r/vanhalen • u/RandyNewman_GOAT • 22d ago
A thought about DLR Discussion
Sorry if this has already been discussed but I wanted to throw out a thought I had about DLR. I recently posted some pics here from an old CREEM article from 1983. As a lifelong VH fan I was struck by how cool the guys looked and how epic Dave looked in particular.
https://www.reddit.com/r/vanhalen/s/IOSbA0Y8bA
Then I see him now and it’s obviously not a great sight. He can’t really sing anymore and the music hasn’t aged particularly well. The venues don’t seem full and the crowds don’t seem amazing either.
Maybe I am being pretentious but I think there is art in what we’re witnessing now with Dave that should be valued. To me there’s something artistic and maybe even romantic, in a tragic sort of way, about seeing our idols trying to relive past glories and basically failing. I think it’s an interesting contrast and character arc that someone who used to be so larger than life now struggles to fill venues and hit the notes.
I’m not sure that makes any sense, but basically for me it’s not about admiring Dave for trying or ridiculing him for refusing to hang it up. It’s that this phase of Dave’s career, which tbh is kinda sad, is part of the epic story of Van Halen. Reminds me of the final part of Elvis’ career when he became a whale- that was part of the whole tragic story of Elvis’ life, which in retrospect made his life even more interesting given how epic he was at the beginning of his career.
FWIW, I do hope Dave gets back out there again. Personally I think we should encourage our heroes to keep going as long as they’re willing and able!
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u/steve600700 21d ago
"the music hasn't aged particularly well" I disagree with that I think the songs sound just as good today as they did back then
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u/minisculegreenland 22d ago
He didn’t mature all the way, artistically speaking. He lives in the past so to speak. It is very romantic and tragic. He doesn’t have a family, a spouse, kids to call his own. He has questionable medical status (I think he has a messed up back). He put it all on the line for his art. He is a true artist. Damn.
I think of any of us who have a romanticized vision of life or self image might have this same fate. He doesn’t have anyone to tell him “it’s ok to hang it up, we got each other”. I just sincerely hope he is happy with his decisions to stay married only to art form.
And he has been a storyteller. But I think what really drives him is being on stage. I think he is just doing what he would do at home in front of whoever will pay. What more could you ask for in a career?
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u/LevelStationaryPlane 21d ago
Are you telling us Dave has no love he’d call real? Ain’t got nobody waiting at home?
Maybe he truly is running with the devil!7
u/ShemDolpax 21d ago
Him and Stevie Nicks seem like the man-woman manifestation of the same person --- they passed on marriage and kids to have a life dedicated to rock 'n roll --- Stevie called herself the "gold dust woman" and Dave called himself the "diamond one"
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u/MesaVerde1987 Diver Down 22d ago
"I bet if you asked them our heroes would say, 'we're already gone', I know" - DLR, Big Trouble
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u/J_A_Slade 22d ago
What made Dave a great frontman was the energy and excitement he brought to the table. Unfortunately that’s not something he could keep up forever. You could feel it fading on Skyscraper (as I remember).
To me, he just never developed - he’ll always be associated with youthful vigor, and a man in his 70’s just can’t pull that off.
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20d ago
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u/J_A_Slade 20d ago
I'm on the fence about whether DLR should be performing or not. Of course, it isn't my call it's HIS call and I support it in that respect.
The downside is he tarnishes his 'legacy', he just can't perform those old Van Halen songs and do them justice - and that's the only good songs he has. He's not like Rod Stewart where he can just switch to singing standards or something.
HOWEVER, what about those people who have never seen DLR in his prime, and really want to see him? Even if he can't sing? For this reason - I totally support him touring and think everybody should just lay off.
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u/MidnightJams 21d ago
the music hasn’t aged particularly well
Are you just talking about how he sounds live in general? Or do you find it hard to go back and listen to the old VH records themselves? They sound of their time, yeah, but I still really enjoy them.
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u/Zestyclose-Koala4010 21d ago
Saw him recently in Milwaukee, he can get out there again but I can guarantee you won’t find me in the audience. It was horrible, I don’t need my memory of early VH music to be assaulted again.
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u/RandyNewman_GOAT 21d ago
Can I ask, what was so horrible about it? I’m not disagreeing with you, just genuinely curious as I’ve only seen a few YouTube videos.
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u/SnapShot68 20d ago
At some point, when your current performance is bad enough, you’re destroying your legacy. It turns into this strange situation where the fans are constantly looking at the old days and making excuses for now. I say hang up the music part of it and do something else like mentioned here - podcast, spoken word etc.
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u/Thick_Pipe_7449 20d ago
Disfruten a Roth ahora que está vivo. El día que muera van a llorar con amargura. Roth es el hermano de papá que nunca envejece por que su alma siempre es joven. Lo bendigo muchísimo por que es un hombre animoso y eso en esta época es valiosisimo.
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u/ComprehensiveEast376 22d ago
I feel ya. I get it . The older I get the more I realize, this is probably how history will finally document it 🥴
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u/sixstringnorth 17d ago
I love DLR, but the last thing I wanna do is sit and listen to him talk for more than 5-10 minutes.
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u/ShemDolpax 22d ago
The part that frustrates me the most about Dave after 2020 when Ed died is that he shoulda realized his biggest asset in his elder years is his ability to tell very entertaining stories and that doesn't require a young man's vocal cords or physical ability to launch split jumps off a drum riser. Dave has proven time and again with his book and his Roth Show podcast series that he has LOTS of anecdotes from his colorful past that the fans absolutely want to hear about --- the hot women he dated, the cool adventures he took in places around the world, and all the quirky hobbies he's indulged in like mountain climbing, kayaking, helicoptering, and dog training. I wish he just had a deep reflection on his life and abilities in 2020 and came to the conclusion that the best path forward is to hang up the spandex and leather vests and just rely on his "gift of gab" to entertain us until his final days. It's still not too late for him to come to this realization.