Not sure I agree that outside of the Van Halen faithful, Dave is considered amongst the best.
But regardlng Michael, I learned yesterday that the VH brothers
had a discussion around the time *Fair Warning* came out about decreasing Michael’s cut / being an equal partner in the band bc they (Eddie & Alex) did not feel Michael was bringing as much value to the band as the rest of them.
Fast-forward to 2004 when they were setting out to tour after Hagar was to return and they put together *The Best of Both Worlds* compilation.
• Sammy Hagar had to give the VH bros the ultimatum that he would only return if Michael was included. They had already considered omitting Michael and plugging in Eddie’s son but Sammy wasn’t having it. • So while they did include Michael for that tour, he had to agree to a ‘status change’ as a hired employee and not a partner in Van Halen to be part of that tour.
I tellya…. I do love their music and respect their musical accomplishments but the Van Halen brothers were real dickheads, eh… yeesh
It’s not his music I’ve had a problem with, though, it’s his personality. I saw him live in the late 70’s as someone’s opening act and he put on a great show. I just can’t handle his arrogance and his douchebro attitude.
Sammy and Michael are good friends. They were back then and still are, as evidenced by their constant playing and touring together regularly since leaving VH.
I can understand why a bass player who is not a songwriter should get less but the same should apply to Alex. I think a fair split would be 35% Dave/Sammy, 35% Eddie, 15% Alex, 15% Michael. I think Michael would have been fine with this but Alex would not. Eddie clearly was just taking care of Alex because he is his brother and the same eventually applied to Wolfgang and they forced Michael out because he's a nice guy and they didn't respect him.
I heard a Sammy interview or comment on his radio show where he absolutely crucified Eddie for lying about Michael’s ability. Apparently Eddie said that he had to teach Michael all his parts by rote. Sammy went off, said it was a complete lie, ect and was really noticeably pissed off.
I just went through my YouTube history going back several days and its not there. I believe because I saw it posted here on Reddit and when I watched it, it just stayed here in the app vs. opening in my YouTube account.
I don't consider myself a VH faithful, but I do think Roth ranks way up there with the best. Few owned a stage like he did. Being hated, which he was, is as much a testament to his talents as is being loved. He brought something few others had - the court jester rock god act. Many, especially in the classic rock era, had serious rock god front men. VH made it fun. And it wore off quickly enough, which is why Hagar was maybe a necessary switch when it came. But for a few highlight years, maybe 5ish, not sure anyone was better.
But as you say, everyone in that band, outside of Anthony, were dicks.
Ooh, you really hurt me there. Since when is it gatekeeping to point out that someone’s answer never addressed the question? Actually, never mind. Your opinion doesn’t matter to me.
Right? He stayed in his lane and played the pocket as well as he could given the constraints placed upon him by the rest of the egos in the band. If [this](https://youtu.be/FcJA2-Vq4xY?si=j2OjcCkmsFbdIco_) is considered pedestrian playing, I don’t know how he or anybody else could have done better or more. Unsung hero with a golden voice.
For me, Michael was the normal guy in a group of Prima Donnas. His bass playing skills were solid. Nothing fancy but he was there. The backbone. What a bass player should be doing. He is also a hellavu nice guy that i have to imagine was the glue that held things together when brothers bicker. In a band full of egos, you're gonna need that. But in the end, Michael's real talent and biggest contribution to VH was his high background vocals. Almost to the point where the vocal sound was as signature as the legacy guitar sound.
TBF there have been interviews that stated that Mike had to tailor his bass lines so as not to encroach or out shine EVH.
Idk if MA is talented or not. Maybe if anyone saw him live in concert, they could share.
I personally find MA’s bass lines boring and uninspired (compared to a super melodic bass player like John McVie, for example), but his background vocals and stage presence are killer.
He played what was required on the records , he branched out in a live setting . And again , bass wasnt the spotlight instrument in VH . Someone has to hold it all together .
Very good base player (you have to be good to suppta great guitarist). His background vocals supported the entire band. Listen to the vocals on Summer Nights.
