DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

by Ernie Thomas

Look up “rock star” in the dictionary and you may likely find a photo of the Bloomington, Indiana-born and bred, David Lee Roth, illustrating the definition.   

      Roth, late of Van Halen, has epitomized the essence of rock stardom since he first dazzled us with his diamond style. 

     When Van Halen burst out of Los Angeles in the late 1970s, they re-energized the hard rock scene and probably prevented the “alternative” scene from hitting us much sooner than it eventually did. 

     At the time Van Halen came out, long haired hard rock/metal bands were still trying to be the next Led Zeppelin.  The genre was tired and needing a transfusion about as badly as Keith Richards on a binge night. 

     As flashy as he was/is, Eddie Van Halen retained the old school “sacred guitar god” image.  He was enough of a holdover, that the previous generation of rockers ––   weaned on the axe chops of Hendrix, Marino and Page –– felt comfortable to come worship at his altar.  

     What really made Van Halen stand apart from their hard rock predecessors and pre-date the L.A. spandex explosion, was the high-kicking, human dynamo they had as  their front man. 

     From the moment he first flashed his famous cheshire cat grin on MTV, Van Halen’s egocentric and athletic frontman/vocalist –– David Lee Roth –– became the very embodiment of rock stardom for his generation.    

      Eddie and David became the new dynamic duo of rock ‘n’ roll!  Together they created a band that became the “blueprint” for the parade of West Coast “hair bands” that followed in the 1980s. 

     With a penchant for wearing furry knee boots, flowing silk scarves and spandex, Roth’s choice of clothes are often as loud as his music and his flamboyant and over the top schtick has made him one of the most famous rock showmen of all time.

      Roth’s impact has been so grand and his audience so all inclusive, that he now draws the same kind of multi-generational/cross cultural audience as bands like U2, Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones. 

     Roth refers to his fan base as being “Harleys and Ferraris,” because they range from one end of the spectrum to the other and include everyone in between. 

     Though gone from the group for a number of years, Roth is still revered by most people as “the voice of Van Halen.”  Roth is quick to amend that thought during our interview. “Ummmm...Not to most people... to ALL people!  It’s just that some of you have to be politically polite,” he laughed.  

      Asked if Van Halen as a band is truly dead, Roth says –– “As long as I’m healthy and as long as I can hit that note, then ‘Hope Springs Eternal’ is more than just the name of a stripper in Dallas,” he joked.   “You can not only replace the music, but you can find musicians who can take it past where you found it.  The one thing you will never replace is a distinct human voice and the larceny that drives it!” 

    Roth recently filmed an "unplugged" segment for a Vancouver music television network, and while rollicking around the Great White North, he decided to kick off a world tour to support his sixth solo CD, “Diamond Dave,” which ships on July 8.

      “We’re doing a half dozen Canadian gigs and then we’ll continue on for another 75 shows in the U.S.  After that we go on to Japan, Australia and everyplace else that will have us,” said Roth.

      Recording sessions for Diamond Dave began almost immediately upon the completion of last year’s high profile “Sam & Dave Show,” which paired Roth with his Van Halen replacement and arch rival, Sammy Hagar.  

     Speaking with Roth, one realizes that the famous feuding between the two singers is not some savvy marketing ploy dreamed up in some board room, but a genuine dislike for each other that rivals that of the Everly Brothers.  Everything between the two ex-V.H. belters seems viewed as being a competition, though Roth jokes about how Hager is no competition at all. 

      “I barely got warmed up on that tour, so I was more than ready to hit the studio and rock,” he laughed.  “But poor Sam, he just fell apart after about 50 shows. For Christ’s sake, Cher just finished 140 shows, so what does that tell you [about Hagar]”   

      Roth’s version of an old Steve Miller Band song, “Shoo Bop,” is the first radio single from the new 14-track CD.

       “We just finished filming the video and people who loved the ‘Hot For Teacher’ and ‘California Girls’ videos will really love this one,” he said. “As you might expect, it’s got plenty of gorgeous women and it’s pretty left of center.”  

     From when he covered the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” on the first Van Halen album, to when he wrapped his indelible voice around such vintage tunes like “California Girls,” “Tobacco Road” and “Just A Gigolo” during his solo years, Roth has always enjoyed making other artists’ songs his own.   

     He counts himself in good company when it comes to doing covers in this manner, by pointing out that the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra are others who frequently reinterpreted other’s songs.

  “Hell, the New York Philharmonic is really nothing more than a Beethoven tribute band when you get right down to it,” laughed Roth.  “And they sure get respect.”

     Roth continues this long tradition on Diamond Dave, by covering three classic Savoy Brown songs and one each by Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and The Doors. 

     “There’s a number of different ways to approach a cover tune,” explained Roth.  “One is to ‘just get it right’ as Coach Kelly from my old Pop Warner days would always say.  Another is to take the premise that maybe they didn’t do the song so well the first time around and you can do it better.  A third is to take the song completely past where you found it and make something entirely new and unique from it.”  

     A quarter century has passed since the world was introduced to Van Halen.  That said, the band is now eligible for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.    

     Given their retail and radio success, and the influence they have had, it seems unlikely that Van Halen will be stepped over when it comes to nomination time.  

       The real question is whether the V.H. members can remain civil towards each other long enough to stand together at the podium to receive the honor, let alone perform together live at the ceremony. 

     “I’m interested in knowing that one myself,” laughed Roth. “Maybe if Eddie Van Winkle can wake up long enough to find his way to the building we’ll find out.” 

      Roth may not be sure how the performance might turn out, but he knows for a fact that rock ‘n’ roll fans would never forget Van Halen’s induction, were it to happen.   

      “Remember that Mike Tyson fight, where he bit the guy’s ear?   That was really lousy boxing, but it was superb television.  I guarantee that if nothing else, Van Halen together up at the podium would be great television!” 

        Roth spent most of his pre-teen years living just outside of Bloomington. His family left the Midwest when he was age 9. 

    “When people hear I’m from Indiana, they ask if I miss running through the grass barefoot,” he said.  “I tell them – ‘No, I didn’t run barefoot, because we lived next to a turkey farm...’  

     When asked what he really did miss about his days as a Hoosier, Roth did not hesitate in responding.

      “Honestly, I miss the fresh air and open spaces,” he exclaimed.  “You tend to take that kind of stuff for granted until you move away. Then you have to pay an extra thousand bucks a month just to get a place in some high rise [building] that has a little bitty prison window that only opens about six inches – ‘Here’s your fresh air Mr. Roth!’ ”   

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