https://www.vhnd.com/2021/10/01/david-lee-roth-im-retiring/ Sounds like health issues are afoot. Stay frosty, Dave.
Anyone that's followed DLR over the years knows that he wouldn't give up the spotlight without a damn good reason. If you watch his latest video and read between the lines, it doesn't sound like he's going to be with us much longer. I hope his time with us is long and he goes out with a smile on his face.
listening to that song now. im really enjoying it - not at all what i was expecting. its got a low-fi indie-pop vibe. beatlesish. almost sounds like home recorded, which i think is cool. i would love if he went henry rollins and just started doing speaking tours - id go to that. ive probably posted it before, but he did a 3 hour interview with joe rogan a few years ago and its great. hes a total egomaniac and exhausting to listen to, but it made me realize that dude is probably a mensa-level genius. he is a really smart dude.
Can you believe that producer Ted Templeman originally considered replacing DLR (partly because his stage presence was "awkward") with... Sammy Hagar https://ultimateclassicrock.com/van-halen-david-lee-roth-ted-templeman/
DLR has unretired. He did a good show the other day. A word of advice if you watch: try not to look in the direction of his pants...
It's blasphemy to mention Bon Jovi and Van Halen in the same breath. Van Halen was one of the best bands of the generation, and Eddie was one of the greatest guitarists of all time. As to comparisons to bands today, that's difficult, as rock and roll died around the turn of the millennium (other than nostalgia concerts with aging acts from the last century). I say this as a boomer who grew up in the classic rock era.
I grew up in the 80`s when Rock was really Rock, from RUSH to VH to Metallica. Now it's all gone and there hasnt really been anyone to replace the "LEGENDS"............................hell, 2 of my all-time favorites, Neil Peart and Eddie Van Halen are gone.........dam I am old
OMG that is SAD......I barely made it through one song, that was pitiful, and he can't sing anymore, the 4 dudes on the side did most of the singing.............WOW, just WOW that was horrific
DLR couldn't sing even back in the day. Hell, he almost got replaced for VH I, since his singing was so bad. DLR on his last VH tour (10 years ago?) struggled mightily singing. Since then, he has released new songs, where he does more talking than singing. Given than ... I actually liked the live show video. The four guys hit all of the notes and DLR did his thing in between. For a 70 year old dude, what do you expect? That are many touring classic rock stadium acts where the original lead singer struggle to sing live ... even tuned down ... like Job Bon Jovi, David Coverdale, Don Dokken, etc. The vocal chords do not age well. It does not help that they recorded their songs at their vocal limits back in the day.
DLR sounded better singing in these recent concert clips than I can remember in a long time. But, you can tell he misses all the twirling, high leg kicks, and activity he used to do on stage. You can see it in his eyes. He misses that stuff terribly.
Was that as good as an old Van Halen concert? No Did he do a great job of singing? No .... but I actually thought it sounded pretty good. Everyone else on stage did a fantastic job. They play a LOT of great VH songs. And I'd take that show over almost any modern pop show. I saw a Post Malone show that was 1000 times worse than that.
