Speaker 1: Hey everybody, welcome back to the Shirrele You Can't Be
Serious Podcast. This week, d we are part three Van
Halen versus van Agar. This is when Sammy enters the scene.
Speaker 2: Did you see her brot today?
Speaker 3: I know?
Speaker 2: I love That is my Van Halen one tape. This
is a different band than the band that started in
nineteen eighty five.
Speaker 1: Okay, now that is true. However, the real break maybe
started before nineteen eighty four.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we talk about it in detail. So join us
now four Part three of the history of Van Amma,
Switch Drinks Armada.
Speaker 4: That's great.
Speaker 1: It's the best of both worlds.
Speaker 4: Hello everybody, and welcome to the Surely Can't Be Serious
Podcast with your co hosts James Graves and Jason Colban.
Speaker 3: No, sir, man, I don't like that crap.
Speaker 2: I'm a rocker dude, through and through. Here's my favorite bands,
AC DC, Van Halen, not Van Hagar.
Speaker 1: Sammy officially joins the band end nineteen eighty five, and.
Speaker 2: He's the perfect perfect guy to come on.
Speaker 5: To dy and go to heaven, hang around to reborn again.
Speaker 2: Yeah. So you've got a good hearted guy, successful in
his field, better voice, great stage presidence. It seems like
the perfect replacement for Dave.
Speaker 1: So they get together and because Sammy is a better musician,
better writer, they start working and they come up with
a song called why Can't This Be Love?
Speaker 6: Again?
Speaker 3: Inside tell me why, because I'll never have an.
Speaker 1: It's got what that taste, so I'll tell me.
Speaker 2: And of course why Can't This Be Love has a
song lyric in it which it's been made fun of
a little bit, the Only time will tell if we
stand the test of time. In two thousand and eight,
the Telegraph named this the eighth worst lyric of all time.
Speaker 1: Only time will tell if we stand the test of time.
Speaker 6: Yeah, that's simple wisdom right there.
Speaker 2: Yes, why can't This Be Love? Is what Sammy Hagar is.
And you look at how many times love shows up
in the title of his songs, And where did love
appear for David Lee roth An? You talk about that time?
Speaker 6: Yeah, Hey, nobody got time for it.
Speaker 2: It is the physical, sexual prowess versus the meaningful beautiful
that's appealing to me. They're just two different bands.
Speaker 1: They are too, They're completely different bands, I mean totally different.
Speaker 2: And I don't want the van Halen that plays love songs.
Speaker 1: Okay, well, that's fine, but let's not pretend like there's
no Sammy Hagar fans. This album went to number one,
their first album to hit number one.
Speaker 2: Right, so was the What was the name of the
first album that they released?
Speaker 1: The first album they released is fifty one to fifty
once again after the code name for the Criminally Insane
album went platinum in one week. Wow, the fastest selling
million selling.
Speaker 6: Album of all time for Warner Brothers.
Speaker 1: Right, and you get songs like good Enough, which is
a good song you may recognize from the movie Spaceballs.
Speaker 2: Oh the Cleavage Special.
Speaker 1: And as one music critics said about this album, Eddie
can still split the atom with his acts.
Speaker 6: I love that quote.
Speaker 2: He doesn't quit playing the guitar.
Speaker 1: Here's what I can't understand, even the hardest davidly Roth fan,
I don't understand how you can listen to the song
Dreams or Love Walks In or why can't this be
love and say I love David. Those are great songs,
and they are great songs.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they are great songs. Love walks In reach number
twenty two, Dreams reached number twenty two Best of Both Worlds.
Speaker 1: That's solid too, That's a great song.
Speaker 2: It is a great, great song. And then, as you said,
why can't this be love? All of those songs are
great songs that are just different.
Speaker 1: They're different so at this time, and I'm the first
to admit that I'm a very nostalgic person, and so
nostalgic makes it difficult for me to discern whether it's
really great or I'm just nostalgic about it. This song
came out in nineteen eighty six. I'm thirteen years old.
That's when my musical tastes are forged, you know, And
most people would agree with that, right, So love walks
in when I hear that song. That song reminds me
of the mysteries of the broad Clasp and who am
I going to ask to the dance? And this girl?
Speaker 6: Does she like me or not? So it has deeper
meaning than just cool keyboards, right.
Speaker 2: Sure, I see how it's defining the stage you're in.
Speaker 1: Actually, the part in the song that gives me the
most is the guitar solo, and it actually like the
guitar actually sings.
Speaker 6: It blows me away every time I listen to it.
It's awesome. I love it. It's beautiful.
Speaker 2: You can't I mean say what you will about van
Hagar versus van Halen. There's just no denying that anything
that Eddie's doing is beautiful. Eighty six I was ten,
turn eleven. I wasn't touching any bras not Joey.
Speaker 5: Hey, how you doing it?
Speaker 6: Okay, Jason? It is Christmas time.