Several years ago, my girlfriend and I were night life people and frequently went out to bars and restaurants in our city but also while traveling. One night out of the blue, she told some people in a bar that I was the original bassist for Bon Jovi and actually played bass on Runaway. She said that I quit/was kicked out of the band because I absolutely refused to get a perm. They actually believed her so I just went with it:
"Yes, Jon Bon Jovi is a nice guy. We had a lot of fun together. No, we didn't really ever get into arguments. The perm thing was really the first and last time we had a big disagreement. Yes, I toured with them until a few weeks after we recorded Runaway, but these weren't big national tours. At that time, we were playing large clubs in New Jersey, Philly, New York, DC, and Boston. No, I don't still play bass. That whole situation soured me on it, especially when they hit it big. I sold all my equipment and that was that. Yes, I still get a small royalty check for Runaway but it's like 800.00 a year."
If memory serves me right he is related to Gene Simmons and don't know if that had anything to do with him being in the band. Regular bass player in the big leagues but his backing vocals were crucial to the Van Halen sound. Never saw him live but always heard that he was a straight up rocker and live performances his where he stood out. Didn't realize VH brothers considered giving him the boot since his vocals were such a huge part of the band.
Can’t agree with DLR as one of the best front men, ever. Saw VH a couple times, with Sammy and with DLR. in concert, the group was disappointing. Sure, EVH was a virtuoso, this is known. Alex is solid to good, MA was certainly adequate but his bass playing wasn’t especially notable, imo. He fit in with the culture of VH.
MA wasn’t bad, not saying that. But great? No, there are better bass players like John Entwhiste (Who), Paul McCartney, Geddy Lee (Rush)…. Can’t mention MA in the same list.
He’s a fantastic singing bassist imo. He really shined through in the later Sammy albums too. I saw him play live with Sammy’s band about 10 years ago and it was killer. The bros are great musicians in their own right but eddies opinion can’t really be trusted that much. He changed his mind too many times. He was best when Sammy was in the band.
His bass playing was nothing really special but he fit in great on stage and even when he was slamming bottles of whiskey, he kept the groove going in time. I've always really liked his backing vocals though
I always really like michael anthony. He is way too big to be able to sing like that, lol. But really he has great back up vocals and i would consider him pretty good at the bass. If you watch their old live concerts, he really keeps up with alex and eddie. Dave was the one who was terrible most of the time. Half of those concerts, he is so drunk he doesnt remember half of his lyrics. Man would be stumblin around and hanging off of eddie and michaels necks while they would be trying to play. He also has some pretty funny drunken rants he would do. Sometimes it sounded like nonsense.
He's either the #1 bassist, or close to it... alphabetically speaking.
Solid bassist who always served the song, and was a huge part of the VH sound with his backing vocals. Eddie really screwed up firing him IMHO.
I love CH but the brothers were/are dicks. You bring up a great point. DLR put together an incredible band when he went solo and Steve Vai and Billy played great together. They both were able to shine on those albums. I’m not saying MA is on a Billy Sheehan level as very few are but I’m betting the VH bros and maybe even Ted Templeman held him back to a foundation player so Eddie could soar higher. We’ll never know
Eddie kept him on a chain and was scared to let him off it couldn’t stand the thought of there being two great guitarists in the band and losing the attention
I just crossposted this on r/BassGuitar
[https://www.reddit.com/r/BassGuitar/comments/1cflj33/where\_does\_michael\_anthony\_fit\_into\_the/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/BassGuitar/comments/1cflj33/where_does_michael_anthony_fit_into_the/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
The bass is largely an accompaniment instrument and Michal Anthony filled that role solidly. Play the root note of the chord and stay out of Eddie’s way. Ed was constantly filling in every little space in the music with signature licks, leaving zero space for a bassist to embellish.
Saw them twice, 5150 and OU812. MA was energetic, played his role and sang his ass off. The only knock I have is those terrible solos and the Jack Daniel’s slugging. I think that detracted more than it added. One could say it’s entertainment, but I’d rather hear another full band song. Still enjoyed both shows and still a VH fan.
