Van Halen (Roth era) vs Van Halen (Hagar era)

Which era do you prefer?

  • Roth era

    Votes: 21 65.6%

  • Hagar era

    Votes: 7 21.9%

  • Neither. Cherone era smoked both.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I'm not that familiar with Van Halen, but Roth sang Jump and Panama, so I vote Roth

    Votes: 1 3.1%

  • I'm not that familiar with Van Halen, but Hagar is a bad ass singer who outsings Roth in his sleep.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Van Halen? Isnt that a soda pop brand?

    Votes: 3 9.4%
  • Total voters
    32
Yax

Yax

Ancient Mariner
Some consider the respective outfits to be too different for a just comparison to be made. I myself don't agree with that sentiment, because similarly, the same thing could be said about Judas Priest with Ripper, Maiden with Blaze and Black Sabbath with anybody but Ozzy.
 
Hagar is a far superior singer and (in their heydays) less of a rock star douche.
But the band kicked more ass with Diamond Dave.
 
Roth era is classic. Hagar was good but more inconsistent.

But if the question was Roth vs Hagar in general...Hagar all the way.
 
I'm not that familiar with Van Halen, but Roth sang Jump and Panama, so I vote Roth

...Pretty much nailed it. I know of Van Halen, but never really wanted to explore them any more than what I know, which is Roth stuff I guess.
 
SinisterMinisterX said:
Hagar by a mile. It was nice to hear the band with a real singer, an actual musician. Roth was fun but stupid.
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Sums it up pretty neatly. I generally feel, as though Van Halen with Roth, the songs were great. But, it was like a great instrumental backing track with some guy from a bar rambling over it.
 
I just like a few songs. I haven't heard a lot but the stuff I did hear didn't make me excited to explore further (I don't think this voting option was available so I just put it here). There were one or two nice discoveries in the top 10 of the last survivor that we did though. But I don't think these songs were that representative. Forgot the titles but I could look them up.
 
Hagar is the better singer but his era in the band is so much weaker than Roth's. Also can't stand anything Hagar did outside VH whereas Roth has some good solo songs.
 
Van Halen was rare in its ability to mix innovative and interesting guitar parts with Beach Boys-calibre pop hooks.
This underrated gem is a fine example. Dismiss the lyrics and the melody all you want, but the variety of guitar parts is incredible and the fact they are packaged in what, at first blush, appears to be a pop song blows my mind.


Plus, they are Holland's biggest contribution to rock music. :p
 
Looked up the songs I like a lot:

Panama (superb suspenseful part after the (wilder) solo)
I'll Wait (great melancholical melodies)
 
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:nuts:Roth. Couldn't stand the others.
VH remind me of Ducati in Moto GP. They build a monstrous bike which one guy(Casey Stoner/DLR) can ride the wheels off and win the world championship. Others come along and either wobble around at the back(Valentino Rossi/Hagar) or can't take a bend(everyone else/bloke from Extreme).
 
Roth by a zillion miles. Van Hagar was not very good at all. Dave's solo stuff was much better than any of the Van Hagar albums
 
Thanks for the clip. This song is more lighthearted than the other two though (less deep, less suspense) and the melodies aren't that good either.
Cool unexpected end by the way!
 
Forostar said:
Thanks for the clip. This song is more lighthearted than the other two though (less deep, less suspense) and the melodies aren't that good either.
Cool unexpected end by the way!
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Check this. My favorite Van Halen tune.

Live in the studio too. The studio version is even more over the top, vocal wise.
 
Great underated song there. Women and Children is by far my least favorite Roth album (including the latest one) but there are some gems there. Particularly that one and Romeo Delight.
 
Sammy's swan song is an underrated gem:
Dark verses, poignant chorus and an absolutely brilliant gut-wrenching mid-section

 
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