Speaker 2: It is Christmas time, and there are some folks out
there looking for the perfect package under their tree.
Speaker 1: Yes, but what they should be doing is trimming their tree,
trimming their baggage.
Speaker 6: Yes.
Speaker 2: Well, guys, here's the deal. If you've got a present,
it looks a lot bigger when your tree is properly trimmed.
Speaker 1: Hey, missus, Klaus will appreciate you keeping your tree trimmed.
Speaker 2: Yes, this holiday season, be sure and get yourself or
your loved one a manscaped product. It cleans you up,
it makes you smell good. It is totally worth it,
and it is the perfect holiday package to get.
Speaker 4: That's right.
Speaker 1: All you gotta do is go to manscape dot com
and put in the code serious twenty to get twenty
percent off.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's better than milk and cookies.
Speaker 1: Whack it, wack it. Do you know that the fifty
fifty has no music?
Speaker 2: Videos at all. Wow, zero music videos.
Speaker 1: Now you can say, well Dreams had one, but all
it is is videos of the Blue Angels, which is cool, right,
but there's none o the band right now. They did
pluck a best of both worlds that got some rotations
out of their live show, but there were no produced,
no paid for, no music videos for MTV right, and
for it to do that well without music video during
this time, it's seems crazy. Fifty one to fifty is
my personal favorite.
Speaker 2: Vanhla OUTM right is one of three great ones.
Speaker 4: All right.
Speaker 1: So that came out in eighty six, they tour in
eighty seven, they go back to the studio in eighty
eight and they come up with.
Speaker 6: Oh you eight one two.
Speaker 1: Before it was named OU eight one two. The working
title was called Bone. I'm really sure why they did that,
But Alex van Halen is one like, no, that's that title.
Speaker 2: Sucks rightly, and I agree with him.
Speaker 6: So o ya one two.
Speaker 1: Sammy actually the one who came up with this album. Now,
there's a lot of sort of urban legends about how
they came up with this name. He says that he
picked eight one two after seeing it on a delivery truck.
But rumors persist to this day that it is a
direct reference to Davide Roth's album Right.
Speaker 2: Dave has a rather famous interview where he's ranting a
into them and sets that as the threat.
Speaker 7: Well, I stay quiet for six months, seven months, and
I'm just reading diatribe after harang, after this, after that,
you know, again and again and again, and I still
believe there's no one. It's not necessary to make a comparison.
I don't think you have to make a choice. But
being Hanglin demands it. You have to either love us
and hate him or vice versa. They demand it, they demanded, Well,
I'll rise to the challenge. If we have to have
a comparison, then find I eat you for breakfast, pale.
Speaker 2: You and smile, eat him and smile. Had had Yankee
Rose Yankee Rose, which is a great one and.
Speaker 6: Going crazy, Yeah.
Speaker 1: Dave the Yankee Rose video. It cracks me up when
he comes in and.
Speaker 7: Give me a bottle of anything and I clays Donnut.
Speaker 1: So the singles that you have if E eight one two.
The first one is black and Blue?
Speaker 7: Right?
Speaker 2: Which do you like that one a lot? Right?
Speaker 1: This is my favorite Sammy song, favorite the way the
guitars kind of slink in and it's got that.
Speaker 2: Okay, So I'm gonna put you on the spot here
and we can keep going on Black and Blue. But
you said my favorite Sammy song? So is your favorite
van Halen song from the Wroth years and from the
Hagar years? A Hagar song or a Wroth song?
Speaker 1: Why don't I'll tell you what at the end, I'll
tell you. Okay, I'll give you a list of my
top Dave songs and my top Sami songs, and.
Speaker 2: We'll and pick number one overall, number one overall. Okay,
all right, all right, very good, Okay, I'm at the
edge of my seat. Now good. We'll stay tuned, all right.
So Black and Blue reached number thirty four on the
Hot one hundred list. Yep, tell me what you love
about it?
Speaker 1: So, once again, like drop Dead Legs, black and Blue
is a stripper song.
Speaker 2: What you love about?
Speaker 6: When I was fifteen, I thought this was the greatest
thing ever.
Speaker 1: Just the way the guitar comes in, and it's clearly
this song is about I know we're trying to keep
this family friendly, but this song is about.
Speaker 2: Sex absolutely, so as many of their songs are.
Speaker 1: I mean it's very subtle when they say, let's do
it till we're black and Blue.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 1: This is a top down, turn it up, cruising the
streets type of song. But the song that comes out
after Black and Blue, they have a video with it
and it's called When It's Left. When It's Love is
the first video that actually comes out where you see
the SAMI version of the band together and in a
produced video, and it blasted its way to the top
of the charts. And this is one of those songs
like Black and Blue, like Love Walks In, like Jump
for that matter, I don't need to listen to the
song the first three seconds that it plays.
Speaker 6: I know I like it already.
Speaker 1: I mean it just it's easy on the ears. It's
a very very radio friendly song.
