Eddie VH chooses rehab over the fans.......

You've heard the phrase used before, but I thought I'd provide a visual answer for anyone who is wondering when Van Halen will finally get this ill-fated tour back on schedule.

Eddie is back in rehab and has posted a message for fans on http://www.van-halen.com/.
Alex and Ed skipped out on attending the induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sammy Hagar and Micheal Anthony attended, and were inducted by Velvet Revolver who performed "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" and "Runaround". Sammy and Michael performed "Why Can't This Be Love" with the help of Paul Shaffer.

The induction speech by Velvet Revolver, as well as the performances mentioned above, can be seen at http://spinner.aol.com/rockhall/2007-induction-ceremony.

There are also interviews with Sammy in regards to reuniting with the band and his success with the Cabo Wabo.

As much as I love Sammy Hagar, I think that a tour with the original lineup of Van Halen would have been a great start to a new chapter in the band's career. I personally think that Ed and Alex have a lot of music still left to share, but can't seem to get the ball rolling for more than a few minutes at a time.

The band's five newest tracks, two recorded with Roth and three with Hagar, are all indicators that this band is not done yet. "Me Wise Magic", recorded with Roth for the 1996 release "Best of Volume 1" cd, rates among my top 5 favorite Roth-led songs. The three opening tracks on the "Best of Both Worlds" compilation of 2004, recorded with Hagar, gave a mucical nod to Van Halen's past while providing a glimpse into their future.

When I heard the news that Sammy had left the band back in 1996, I was waiting to hear that it was all a joke and a new album was coming out just to throw everyone off. The punchline never came, and I'm still waiting. From what I've read and heard, Ed's alcohol problems put a halt to any recording plans following the 2004-2005 tour with Sammy. Of course, nobody besides the group knows for sure if that was the extent of it.

I'd like to think that Eddie can get sober (again) and take Sammy or Dave on tour and put attitudes aside for the sake of the fans. The fans have always been a key focus for Sammy Hagar, in and out of Van Halen. He conjured up the Sam and Dave tour for the fans, and it's the fans that have been strung along for the last decade waiting for new (relevant) material.

I guess it's just wishful thinking at this point, as the tour of 2007 with original singer Roth has been cancelled with no known outcome. It's interesting timing that Ed chose to start rehab, on the arrival of their induction and a planned tour. There's no mystery as to who controls the future of Van Halen; he's the guy who calls the shots from rehab.