By Gina Vivinetto
Some pranksters are circulating “videos” of David Lee Roth‘s bare vocal tracks from a few of Van Halen‘s classic tunes. It’s pretty weird listening to him yelp and squeal and holler without the accompaniment of thunderous drums, thudding bass and Edward Van Halen‘s guitar wizardry.
For example, “Runnin’ With the Devil”:
It’s nice to finally make out some of those lyrics. As far as Dave sounding lousy, I don’t agree at all. I wish he sounded this good when I saw the band in concert earlier this year.
What do you think?
He sounds great. He’s singing from the crotch, as always. So many people are so brainwashed by expectations.
“Give me a bottle of anything and a glazed donut to go-o-o-o-o!”
One of the all-time greatest frontmen in rock.
i think it sounds fine. it worked live back in the day too, while you were hearing it anyway!
I’ve got a board-tape cassette bootleg of mid-80s VH in a box somewhere and he sounds truly awful on it; side-splittingly bad. typical bootleg crappy quality, but the one thing that does cut through are the vox, and they are all over the place.
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One has to imagine the backing vocals singign “Running with the devil” everywhere to make his shorter outbursts of “Yes I was” etcetera to make the singing “not so weird”
concentrating on his actual lines, it strikes me how good he was (is?). Good one!
That’s standard for a Singer ..he’s listening to the rest of the band..ie sound in head phones…it’s called tracks people..come on now..he’s on his own vocal track and that is ..among other vocal tracks..ie background harmony..etc..look it up..geeze..
This has been around for years. And no surprise. The amazing thing is that Eddie was such an brilliant musician (and living proof that that kind of genius has nothing to do with any other) and innovator that it never mattered that David always made up in sheer chutzpah and enthusiasm what he lacked in ability to hit the notes. And as long as he kept jumping no one noticed. But he’s NEVER been a singer (though he certainly appreciates the great ones– hence his genuine love for Motown and the songs that once made AM radio great). He’s a raconteur.
David Johanssen’s naked vocal tracks could probably be used to exterminate any form of unwanted rodent life– at his best, he sounds like a constipated bull elephant mating with a fog horn, but he too, is one of the greatest frontmen and performers of all time.
David Johansen is a favourite! I’d have champagne from any of his Jimmy Choo’s any day!
Van Halen…no matter how you slice it, it’s calculated commercial crap. OK if you’re, like, fourteen, but there’s no subtlety or nuance there. They’re the Justin Beiber of hard rock.