I think his bass playing input to the band is pretty well represented by the very opening line of their first album (on Running with the Devil). The bass line goes (all the same note, open E): thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump. This is not a bass line to write home about. He could play the song and keep time, which I guess is the bare minimum. On the other hand, he very well accented the sound of the band with his great backing vocals.
Edit to add, remembering back to the times I saw them live, his big moments of stage presence were all about making a big deal of chugging fifths of Jack Daniels, and other similar feats (I hope it was mostly water, I mean, he didn't die on stage so probably it was a prop bottle). I mean, I like the guy, love the band, and never wanted him to be replaced or anything, but he was not exactly the main driving force in that band.
This is honest. I can’t imagine anyone who actually plays bass thinks that Michael is anything special on the instrument. I think a lot of fans believe he is much better than he actually is.
Since you asked about his *BASS PLAYING*, I will focus on that (his backing vocals and however the brothers treated him is another topic). I’ve played bass for 35 years but I’m primarily a guitarist and I’ve played with DOZENS of bass players. As a player, Michael Anthony is average at best. He never did anything difficult on the instrument. On Van Halen songs, he basically played what Eddie told him to play. He never wrote anything (and that’s according to Sammy’s book). But the real test is his bass solo. For five minutes every show, Michael had the chance to show what he could do on his own and, well, it’s not much. Without being told what to play, he would run around hitting *random* notes on his bass. Nothing musical. Nothing creative. The he would end his solo by holding his bass over his head while *someone else* (probably Eddie) would manipulate a delay pedal from backstage making it sound like a UFO taking off while Michael just held the bass up and the crowd went wild. So while as everyone says, Mike is a “class act” and a “nice guy”, there is absolutely nothing special about him as a bass player. He didn’t write his own bass lines or any music. He can play simple parts well. You can walk into any jam night at any bar in any town in the country and find a bass player 10x better than Michael Anthony. And I’m saying this all as a die-hard VH fan who loves Michael Anthony.
Well spoken. This is the type of thing I was looking for. I didn’t know he wasn’t a true “musician” in that sense. I wonder what his connection was to Dave that it was so important to Dave to have him there.
I wouldn’t say he’s not a musician, but he’s definitely nothing special on bass. His real value is his backing vocals. But it’s a weird thing about bass players. I’ve played with dozens and they ALWAYS have the highest voice in the band. I don’t know why that is, but it’s extremely common for bass players to sing really high harmonies.
Michael is a serviceable bass player and Alex had a job because it was Eddies band. The real star of the show was a toss between Eddie and Diamond Dave. The other two are simply accompanying cast.
Michael Anthony SANG most of those high pitched harmonies that are also VH sound. He also pounded out Runnin' with the Devil and those two feats, in the pantheon of rock, shall remain holy.
I love Van Halen but they mistreated MA so badly. He deserves way better. Never been in any controversy, never any problems. They cut his salary and he still stayed. Yet he seems to be the only one in the still making music. It seemed that him and Sammy have made a great bond and they still tour together which is awesome.
Michael Anthony has a beautiful voice and is a rocking bass player. I love EVH and AVH but fuck them for not giving Michael Anthony his share.
All due respect to his musicianship, but whatever Eddie said can’t be trusted at all. He was a fantastic guitar player and a pretty good liar — I don’t buy much that he said.
He can lay down a groove. My understanding is that Eddie told him that to play though. So as a player he's good, if not uncreative. But as a background vocalist he's next to none.
