David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????

Subject: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: Anonny Mouse
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 10:17 AM

Well--I've seen some bizarre stuff, but David Lee Roth showed up on Leno last nite with a Bluegrass rendition of the Van Halen tune he made so famous, "JUMP!" Had a fiddler, mandolin player, upright double bass, a Taylor (maybe GA) and I think a Martin dred cutaway (one debuted at NAMM with some new "Aura" PU system in it), and a 5 string that looked like the 5th drone was part of the headstock, not down 5 frets off the side.

Anyway, David is obviously changing his image--gone the long locks (wasn't he going bald?) and replaced by a neatly trimed head of hair (or toupe) sportshirt and jeans. Actually, Jump worked pretty good as an acoustic/bluegrass song, with the fiddle, guitar and 5 string dividing up Eddie's guitar solo...banjo player was darn competent. Just kinda--uh--"whats wrong with this picture-ish." Dave also looked a bit confused as to who was handling the instruments at the "break"--at one point had to skip to stage-left so the flatpicker on what I think was a Martin, wailed away. Verrrrrrrrrrrrry interesting!

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: BTMP
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 12:47 PM

I got this off the web: Roth's latest project, a bluegrass tribute to his former band called "Strummin' With the Devil: The Southern Side of Van Halen", came out Tuesday. The tribute album began with Roth deciding he wanted to cut an acoustic record and putting out the word to some of Nashville's finest pickers, including Blue Highway, the John Cowan Band, Mountain Heart, Larry Cordle and David Grisman. He said he wanted the album to be a credible interpretation of Van Halen, rather than a tongue-in-cheek exhibition.

I thought it sounded great, but I'm not familiar with the original Van Halen version of this music. BTW, the banjo was a Stealth banjo.
-btmp

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 01:18 PM

it sucks so bad, an abomination, THE ORIGINAL SUCKED, and this is a useless "bluegrass" (so-called) version. what a waste of air-space, band-width, brain-cells.

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 01:18 PM

that was me, by the way, didn't know my cookie had expired.

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: Anonny Mouse
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 01:58 PM

For those of you who missed it--here it is in living color (follow the Blue Clicky!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9TlsVXnBn0&search=david%20lee%20roth%20leno

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: Ernest
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 02:08 PM

Thanks for the link, Anony Mouse - I have to agree with Bill Kennedy though:it is crap. Playing Rock/Pop in a bluegrass arangement often works pretty well, but not this time.
Regards
Ernest

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 02:16 PM

Doesn't even resemble bluegrass. The only musician I recognized was Rob Ickes (from Blue Highway) on Dobro.

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: Anonny Mouse
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 02:35 PM

It is quite an ensemble:the guitar player was Brad Davis, a monster guitarist. The mandolin player was John Jorgenson, also an incredible guitarist as well. The rest of the band was comprised by Scott Vestal/banjo, Rob Ickes/dobro, Stuart Duncan/fiddle, and Charlie Chadwick on bass. They will also be performing on the Late, Late, Show with Craig Ferguson(CBS) on Thursday night. More shows (CMT, A&E in NYC, The View with Barbara Walters) will follow later this and next week.

I've heard some terrific bluegrass arrangements of the Beatles' "I've Just Seen A Face" with killed 5-string and mando solos, not to mention great flatpickin'. Here's a link you can get a preview of from the late, great Vassar Clements (who I had the priviledge of meeting and chatting with a few years back at a bluegrass festival)...follow the "clicky"
http://www.mp3.com/albums/482107/summary.html

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 03:07 PM

Are you sure that's Stuart Duncan on fiddle??? I've seen him live many times, and that sure doesn't look like him to me.

Seldom Scene always incorporates a few off-genre songs into their sets, including some Chuck Berry stuff. It works well depending on the songs and the artists.

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: Anonny Mouse
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 03:42 PM

Barbara-no, I'm not *sure*--can't remember where I read it; I don't believe he's in the John Jorgenson band. In any event, no matter who it was, he knew how to stroke that bow!

And FWIW, I disagree with Bill Kennedy: I liked the original "Jump" as it always brings back some pleasant summer memories for me...and I didn't think the bluegrass version of it was as horrible as he thinks. But hey! That's what keeps this place interestin', y'know?

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: gnu
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 04:08 PM

Um... well, Bill, and others, all I can say is that there are some people who disagree with you. You can look up the sales numbers if you want. I suspect they made a few bucks. Oh, I know... the public doesn't know what real art is. But, they know what they like. And they pay for it.