Speaker 4: That song is.
Speaker 2: Obviously what we I mean, what we would call a
power ballad. Yeah, in the vein of Free Bird by
Leonard Skinnyard Stoid to Heaven or You've Got This, you
know we got rock. But it's that slow, smooth introduction
and it picks up. They all pick up dream On,
it picks up. I think for our age, probably the
the epitome of the rock ballad is when every Rose
has its thorn.
Speaker 1: We ought to argue this because I'd say Home Sweet
Home by Motley Crue.
Speaker 2: But also is this Love by White Snake, which is
every time I hear the title list, I'm like, oh, yeah,
is this love? Wait a minute, which song is this?
Speaker 1: I can't remember what something that says Okay, both came
up about the same time.
Speaker 2: Actually, yeah, what.
Speaker 6: Then you end up with.
Speaker 1: Finished, which you started, which is kind of a fun,
little acoustic the type of thing and just kind of twingy.
Speaker 2: Kind of And so the story on this one is
that Eddie was up late, had this song that he
was playing. Do you know this? Okay? And so he
you know, he and Sammy your neighbors at this point,
so he just goes and wakes him up, knocks on
the door.
Speaker 6: He goes, bangs on the door.
Speaker 2: Yeah, He's like, okay, I got this and I just
need you to help me. And they sit out on
the porch. I just how awesome would that be for
Eddie devan Halen to show up and knock on your
door and you guys just go out and two o'clock
in the morning and play until you figure this song out.
Speaker 6: I think that's great and did you hear the yes?
Speaker 2: So he leaves. Eddie leaves, and his version.
Speaker 1: Of the story is he and his wife were in bed,
it's late, He's trying to put the moves on her.
They're getting busy, and Eddie van Halens banging on his door.
So so he's, you know, throw on a roadbro quick
and un what do you watch? I got an idea
for a song. We got to finish it, you know,
so come out here with me. So he reluctantly goes outside,
but the song then becomes name Finish what you started?
Speaker 6: Rights not okay?
Speaker 1: So oh eight one two was a number one hit
hit number one, May twenty fourth, nineteen eighty eight. People
don't know this, you know, Samy's kind of trashed and
kind of the uncool option of van Halen or whatever.
Speaker 6: But fifty one fifty oh U eight one two.
Speaker 1: Four on lawful cardinal knowledge and balance all four number.
Speaker 2: One absolutely can't argue against that.
Speaker 6: I don't know what you're judging.
Speaker 1: That's a pretty good way of telling what's popular.
Speaker 2: Well maybe, I mean no, yeah, you're right, it's it's
a good way of telling what's popular. But what's popular
doesn't necessarily mean what's better.
Speaker 1: That's true, because Bad is better than Thriller. We saw
that last week.
Speaker 2: Well, I mean that kind of goes against your argument
because Bad had more number one hits, and I still think,
I still think that Thriller is better. But the idea
of bad and good is subjective.
Speaker 3: It is.
Speaker 1: So after finish what you started, you have Kababbo, which
is a great song, which pops up again later on
when Sammy opens a club down in Cova Saint Lucas
and he calls it Caba Wobbo love.
Speaker 6: That song.
Speaker 2: Becomes a tequila.
Speaker 6: It does come in tequila.
Speaker 2: Actually, when we did this, I looked at that tequila.
It is a high christ tequila. Comparatively speaking, it's it's
really so it must be pretty good. I don't know
that I've ever had it, Okay, I know that you
have it.
Speaker 4: I have not.
Speaker 1: And then you have Feels So Good, which had a
video with it. Really cool song again, it's the softer
van Halen but still really good. Sure, and then they
close out with Mine All Mine, kind of a throwaway track,
but so that ends nineteen eighty eight, that stretches into
nineteen eighty nine, and then in June of nineteen ninety one,
they come out with the The F Word album.
Speaker 2: Right, So that's what you know. That's what Sammy wanted
to call the album was f right.
Speaker 1: I mean the word, not the letter, that's right, the
F dash dash dash word, right.
Speaker 2: Only I didn't say fudge. I said the word, the
big one, the queen mother of dirty words.
Speaker 4: The F dash dash dash word. What did you say?
Speaker 2: That's what I thought you, Yes, But I didn't say fudge,
that's right. So he wanted to actually call the album.
Speaker 7: The F word.
Speaker 1: So Sammy's working out with Ray Boomom and Sini. Sammy
is a bit of a boxer. His dad was a
actually well known professional boxer, Bobby Hagar.
Speaker 2: All right, yep.
Speaker 1: So Sammy's boxing with Ray Boomom Man Sini right, who
you will remember. And Ray says, what are you working
on me? So I got this new album and he's said, great,
what are you going to call it? And he said, well,
I want I want.
Speaker 2: To call it f right, but they're not going for that.
Speaker 6: But they won't let me because we can't sell that
at Walmart.