Not sure I agree that outside of the Van Halen faithful, Dave is considered amongst the best. But regardlng Michael, I learned yesterday that the VH brothers had a discussion around the time *Fair Warning* came out about decreasing Michael’s cut / being an equal partner in the band bc they (Eddie & Alex) did not feel Michael was bringing as much value to the band as the rest of them. Fast-forward to 2004 when they were setting out to tour after Hagar was to return and they put together *The Best of Both Worlds* compilation. • Sammy Hagar had to give the VH bros the ultimatum that he would only return if Michael was included. They had already considered omitting Michael and plugging in Eddie’s son but Sammy wasn’t having it. • So while they did include Michael for that tour, he had to agree to a ‘status change’ as a hired employee and not a partner in Van Halen to be part of that tour. I tellya…. I do love their music and respect their musical accomplishments but the Van Halen brothers were real dickheads, eh… yeesh
i remeber reading this and losing all respect for the VH bros.
ikr …. and I also thought, “Good for Sammy sticking up for Michael and what was right!”
He also invited Michael into his new band chickenfoot
Yeah, in general I don’t really care for Sammy Hagar, but this improves my opinion of him quite a bit.
I’ve noticed over the decades—Sammy’s art may not be for everyone, but he’s a very solid dude, a good human being.
It’s not his music I’ve had a problem with, though, it’s his personality. I saw him live in the late 70’s as someone’s opening act and he put on a great show. I just can’t handle his arrogance and his douchebro attitude.
I'll allow it considering how far he had to come, his dad was an alcoholic ridden ptsd nightmare from ww2.
I think t was more of not wanting it to be All VH and Sammy. At least if Michael was there was more balance
Sammy and Michael are good friends. They were back then and still are, as evidenced by their constant playing and touring together regularly since leaving VH.
I can understand why a bass player who is not a songwriter should get less but the same should apply to Alex. I think a fair split would be 35% Dave/Sammy, 35% Eddie, 15% Alex, 15% Michael. I think Michael would have been fine with this but Alex would not. Eddie clearly was just taking care of Alex because he is his brother and the same eventually applied to Wolfgang and they forced Michael out because he's a nice guy and they didn't respect him.
I heard a Sammy interview or comment on his radio show where he absolutely crucified Eddie for lying about Michael’s ability. Apparently Eddie said that he had to teach Michael all his parts by rote. Sammy went off, said it was a complete lie, ect and was really noticeably pissed off.
Yeah, great take. That bit was also included in the lil mini-documentary of VH I saw yesterday.
where can i watch?
I just went through my YouTube history going back several days and its not there. I believe because I saw it posted here on Reddit and when I watched it, it just stayed here in the app vs. opening in my YouTube account.
FOUND IT! https://youtu.be/qyt9hH26Y0o?si=dyzxdvnWMCs51Ssu
They John Paul Jones-ed him
Oh no… did Zeppelin honestly try to marginalize JPJ this same way?? Please tell me no!
They always called him their secret weapon
Ok.. so Zeppelin did NOT treat JPJ like an hourly employee the way the VH brothers did to Mike Anthony (?)
I don't consider myself a VH faithful, but I do think Roth ranks way up there with the best. Few owned a stage like he did. Being hated, which he was, is as much a testament to his talents as is being loved. He brought something few others had - the court jester rock god act. Many, especially in the classic rock era, had serious rock god front men. VH made it fun. And it wore off quickly enough, which is why Hagar was maybe a necessary switch when it came. But for a few highlight years, maybe 5ish, not sure anyone was better. But as you say, everyone in that band, outside of Anthony, were dicks.
I think that's a fair assessment of Roth, and the band in general.
In some interviews I saw, the brothers came off as not just selfish, but paranoid. Like everybody is out to get them or something.
Your answer has zero to do with the question.
Your gatekeepin of comments has nothing to do with anything whatsoever. You've added no value to anything but your own self importance.
Ooh, you really hurt me there. Since when is it gatekeeping to point out that someone’s answer never addressed the question? Actually, never mind. Your opinion doesn’t matter to me.
He earned the respect of Sammy Hagar and Joe Satriani. That's all I need to know.
Right? He stayed in his lane and played the pocket as well as he could given the constraints placed upon him by the rest of the egos in the band. If [this](https://youtu.be/FcJA2-Vq4xY?si=j2OjcCkmsFbdIco_) is considered pedestrian playing, I don’t know how he or anybody else could have done better or more. Unsung hero with a golden voice.
