New VH album coming ?

“Van Halen Rumor Season” is in full swing!! Give it about 4-6 months and we’ll all know what’s happening. I think Van Halen are the masters of promotion! They haven’t said shit and we’re all assuming what is going to happen. Doesn’t cost them a penny and no matter what comes out, we’ll be ready and we’ll buy it. Brilliant!!

mcs5150: However, he has made many different predictions this time around, with him changing what VH is doing about once a week..

Agreed. First a new CD, then a new DVD, and now a Live CD. It looks like a case of throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. Say enough things and one of them might be right.

PT5150: Andrew has been spot on with a few things over the years.. He knew a few weeks before it was announced that Dave & Sammy would Tour together.. And that Sammy was back in 2004… He was laughed down on both occasions..

And has totally changed his tune seemingly weekly on what VH is doing now.

From Jeff Hausman
At Links..

It simply doesn’t matter what Tremonti said a year ago. They are definitely not working on a new album.
You can all let that one go.
At the risk of being called rude and arrogant again on his website and Facebook page, simply refuting another report, I’ll just stick with the baseball analogy that someone brought up earlier about MR’s batting averages, and just say “Three strikes, you’re out.”
Knowing what I know, it’s very obvious to me—and now it’s even been confirmed by him— that this has degenerated into nothing more than a guessing game. Throwing stuff out there to see what sticks.
Therefore, I’ll step back. I definitely won’t continue to serve as his lifeline. I’m done responding to his rumors, since it’s all just guesswork to see what I dispute.
He’s clearly dealing only with conjecture, predictions, and assumptions.
The next time you hear from me on this subject it will be just the facts..
Well, the only conjecture, predictions, and assumptions that I’m dealing with are Melodic Rock’s. I know *exactly* what is going on. It’s just part of my job.
Originally Posted by melodicrock
That’s NOT what I have said or done.
Oh, I’m sorry, it just seems to me like that is what was happening.
Originally Posted by melodicrock
I look forward to the unveiling of the “facts”….as soon as possible for the sake of the fans I hope.
I sure hope so too, Andrew.
Sure. I don’t like having to deal with false news stories one bit. The last thing I want to do right now is to have to debunk false stories that get people’s hopes up for things that aren’t going to happen. Especially the rumor that they just finished recording a new album.
Sure, they just made an amazing album less than three years ago, so nobody should really expect another album anytime soon, anyway. But I really, really care about all the fans out there, and I see how unbelievably happy that story made everybody. And then his news story puts me in a very bad position, because I have to be the guy that delivers the bad news of “no new album” to everyone, and my posts will leave some people with a bad taste in their mouths, just because i have to shoot down things.
So I am not enjoying any of this one bit. The band is being quite for now. Just let them be. There shouldn’t be anything I have to shoot down right now.
I appreciate all the posts like this. Thanks, guys. All I do is deal with VH fans every day. There was a post somewhere about the fact that some people take VH more seriously than the band does. The band *does* take VH seriously, but I agree that the fans, including myself, probably take it them more seriously than even they do.
I really want the fans to be happy. They are my friends, my customers, kindred spirits. I really care about the band’s legacy, and the fan’s happiness. What’s been going on the last week or two has been very frustrating to me.

Van Halen is a unique entity in that, through their own actions, they have created a stigma that seems only to be associated with them. Other bands replace members all the time. Some bands maintain their name and only have one original member left, but their fan base doesn’t seem to attack them or take the replacement of someone in the band as personally the way Van Halen fans do. Looking back at their history, it’s obvious to me why the band says NOTHING until they have something to deliver or, in the case of past postponements or cancellations, to clear the air on why things that were announced have changed.

In ’85, Dave left and Sammy came in and nothing was announced officially until Eddie jammed with Sammy at Farm Aid. Some fans missed Dave and sided with him, but the new version of Van Halen (Van Hagar or Van Halen 2.0 if you will) was accepted and flourished with millions of units sold and sold out tour after sold out tour. Dave came out with his six guns blazing on his first tour, but slowly, album after album, seemed to fizzle out. Van Halen fans were given 10 years of tours with Sammy and it seemed like everything they touched turned to gold. The fans were spoiled and happy.