Speaker 2: Right. They had proposed naming it that, but then like
putting it in a round bat and that's right.
Speaker 1: They talked about that, and so Ray says, oh, for
unlawful carnal knowledge. And he says, what are you talking about?
And he's like, well, that's what it. Back in the
old days. If a guy was caught with your wife
and they wanted to make an example of him, they'd
put him out in the town square and they'd lock
him up with his hands in his feet and his
head sort of threw that wooden thing you've seen it.
They'd write over the top, they'd write your charge and
instead of writing foreign lawful cardinal knowledge, they would just
write F dot U, dot C dot K, and that's
what your charge was. And so Samy's like, man, that's great,
that's great. And he took it back to the band
and they loved it and didn't have to keep it
from being sold in Walmart. So off that album you
have could write out of the gate you have pound Cake.
Speaker 2: That one is like old school Van Halen. Pound Cake
is the hard rock that that I wanted them to
be all along. It is strong that first that yeah,
he's playing he's playing.
Speaker 1: The guitar with a drill, with a power drill, and
it's killer again.
Speaker 6: Eddie making up sounds for us. Uh and so yeah, yeah,
all right.
Speaker 2: In that particular song, Sammy is really using his hard
rock voice. He's not using his love song voice. Is
using that wretchy rocky gravelly.
Speaker 6: No doubt love it.
Speaker 1: When they recorded that song at the very end, he's
really bringing it, he says. And he said the producer
showed his arm and it had his the hair was
standing up on his arm.
Speaker 2: Oh nice.
Speaker 1: And they were like, that's it.
Speaker 6: That's our take. Yep, that's done.
Speaker 2: And so what ultimately they did when they would perform
it in concert, Eddie took a cordless drill and then
painted it like the Frankenstrat guitar and had the red
with the white and black stripes on it.
Speaker 1: And then the next song comes out is Top of
the World. Okay, Top of the World did very well,
more definitely more pop. This is a tidbit on Top
of the World that I thought was interesting. When they
play their live shows, the beginning guitar of Top of
the World is actually the outro of John, So when
they play it live, they usually roll jump right into
Top the World. When they play it live on this tour,
on this particular tour, they would play jump and it
would go right into top of.
Speaker 2: The world right well that you know, so many of
the songs throughout the time with both David and with
Sammy would be songs that they had been working on
for years and just hadn't found the right mix for.
So I can totally see how there is an tension
with a song that came out seven years earlier and
probably was developed a decade before that. Finally they found
the right spot, the right sound, the right music, which
also is true for right Now. The story is that
Eddie had been playing it for a while and Sammy,
I think they're not even in the same room, like
they were different rooms. But Sammy's working on one song,
working on the lyrics and working on the tune, and
Eddie's playing in another room and he overhears Eddie and
he comes in. He's like, play that again, and he's like,
I think we're working on the same song. Like the
chord progression that he had done was so similar, and
the melody that he had come up with, and this is,
you know, right now is one that Sammy holds in
the highest regard as far as lyrics are concerned. He
had been taking a break and was on the beach
and was kind of obsessing about various things and then
just kind of realized, Hey, you know why I'm obsessing
about all these things when I'm here on the beach,
I should be right here right now. And that was
his inspiration for all of the lyrics to the song.
And so, you know, the video for this song was
it may have been their biggest hit as far as
video awards go. They won the Video of the Year
for it. And if you don't remember the video, it's
one where the song is playing, but as you as
a song playing, there's occasional images of the band intermixed
with other kind of intense scenes, and there's texts that
appears and says, right now this is happening, or right now,
this is happening. Right now, Eddie's hands are really busy,
and you know, and Sammy was adamantly opposed to this idea.
He was like this, people are going to be reading
and this honestly, this occurred with me, like I was
frustrated because I'm like, I'm trying to read the words
and I almost trying to listen to the music, and
I feel like I'm missing out on both things. But
it was. It was a huge success for them, and
Sammy's adamantly posed against against against, and they're basically forcing
him into it. He goes and disappears for like a week,
you know, just in frustration, a little bit of a
tantrum there, and then comes back. And when he comes
back they're shooting the video. He's actually sick. He's like
running a fever and got pneumonia. Is still angry about it,
and so there's a scene towards the end where like
you see him stop singing, even though the you know,
obviously the song continues, but he just like crosses his
arms and quits. He said that was really like he
was angry and just like scriwt, I'm not singing anymore.
I don't like this the way that's going. I'm just
gonna quit singing. And it ended up in the video
and it's kind of actually cool.
Speaker 6: Let need to look at that. I haven't seen that
as well.
Speaker 1: One of the things that stands out of my I mean,
this is one of my favorite videos too, but I
think there's one line and it's like, right now, your
memory is getting longer while your life is getting shorter,
yiche and I remember thinking that's pretty poignant, you know.
Speaker 6: Yeah, all right, we're done talking about for an Elephant colon.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 6: Not one of my favorite Sammy albums, right.