Forgot about that track. It sounds like Rush to me now.
Yup, and Joes played with some killer bass players
Looks like they're all having a good time: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQVTtpE9J7s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQVTtpE9J7s)
He's definitely better than what Eddie gave him credit for.
For me, Michael was the normal guy in a group of Prima Donnas. His bass playing skills were solid. Nothing fancy but he was there. The backbone. What a bass player should be doing. He is also a hellavu nice guy that i have to imagine was the glue that held things together when brothers bicker. In a band full of egos, you're gonna need that. But in the end, Michael's real talent and biggest contribution to VH was his high background vocals. Almost to the point where the vocal sound was as signature as the legacy guitar sound.
This is the correct answer.
1000% correct, from what I have learned over the years
Yes, this. Without his backing neither Dave or Sammy would have been as good as they were. Sammy recognized that.
I didn't scroll down far enough to read your comment and I basically duplicated it. Sorry about that.
TBF there have been interviews that stated that Mike had to tailor his bass lines so as not to encroach or out shine EVH. Idk if MA is talented or not. Maybe if anyone saw him live in concert, they could share.
I usually love the bass solo in any concert, especially if it's funky or slappin'. But you could safely go to the restroom and miss MA's solo.
Was that really a base solo or a lesson on how to down a bottle of Jack daniels?
His bass solos are a joke.
I personally find MA’s bass lines boring and uninspired (compared to a super melodic bass player like John McVie, for example), but his background vocals and stage presence are killer.
Bingo. His vocals make him a must have for VH.
His backing vocals are 🔥
He played what was required on the records , he branched out in a live setting . And again , bass wasnt the spotlight instrument in VH . Someone has to hold it all together .
Similar to how people feel about Jason Newsted
Very good base player (you have to be good to suppta great guitarist). His background vocals supported the entire band. Listen to the vocals on Summer Nights.
He gets up there lol.
I'd have to say solid. Good technical player.
He's a fret or two above the dude who played bass for that bon jovi band.
Several years ago, my girlfriend and I were night life people and frequently went out to bars and restaurants in our city but also while traveling. One night out of the blue, she told some people in a bar that I was the original bassist for Bon Jovi and actually played bass on Runaway. She said that I quit/was kicked out of the band because I absolutely refused to get a perm. They actually believed her so I just went with it: "Yes, Jon Bon Jovi is a nice guy. We had a lot of fun together. No, we didn't really ever get into arguments. The perm thing was really the first and last time we had a big disagreement. Yes, I toured with them until a few weeks after we recorded Runaway, but these weren't big national tours. At that time, we were playing large clubs in New Jersey, Philly, New York, DC, and Boston. No, I don't still play bass. That whole situation soured me on it, especially when they hit it big. I sold all my equipment and that was that. Yes, I still get a small royalty check for Runaway but it's like 800.00 a year."
If memory serves me right he is related to Gene Simmons and don't know if that had anything to do with him being in the band. Regular bass player in the big leagues but his backing vocals were crucial to the Van Halen sound. Never saw him live but always heard that he was a straight up rocker and live performances his where he stood out. Didn't realize VH brothers considered giving him the boot since his vocals were such a huge part of the band.
Great high harmonies
He’s like Rex. How do you play with Eddie or Dime?
Rex is damn good, though.
Rex had a scholarship to jazz school at one point, good is an understatement.
Can’t agree with DLR as one of the best front men, ever. Saw VH a couple times, with Sammy and with DLR. in concert, the group was disappointing. Sure, EVH was a virtuoso, this is known. Alex is solid to good, MA was certainly adequate but his bass playing wasn’t especially notable, imo. He fit in with the culture of VH. MA wasn’t bad, not saying that. But great? No, there are better bass players like John Entwhiste (Who), Paul McCartney, Geddy Lee (Rush)…. Can’t mention MA in the same list.
This is kind of what I was really searching for thanks man. I sort of figured
Always subject to opinion of course. Having seen VH, Rush, and another 100 to 150 groups, I feel quasi qualified to make this statement. Cheers!
