hennemusic: Sammy Hagar slams new Van Halen again

Monday, January 30, 2012

Sammy Hagar slams new Van Halen again

Chickenfoot recently performed part 2 of their Road Test tour, with a week of shows across Europe, in support of “Chickenfoot III.”

The guys did media interviews during the trip and, naturally, since the band features two former Van Halen members – Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony – the subject of VH and their forthcoming new album, “A Different Kind Of Truth” (due Feb 7) came up during the sessions.

While chatting with Radio Metal,Hagar was asked how he is feeling now that VH are releasing a new album.

“Oh, I’m okay with those guys doing whatever they want to do,” says Sammy. “What I’ve heard so far, I wasn’t impressed with at all, personally. I think in Chickenfoot, we’ve raised the bar a little bit on what a four-piece rock band can do, and I think they chose to take the easy route and take some of their old stuff and and re-record it instead of writing new songs. Who is Van Halen today? I don’t know, I don’t think the fans are going to be happy with it. I couldn’t care less if it’s the biggest album of the year, that wouldn’t be important to me, what is important to me is that, as artists, why would you do that? They haven’t released an album since my last album in something like 1991 or ’92, (Ed. note: "VHIII" was issued in 1998) and then they just go back. To me it makes a strange statement, it kind of says ‘We don’t have anything, we’re not a band anymore, we’re not creative.’ Isn’t it a strange statement to you?”

Radio Metal: Do you think this was intentional? I mean, as a band it’s normal to have some habits, some patterns, some ways of composing that come back, so do you think it really was intentional?

Hagar: I don’t know. To be honest with you, the last time I was around those guys was in 2004 on the reunion. It was a disaster, it was horrible, Eddie was in a really bad shape, I wrote about it a lot in my book. And I don’t know what they’re thinking to be honest with you. Because if they were thinking at all, they would certainly have Mikey in there playing bass. So I don’t know what they’re thinking. I believe it was probably intentional because I don’t think they had any choice. If they had had a choice they would’ve done all new stuff. From today. They would’ve written together like a band.

Radio Metal: So you think they don’t have any inspiration today?

Hagar: I don’t think so. I think there’s zero inspiration and zero creativity. If there was any, they would write new songs. What does the band do? When Chickenfoot got together for our first album, we were four new guys and we got together and wrote ten, twelve songs and made an album. When we decided to do our second album, we didn’t go back and take the two songs that were left over from the first album, we wrote all brand new songs. Because we’re new people, we’re inspired. Here’s what we have to say, here’s what we want to play now, here’s who we’ve become since then. And you present yourself to the fans as who you are and what you’ve become. And if you don’t have any idea of who you are or what you are and what you’ve become [laughs], then I guess you have to go back and show them what you used to be. I don’t know, does that make sense?

Radio Metal: Michael told us that he was totally open to have Chickenfoot going on tour or at least making a couple of shows with Van Halen. What about you?

Hagar: Hell yes! [laughs] Are you kidding? Right now, for free. They wouldn’t even have to pay me.

Radio Metal: Anyway, does that bother you when you hear people comparing Chickenfoot and Van Halen?

Hagar: Oh no, I think it’s fantastic. Really, it’s fantastic, are you kidding me? If you take Joe versus Eddie, you take Dave versus me, Wolfie versus Mikey, Chad or Kenny versus Al… I mean, come on! You know what I mean? Man for man, who can sing the best? Dave or I, today? Who can play the best? Joe or Eddie, today? Who could play or sing the best? Wolfie or Mikey? I think it’s a joke, sure I love the comparison as long as it’s fair. Not because you’re a big Eddie Van Halen fan, you think that he’s God therefore you think that he’s better than Joe, you have to be bipartisan and just listen and watch both of them play. Listen, I played with them both, I can tell you right now: there is no comparison today. Never mind the innovator that Eddie was. I’m talking about what they can play today.

Radio Metal: So in other words, Chickenfoot is way better than Van Halen?

Hagar: As individuals, absolutely! I’ve been in both bands, I can tell you right now. Take the new albums and compare them track-by-track and then tell me.

Contrast Sammy’s comments to something the Red Rocker mentioned earlier in the interview….when asked about lead singers being the loud mouths in bands…

Hagar: [Laughs] I’m trying to calm down in my old age. I used to shoot my mouth off a lot, before Van Halen, and in Van Halen I’d shoot my mouth off a lot, and after Van Halen I’d shoot my mouth off a lot. But now what I want to do is, since I wrote my book, now I just want to concentrate on being a positive person and have the attitude that if you don’t have something good to say about someone, just don’t say anything. I’m trying to be like that in my life now.

