via MelodicRock.com:

VAN HALEN - POSSIBLE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?:
It's been a while since I reached out to one of my best sources of Van Halen info over the years, but it had to be done. And I got the information I was hoping for - independent confirmation from a long time source I trust that Van Halen are indeed working towards finishing recording of a long awaited new studio album with David Lee Roth, set for release sometime in the first half of 2011. A single is slated for release before the end of this year, but exact timing still remains very much up in the air. I'm told the relationship between Eddie and Dave remains as complex as ever, but there is a definite desire to get a new record completed.

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Added by Linda:



Standard Edition:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006UG909U/?tag=imwan-20

Deluxe Edition:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006UG90RM/?tag=imwan-20

Eddie can still play like a man possessed but Dave's voice is shot. If either of them can still write a decent song will be the tale of the tape.

Should be interesting. Can't be any worse than the last album.

As long as they don't take themselves too seriously, it will be great.

Unfortunately, I don't think EVH can let his ego go enough anymore. He's to interested in making "art" and has completely forgotten that Van Halen is a party band. We'll see...

Did we ever learn the reason for Mike Anthony's ouster from VH, or was it purely a matter of Ed wanting to slot Wolfgang in there?

The way I understand it, Michael Anthony got tired of sitting around after a couple of years of non-activity, so he called up Sammy, who invited him to join him on tour. Anthony says he asked Eddie and Alex if it was okay, and they said yes.

But I guess Eddie grew resentful of the fact that Mike and Sammy were playing VH tunes together onstage and decided to fire Michael Anthony. Even on the ill-fated 2004 Van Hagar reunion tour, Anthony was a paid sideman and not a full member of the band. Sammy claims he had to lobby to have Mike resume his place in the band.

Also, Mike has said that the Van Halens were upset at his outside the band activities, particularly his barbecue sauce. They apparently told him not to promote it when the subject was Van Halen. He said during one interview, he was asked about it and the basic gist of the answer was, "It's going okay" and nothing more, and he said Eddie went ballistic after. Kind of ironic, given that Eddie used to bitch about Dave not wanting him to do stuff outside of VH.

I suspect it's a bit like Kiss and Ace Frehley - much like Gene and Paul can't stand the fact that Ace is popular with their fans, I get the impression Eddie feels the same way about Mike and his popularity, but Mike seems like the one guy in the band who's got his feet on the ground and has stayed somewhat normal.

Alan

Mikey could have trashed Eddie a thousand times by now, but hasn't.

At least he and Sammy (the two ex-members) represented VH at the Rock 'n roll hall of fame.

Any new album has trainwreck written all over it-I thought they sounded like shit on 2007-08 tour from the numerous clips on You Tube.

Agreeance. EVH is an absolute turd for the way he treated Mike.

Part of me would love to see Michael Anthony write a book about his time in VH and tell it all, but he probably won't. In this day and age, it's refreshing to see someone in the industry who doesn't pour boiling oil over former bandmates and associates.

He don't wanna burn that $$$ bridge.

Good point.

From Billboard.com (Who writes this crap? 1984 came out in 1983? Seriously??? Anyway, maybe Eddie still has some riffs and I guess anything can be done in a studio, but I'm not exactly excited by this):

Welcome news for Van Halen fans: The clearest signs that an album and tour are in the works for next year have emerged.
While the webosphere has bantered rumors and various reports about a possible album with original frontman David Lee Roth since last year, a recent release announcing a re-upped deal between publisher Warner/Chappell and Eddie and Alex Van Halen stated that the band "is currently in the studio recording an album with Roth that is due for release in 2011."

Meanwhile, Van Halen manager and Live Nation Entertainment executive chairman Irivng Azoff mentioned on a conference call last month and an earning's call last night that Van Halen was expected to tour next year. That's good news for Live Nation as a disappointing 2010 season is hitting the touring giant's earnings. Van Halen's 2008 reunion tour with Roth was a massive success. It raked in a total gross of more than $93 million and close to one million in attendance from 74 shows, according to Billboard Boxscore.

A new Van Halen album would be the band's first studio album since 1998's "Van Halen III," which featured vocals by Gary Cherone, and the first with Roth since 1983's "1984," one of the band's best-selling albums.

I never would have thought that someone in VH could come off as being a bigger jack ass than Roth. But EVH just seems like a DICK. If I was that freaking talented, I hope I'd also have enough character to not let my own personality blow-up my success. If he and Roth could have found a way to be adults, we'd all have so many more cool-as-shit VH albums in our collections right now.

1984 technically was released in 1983. It was released on January 31, but didn't hit stores until a couple of weeks later. Well, that was the story they gave back in the day and if you look at the liner notes, it's copyrighted 1983.

For what it's worth.

1984 was released on Jan. 9, 1984. I bought it the day it came out-the day after my birthday. The 1983 copyright is because that was when the songs were written/recorded.

There was a story going around (I might have heard it on MTV) that it was going to be released on Jan 31st. I even went into a store, hoping to buy it.

I think you mean Dec. 31? The "Jump" single came out that day but not the album.

I'm looking forward to the next Chickenfoot CD more than this.

Eddie lost me a long time ago - he's gone from a guy who sounded like he had his head on pretty straight, a guy who just wanted to make as much good music as he could to being a complete and total prima donna. First the problem was DLR, then it was Sammy, then it was DLR again, then it was Gary Cherone, then Sammy again and now it's Sammy and Mike. Pretty much everyone except the two constants. And I don't know if Alex is a problem in the band or not (I've heard stories both ways), but after seeing some of Eddie's antics over the past few years, I'm beginning to think he's not just the most unique thing in VH, but also the biggest problem.

Wait a sec - it's Aug. 9. Isn't it time for Eddie to change guitar/amp endorsers again?

I'll check it out if and when it comes to be, but looking forward to it? Not really.

Alan

I think Eddie got bored, it happens to guitar geniuses. And this is just my personal opinion of course, but Michael Anthony is one of the worst if not THE worst bass players these ears have ever heard. Anybody who had to sit through one of his snoozefest bass solos during the 1984 tour knows what I'm talking about. Of the four components of VH during their heyday, he was the least needed and anybody could have played bass for them, he didn't stand out at all. Of course, maybe that was his job--to NOT stand out. In which case, he did a great job.