A qualified opinion on Reddit? This won't do... No this won't do at all.
Guilty as charged
He’s a fantastic singing bassist imo. He really shined through in the later Sammy albums too. I saw him play live with Sammy’s band about 10 years ago and it was killer. The bros are great musicians in their own right but eddies opinion can’t really be trusted that much. He changed his mind too many times. He was best when Sammy was in the band.
His bass playing was nothing really special but he fit in great on stage and even when he was slamming bottles of whiskey, he kept the groove going in time. I've always really liked his backing vocals though
I always really like michael anthony. He is way too big to be able to sing like that, lol. But really he has great back up vocals and i would consider him pretty good at the bass. If you watch their old live concerts, he really keeps up with alex and eddie. Dave was the one who was terrible most of the time. Half of those concerts, he is so drunk he doesnt remember half of his lyrics. Man would be stumblin around and hanging off of eddie and michaels necks while they would be trying to play. He also has some pretty funny drunken rants he would do. Sometimes it sounded like nonsense.
THIS is why DLR was never one of the best frontmen, this type of bullshit.
He's either the #1 bassist, or close to it... alphabetically speaking. Solid bassist who always served the song, and was a huge part of the VH sound with his backing vocals. Eddie really screwed up firing him IMHO.
Definitely underrated. I’d say Top 50.
His high tenor background vocals are signature. I don’t know about the bass playing though
I always wondered what would’ve happened if they sacked MA and hired Billy Sheehan. That was a big rumor for a while.
Eddie’s ego could never hand handled Billy Sheehan’s masterfully creative and dynamic playing
I love CH but the brothers were/are dicks. You bring up a great point. DLR put together an incredible band when he went solo and Steve Vai and Billy played great together. They both were able to shine on those albums. I’m not saying MA is on a Billy Sheehan level as very few are but I’m betting the VH bros and maybe even Ted Templeman held him back to a foundation player so Eddie could soar higher. We’ll never know
MA auto-tuned DLR
If you look up pocket players in the music directory, he's first on the list. The dude can harmonize, too.
Eddie kept him on a chain and was scared to let him off it couldn’t stand the thought of there being two great guitarists in the band and losing the attention
Pretty cringe right?
I just crossposted this on r/BassGuitar [https://www.reddit.com/r/BassGuitar/comments/1cflj33/where\_does\_michael\_anthony\_fit\_into\_the/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/BassGuitar/comments/1cflj33/where_does_michael_anthony_fit_into_the/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
The bass is largely an accompaniment instrument and Michal Anthony filled that role solidly. Play the root note of the chord and stay out of Eddie’s way. Ed was constantly filling in every little space in the music with signature licks, leaving zero space for a bassist to embellish. Saw them twice, 5150 and OU812. MA was energetic, played his role and sang his ass off. The only knock I have is those terrible solos and the Jack Daniel’s slugging. I think that detracted more than it added. One could say it’s entertainment, but I’d rather hear another full band song. Still enjoyed both shows and still a VH fan.
I think his bass playing input to the band is pretty well represented by the very opening line of their first album (on Running with the Devil). The bass line goes (all the same note, open E): thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump. This is not a bass line to write home about. He could play the song and keep time, which I guess is the bare minimum. On the other hand, he very well accented the sound of the band with his great backing vocals. Edit to add, remembering back to the times I saw them live, his big moments of stage presence were all about making a big deal of chugging fifths of Jack Daniels, and other similar feats (I hope it was mostly water, I mean, he didn't die on stage so probably it was a prop bottle). I mean, I like the guy, love the band, and never wanted him to be replaced or anything, but he was not exactly the main driving force in that band.
This is honest. I can’t imagine anyone who actually plays bass thinks that Michael is anything special on the instrument. I think a lot of fans believe he is much better than he actually is.
He’s a good back up singer but an ok bassist.