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: pdq
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 05:01 PM

If David Lee Roth were really to front a group with John Jorgenson, Scott Vestal, Rob Ickes, Brad Davis and Stuart Duncan, the best thing he could do is get his fat butt out of the way and let 'em play!

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: 282RA
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 06:20 PM

You could see how uncomfortable Roth is onstage not being able to get too sexual, he keeps having to restrain himself. Otoh, at least he had the sense to restrain himself otherwise it would have been unbearable. But he looked like he was having fun and that kind of made it fun to watch. Hey, he's trying out things, I'll give him that. I also heard a bit of Jamie's Crying but not enough to judge it accurately. I want to see how far he can carry it.

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 11:20 PM

You know, I did not like the original, did not like Roth on vocals, but the rest of it kind of grew on me by the end. One heck of a band.

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: gnu
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 03:08 PM

I watched it last night. I give the man credit for trying, but, it just felt strange to hear the vocals... somehow, especially at that caterwauling pitch, it just wasn't right. The musicicans were great. The tune was well done. If Roth had sung "real" (sorry... I know, I know) BG lyrics in his normal voice, it might have been quite good.

Then again, pushing the envelope is really what it's all about, ain't it? I hope he keeps trying. The man really can sing.

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: 282RA
Date: 08 Jun 06 - 07:00 PM

It's a big departure for him so I expect a bit of "experimenting" as they say. While there are definite weaknesses, I don't think he embarrassed himself or disgraced the genre or anything. It'll be interesting to see how it evolves. Roth's not a bad singer but he's had trouble finding a niche after Van Halen. But he's done some interesting things such as the Emmett Miller stuff ("I Ain't Got Nobody" and "Big, Bad Bill is Sweet William Now"). So he finds interesting material to perform and he seems to know what good music is. He may not have an explicit understanding of bluegrass but I think he has an implicit appreciation of it more than what you'd find in most people. But it's funny and interesting to see someone do a Vegas-style fronting of a bluegrass band. This may be the first time anyone has used a bluegrass band as an orchestra and that could inspire new uses for this music. Let it break out a bit.

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: GUEST,Don F
Date: 10 Jun 06 - 01:44 AM

It was a sad couple of minutes for me to see the once mighty entertaining former Van Halen frontman morphed into an old scalped looking knee slapping hillbilly.I was waiting for him to pull out the jug and start blowing into it.He's probably saving that for the tour. It will probably be a giant Jack Danials bottle with bandanas around the neck. I saw him on tour just a couple of years ago with Sammy Hagar and though he couldn't jump like he used to he still had "IT". Sammy was also "on" as usual. Dave you truly are your own worst enemy. I see this going down as one of the worst disasters in Rock and roll decision making history.

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: GUEST,diamond dud
Date: 12 Jun 06 - 05:44 PM

sad

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: GUEST,not a hick
Date: 12 Jun 06 - 05:46 PM

might as well jump ...in front of a bus!

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: GUEST,822FAN
Date: 12 Jun 06 - 05:52 PM

Painful,horrific and sad.

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 12 Jun 06 - 06:30 PM

Hey, I thought Jump was great... I even have a Best Of Van Halen CD.

Jerry

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: Anonny Mouse
Date: 12 Jun 06 - 06:31 PM

Geez--you last three guys(or gals?) make this sound like getting your wisdom teeth pried out without novocaine or gas. Really--it wasn't that awful...it wasn't anything approaching decent bluegrass (except for the entire Jorgenson backing ensemble-they ROCKED!), but hey--ol' Diamond Dave is aging like the rest of us. Might as well try something a bit "off." But it's not worth suicide, or such hyperbolized condemnation. As for me, I can't get that fiddle/mando intro outta my head--Dave left a long time ago. LOL

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: catspaw49
Date: 12 Jun 06 - 06:41 PM

All the same Guest Nonny......Ignore.

Spaw

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 14 Jun 06 - 05:24 PM

Well, the video's gone due to "copyright infringement" but I think the fiddler was Jimmy Mattingly of the Grascals. I just saw them 2 weeks ago at Strawberry Park Bluegrass Festival in CT, and took some photos. That same shirt and same face happened to just pass by holding a fiddle in the slideshow on my screensaver.

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: shepherdlass
Date: 15 Jun 06 - 07:20 AM

Just saw it - it's back on YouTube (perhaps a different show?). Thought it was a lovely idea, spoilt by the singing - Davy-boy's throat sounds shot.

Subject: RE: David Lee Roth-BLUEGRASS 'Jump!' ??????
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jun 06 - 08:43 AM

It's right up there with Pat Boone doing Stairway to Heaven.