Speaker 2: Two great songs, but not much else to speak of,
right as far as I'm concerned, Right, all right.
Speaker 1: So that was in ninety one. They tour in ninety
two into ninety three, and then in January of ninety five,
the album Balance comes out, right, it reaches number one.
People are excited to have it, but this was released.
I mean, they're starting to.
Speaker 2: Fight, well, and you know, it's kind of funny. I
think in both scenarios, just before the end, Dave doesn't
appreciate that the end is about to come, and Sammy
had I think he was literally caught off guard. You
can expect some troubles. It's sad to listen to some
of the interviews he goes where he's like, I mean,
I don't foresee us ever breaking up. We just get
along so well, it's just not even and then you know,
of course things fall apart. Everybody's gonna pick sides on
this deal. But I don't think there's any question that
Eddie was going through some serious issues at this point
in and out of rehab, lost a ton of weight,
you know, And what are you going to do if
you're Alex. You can't do something. You can't abandon your brother.
So he's going to stand by him at this point
and back his play. But I think it was very
obvious that it was not the same Eddie as when
they had gotten together.
Speaker 1: Eddie was newly subberb starting October second of ninety four.
But still, that's that's a fight, that's an everyday struggle.
Speaker 2: So on balance, the only song worth mentioning to me
is Can't Stop Loving Him?
Speaker 1: Can't Stop Loving You? Really to Me is their only
radio friendly hit. And then in nineteen ninety seven they
break up. It's done, it's over.
Speaker 2: Yeah, samy eras Samira is finished. He is he and
his wife are expecting a child. He's they've got a
natural delivery set. Eddie calls him and says, you need
to come back here and do some recording. He's like, hey,
we're you know, we're about to have a baby. Let
me just take care of this and then I'll be back.
And he's like, you know what, you started off as
a solo artist. Maybe you should just be a solo artist,
and that's the end.
Speaker 1: They're working on the song called Humans being in the
Twister Sounturn. Then they're secretly talking to Dave right about
recording these new songs yep. And then when Sammy finds
out about that, he's really miffed and so then of
course later on we see them at the Video Music
Awards at MTV.
Speaker 2: Oh my gosh. I can still remember seeing that and
just being like, oh, what if it could happen. Oh,
I'm so excited. It was exciting, and then I also thought, oh,
they're all so high. They're so high.
Speaker 5: Right now, I think we're here to present Best Neil
Video of the Year award. Okay, oh dad, no, no no,
Instead of the best award thing, it's we have to
make an announcement, just we have to address this subject here.
This is the first time that we've actually stood on
stage together and over a decade into it.
Speaker 1: And that lasts about ten minutes before Eddie gets really
really mad at him. That happened in ninety six, and
then in March of ninety eight.
Speaker 6: We get Van Allen three yep.
Speaker 2: Crickets.
Speaker 1: That's all I have to say about it.
Speaker 2: That's exactly what I was thinking I have to say
about that? All right, Now, this is the moment I've
been waiting for.
Speaker 6: Let's talk about it, all right.
Speaker 1: So you're gonna give me a list of your top
Dave songs, and I'm gonna give you a list of
my top same songs, and we'll see where we're at.
Speaker 4: Can you do that?
Speaker 2: How long can my list be? Okay, it's it's really
really hard. It's really hard.
Speaker 6: Okay, I don't I really don't think it's that hard.
Speaker 2: Well that's yeah, okay, good, good, Okay. So Panama Hot
for Teacher?
Speaker 6: Is this an order?
Speaker 1: No?
Speaker 2: I can't do that. That's too hard, all right, Okay,
So I'm just gonna go so Panama, which maybe I
really do love Panama. Maybe that's my number one. I'm
not sure. Panama Hot for Teacher, Running with the Devil.
I feel like I should be able to combine eruption
with you really got Me because they always come together.
So I'm going to do that. So ain't talking about love?
And then like an eight way tie between for other songs,
I'll wait is great, drop Dead Legs is great, and
ice Cream Man is fun. I think that's probably right
there at the at the ten Mark. If it's not,
I'll throw on beautiful Girls and heel your left to night.
Speaker 1: All right, don't that list sucks? Okay, here you want
to give me, I'll give you my my ten days songs. Right,
and I'm a sameing guy, but I'm a dave guy too.
But here we go in order.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Number ten Pretty Woman, cool cover Catchy shows up in
the movie Weird Science.
Speaker 2: Some versions, some versions, that's right.
Speaker 1: Number nine, their first single, you Really Got Me? Number eight,
drop dead Legs, great stripper song, number seven, Dance the
Night Away, Cool, radio friendly, love It, number six, Running
with the Devil, Number five, Hot for Teacher.
Speaker 6: Can't argue with that.
Speaker 1: No. Number four Panama Okay two off nineteen eighty four,
Right there in a row. Number three, ain't talking about love?
Number two unchained. Oh wow, it's an unbelievable song.
