Sammy or Diamond Dave ?

[Rick Lee]

Sammy took VH from pretty rich to super rich. They never had a #1 album with DLR and fired their (very competent) manager after the 1984 tour. Sammy's manager, Ed Leffler, had made Sammy very rich as a solo artist. And Sammy brought him to VH, where he not only wrung a better deal out of Warner Bros. for them, but then they put out four albums that all went #1 and had huge selling tours. Things went downhill after Sammy left and they never really got their mojo back. Sure, I caught all the subsequent tours, but they weren't the same.

[A930Rocket]

VH with DLR FTW. 🤘🏼

[rattlsnak]

Definitely liked VH better with DLR because I didn't really care for 5150 - that really turned me away a bit.... For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge wasn't bad, but I will say that OU812 was really good.

[KevinTodd]

VH's opening salvo and subsequent albums w/DLR WERE VH in essence, and SH knew that when he took over. Still, he led them into uncharted territory and brought them into the era of mega-success. DLR faded away completely after VH, while SH, who had already enjoyed a healthy career as a solo artist (RED ROCKER!), continued to produce and perform great music. The guy is a natural born entertainer, and can absolutely shred on guitar. He is still active today---while DLR has nothing but a string of attempted comebacks, mostly w/VH, which most of us can agree have failed.

My favorite VH tunes are w/DLR, but those days are gone, and as much debate on whether SH was a good fit or not as there is, he clearly took the ball and ran with it.

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

I always thought SH was a poser wannabe and David Lee Roth the real deal.

Agree. David Lee was an amazing showman and a really canny promoter. Still is. Pretty crummy singer technically, but that didn't matter.

Still amazed how much Eddie could play.

[Sarc]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

Dave, or Sammy VH?

Was that supposed to be in green?

[URY914]

The latest on Eddie.......

https://news.yahoo.com/eddie-van-halen-thinks-developed-125403795.html

[asphaltgambler]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

To me VH is an entirely different band with lead singers DLR and SH. I grew up loving the early days with Dave - he was a great showman, ok singer, and the music was raw and new. Sammy brought a new level of polish, not as flamboyant as Dave, but much better vocal. Many of my favorite VH songs came from that era.

When they dropped Mike for Wolfgang I pretty much walked away. I still have many of their songs on my playlists and last saw them in concert in San Diego when Sammy and Mike were still in the band. Will never pay to see them play again.

+1.......agree ....great response...

[Paul T]

Originally Posted by Eric 951

Diamond Dave all the way.

Sammy is a better vocalist, and defiantly more polished. He was a great fit for the direction Van Halen was moving in at that time (more keyboards, more polished, studio sound), but Dave is the consummate frontman.

To me, Dave-era Van Halen was the greatest rock band to ever come out of the US.

100% - Dave sounded pretty good on the early albums too...