Story of a "Dave Head"

**dj88** · 02.11.02, 06:37 PM

I'm what the Eddie fans refer to as a "Dave Head". My last Van Halen album in my collection is 1984. To my credit I did own 5150 and F.U.C.K., but I only had those on tape and the tapes are garbage/lost now. I have every CD Dave has ever put out. Ever since they broke up in 1984 I've wanted them to reunite, but settled for Dave solo. Over the years I grew to dislike the Sammy era mainly because I felt he was what was standing in the way of a reunion with Dave. Now I'm older and I hope wiser and I see that I wasted all of that energy disliking the Sammy era. Sure it was different, but the main reason I didn't like it was because it wasn't Van Halen to me and I wanted that back. But I never blamed Eddie for Dave leaving. I didn't know what happened. I just knew my favorite band was gone.

Then in 1996 my prayers were answered, or so I thought. I'll never forget when I heard the news that Sammy was fired from VH. I was in my car driving home from work. My heart skipped a beat and I remember cheering at the top of my lungs as the DJ said, "Rumor has it Dave is back in the band!" then the DJ played "Meanstreat" and I just cranked my stereo. I'm excited now thinking back about it.

Then Eddie did it. Eddie rained on my parade. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive him for the trick he played on everyone all in the name of selling records. I'll never forget the interview I saw with him and Alex on MTV bashing Dave for what we all know was "Dave just being Dave". Of all people Eddie knows what Dave is like. He didn't do anything wrong unless you'd call getting the fans excited wrong.

Anyway, that's my story. That in part is why I support Dave and not Eddie. That's why part of me doesn't want a reunion. Part of me wants Eddie to try again and fail even worse next time. But deep down I know I want to see the four of them together again because it was simply magical. Even though I have all of Dave's solo stuff, none of it is as good as when he was in Van Halen. But here we are six years later and Eddie's still raining on my parade.

The worst thing about it all is that he doesn't even care... [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img]

**Rikk** · 02.11.02, 06:46 PM

Great story, man. And all I can say is...I've been there. So fucking true! Eddie Van Halen is truly an asshole.

**Lou** · 02.11.02, 07:04 PM

That was a beautiful post. I totally agree.

**Glenn** · 02.11.02, 07:42 PM

Lately I've been thinking a lot about what could have been with regards to Van Halen and the surrounding players. I'm primarily a fan of the first incarnation of the band, but I still find myself more and more pointing the finger at Dave. While I don't think any of the guys are innocent, I fault Dave first because he's the one that broke the bond before anyone else. Even now, though I think it's pretty safe to say that Eddie is the main person keeping the guys apart, I just can't overlook that the mistrust that Eddie feels is linked directly to Dave's leaving in the first place.

Eddie was in a bad place emotionally in 1985, and Dave didn't want to go down with the ship, he wanted to play 'Women and Dave First'. That was his choice, but I think a lot of the problems that exist now are directly attributed to Dave's 1985 decision. Eddie was a foreign kid in a foreign land as a youth, and he learned to rely on a very small group of people, seemingly mostly family. With people like that, you rarely get a second chance to let them down. It's one and out.

Anyway, interesting point of view. Let's keep this going in the Opinions forum. [img]smile.gif[/img]