When Sammy left, however, I think there was a volatile mix of egos, substance abuse, physical deterioration and a “perfect storm” of resentment within the band that was stirred up by Ray Danniels. Ed felt betrayed by Sammy, Ed felt betrayed by Mike’s perceived allegiance to Sammy when Van Halen wasn’t working, Sammy felt betrayed by Ed, Ed and Al brought Dave back in for the Best Of, I believe only to do the two songs in order to get MTV to support them with no real intent on keeping him in the band, so Dave felt betrayed by Ed and Al, Gary was in the middle of everything and I can only imagine how tense he must have felt, being a fan of both eras of Van Halen music at that time. This revolving door of singers really changed the image of Van Halen to the general public and created the stigma of Van Halen as the band that can’t keep a singer.

From ’96-’99, the band we know as Van Halen seemed to veer off course into a more Edward driven form. It wasn’t accepted as warmly as past incarnations, because there seemed to be anger, hostility and frustration within the band rather than camaraderie and sense that they were one unit. The album wasn’t well received, the tour was half heartedly accepted by the diehard fans, mainly because Gary unearthed the classics that hadn’t been played since Dave left the band back in the 80s. The second album was in the works and everyone was hoping for some more palatable to the classic Van Halen textures and flavors when we all had the rug pulled out from under us again. Gary was let go/left the band. Eddie went into seclusion. Things got dark for Van Halen fans. Dave was releasing somewhat interesting stuff, but it only left everyone wanting him back with Van Halen. Sammy was content being back out on his own, releasing a lot of stuff, but nothing near the level or the quality of what he did in Van Halen. There seemed to be a huge void that was filled with lackluster product from the two former frontmen and nothing from “the well” that was Edward.

In 2002 we were given a little teaser with Dave and Sam touring together. It was a novel idea, but all it really accomplished was proving that the fans only want Dave in Van Halen and Sammy was content being a solo artist.

Then came 2004 and the first “reunion” tour. Overall, that tour, once again, split the Van Halen community into multiple factions and created yet another web of frustration within the band and the fans. The Sammy fans were happy he was back. The Dave fans were not. Once again, for the Dave fans, it was only 3/4 of the band they wanted. The Edward fans were sad at what he had become as a result of his addictions. Mike was unceremoniously removed as a true “band member” and relegated to a hired hand for the tour. Stripping him of his royalties and cutting his pay, causing Sammy to offer up a portion of his salary to get Mike on the tour could only create friction within the band throughout that entire tour. On top of that, the fans were handed yet another “Best Of” package with three subpar new songs followed by a tour that thrust the broken, chemically altered shell of the man once known as the greatest guitarist of all time out in the spotlight for all to see. It was one of the saddest things I know I ever witnessed and I attended several shows thinking I would never see Edward Van Halen on stage again. There was no way he could come through this. That tour ended with so much venom between Camp Van Halen and Camp Hagar/Anthony that the fans, once again, were left feeling they had just been hoodwinked. A few months ago they were supposedly a new band, everything was great, they were all friends again. Or so they said in the interviews to sell us the latest EVH Gear, the same old repackaged songs and a so-so reunion tour. They hadn’t even swept up the arena floor after the final show of the ’04 tour before the insults and attacks started again. Sammy hated Eddie. Eddie hated Sammy. Everyone was the bad guy again, Van Halen were back to being the same kids fighting in the sandbox all over again and the fans were left deflated…again.

2006? Eddie invests in a porn movie and records music for the soundtrack? What the actual fuck was that about? I try not to think about it.

The fans were abuzz with hopes of a reunion when they were inducted into the RRHOF, but when Eddie decided to go into rehab, Dave refused to appear and the only people who were in attendance were the two guys who were no longer in the band, it really lost all significance. Having Velvet Revolver perform Van Halen was not a good choice either and I felt made a mockery of the band and their music. I think most fans were insulted by that whole performance.

Then the unthinkable happens. VH Rumor Season kicks off with word that Van Halen is reuniting with Dave for a reunion tour.

Fans: “Yeah, whatever….”
VH Rumor: “No, really! They’re going to reunite with Dave!”
Fans: “Stop it. You’re being crazy.”

