say it again, NOBODY EVER went to VH show to see ma. if that was the case, chickenfoot would be playing arena's instead of theaters. Eddie is VH. case closed.

but whats missing without ma?
bv - eh, listen to live bootlegs & you honestly tell me if they were that great. half the time he was just screaming.
his bass playing/solo - nope. wolfie does a fine job and now we don't have to suffer through a boring ass solo.
his songwriting - nope. he didn't write anything. eddie was kind to give him credits.

i liked mike & think he's probably a pretty cool guy to hang with but i will not miss him one bit. i know if i were Eddie i'd want to play in a band with my brother & son. the onlt bad thing i saw was when they tried to omit him from the covers on their website. other than that ma made a great living off of vh.