Speaker 2: Wow. Yeah, I'm actually surprised that you put that that.
You put that at number two.
Speaker 6: It's so good that guitar, Oh my gosh, it's so good.
Speaker 1: And then finally, there is no there is no other
song that can be.
Speaker 2: Number one is Jump Now.
Speaker 6: It's absolutely jumped.
Speaker 2: I love to Jump when it came out, but it's
no longer in my top ten anymore. I'm not going
to turn it off if it comes on. I think
it's worthy of the stuff that they did with it
with Ready Player one, but it is just not my favorite.
Speaker 6: All right, you ready for my Samul list?
Speaker 4: Yep?
Speaker 6: All right, here we go.
Speaker 1: Number ten, Best of both worlds? Number nine, Kabo Wabbo,
number eight, can't stop Loving You? Number seven, Why can't
this be love? Only time will tell if we stand
the test of time. Number six, the power Drill, pound Cake,
number five, Love walks in, number four when it's love,
number three right now, number two dreams, and number one
it's black and blue.
Speaker 2: Okay, this will be easier for me because I don't
even have ten that I would put on a list
for van Hagar.
Speaker 6: All right, well let's see it.
Speaker 2: Okay, So best of both worlds, in no particular order,
Best of both worlds, pound cake, when it's love, dreams,
why can't this be love? And right now? And then
I probably would throw and finish what you started. I
like that one. I like finish what you started.
Speaker 1: And if I had to break the tie between Sammy
and Dave on the number one is Jump.
Speaker 2: You're still picking Jump it's jump.
Speaker 6: It absolutely is jump. I could listen to that song
a million times and still love it.
Speaker 2: Okay, guys, it's not time. It's time for final judgment.
It's time for to taking gloves off and saying, you know,
we're no more mister nice guy. Let's let's really start
talking about this. You know, Jason, you've you've taken the
position that Van Hagar is better than Van Halen. Now,
there are obviously a lot of people who enjoyed Van
Hagar because they had tons of success, they sold all
kinds of albums. But I've never heard someone say better
than Van Halen. So tell me, you know, what's your
what are your thoughts?
Speaker 1: Okay, well, so here here's my thing.
Speaker 2: All right.
Speaker 1: I like Van Halen with Dave.
Speaker 6: Okay, I'm a fan.
Speaker 1: But once again, I jumped in in nineteen eighty four.
So I wasn't married to Dave, right, So I jumped
in at the new sound of Van Halen. Okay, So
I wasn't you know, I wasn't blown away by the
guitars and stuff that people when they jumped.
Speaker 6: In earlier were, And so it just has to do
with my age.
Speaker 1: But nineteen eighty four is where I jumped in. I
love the synthesizer, I love the guitar mix of the melody,
and just those great, great songs from nineteen eighty four,
and so that transitioned me right into fifty one fifty,
which is my favorite one of all time. But I
think overall, I think there's a general sentiment out there
that Sammy has a better voice, has more vocal range,
has more musical ability. Right now, I'm willing to concede
Dave is one of the top front men for any
band of all time.
Speaker 6: I'm gonna talk out of both sides of my mouth
here on.
Speaker 1: Yeah, sure, yeah, so Dave maybe the best front man
of all time.
Speaker 2: I mean, we're in a situation again like we were
with Bad versus Thriller, where you love Thriller, you just
love Bad Mold.
Speaker 6: That's right, that's right.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 1: As far as stage personality, and we already talked about
the splits and the kicks and the jumps in the backflips, same,
you can't do any of that stuff right, But he
adds an element of musicians that I think improves their
music overall.
Speaker 2: So I didn't you know, I didn't write this down,
but this is this is the thought that's occurring to
me right now. Whenever Sammy Hagar came on the scene,
I was like, Yes, I even said it earlier in
the episode. This is the perfect choice. He has guitar
abilities that Dave didn't have, He's got a better singing voice.
He's a hard rocker. I mean, you've got you know,
I can't drive fifty five all of his songs with
Montrose and his solo album, his solo career before that,
And I'm super excited. But you know what else, I
was really excited for the next episode of Star Wars,
the Rise of Skywalker. I was giddy, and I'm walking
in and i got my Darth Vader shirt on, and
I'm dressed in black, and I'm geeked out. And I
sat there and I was just like, Okay, well, this
is not okay. This is what I thought it was
gonna be. But that's all right. I'm gonna give it
full open mind. And I kept trying to love it,
and I kept trying to love it, and where there's
maybe a brief honeymoon period in the first five to
ten minutes of the movie, after a while, I was
just going I can't love this.
Speaker 1: I think you're way off base again, way off base.
Speaker 2: I had the honeymoon period with Van Hagar I did,
I was. I liked their live album and they had
in their transitional phase. They still sounded a lot like
the original van Halen. They still had all of those
kicks going and Sammy was still rocking. But the honeymoon
eventually wore off for me, and I just didn't feel
like I felt like I had a bait and switch
where it was, here's this awesome thing that you're getting,
and now we're going to overproduce it. We're going to
overdo it, and it's not the same anymore. It's no
longer van Halen. With the movie man, the production value
was incredible. I can't imagine the mouth they spent on it.