Check out the full Sammy session with Radio Metal here.

Tattoo - Single - Van Halen

Van Halen – Tattoo

33 comments:

Anonymous said...: I've been a big fan of both VH eras (the Roth years and the Hagar years) but Sammy just looks biter and jealous by going public and slamming the new record. I really dig the new record and applaud the use of old and new material. I think the new VH record will stand up years from now as yet another great VH record.; January 31, 2012 at 8:04 AM
Anonymous said...: Douche...; January 31, 2012 at 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...: On the one hand, he spends ten minutes absolutely dogging Van Halen(the usual for him of late), but earlier in the interview he says he's just trying to be positive? Sammy, whether I was a Van Halen fan or not, you have got to be the biggest douche in rock n' roll. You make Axl Rose look like a nice guy. As much as Axl appears to hate Slash, at least he's not taking a million interviews and dogging him every chance he gets-then telling the world he's a nice guy and doesn't run his mouth anymore. Sammy Hagar gargles my balls.; January 31, 2012 at 11:23 AM
Anonymous said...: "If you take Joe versus Eddie, you take Dave versus me, Wolfie versus Mikey, Chad or Kenny versus Al… I mean, come on!"

Very good point & case closed imo...........; January 31, 2012 at 1:35 PM
Anonymous said...: I will always enjoy some of Sammy's solo material from the early 80's, especially "VOA", but aside from that, he's nothing but a damn bitter old man. Let it go, Sammy. There is no comparing Van Halen to Chickenfart. Recycled material that never saw the light of day from a decade before you were even in the band, with a renewed Van Halen with David Lee Roth behind the wheel is going to outdo, outperform, and outsell anything you and Chickenfart do. Nothing but respect for Michael Anthony, who seems to not have a bitter, jealous or mean bone in his body.; January 31, 2012 at 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...: I Wonder why Edward wouldn't let the paramedic wear his three piece wig in the video for Tattoo?The songs 35 years old and "Jim Dandy" wannbe Lee Roth has to keep pretending he's young and worthwhile instead of being the talentless paramedic his solo(ng) career took him to.; February 2, 2012 at 12:28 AM
Anonymous said...: The above poster obviously doesnt knw shit about the band with his jim dandy remark. Even Jim Dandy stated that dave never ripped him off and always enjoyed dave as a frontman. This guy above is a hagar fan...and thats fine....sad, but fine. Let's see what happends when A different kind of truth is released. I can tell you what will happen. Van halen will blow chickenfoot away in sales and popularity. Van halen with roth...always have it...always will!; February 2, 2012 at 1:36 PM
Anonymous said...: It's amazing how not ONE writer of any articles on this jerk off has pointed out how big of a hypocrite sammy hagar truly is. Hello!? Where's the balls in this journalistic world? Wake up! SAMMY HAGAR IS NOT A NICE GUY...HE'S AN INSECURE, JEALOUS, FAT ROCKER. Remember B.T.O.?
My god does hagar look like that lead singer. UGH!; February 2, 2012 at 1:46 PM
Anonymous said...: Commenting on physical appearances rather than musical ability? Fail. Don't know that Randy Bachman was the lead singer of BTO? Fail. Next.; February 3, 2012 at 9:14 PM
Anonymous said...: Wolfgang is great on bass, eddie is incredible. I saw an interview where joe had created a beautiful song. The band was excited to record it. I will give them a chance. Find the song. Sammy screaming poorly structured juvenile lyrics across a great song. Vh with dave is rooted with a bluesy voice. Hagar sounds like journey. I wanted to get joe satriani a sympathy card for feeding his song into the screaming garbage disposal that is sammy hagar.; February 4, 2012 at 3:38 AM
Anonymous said...: Wow sammy you are a jealous little bitch aren't you.go scat sing over one of joes solos and ruin it for the poor guy..no one likes a girly whinger like you..so stop clinging on to van halen by any means you can and by the way i heard a rumour going round that eddie,al and dave couldn't give a shit what you have to say..; February 4, 2012 at 9:10 AM
Anonymous said...: Fact: Sammy Hagar is a fat douche.
Fact: Sammy Hagar needs to STFU.
Fact: Sammy Hagar will never reach the level of stardom that only VH took him to.
Fact: Nobody will remember Sammy Hagar in 40 years, so who cares.; February 4, 2012 at 1:31 PM
Anonymous said...: Oh shut up Sammy hasbeen!!!