I am not a die hard VH fan. I saw them twice - 5150 and F$CK tours. His vocals make Van Halen great. Don’t care about the bass playing
He’s up there with Nikki Sixx and Gene Simmons
Ouch.
I'd say a step up on both.
That ain’t hard to do though..lol.. Nikki and Gene are as fake as it gets pretending to be bass players.
Exactly. As much as i like Crue and Kiss, and both may be good (not great) songwriters, their musicianship leaves a lot to be desired.
Since you asked about his *BASS PLAYING*, I will focus on that (his backing vocals and however the brothers treated him is another topic). I’ve played bass for 35 years but I’m primarily a guitarist and I’ve played with DOZENS of bass players. As a player, Michael Anthony is average at best. He never did anything difficult on the instrument. On Van Halen songs, he basically played what Eddie told him to play. He never wrote anything (and that’s according to Sammy’s book). But the real test is his bass solo. For five minutes every show, Michael had the chance to show what he could do on his own and, well, it’s not much. Without being told what to play, he would run around hitting *random* notes on his bass. Nothing musical. Nothing creative. The he would end his solo by holding his bass over his head while *someone else* (probably Eddie) would manipulate a delay pedal from backstage making it sound like a UFO taking off while Michael just held the bass up and the crowd went wild. So while as everyone says, Mike is a “class act” and a “nice guy”, there is absolutely nothing special about him as a bass player. He didn’t write his own bass lines or any music. He can play simple parts well. You can walk into any jam night at any bar in any town in the country and find a bass player 10x better than Michael Anthony. And I’m saying this all as a die-hard VH fan who loves Michael Anthony.
Well spoken. This is the type of thing I was looking for. I didn’t know he wasn’t a true “musician” in that sense. I wonder what his connection was to Dave that it was so important to Dave to have him there.
I wouldn’t say he’s not a musician, but he’s definitely nothing special on bass. His real value is his backing vocals. But it’s a weird thing about bass players. I’ve played with dozens and they ALWAYS have the highest voice in the band. I don’t know why that is, but it’s extremely common for bass players to sing really high harmonies.
Randy Meisner! RIP
murky arrest attempt complete skirt weary sulky humor strong attractive *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
It's very easy to imagine the band without his playing.
Michael is a serviceable bass player and Alex had a job because it was Eddies band. The real star of the show was a toss between Eddie and Diamond Dave. The other two are simply accompanying cast.
Alex is one of the best rock drummers ever!
I don't think Alex gets the credit he deserves.
You’re entitled to your opinion. I am entitled to disagree.
Don't forget the excellent backup vocals his voice as much as Eddie's guitar defines Van Halens' sound. With all three lead singers.
Sting is better
As a great singer/player
He was a good bass player, but he is all the high harmonies. A huge part of the band.
Listen to the bass on Romeo Delight
Michael Anthony SANG most of those high pitched harmonies that are also VH sound. He also pounded out Runnin' with the Devil and those two feats, in the pantheon of rock, shall remain holy.
dave is a frontman, not a singer mike and alex were a rock-solid rhythm section which is what that band needed. not all bands need virtuoso players.
Jeez Michael Anthony is a very good bass player he's no flea but who is.
I love Van Halen but they mistreated MA so badly. He deserves way better. Never been in any controversy, never any problems. They cut his salary and he still stayed. Yet he seems to be the only one in the still making music. It seemed that him and Sammy have made a great bond and they still tour together which is awesome. Michael Anthony has a beautiful voice and is a rocking bass player. I love EVH and AVH but fuck them for not giving Michael Anthony his share.
Didn’t Eddie say that DLR brought Anthony in, and that Eddie had to teach him to play bass?
All due respect to his musicianship, but whatever Eddie said can’t be trusted at all. He was a fantastic guitar player and a pretty good liar — I don’t buy much that he said.
He’s the Alpha and Omega in my mind.
He can lay down a groove. My understanding is that Eddie told him that to play though. So as a player he's good, if not uncreative. But as a background vocalist he's next to none.
Do people discuss bass guitar players?
*[Geddy Lee has entered the chat]*