Reply To: DAVID LEE ROTH ROCKS VEGAS!

I love CVH. I’ve always thought that Dave’s part was entertaining – the lyrics, the attitude, the fun – in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way. The best thing was it always felt like HE got it. As a 50 year old, I have to recognize that it is all sophomoric, but I still like listening to CVH. That brings me to this current tour.

Dave’s band with Al Estrada, etc sounds great. The problem is really Dave. First show, second show – it doesn’t matter. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it now: I don’t know why after 1988 he started trying to sing harmony lines that were out of his range. They are painful to listen to and ruin the CVH songs. For example, Dance The Night Away has been ruined for years by this approach. I’ve heard and read all kinds of descriptions of this problem, and I particularly like the one in the comments for this 2nd Vegas show – “higher notes” sounding “like a chicken being raped”. Whatever you want to call it, it’s awful. But the worst part is that it is UNNECESSARY.

I actually thought he sounded this way on Can’t Get This Stuff No More in 1996 too. I was embarrassed by it then, but damn…. it has progressed to the point where he takes established songs from much earlier and applies that same approach. Why? The songs were fine the way they were. He was never a great singer, but he was cool. Singing above his range makes him look like he doesn’t get it, that he is taking himself much more seriously, and that he isn’t even remotely cool. Uggghhhh…

I love CVH, but Dave has turned into the embarrassing uncle that he always could have been but I hoped that he wouldn’t. That’s my take. Sorry for the sour grapes. I do appreciate the post so I could check out the show. I just wish the results were different….