Van Halen Tokyo Dome Live In Concert released on March 31 2015 CONFIRMED / VERIFIED

[Jungle Drummer]

I think Wolfie might be recording an album of his own.

Could possibly even be the three Van Halen's without Dave. But separate from the VH band.

Remember in DLR'S Rolling Stone interview in 2013 he was venting about how they haven't sat down and written anything together in ages. He mentioned something about Eddie might just want to write with Wolfgang.

I really don't think this was the project Dave referred to.

If there were no vocal overdubs there's nothing for him to do on this live album. Except maybe pick out the cover art.


Definitely a lot more going on than we know.

Exactly. There's no way this was the special project Dave had referred to. Maybe part of it, but definitely not the whole thing. Maybe there is something else on the horizon or maybe what they had originally planned got scrapped.
But, as we've talked about, the fact Bob Clearmountain was brought in to mix makes me think this is gonna sound very good. I'll be happy to have an official live VH album with Dave and a great set list. I'm glad they're keeping Dave's Japanese banter in it as well. It doesn't matter that I have no clue what he's saying, it makes me laugh every time, and the Japanese crowds loved it.

People who can't honestly say that the Tokyo Dome performance was a good night by the band, just simply don't know how to have a good time. All people want to do nowadays is nitpick everything to death. Just crank it up, be thankful VH still rocks as hard as they do as sixtysomethings, and have a good time.

[DLR 1973]

I think Wolfie might be recording an album of his own.

Could possibly even be the three Van Halen's without Dave. But separate from the VH band.

Remember in DLR'S Rolling Stone interview in 2013 he was venting about how they haven't sat down and written anything together in ages. He mentioned something about Eddie might just want to write with Wolfgang.

I really don't think this was the project Dave referred to.

If there were no vocal overdubs there's nothing for him to do on this live album. Except maybe pick out the cover art.


Definitely a lot more going on than we know.

This live release and the remasters are probably the first inline of several new releases.

If they released new music first, it would greatly diminish any interest in a live album or any remasters that then followed, so I can see why Van Halen have to be very select on what information they publish and when they publish it.

[Nick AVH fan]

Remastering albums takes time too, guys. Jimmy Page did it himself with another engineer and that took of time to do. I think Eddie and Al went engineer searching for a while, until they found one that would take their job.

[Incomudro]

Count me in as having zero interest in this album.
Seeing VH together with Roth is one thing - a good thing.
Buying a studio album with Roth on it is another good thing.
But purchasing a recording of a live show with current (well two years ago) DLR on it?
No Thanks.
I'm sure Dave will go in and overdub vocal, which will be a much needed thing to do.
But of course, that takes away much of the live then, doesn't it?

[Incomudro]

How were they spending so much time on a live album with no overdubs or doctoring and simple remasters?

What the hell is wrong with this band...

Do you know the Aesob's Fable of The Scorpion and The Frog?

This is Van Halen.
This is what they do.
It's crazy for us to expect anything else out of them.

[1234over]

Remastering albums takes time too, guys. Jimmy Page did it himself with another engineer and that took of time to do. I think Eddie and Al went engineer searching for a while, until they found one that would take their job.

There is a big difference between Van Halen's master tapes, and Led Zeppelin's.

LZ's records were loaded with overdubs, and there was probably bouncing between multiple tapes going on usually. Record tracks to one 8-track reel, mix it down to 2 tracks on another reel, and add stuff to the open tracks. That would leave lots of room for improving tracks each step of the remastering process, and would take way more time. A wide variety of instruments on LZ records, too.

Also they have bonus tracks to work on.

Van Halen records? One track for guitar (some say 2, so we can roll with that), maybe another for an overdub on some tunes. All recorded to one reel of 24-track tape.

LEd Zep's was a way bigger project, and even that was hyped. I mean, of course Page is going to do interviews and make it seem like a tremendous undertaking, with amazing discoveries, long forgotten takes, misplaced reels, etc.

I really don't think the remasters are going to blow my mind. The records already blew my mind, that's why I want more recordings from them! How about blowing our minds with new stuff like we all feel they are capable of.