But it's not Star Wars. Star Wars is dirty, and
Van Halen should be dirty too. I want the dirt
and the grime. The van Halen of David Lee Roth Time.
Speaker 1: Was dirty and nasty and gritty and sex.
Speaker 5: Yes it was.
Speaker 2: It was what it was, and the van Halen of
Sammy Hagar Time is gradually more touchy, more feely, more emotional,
more lovey, dovey, and.
Speaker 6: I'm not going for.
Speaker 1: All right, all right, well let's let's take a step back. Okay,
because this podcast really is a debate about who's better
Dave or Sammy.
Speaker 6: But let me pose this question to you.
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, If I said, do you like the new
version of Van Halen, it's like the cutoff between diver
Down in nineteen eighty four?
Speaker 6: Yeah, up right, And I gave you you can choose one.
Speaker 2: What do you choose? You mean, do I do I
take nineteen eighty four, take.
Speaker 1: Nineteen eighty four and include that with the Sami era? Right,
we're going to call that new van Halen?
Speaker 4: You know.
Speaker 2: And I understand your question. And I know that a
lot of people draw this line that nineteen eighty four
was a new sound. I think even the members of
the band are saying that. But I just got to
I gotta say I disagree with that line distinction. And
I took some time thinking about this. There's you know,
everybody talks about the introduction to the keyboards, but I
mean he was playing keyboards in Women and Children first.
I mean he was playing keyboards way back. That couldn't
be the issue. They became more prevalent in nineteen eighty four.
For sure, they shocked a lot of the hardcore listeners,
for sure, but that you listen to the lead guitar
sounds that are coming out in nineteen eighty four, and
it's still the same sounds of previous Van Halen you
got from van Halen one on up through nineteen eighty four,
Eddie's still playing the Frankenstrat guitar, and then the Frankenstrat
starts to go away. In fifty one fifty you get
new guitars coming in, and then in ou ate one
two it's even less you get. You see, Eddie starts
this deal with Ernie Ball on this new guitar, and
it doesn't sound the same. I mean, just even if
you even if you look at what happens right after,
if you look at why can't this be love? The
guitar doesn't sound the same anymore. It's closer. I mean,
it gets further and further away. But I mean, first
big song off of fifty one to fifty and you've
got a flanged guitar that you're like, Okay, Eddie's doing
something different here, and it never goes back to what
it was.
Speaker 6: You tell me you don't like, why can't this be loved?
Speaker 2: I'm just saying, I'm saying it's not dirty and nasty.
Speaker 1: It is.
Speaker 2: It's pretty, and it is that transition honeymoon period so
that I can say, yeah, this is still good, but
it's different, and then the difference lingers and I lose
the thing that I fell in love with it first.
Speaker 1: I think we both agree that that at that moment
in time, Sammy was the best option. Oh right, and
I for me, I feel like he doesn't get enough
credit for stepping in and he kind of takes them
to a next level and they earn way more fans
with that.
Speaker 2: Style of music. Well, again, this comes back to that
idea of popular and better. There's no question that they
increase their popularity. They increase their album sales and four
number one albums absolutely more popular. They are reaching a
broader audience. But popular doesn't mean better.
Speaker 1: I'm going to say something blasphemous for a second. Okay,
you ready for this, all right.
Speaker 6: So bring it on, let's go here.
Speaker 1: It is all right from the Dave era. In my opinion,
Van Haleen won Awesome nineteen eighty four, Awesome, the other
albums in between, there's some great songs, but there's a
whole lot of filler.
Speaker 6: Dare I say, crap?
Speaker 2: You are blaspheming right now and I don't have anything
to throw at you. But I don't. I can, I
can see what you're saying. I mean, if I'm gonna
listen to the whole album, yeah, Van Halen won first,
nineteen eighty four, second, and then those other ones. They
do have some songs that don't have what I want
to hear as much, but again, it is what defines
the band. It's what defines the band.
Speaker 1: I understand, I mean, I understand what you're saying. But
let me throw another thing at you. Yeah, I mean, okay,
for me, I'm always gonna grab either fifty one, fifty
or nineteen eighty four. Okay, that's where I But then
after that it's always ou A went too. Okay, Let's
talk a little bit about the overall attitude and.
Speaker 6: Class of these two guys.
Speaker 2: Oh well, I mean, there's no question, okay, there's no
question if I'm gonna if I'm gonna be riding in
a tour bus with somebody, I want it to be Sammy. Okay,
if I'm in Las Vegas and hanging out on the strip.
I wanted it to be David Okay, and I will
I will resign myself to know that I'm just gonna
follow along and watch what's happening, what is unfolding before me.
