Doing some recording, God I thought i sucked SOO bad, until i heard this!!

[Rhythm N. Bliss]

I have a hard time believing that this is Mike.

Wasn't there a supposed "Cliff Burton Isolated Bass Track" posted a while ago too?
 

Doh! I posted that one. You weren't s'posed to remember.

Yeah~ This seems like someone else claiming to be someone they ain't.

[Freuds_Cat]

I agree with Rob and Uwe about isolated bass tracks. Of course there are always exceptions to the rules like the vid of JAE playing Wont get fooled again that has been posted here previously. Which is of course damn near perfection for that style of playing and very very listenable.

[slinkp]

But even that JAE clip is a bit rough... the tone sounds uglier in isolation (to me), and there are spots where his timing seems a bit ragged to me, which is probably down to the vagaries of trying to match a prerecorded synth track and live Keith Moon at the same time. 

In the mix it sounds fantastic to me, but solo'd, just about any instrument (or vocal!) track is likely to sound quite weird.

This "Michael Anthony" bit, though... I'm just not buying it.  Remember that in the original mix, there's nothing but bass and drums under the guitar solo? No rhythm guitar overdub or anything.  And this solo'd track just doesn't sound anything like I remember that part sounding.

[uwe]

Good point. I remember the old VH albums as really introducing the "when Eddie solos, he solos, there is no other guitar chording then"-fashion. That was brave as it put the spotlight on his playing, but of course he had the chops to pull it off. And the bass - while not inventive - never sounded anything less than massive on those tracks, the Godzilla stomp of Running with the Devil comes to mind.



And of course Michael's backing vocals gave VH those archtypical chorusses DLR just couldn't have provided himself (an entertaining frontman with a nice male rasp, but he can't really sing, nor has he learned it over the years). When I heard that first VH album two things struck me: the guitar and the backing/harmony vocals.

[Basvarken]

an entertaining frontman with a nice male rasp, but he can't really sing, nor has he learned it over the years

He may not have the best technique but at least DLR 's got soul. I prefer any of his recordings over Sammy Hagar's.

[Chaser001]

I was never able to take David Lee Roth seriously as a singer.  It is the main reason I tried to avoid Van Halen's music.  I never much liked Sammy Hagar, either, although he was an improvement.  However, I do find Chickenfoot interesting and have even thought about buying their CD. 

[uwe]

He may not have the best technique but at least DLR 's got soul. I prefer any of his recordings over Sammy Hagar's.

DLR has animal charm, granted, and can use his voice to great effect in a studio, but live within the melee of VH's music he had real issues pitching even during their best of times. Plus he doesn't really have the range for a hard rock singer. On the 1st VH album, I thought the deeply-sung first verses of Ice Cream Man suited his voice best and he sang that like no other.

[Basvarken]

And don't forget a good sense of humor. To me his lyrics are a lot more digestable than Hagar's.
DLR can be so over the top that it must be funny.
Hagar just wants to be funny so desparately, he rarely is.

[Chaser001]

I've never disliked DLR personally.  Plus, I do think he has a great sense of humor.  Just that "California Girls" video demonstrates that.  I suspect he may be a great guy.  But I always felt he was in Van Halen because of his showmanship, not because of his voice. 

[uwe]

True. He took that frontman role seriously and filled it well. Hagar was/is more a singing musician, with him VH became a four-piece as opposed to the three-piece with a singer they had been with DLR.

[Basvarken]

The first VH album is a classic. If I put it on today it still sounds fresh and powerful to my ears. Great songs like Running With The Devil, You Really Got Me, Ain't Talking Bout Love, etc.

I can't think of any Van Hagar album that could be named a classic.

[Freuds_Cat]

I like the first VH album but pretty much ignore the rest. I grew up listening to Montrose rather than VH so I prefer Hagars voice. Eddies flash shredding had limited appeal to me then and now.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Call me weird, but aside from the first album, my favorite Van Halen stuff was the end of the Hagar-era tracks. Humans Being from the Twister soundtrack was the most pissed off I ever heard that band (probably because they were all pissed at each other) and I love it. The different incarnations were completely different bands with completely different goals. I think someone once said the difference between them could be summed up this way: Sammy Hagar sang songs about love in Van Halen; David Lee Roth yowled about getting laid.

[Aussie Mark]

I can highly recommend the book plus two CDs "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" About the legendary James Jamerson.
There are many bass legends contributing on these CDs and book. Big names. Really big names
The bass parts are in the left speaker. The rest of the music in the right speaker.
And if you listen to their bass parts most of them sound crippled and awkward.
But in the music they sound perfect. That's what matters.

For comparison, here are some original isolated Jamerson tracks, straight off the original 8 track masters .....

http://www.ricksuchow.com/music-group-151.html

user name and password are

ricksuchow
jamerson

[uwe]

The first VH album is a classic. If I put it on today it still sounds fresh and powerful to my ears. Great songs like Running With The Devil, You Really Got Me, Ain't Talking Bout Love, etc.

I can't think of any Van Hagar album that could be named a classic.

I think the first Van Hagar album after DLR's departure pretty much reinvented and revitalized the band. The old Van Halen had become stale, good songwriting - never Van Halen's forte, how many of their songs can you strum on acoustic guitar around a camp fire? - was few and far between. You could hear the enthusiasm in that first album with Hagar and it was all coming full circle as VH was influenced by Montrose and I hear a little of Hagar even in DLR's early voice.