Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony has confirmed to Sammy Hagar that the original Van Halen lineup almost was done before the first album was recorded, with there being talks of firing David Lee Roth for Hagar nearly a decade before the singer change happened in 1985, and before Roth rose to fame as one of rock’s most charismatic frontmen. An Eddie Van Halen bandmate revealed when he will die yesterday.
“Yes. It never got to me until I worked with Ted on my VOA record. I thought: ‘Wow, nobody called me.’ If I’d heard Eddie Van Halen play, I would have said: ‘F*** yeah!’ Mikey [Michael Anthony, VH bassist] told me he knew about it. I guess Dave [Lee Roth, original VH singer] knew about it too. Maybe that’s why he still doesn’t like me.”
He also was asked about the first time he ever stepped onstage as a performer, “Not exactly. But I remember when I was about fifteen the band I was in being hired to play a party. And I fucking loved it, man: ‘This is what I want to do.’ I would carry my amplifier and guitar all the way across town to rehearse in my friend’s garage. That’s probably why my back’s half-broken.”
Eddie Van Halen revealed a hilarious ‘fat face’ video a few days ago. Japeape defended Michael Anthony in a new VHLinks.com post, “Yup, not everyone get’s this band, especially the original incarnation. Edward was, of course, God-like, but he also had the great fortune of finding a really special chemistry with three guys that were incredibly unique and special.
Who else sounds/plays like Alex? Who else could rule the stage like Dave, then translate that persona to album? Who f***ing sings backup like Mike? That guy was signature to that Halen sound, it’s almost taken for granted.”
An Eddie Van Halen ‘worse’ than cancer claim was recently revealed. BSBLL4 said, “The thing Van Halen fans should understand, even people that gravitate to Eddie as their primary focus (like me), is that Eddie wouldn’t be who he was/is without Alex. Yes, Eddie has the chops and musical ability to write music with other people, but without the source of inspiration that is Alex’s playing, Eddie sounds different.
Listen to his explorations in jam scenarios while in VH, then listen to him playing jam scenarios outside of VH. There is a synergy there that can’t be replicated. He sounds very out of place in most situations outside of VH, but when he shares the stage with Alex it’s like the pieces just fall into place. It just sounds right.”
You can read the full Michael Anthony interview at Louder Sound.
