AVH Book?

[Van Squalen]

I never struggled with addiction of my own, but I will say no one can get more done than a functioning addict

Yeah, that's wildly inaccurate. But good job generalizing.

[CaboChris]

No one can get more done than a functioning addict? Did I read that correctly? Wtf?

[Brett]

No one can get more done than a functioning addict? Did I read that correctly? Wtf?

Yeah. No. Lol.

I’m thinking sarcasm, but I don’t really know.

[CaboChris]

Yeah. No. Lol.

I’m thinking sarcasm, but I don’t really know.

Well, speaking from experience. I had no idea that the dog shit on the carpet, trash can overflowing, dirty dishes piled up in the sink, and a pile of laundry was indicative of my "functioning" taste for shitty beer.

[CaboChris]

Because I feel the need to.

That was old Chris.

[Van Squalen]

Yeah. No. Lol.

I’m thinking sarcasm, but I don’t really know.

I'm thinking ass doesn't know elbow. But that's just me.

[M-C-Z-D]

I would say it's a combination of the book and the whole Cabo Wabo thing.

It's probably a combination of these two things for why he doesn't want to talk to Sam.

But when it comes to not talking about Sam in the book, then I think it's simply that he does think that the original lineup was the magical part of his life and the part that he wanted to frame the story around. People on here can argue whether they agree with that all they want, but I do think Alex feels that personally. In that context, then Sam is irrelevant in the telling of the story Al told and doesn't need to be written about. He even got a mention in the book when he actually did cross paths with them briefly and Alex didn't say anything negative.

[Hamnerhead]

It's probably a combination of these two things for why he doesn't want to talk to Sam.

But when it comes to not talking about Sam in the book, then I think it's simply that he does think that the original lineup was the magical part of his life and the part that he wanted to frame the story around. People on here can argue whether they agree with that all they want, but I do think Alex feels that personally. In that context, then Sam is irrelevant in the telling of the story Al told and doesn't need to be written about. He even got a mention in the book when he actually did cross paths with them briefly and Alex didn't say anything negative.

Yeah. I know it's seen as disrespect for the later eras of the band in some quarters, but I don't think he's doing that, or at least doesn't mean to.

“What happened after Dave left is not the same band,” Van Halen explains. “I’m not saying it was better or worse or any of that. The fact is Ed and I did our best work whenever we played. We always gave it our best shot. But the magic was in the first years, when we didn’t know what we were doing, when we were willing to try anything.”

For a man who has more years behind than ahead, who has been through therapy, I don't find it controversial at all that maybe he finally realized that all of the rancor with Roth was coming from a place of undealt-with grief from losing the original band. He says as much in the book, that the only thing worse to him than Dave leaving was Ed dying. I mean, think about that. Arriving at that is an epiphany for him, I gather.

So he told the more important story to him, where he felt the "magic" was.

And I'm not saying he doesn't have issues with Hagar, he clearly does. But it also sounds like hindsight is 20/20 and he doesn't feel it for the Hagar years the way he does for the original incarnation. I think it's telling he doesn't seem to have as much enthusiasm for the 2007-2015 Roth/ADKOT/Wolfgang years, either-- he left that out, too.

“The heart and the soul and the creativity and the magic was Dave, Ed, Mike, and me."

[Brett]

I think Al is full of shit most of the time, but it is what it is.

[Number 47]

Well, speaking from experience. I had no idea that the dog shit on the carpet, trash can overflowing, dirty dishes piled up in the sink, and a pile of laundry was indicative of my "functioning" taste for shitty beer.

It happens.

[Number 47]

Because I feel the need to.

That was old Chris.

Boot straps.

[Little Dreamer]

Yeah. I know it's seen as disrespect for the later eras of the band in some quarters, but I don't think he's doing that, or at least doesn't mean to.



For a man who has more years behind than ahead, who has been through therapy, I don't find it controversial at all that maybe he finally realized that all of the rancor with Roth was coming from a place of undealt-with grief from losing the original band. He says as much in the book, that the only thing worse to him than Dave leaving was Ed dying. I mean, think about that. Arriving at that is an epiphany for him, I gather.

So he told the more important story to him, where he felt the "magic" was.

And I'm not saying he doesn't have issues with Hagar, he clearly does. But it also sounds like hindsight is 20/20 and he doesn't feel it for the Hagar years the way he does for the original incarnation. I think it's telling he doesn't seem to have as much enthusiasm for the 2007-2015 Roth/ADKOT/Wolfgang years, either-- he left that out, too.

I think the fact that he changed his mind and says he likes the Dave years better is not that surprising. Fans would be ready to accept that. The fact that he says the other era "doesn't exist," while releasing a live album from said era this month - then we immediately know he's full of it. His credibility is reduced to zero.

[bklynboy68]

He didn’t say it didn’t exist.

[Hamnerhead]

I think Al is full of shit most of the time, but it is what it is.

Fair enough.

[Hamnerhead]

The fact that he says the other era "doesn't exist," while releasing a live album from said era this month - then we immediately know he's full of it.

Mind pointing me to anywhere he says the Hagar era "doesn't exist?" He, in fact, says straight out that they did good work, but for him the magic was the original four and it was never the same after that. That's it.

“What happened after Dave left is not the same band,” Van Halen explains. “I’m not saying it was better or worse or any of that. The fact is Ed and I did our best work whenever we played. We always gave it our best shot. But the magic was in the first years, when we didn’t know what we were doing, when we were willing to try anything.”

He's entitled to have a bias toward his own band. Not sure why this is even controversial.