Modern as like in today today? Im guessing Gary Clark Jr maybe?

Fair Warning is better in my opinion. I listened to Dirty Movies yesterday and was blown away by the swagger of that groove.

I think guitar heroes are showing up here and there. Marcus King, Gary Clark Jr., Billy Strings - they are out there but maybe not in the same manner guitar heroes per se dominated the mainstream in the 1970s-80s.

I don't think there's been one in mainstream music for a while. John Mayer is probably the most recent, highest profile guy with a widespread reputation for being a kickass guitar player in the Clapton/SRV/Hendrix mold, but his big moment was, what, 15 years ago? They'll always be around is muso circles, but the days of guys like EVH appealing to mass-market crowds are probably over. Even Jack White feels a little underground to be compared culturally to a larger-than-life character like EVH.

Michael D. McCready

Van Halen III was a better record than Boarding House Reach

I thought Ain't Talking Bout Love sounded like shit when Pearl Jam covered it.

Keith Urban.

All the good guitarists are in Nashville now playing country music.

Slash but his hay day was a long time ago.

sure did.

Mainstream guitar guys, probably not. Most are in their own little niche. Marcus King, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Joe Bonnamassa. Jack Pearson is a god and most people have absolutely no idea who he even is.

Most folks who drink, smoke & do blow that hard don’t make it to 65. Respect, RIP.

Have been listening to quite a few boots on YouTube, and I must say they were an odd band live. They somehow made each show an event even though it was very scripted with very a very weird flow. The drum solo was often three songs in, a bass solo for no reason, on their very best day average vocals and some long winded between song banter. Songs taken on their own vary from verging on train wreck to brilliance in action.

However, listening to a show in whole tells a completely different story. There is an excitement they were able to generate regardless of the all of the above, primarily due to Eddie's guitar work, DLR's unbridled enthusiasm and those moments where they fired on all cylinders. The show below is a prime example.

Yeah I have some Dave era boots and he either forgets the words or he doesn't have the voice to make it through an entire song....like on every single song he can't make it through....but it's Dave so it's cool and funny. They were certainly a real professional live act with Sammy and more of a happening with Dave.

I've never given Balance a real shot so after giving it a proper listen it's better than I've given it credit for. If you take out the instrumental/transition tracks you got 9 songs. They should have released it with just those songs....actually I could live without Not Enough though obviously they liked it enough to make it a single though I imagine they just needed to release a ballad. Take Me Back is superior. 9 songs used to be a full album till it was decided that every second of a CD must be filled. Without the clutter its an easier listen.

I don't think anyone is really playing to their strengths here. Eddie wanted to be more serious (cause 90's) but Sammy Hagar and mature lyrics don't really go together naturally. He's had moments to be fair like Right Now which I know he's proud of. Still to Eddie's credit 'wham bam Amsterdam' is a pretty inane lyric but is it any dumber than Sammy singing about heroin? Lyrics aside there are some cool riffs and Sammy as always sounds great if not fully engaged. There's just not much fun to be had (cause 90's again). Van Halen is a fun band....they could diverge from that occasionally for a song or two but over the course of an entire album its too much. It's not the disaster I remember it to be though. I find myself enjoying 8 of the songs though each seems to have a slight 'I wish they made a different choice there' moment.

Interestingly (probably to me only) 8 enjoyable songs is better than the 5 I enjoy off For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge which I would have would have swore yesterday was a far superior album. The four singles and Judgment day off F.U.C.K are leaps and bounds better than anything on Balance but the good/bad ratio is in Balances favor. It's still the worst Van Hagar album but not by as wide a margin as I thought. I'll probably give it more spins in the future.

Poundcake is better than all of balance combined

I think Fair Warning would have been more popular in the '90's than when it was released. Musically it is a pretty dark album.

For sure Fair Warning is dark for VH and I love that album. I guess that blows up my Van Halen should always be fun theory.

Aftershock is a pretty sick guitar song on Balance