jon, when did you start drinking today?

OK, I admit it. It does effectively sum up the essence of Van Halen in its collective prime. But still, I kinda wish they would've hooked up that flying harness around Diamond Dave's neck...

I started drinking around noon, wendell. But, come on, when you were a young man (and even now, sometimes) don't you wish you were partying with those guys? It's a perfect distillation of rawk-n-roll at it's unapologetically raunchiest, all about loud music, booze and pussy. And Diamond Dave, like it or not was a charismatic motherfucker. Van Halen, more than anyone since Led Zeppelin & Kiss and until Metallica, summed up metal's undeniable appeal.

and as a bonus here's the best song about following a band and what that means, EVAR! Brings fucking tears to my eyes, it does.

Van Halen without David Lee Roth is just another bar band.

Agreed, LT, 110%.

(wendell, I expect him to come swinging through the room any second now...)

Straight line: Van Halen was still around after David Lee Roth?

Punch line: Yeah, that was Van Hagar.

*ducks and covers*