They are Van Halen, they could jam on a riff for a day, have Roth work up some vocals, and record a fucking song. Right there in there at EVH's home, for free! They recorded WACF in 2 or 3 weeks!

It's not that hard, they claim to play music at 5150 regularly. EVH supposedly has reel upon reel of music to work with. What's the big fucking chore to put together some new songs? Even just a new single to go with the live album, something that says "we are really an active band, not a charade"...nope.

And if it's such an undertaking to remaster, and get a live record together, wouldn't that time and energy be better spent just making a record of new music?

[unchainedguitars]

There is a big difference between Van Halen's master tapes, and Led Zeppelin's.

LZ's records were loaded with overdubs, and there was probably bouncing between multiple tapes going on usually. Record tracks to one 8-track reel, mix it down to 2 tracks on another reel, and add stuff to the open tracks. That would leave lots of room for improving tracks each step of the remastering process, and would take way more time. A wide variety of instruments on LZ records, too.

Also they have bonus tracks to work on.

Van Halen records? One track for guitar (some say 2, so we can roll with that), maybe another for an overdub on some tunes. All recorded to one reel of 24-track tape.

LEd Zep's was a way bigger project, and even that was hyped. I mean, of course Page is going to do interviews and make it seem like a tremendous undertaking, with amazing discoveries, long forgotten takes, misplaced reels, etc.

I really don't think the remasters are going to blow my mind. The records already blew my mind, that's why I want more recordings from them! How about blowing our minds with new stuff like we all feel they are capable of.

They are Van Halen, they could jam on a riff for a day, have Roth work up some vocals, and record a fucking song. Right there in there at EVH's home, for free! They recorded WACF in 2 or 3 weeks!

It's not that hard, they claim to play music at 5150 regularly. EVH supposedly has reel upon reel of music to work with. What's the big fucking chore to put together some new songs? Even just a new single to go with the live album, something that says "we are really an active band, not a charade"...nope.

And if it's such an undertaking to remaster, and get a live record together, wouldn't that time and energy be better spent just making a record of new music?

Excellent post (great points in regards to Zeppelin, as well).

I would think that it would be far more fun, as creative beings, to release new material as opposed to
a live show from two years ago.

The old Eddie always used to say, "I'm a musician first."

Again, he's playing at such a high level, why waste that & not write new song's, riffs & solo's?

The possibility is that he probably is....in private...with Wolfgang....in a garage in California....

I think VHIII made Eddie afraid to share.

[vhfanjack]

And they've dangled the carrot of vintage releases for a while, like that interview where Ed said that he has footage of himself playing guitar at a talent show, or that CNN report when they showed off the vault.

Why remasters, anyway? I think that the prior remasters sound great. They're some of my favourite albums to listen to, sonically.

I find it very bizarre that Ed used to be against live albums, but the ones they've released have been ones that no one really cares about.

The comments I've seen on this announcement on various pages have been for the most part, negative. And a lot more people care about Mike being out of the band than I thought.

[vhfanjack]

They could have atleast changed the French flag on the cover to a Japanese one, though... Yikes.

[unchainedguitars]

And they've dangled the carrot of vintage releases for a while, like that interview where Ed said that he has footage of himself playing guitar at a talent show, or that CNN report when they showed off the vault.

Why remasters, anyway? I think that the prior remasters sound great. They're some of my favourite albums to listen to, sonically.

I find it very bizarre that Ed used to be against live albums, but the ones they've released have been ones that no one really cares about.

The comments I've seen on this announcement on various pages have been for the most part, negative. And a lot more people care about Mike being out of the band than I thought.

Yeah, ive read comments on the RS, GP, Classic Rock, etc. links.

Most fans are pretty annoyed by this announcement.
And, yeah, i was surprised by how deep the Mike loyalty really is.
A lot of resentment directed at Eddie.

I have two Japanese remasters on CD w/obi strips (WACF & FW).

I played them on my dad's stereo and they sound AMAZING!

They were expensive imports at the time, and i still need VHII in this format, but
they are superior to what we got in 2000 or 2002.

They look so nice to, in miniature vinyl album replica sleeves.

From what i've seen on the amazon link, the VHI remaster is in a standard jewel case.

LAME!