Although Hagar was treated badly by the band — really Eddie — by being jerked around towwards the end when Roth was about to return, it’s become clear after all this time that Hagar-era Van Halen simply isn’t classic or even worth remembering. It’s that lame. Later attempts, like on Carnal Knowledge, to reclaim some of the kick-ass of Roth-era albums just fall flat. Hagar never could talk trash like Dave and when he and the band would try to sound raw and real, it always sounded fake. And what’s up with Hagar…he goes from one extreme to another, first as Mr. Polite Guy singing about beauty and Real Love to sleazeball sex with the subtlety of a brick through a glass window.

There’s no way I’ll seek to collect Hagar Van Halen on CD and the huge success of Van Halen’s reunion tour demonstrates that most fans have come to realize that Van Halen had only one frontman and six real albums. The irony is that about the time popular metal really took off in the mid-80s, the band that started it all had decided do limp keyboard fluff.

Am really looking forward to a new Roth Van Halen album, if that’s still on. Anyway have any news about this??

I thought was a great LP when I first heard it, but looking back it seems like VH played it a bit too safe on 5150. I think the follow-up “OU812″ was a much stronger album than 5150. Better songs, Sammy sounds more conformable in his role as lead singer, and it rocks harder.