Disclaimer: The following post may contain commentary that could lead to the assumption that I dislike David Lee Roth and/or Van Halen. I like them both, though perhaps differently than other artists and certainly less frequently.
Quite a few years ago, the following quote was attributed to David Lee Roth:
Music journalists like Elvis Costello, because music journalists look like Elvis Costello.
That quote comes to mind today when I listen to music by Costello or Van Halen - though I spend very little time listening to the latter. Roth made that remark at a time when his star was perhaps shinning a bit more bright than Costello's. Both artists had more of a live like there's no tomorrow attitude about them. My intent isn't so much intended as a comparison, but rather to illustrate how ironic the way things have turned out. In those days, Roth was a bit of a high school bully - and let's face it, kids can be mean. We mature, things change. Elvis Costello has his lunch money back now, dig?
Hindsight is always 20/20 and Roth was probably a much bigger star in those days, while Costello had an odd combination of prolific writing and an almost Sex Pistol aura about him - which seemed to suggest his moment of fame would be brief. Let's not even get into the Columbus, Ohio incident, or the ten year ban from SNL - those are every bit as bad a look for Costello as a remark like Roth's was for him and/or his band. Roth's remark bugged me, but at the same time, it was easy to dismiss it. It was only natural for him to appear so much larger than life. Considered smaller and less popular/handsome, Costello kind of had to do what any kid who gets tired of getting picked on does - fight back. While I can't say that I've ever spent the same amount of time listening to Van Halen as I have listening to artists such as Costello that have a bit more substance, I can't deny that Roth and Van Halen made their marks too.
Musically speaking, I like everything about Van Halen - well, perhaps not the Gary Cherone period, but I can't fault them for trying to keep the ship on the water. For a heavy, high energy rock band, VH was awesome - both with Roth and with Sammy Hagar. I love Alex Van Halen's playing - and the fact that VH has been his gig for his entire career. Eddie is a great guitarist. Michael Anthony was a great bassist in VH. Great stuff - even if there's none of it in my collection, because I just don't reach for stuff like that often enough that it's important to have around. I even went to see them in concert - though it was the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge tour. By that stage in their careers, I might have thought a title like that was more than a little late in coming. Kind of seems like it would've been a tittle better suited to either the Sex Pistols or the punk vibe that Costello had in his early work - but that's just it really, Costello or the Pistols would have simply dropped the F bomb without any dancing around trying to be clever. What did you say? You heard me!
Roth and Costello were a bit like the tortoise and the hare fable in those days. Damn near anyone would've said that Roth would easily win the race, or that he already had - no matter how much quicker Costello counted his tunes off in concert compared to his records. Thing is, it wasn't a race. Comparison needn't show up at the party and it only does when one person wants something different than another wants. For the moment there might only be room for one. I don't like to buy into that notion much, but even in a perfect musical world, I can only listen to one at a time. Artistically speaking, Roth may not have aged as gracefully as Costello has. That doesn't change the fact that he made a huge splash in the ocean of rock-n-roll. It's just that the art lasts longer than the artist. Early Van Halen tunes still have the energy they had when they first came out. If indeed Costello ran a much slower race, he ran at a pace that has (thankfully) allowed him the time to create with much more depth - and it's that depth that make him the kind of artist I listen to and admire much more often. It does more for me, I think more and it moves me more - and in numerous ways.
As much as Bob Dylan's lyrics stand alone for me for the numerous reasons they do, Costello's are not far from Dylan's. Costello has called himself the Scrabble champion of rock-n-roll. It's a bit deeper than that to me, but as long as the intellect is there, it's cool. Loads of great lines, some of them smack you in the head to make their point, some of them are subtle and make you think - provided lyrics aren't taking an inconsequential turn.
It's interesting that wikipedia, gospel of the new millennium, (he typed, hoping the sarcasm dripping from his hands would become obvious to the reader) says that part of the reasons behind Roth and Van Halen splitting up was due to Roth wanting to write songs that were more lighthearted and about partying and sex, Eddie wanted more serious lyrical depth. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not sure VH got any closer to that once Roth was gone. Wait - I am sure they didn't. In part two of this experimental series, I'll touch a bit on some lyrics, some powerful lines, the easy and the perhaps not-so easy and more thought provoking ones. Why? No real reason other than the fact that it's my blog and I can do whatever the hell I want on it. I like it when music makes me think quite a bit - and lately that happens a lot. Peace, good people, peace.
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