After months of speculation, it happens! Dave is back! They listened to us! The fans are going to get a full-on reunion of THE MIGHTY VAN HALEN!!! Wait. Where’s Mike? Who put that kid’s picture on the cover of Van Halen’s first album artwork on the official website?! Ugh!!! Once again, we’re given a reunion tour consisting of 3/4 of the original band and the fans are, once again, left with a bad taste in their mouths. On one had, we finally got Dave and Eddie back on stage again playing all the classic tunes, but then the accusations of Mike’s vocals being piped into the live shows and people crying foul that Wolfgang was “air guitaring” to prerecorded bass tracks on stage put a damper on the enthusiasm of the fans willingness to welcome this new version of the band with open arms. On top of this, it was obvious that Eddie was still having some issues with something. Looking back it could have been medication or it could have been the same demons he had always been struggling with, but regardless, there was still something off with Eddie’s performances. And then came the tour cancellations and a statement from Eddie that he needed to take time away (Read: go back to rehab) in order to give the fans his best. Again, the fans felt it was over. That it had fallen apart again. We knew this would happ…wait?! What? The tour is back on?! I was very skeptical about this whole situation…until I heard the recordings of the shows. For me, the second leg of that tour was the tipping point. I no longer felt embarrassed to say I was a fan. People who were casual fans would say, “You still like Van Halen? Do they even have a singer? Who is it now, that Sammy guy from Extreme?” To the people on the street, Van Halen broke up 15 or 20 years ago and they couldn’t understand why I was still a fan. I always felt as though I was convincing myself more that the person I was explaining my dedication to at the time. I was beginning to wonder, “Why do I keep hoping for this band to do something? Why do I still care when they obviously don’t?” Listening to Eddie playing after rehab reminded me of exactly WHY I am a Van Halen fan. Pure musical bliss!!! When Eddie cleaned himself up for the last time, went back out on that stage and ripped through the back catalog of Van Halen classics, I was taken back to 1981, sitting in front of my turntable, jaw on the floor, totally consumed and amazed at the sounds my 11 year old ears were soaking in. The fire was back in Edward and it was back in me.

2012 was the year I never thought I would see again. A new album. A world tour. Dave at the helm once again. Secret gigs. Internet sneak peaks and inside interviews. Fan access. The Van Halen fans were all back in full force with smiles on their faces and their fists in the air. Wolfgang had proven to be a formidable replacement for Mikey now, proving his musical abilities by joining Tremonti and touring with him as well as providing the low end and backing harmonies on the new Van Halen album. Sure there were still people who were complaining about Mike not being there and the fact that they reworked old demos, but we didn’t care what Sammy was saying anymore. We had our Van Halen back the way we liked it. Hell, we even got some change ups on the tour, throwing in the deep cuts that we had missed for so long. It had been so long since we were able to see this all live in front of our naked, steaming eyes that we just couldn’t get enough. When the second leg of dates were released and almost immediately canceled, there was a shudder throughout the VH world that maybe this was all just a flash in the pan. It definitely took a lot of wind out of my sails, but when the Australian date was announced and the Japanese gigs came along, followed by two final stops in the US, I felt satisfied and I think the fans were as well. It had been a long, bumpy ride and we were all ready got home, unpack and look back at the pictures and videos.

So now, here we are again. The band has let us know “something” is coming. For some reason, the internet has created this new form of pissing contest known as, “I told you first”. Most bands release all of their updates and info through their own press releases and websites and these bloggers or “reporters” just compile all of the updates and put them in one place for those of us to get an overview of everything that is happening. With Van Halen, however, these people seem to get off on wanting to scoop everyone. They want to be the one who says, “You heard it here first!” I don’t see any other band creating this sort of hysteria amongst their fan base and I don’t know why we seem to fall prey to it, but we do. Maybe it’s the sport of it? Maybe it’s the idea that it could be anything and that is what is so intriguing. I always laugh when I see people speculate that they will tour with Dave and Sam and alternate singers. Who thinks that would actually happen?! The long and short of it is the long time VH die hards seem to be in it until the end. We will always want to know what’s happening. We’ll always want that boxed set of treasures to be released. We want the complete Oakland ’81 show on BluRay. We want it all. That doesn’t mean the band wants to give it to us, though. So, all we can do is sit and wait, rejoice in everything that the band has given us thus far and try to play nice with the people who are throwing out their “inside information” and speculations on exactly what Van Halen is preparing to give us. Watch it turn out to be that duel Dave/Sammy reunion tour and I’ll look like an idiot, but hey, if it does happen, don’t forget: YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST!!”

Wow, all I can say.

Sort of ended up with two or three different aspects all jumbled together. I’m glad it’s an enjoyable read.