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I found this cool article on the new VH tour :D

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=34981

VAN HALEN REUNION TOUR: FROM GRAVE TO CRADLE 2007!

Peter Andrew Sacco, Ph.D.
August 13, 2007
At first blush some of you might be saying, “You got the song wrong dude…It’s the cradle will rock, who said anything about the grave? Perhaps reports of Van Halen’s premature demise has been on too many minds for some time, say the last decade or so. What can you say? The original lead singer hasn’t fronted the band in concert for more than 20 year! In my books VH possesses one of the greatest guitar playing icons, okay in my biased opinion “the greatest”, who has battled and defeated cancer and recently pushed his addiction demons behind him. The original bass player possessing the most recognized backing vocals in the music industry is now performing with “The Other Half” somewhere in Cabo and about to engage in his own tour with the other lead singer with the great hair and teeth with Rockefeller millions selling tequila and fronting his own band. And where does that leave us VH fans? Getting cued up to buy tickets for a tour coming to a city near you September 27th performing 25 dates. I am so excited I might as well JUMP!

I wrote an article on the band earlier this year when they were planning their 2007 tour before things fell apart and Eddie Van Halen went into rehab. I was skeptical about how good the tour would be and I still am. I am a Van Halen fan who was there right from the late 70’s when it first came together. Like a dedicated partner in a dysfunctional marriage, I have remained a fan through it all, for better or for worse. Unfortunately, the last 12 years have been worse than better. And where the state of the band has gotten to for this reunion tour has left me with even greater doubts and apprehensions. Guess what? Eddie is playing guitar and that is “eruption” to my ears!

Any true or die hard Van Halen fan knows the band has never done anything the easy way. When it comes to playing for the fans, they have left fans high and dry one too many times. If you wanted longevity and stability in the world of rock and roll then you better start looking to bands like U2, Bon Jovi and Aerosmith. If you want a rollercoaster ride of rock and roll mayhem, then become a Van Halen fan. Guns and Roses have nothing on this band! If you like things “wrapped up nice and tight”, then you’ve definitely come to the wrong place.

One can only begin to wonder about the quality of music a band who hasn’t toured together since the early 80’s will bring. Sure the Van Halen brothers Eddie and Alex have toured with Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone, but not since the early 80’s have they toured with David Lee Roth their original front man who left after the great success of 1984. Since then, albeit for a 2 song stint in the late 90’s, Roth was excommunicated by Van Halen. The closest he ever got to Van Halen was through media jabs. Futhermore, the closest he ever got to commanding the fan worship he experienced as the lead singer of Van Halen was accomplished through his Sans Halen tour with other lead singer outcast Hagar in the early part of the new millennium. Many concert goers and critics reported Roth wasn’t worthy of holding the same mike as Hagar during the Sam and Dave Tour. Sammy has always been blessed with great chops and approaching 60 years old, they sound great. The same can’t be said for Roth. For the last decade, the most we’ve heard from Roth was clearing his throat on the Howard Stern show and his own radio show which faded as fast as a new pop rock bubble gum song from the 1980's. Add to the mix Roth wandered into a totally different career as a paramedic and it makes you wonder if he really has what it takes to front one of the greatest bands in rock history. They did make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, so they are considered rock gods. With that said, the Van Halen brothers and Roth did not attend the induction ceremonies. Only Hagar along with original bass player Michael Anthony attended and performed which left the state of Van Halen in even greater scrutiny. Ironically, it was Hagar who encouraged and even promoted the notion for Van Halen “needing” to do a tour with Roth as it has been at the forefront for so long, so why not just do it Right Now, right?

It will be very intriguing to see what Van Halen can offer fans sporting Roth as front man while negating Anthony as bassist. When things were first reported at the beginning of the year, I found it as intriguing as a three ring circus. Sadly, before the original tour even started, the circus ensued before Roth even had a chance to jump around in spandex. As a fan, I am hoping this tour doesn’t turn into a circus sideshow eventually spelling the end of a truly amazing band which with Hagar and Anthony still have so much to offer fans and the music world. With that said, there are some major things to consider. Will there be any new Van Halen material? Perhaps there is some Roth era from the archives which haven’t been played publicly which they can throw our way like a bone? What about the Hagar era of VH music? Will Roth even attempt any of Sammy’s music? If he did, I am guessing it won’t sound too good given Hagar’s wide range versus Roth’s limited range. Even more so, can Roth handle his own tunes and make them sound VH era Roth-like? Perhaps that will prove to be the million dollar question. Wait a minute! I take that back. I am sure the true million dollar question will be whether or not VH fans will be able to purchase a ticket for this event without having to take out a mortgage. If the VH boys follow suit visa vi Eagles reunion tour prices, wallets may take a beating!

Eddie’s teenage son Wolfgang will be as big a wild card as Roth. For all intents and purposes it wouldn’t even be fair to try and compare him with Anthony. Fans should not get their hopes up and expect to hear VH classics sounding like VH classics. Anthony’s vocals had a lot to do with that sound. Fans like myself will miss those high pitched harmonic vocals and enigmatic bass rifts. We can only hope Junior Van Halen can offer a glimpse of what times past used to sound like.

This writer hopes VH will get past the shenanigans of the last VH tour which ended in chaos, turmoil and mayhem. It left a bad taste in the mouths of many VH fans. Here’s hoping for the best. Here’s hoping Roth and the Van Halen brothers will play nice together the entire tour. Here’s hoping Roth has matured as a musician and has moved beyond being just an egotistical showman. Here’s hoping Wolfgang is not over-whelmed playing center-stage to throngs of fans. Here’s hoping and wishing Eddie great mental, emotional and physical health. Here’s hoping Van Halen doesn’t put out yet another greatest hits compilation. Finally, here’s to a wonderful 2007 tour and hoping for more to follow.

Ladies and gentleman, alive and well and “unchained” in 2007… VAN HALEN!
Peter Andrew Sacco is co-author of the new popular, humorous yet controversial selling book PENIS ENVY: DOES SIZE REALLY MATTER OR IS IT THE SIZE OF THE MATTER? You can get your copy today at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com.