Who in their right mind would name their band "Chickenfoot" LMAO!!!; February 5, 2012 at 6:59 AM
Anonymous said...: Hager should have reworked his old stuff because the new cd is nowhere to be found.; February 5, 2012 at 12:14 PM
Anonymous said...: sammy says roth and van halen using old work and re tooling it is bad? says who? its their music. why cant they use their music? I dont get it? who cares? obviously sam is jealous. and greedy. the first remark was "oh ya 2004 was a disaster...ITS IN MY BOOK...". roth and vh are reliving youth and we're reliving it with them-except sam. he's just "one of four new guys- in some band".; February 5, 2012 at 2:57 PM
Anonymous said...: I used to respect Hagar before he released his book and spends every interview slagging off the new vh cd. I saw chickenfoot 3 weeks ago in London and thought they were a warm up for the real band that is van halen. Btw eddie is still the king.; February 5, 2012 at 6:57 PM
Anonymous said...: Sammy is full of it! chickendick has not been around since the 70's so of course they only have the option of coming up with brand new material. Van Halen's 1984 album has material on it that they first came up with before their first album. F.u.c.k. album which they did with Sammy also has some stuff on it which was previously unreleased.; February 6, 2012 at 11:07 AM
Anonymous said...: Hager is a fat, angry, bitter, jealous, intimidated capri pant wearing 70 year old... Chkfeet are a collection of tards. Anthony, was the weakest link in VH...BYE BYE...Wolfie is better at 21.. Chad weak link in the peppers...Hager, well lets just say in all fairness, that when he was the recipient of the golden lottery ticket and was asked to join VH, every album VH released with fatty sold less than the 1 previous. Yes they went # 1, but they were riding the coattails of jump. The greatest hits with the two new Roth tunes sold more than all the Vanhager records except 5150...( thats gotta sting). Satriani, I give him respect, he deserves it, good guitar player, and a good guy. But he aint no Steve Vai and sure aint no Eddie.. Super Group?? Are you crazy.. The good news is all you feet peeps can catch the foot on tour at your local highschool cafateria tour this summer... Still plenty of tixx left....; February 8, 2012 at 11:47 AM
Anonymous said...: Id take EVH over Satch any day of the week...Joe for the most part has put out self-indulgent instrumental albums for most of his career (zzzzz!) while Ed plays great stuff in the context of a band setting and always has been accessible..if you've heard the new record the dude not lost a step.GREAT PLAYIN' from EVH on the new one!..the guy is on fire! DLR is one of a few prototype lead throats out there:Plant,DLR etc the list is short.The guy influenced a gazillion in the genre.Drink some more tequilla SamBoy and stop b**tching ya look bitter kid.; February 8, 2012 at 5:36 PM
Anonymous said...: Just listened to Tattoo. Eddy and Alex are still great. Wolfie is no Micheal...And Dave still can't sing. I still like Sammy over Dave any day.; February 8, 2012 at 6:27 PM
Anonymous said...: The new VH should've had both Michael Anthony & Wolfie, that would be the way to go

