Dave Or Sammy?

For years the debate has raged. Now I'm convinced which side I'm on. 
Especially after reading this excerpt from Sammy Hagar's new book.

Van Halen was the biggest rock band on the planet from 1979 to 1984. Their songs had both rock and pop sensibilities, plus a sense of humor. You could fit 2 of their entire albums on a 60 minute cassette. Not those cheap Certron tapes, either. Memorex, baby! (Yep, I'm old.) I saw VH on the Diver Down (with Dave) tour in 1982 (Yep I'm old.) still ranks in my top 5 concerts of all time.

In 1986, the Van Halen fan base became a world divided. David Lee Roth was out as lead singer and Sammy Hagar was in. For years, I hated what Van Halen became. It became a different band. With Dave, the band had some power. With Sammy, they were a pop band. I even ended up liking Dave's solo stuff more than Sammy-era Van Halen. My personal feelings went the same way. "Sammy ruined the band!"

Over the years, I have learned to like the Sammy-era music (like, not love.) But my feelings about Sammy have completley turned around. Here a few reasons: 1) He agreed to do a tour with David Lee Roth after many years of them trashing each other. 2) Sammy and Michael Anthony were the only band members to show up when Van Halen was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Think about that: No one named Van Halen had enough respect for the band to show up at this momentus occasion. 3) He said yes when VH asked him to do a reunion tour after Dave couldn't get it together. 4) He fought to make sure Michael Anthony was part of that reunion (as he should have been.) The common thread here? He took the high road every time.

Again, read this excerpt and make your own judgemeents. For a band that stood for fun, these guys don't seem like very much fun. Eddie Van Halen re-revolutionalized the way the guitar was played in the 80's, his name is legendary, and he was married to Valerie Bertinelli. He should be on top of the world. But he sure seems miserable. And Sammy just keeps doing what he does...taking the high road.