Because with Sammy, I know I got a guy that
can probably talk to you know, we're gonna talk, we're
gonna be as about stuff, we're gonna shoot tequila and
it'll be great. But if David Lee Roth is with me,
I'm just gonna I'm gonna step back and watch it
like it's a car wreck. I'm with you.
Speaker 1: I totally I'm with you. They serve two purposes. Right
at the end of a weekend with Dave, you wake
up on the floor and wonder what happened, Right, Yeah,
the weekend with Sammy, you're like sitting on the beach.
Speaker 6: Hey man, We're still having a great time.
Speaker 2: You know, absolutely, But I mean again, I think this
goes to the definition of the band. Van Halen is
David Lee Roth party, and it's when the party becomes
a nice get together.
Speaker 4: That you lose me.
Speaker 1: Okay, Well that's fair. I mean, we you know, this
is all personal opinion, but I don't know. I just
I enjoy the music more from Sammy. It's more melodic, Yeah,
it is more love songy, but there's a whole lot
less junk.
Speaker 2: It's yeah. I mean, it is a matter of what
you enjoy. But again, I want dirty. If I'm going
out for a hamburger, I want a smash burger. I
want a cheap white bread bun. Don't give me some
chabbata nonsense. Don't give me a pre formed patty. Give
me something raw and messy. That's what I want my
hard rock heavy metal to be. I don't want it
to be a gourmet burger with with Sammy. I mean,
there are multiple changes that happen.
Speaker 1: You.
Speaker 2: You lose Ted Templeman, right, you lose the Frankenstrat guitar,
you get the keyboards coming in. It's it's a different sound,
and I mean just to and I'm gonna try to
try to put words onto sound as best I can.
But you've got sharp and edgy and rip your guts
out kind of sound coming from the franken Strat on
the Van Halen days. And Eddie, who's constantly in search
for that perfect tone, starts to lean towards this warm
and round tone. That you get on those on those
albums with Sammy.
Speaker 1: I mean, I see what you're saying, and we've already agreed.
Speaker 6: I'm more of a radio.
Speaker 2: Friendly guy, right right, Yep.
Speaker 1: It's it's a personal preference thing. Imagine we'll get into
it a little bit more when if we break down.
Speaker 2: It's just that your personal preference is wrong. That's all,
which as long as we can both agree that your
personal preference is wright.
Speaker 1: I don't know, man, I just for me, the Sammy
Hagar era is roll down the windows, drive around, crank
it up, having a great time in the summer night.
Dave is I mean Dave listen. I love Dave Era
van Halen. But it's just different.
Speaker 6: They're just two different bands.
Speaker 2: So anyway that part we can agree on. They're definitely
different bands.
Speaker 1: They are different bands. But let me just throw a
quick shout out, Sammy, if you're listening, contact us through
the podcast.
Speaker 6: I promise we'll find a spot to get you on.
Speaker 1: Here wants you to be involved with a show five
star reviews, Sammy, Okay.
Speaker 2: We'll get you in there. This defines our difference because
I know there's no way in heck that David Lee
is going.
Speaker 6: To be exactly past exactly.
Speaker 1: Dave is too busy talking. I don't know the interaction
with the fans. I think Sammy is stronger there too.
He just seems such He's just such a likable guy.
When Van Halen was introducted into Hall of Fame, you
know who showed up, Sammy and Michael Anthony, two guys
who are banned from existence now.
Speaker 2: Yeah. So well, guys, thank you for listening to us,
for this entire diatribe that we've gone through. We hope
that you and enjoy. We hope you had a little
fun with us. Oh my gosh, we have to talk
about what's gonna happen next week. I'm so excited. Yes
it is. It's been coming and coming, and it's finally
going to be here. It is the Raiders of the
Lost Arc versus The Back to the Future podcast.
Speaker 1: Two of our all time favorite movies from the eighties.
Speaker 2: Yes, they are amazing movies. Get ready for a lot
of geeking out, because that is what's going to happen.
There's lots of geeking out to come. So if you
want to come geek out with us, please come and
listen in.
Speaker 6: That's right.
Speaker 1: Turn on your flicks, capacitors, get out your bull whip,
and we will see you next week.
Speaker 6: Again.
Speaker 2: Tweet us at Shirley Podcast on Twitter, send us a
comment or a message on Facebook at Shirley Podcast. If
you want to email us, email us at shirleypodcast at
gmail dot com. And also don't forget to check out
our YouTube channel, the Sureley you Can't Be Serious podcast channel.
Love you guys in overwhelmed by the positive support that
we're getting. We're gonna keep cranking them out as long
as you guys keep listening.
Speaker 6: In time, okay, d as we do. Ok let's start over,
keep going all right, we want.
Speaker 2: Okay, go ahead, okay this time?
Speaker 3: Okay, all right.
Speaker 2: All music, images and movie clips are used for the
purposes of commentary and education in conjunction with the Fair
Use Agreement.