I am not a robot...; February 8, 2012 at 6:31 PM
ou812zx said...: Holy crap.....what a bunch of tard comments above^^^. Hagar has more talent in his eyebrow than VH has had collectively the past 20 years! I used to love VH, but they have sucked so bad since Balance, its embarrassing. DLR has sucked since the 2nd album, and continues to suck ass. Since they kicked Mikey out of the band, the VH brothers have shown their true colors, and are on the last reunion tour of their career....makes me sad, but that is the real kind of truth.; February 8, 2012 at 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...: I AGREE with ou812zx
Hagar may have a "big mouth" at times but, there's absolutely NO COMPARISON to vocals especially to David Lee WHOOOOO?
While I've heard 3 songs from the new VH album, the VH bros would've been SMARTER, BETTER to have just found a NEW VOCALIST and leave DL in the past!
I AM a HUGE SAMMY FAN and have been since ROCK CANDY with the group MONTROSE in the 70's. I've seen him in CONCERT many, many times and he sounds BETTER than recorded while, the old VH sounded AWFUL!
VH's first 2 albums were great with most of the songs re-makes but the 3rd SUCKED and still DOES.
BEING BIPARTISAN to the music NOW, CHICKENFOOT would BLOW VH OFF THE STAGE because of DL- the rest of the boys sound GREAT on the album but that voice- AWFUL at least to anyone that knows what GREAT MUSIC sounds like.
ALL you Sammy HATERS need to do is to SHUT YOUR MOUTHS and LISTEN with your EARS!!!!!; February 9, 2012 at 1:32 PM
Anonymous said...: i like both Dave and Sammy! So I find all of this annoying! But I do love the new VH album!!; February 10, 2012 at 5:53 PM
Anonymous said...: Bottom line the new van halen is rock solid and chickenfoot iii is very average.; February 12, 2012 at 1:42 AM
Anonymous said...: I like CF and VH...with that said, I think that the new VH stuff is missing alot without Michaels backing vocals---a trademark of both the David Lee Roth AND Sammy Hagar eras of VH...; February 12, 2012 at 10:23 PM
Anonymous said...: chnkfeet is horrible, both of those albums. they sound horrible, they sold horrible. period.. like the guy said up alittle, chknfeet will be opening for some1 worth seeing, or playin on some small highschool cafateria tour.. it is what it is...; February 16, 2012 at 4:35 PM
Anonymous said...: As to Sammy's comment about comparing players, music isn't about physical gymnastics as much as it is about style, which Ed and DLR and Al all have loads of. But I've got to say that after hearing the new VH CD it seems Ed has some blistering licks that clearly show his ability physically, and even progressing his style.; February 18, 2012 at 9:48 AM
David Michael Green said...: I'm not really sure what to say here except, Sammy, you gotta stop posting your negative comments on here, go hit up an AA meeting. That tequila is gonna kill ya. Don't think negatively about the past, just be glad that you had those years with VH. You had a good go there for a while until they finally realized that David Lee Roth in combination with Eddie, Al and Wolfgang would be the wise choice for Van Halen's future. You just can't beat the original. VH with you was kinda like taking the color out of a cola. Putting DLR back was like putting the color back where it belongs. DLR is much more of a showman than you will ever be.; February 19, 2012 at 1:35 PM
Darren B. said...: I'll take DLR NOT vocally hitting the mark,but still oozing with style ,charisma,cabaret showmanship,and PROPER front man ego,for ALL the right reasons, rather than, a polished voice and bitter "once was" BUT AIN'T NOW but want's to be again, any day.I like Sammy ,but Chicken foot SUCKS,MAYBE SAMMY COULD TAKE A FEW POINTERS FROM VH ,reviving HIS old sound and possibly sell a few more tickets and albums,they certainly have the line up of talent to do so,and they could quite possibly be in contention with a #1 debut and possibly have a boatload of more fans.; February 21, 2012 at 12:19 AM
Anonymous said...: Hey Fat ass,
Who is VH today you ask? It is the Van Halen that we the fans always wanted! Perfectly preserved in a pre-5150 world. Oh and guess what Cabo flabo boy, the album is #1 on Billboard in the rock category, so your theory on how the fans will react is shot to shit. Now kindly shut the fuck up. You're starting to sound like the jilted ex wife whose former husband left her something hotter and younger. At first you have everyone's attention and sympathy but as the month's go by and your whining and crying continues ad nauseam, those same sympaticos are now saying to themselves " Geez, no wonder why he left the bitch"...; February 24, 2012 at 4:35 PM
Anonymous said...: Darren B!

Agreed brother! So on point!

Sam truly sucks, and it sad that he's STILL jealous and envious of DLR 30 something years later. I personally think the new VH album rocks and I think the point of over 200,000 people purchasing the album during this sad digital age is impressive. VH are legends....sam, a great buisnessman. Sorry but I dont attend a concert where a 60 something year old rocker has "Fight for your right to party" by the beastie boys on the set list. LAME.; February 24, 2012 at 4:59 PM
Anonymous said...: So, where's this positive sam that you keep yappin' about?
Is this guy kidding? Maybe most hagar fans or morons but I'm a pretty smart cat and that comment made no sense. Then again, neither does sam.
I cannot believe there are so many fans of this bitter phoney!
What a shame someone like this even exsists in the rock world...; February 24, 2012 at 5:10 PM

Monday, January 30, 2012

Sammy Hagar slams new Van Halen again

33 comments:

Post a Comment