DLR's real problem

[Little Dreamer]

I think it is significant that a good number of press reviews have given Sam an edge over Dave during this tour. Significant, because Sam had always been bashed by the press before, even more than Dave. This reversal of apreciation leads me to think something profound is at work here.

I think that it has something to do with the awesome style Dave created in the 70s, a style which put him at the top of the rock world for about 7 years. By relying on visuals as much as music, DLR created the "Diamond Dave" style. And the "diamond" part was of course not in reference to his vocal abilities, but to something else which had a lot ot do with image.
The second thing is that DLR's lyrics were mostly describing life from a young man's point of views. Bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Maiden, Priest, AC/DC didn't chose that route. "Stairway To Heaven", "Hell's Bells", "Child In Time", those songs could be sang by a 60 year old guy!

For Halen, it's different.
For example, in songs like "Hot For Teacher", "Fools", "Beautiful Girls", "Atomic Punk", "Running With The Devil', you are talking about a young man's view on life.
In other words youth was essential to DLR's master plan.

Now about DLR's current strategy. He has decided to take on an impossible task: recreate the stage character of "Diamond Dave" at the age of 49 (he'll be 49 in a month).
It is impossible physically (although he almost achieved it from the neck down), but also lyrically. DLR doesn't rule the streets at nite. At nite he's in a very big mansion in Passadena. He's not hot for teacher, because the last time he was in front of a teacher was probably in 1975 (would be different if he took his kids to school, but obviously he doesn't). And everything he has, he certainly didn't have to steal, beg or borrow.

In 1994, he attempted to replace the Diamond Dave character by something else. It was a wise move, especially considering that Dave is an intelligent and well-read man, and could certainly go in other directions. Directions which would maybe make him more acceptable to the Halen bros if he had persisted and worked on it. But Dave apparently decided to try to be the Diamond One again circa 1996-99.

Which is sad, becoz everyone seems to see that he's not Daimond Dave anymore, except him!

The credibility is not on Dave's side. Of course, with his talent, he can still kind of pull-off a "half-assed" Diamond Dave on stage. But as fans, we can't settle for that.
Can we?

[lil'devil]

The second thing is that DLR's lyrics were mostly describing life from a young man's point of views. Bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Maiden, Priest, AC/DC didn't chose that route. "Stairway To Heaven", "Hell's Bells", "Child In Time", those songs could be sang by a 60 year old guy!

not to be a smarty panths, but those ARE sung by 60 year old guys.

brian johnson makes david lee roth sound like he's talented.

[hail]

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