What is the difference between VH and hair bands of the 80's?

[Markymark]

While waiting for official word on Van Halen's status, I thought I would ask and seek responses as to what we, the die hard Van Halen fans think the difference is between Van Halen and hair bands of the 80's?

[Glenn]

When I see Dave in old pictures, videos, etc, he seems real, like he's walking it like he's talking it. On the other hand, while I like other bands, very few of them gave off that vibe to me. They came off like they were being rebellious as a career move.

And Van Halen had Eddie. He was never hiding behind studio tricks or producers with his musicianship. If you heard it on the record, he could play it live.

[Spanish Doctor]

I agree 100% with Glenn.

Dave simply was being himself.

While Bret Michael, Vince Neil and countless others were being DAVE.

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Eat Us And Smile!!!

"I may not be the best lookin' baby,
But I'm the right tool for the job." - DLR 1998

[MightyVanHalen]

The difference is is that VH didn't get by on how much make up they wear or how high they're hair is!

VH is also credited for ushering in a new and by looking at the past decade, last very innovative and great rock sound.

Only Led Zeppelin and the Beattles have been ripped off as much as VH has.

How many groups are out there claiming "Poison" as an influence?

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"No man is happy without a delusion of some kind. Delusions are as necessary to our happiness as realities." -Christian Nestell Bovee, American author (1820-1904).

[scherb]

I have always thought that comparing VH to the hair bands of the 80's was a major insult.
The big difference is obviously talent.
VH was an influence on so many different aspects of the rock landscape that it was inevitable that hundreds of bad clones would emerge.
Funny how most, if not all, of the cheesy 80's bands now reside in the "where are they now" file.
There is only one VH. The original will always survive.
Later

[Brett]

Well VH basically gave rise to hair metal of the mid and late 80's. I'll bet just about every band from that time will name Van Halen as a major influence. A lot of those bands were about fast guitar licks and sleezy lyrics, the only problem was that most of them didn't come off with the sincerity that Van Halen had. Hair metal was such a formula, same 4/4 beats, same song structures, same muted power chords, yawn, yawn, yawn, yawn, yawn. Van Halen was always able to stay one step above the mundaness of hair metal, Eddie was a wizard with 6 strings, Dave strutted the bravado and his ego-maniacal attitude better than any frontman in the history of the genre. The other big thing was that behind all the flash, the spandex, the striped guitars, the Jack Daniels, the women, was a band of incredible musicians who could back up all the talk. Very few of the hair metal bands could walk out on the same stage with Van Halen and hold their own musically. In fact, none of 'em could. Like scherb said basically, anyone who could put VH in the same category as other hair bands of the 80's is a friggin' moron.

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Webmaster
VHLinks.com - Your Van Halen Internet Resource Guide
http://www.vhlinks.com

[This message has been edited by Brett (edited July 26, 2000 at 03:10 PM).]

[Greg]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Brett:
A lot of those bands were about fast guitar licks and sleezy lyrics, the only problem was that most of them didn't come off with the sincerity that Van Halen had. Hair metal was such a formula, same 4/4 beats, same song structures, same muted power chords, yawn, yawn, yawn, yawn, yawn. Van Halen was always able to stay one step above the mundaness of hair metal
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sums it up perfectly, nice work Brett!

[VanEdge]

one word: originality

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-VanEdge
1992 EBMM EVH
1999 Peavey Wolfgang

"Eddie Van Halen could fart into a microphone and make better music than anyone else." - VanEdge
"See, all I do is make music..." - EVH
"Look at all the people here tonight!" - DLR

[SpidyReb]

The biggest difference really is talent. The biggest part of the 80s hair bands were total studio creations. They had the right look, and with enough production tricks they could sound really good. They couldn't come close to pulling off the same sound live. VH is different because they are real muscicians, not just pretty faces. They could walk out on a stage anywhere in the world and blow the fucking roof off. Nuff said.

[hellohawk]

Orignility, talent, innovative, trend setting, not following.

The only receipe they followed was truthful rock and roll with thier own ingrediants.

[MightyVanHalen]

Great post Brett!

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MightyVanHalen's Pictures http://www.geocities.com/mightyvanhalen/index.html

"No man is happy without a delusion of some kind. Delusions are as necessary to our happiness as realities." -Christian Nestell Bovee, American author (1820-1904).

[FORD]

Although it appears a couple people beat me to it, I'll say it anyway. The difference is talent and originality. Van HALEN had both, most of the hair bands had neither.

Pick any decade you want, and only a few bands from that decade will be remembered, much less played on the radio 20 years later. It's the bands with talent and originality that will still be there. For those of you who are old enough, think back to what you heard on the radio in 1978. How many of those bands can you still hear on the radio today? Or, not to stray too far from the topic, how many of the 80's hair bands do you hear? Wherever you may live, I already know the answer.... not many of them. But I hear Van HALEN every day, even if I have the radio on less than an hour.

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F.O.R.D. Country

Van HALEN is: Dave, Eddie, Mikey, Alex. Any questions?

Eat Us And Smile!!

[This message has been edited by FORD (edited July 26, 2000 at 06:20 PM).]

[Limecuda]

It is obvious VH created the "hair band" era. Dave and the boys were the most talented and original, but I don't understand the negative view placed on 80s bands. They were good. That was a great time in my life. Good music and good times. It was the period of time where I really was getting into music. If you were a teenager during the 80s you bought those "hair band's" albums. You may look back and laugh now, but you were into that scene. I have plenty of dust covered 'hair band" albums myself,but they seen plenty of action in the ol' boom box back in the day.

There are certain songs off each of those albums that bring back the memories.
Thanks Crue,Twisted Sister, Poison, Warrant, Quiet Riot,G'n'R, Ratt, and other I may have forgotten, for the memories. To quote VH "Where have all the good times gone?"

[Texas]

I would say consistency and originality would separate VH from any hair band. Most hair bands tried to be someone else or wear what someone else was wearing. VH seemed to remain basicly unphased by what others were doing. I think it is obvious in some of the old interviews with eddie, when asked about bands he thought were cool at the time. He seemed oblivious to the music scene. This might of been on purpose but it really didn't seem like it. He was so into his own music that he never really noticed what others where doing.

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"common sense ain't common"