You’ve likely heard by now: Van Halen is back. Not Van Hagar or some version with a different singer from another second-tier 80s band—VAN HALEN, with Diamond David Lee Roth. Debuting the old-new line-up at the Café Wha? in New York city earlier this month, VH also debuted the first new single with Roth on vocals since we were all wearing pegged jeans and some fans are miffed.
Debate among the hardcore VH crowd rages around whether “Tatoo” is just a rehash of a 1977 outtake called “Down in Flames.” What? Seriously? We’re bitching about new Van Halen sounding like old Van Halen? I thought that’s what we all wanted!? Sounding like 1977 Van Halen should be a dream come true! I mean, it could be worse. It could sound like 1987 VH (between 5150 and OU812) or 1997 VH (after the awful Van Halen III). Seriously, shut up!
Judge for yourself.
VIDEO
Van Halen – Down in Flames (1977)
Van Halen – Tatoo (2012)
Give us your verdict on our Facebook poll.
VIA Rolling Stone
“Tattoo” is one of the worst Van Halen songs ever. It’s as bad as anything from the Van Hagar era.
I always liked “Down in flames” and was happy to hear they used some of the music for the new song “Tattoo”.
Can’t wait to hear the rest of the album!
Welcome back VH!
Way too little, way too late. What they should’ve done was reunite about the time Chinese Democracy was announced.
Tattoo is for me one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard from anybody not just VH…The lamest Warrant,Poison,Motley Crue,Ratt or whatever 80s band you can think of cannot even compare with this piece of trash they released,how dared they? This is an insult to not just their fans but themselves. Sorry Mr EVH you’re way out of line – you’v completely lost it – you are now in a position where you should be ashamed of yourself for ruining this band. I mean there’s no classic VH groove in there,oh I forgot there’s no Mike Anthony either…seriously it sounds like a bad porno movie tune (like that other undescribebly ugly music Eddie did a few years back about that actual porn movie…) It’s all a marketing scam the way all their pals and music industry whores started leaking rumours about new Van Halen sounding like classic VH. I will personally take any Van Hagar, Cherone-era or even Sammy’s own tunes and have them shit all over “Tattoo” LAME LAME LAME Oh and please get rid of Wolfgang-turd. What’s next bringing Ed’s cousins into the mix?
tattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattootattoo
i want to blow my brains out. horrible
The song sucks. Maybe, just maybe the music is OK, but the lyrics are downright awful!!!!
I have been one of the biggest VH fans out there, but “tattoo” makes me think otherwise.
I am waiting to hear the rest of the album before I jump off a cliff though.
Patiently waiting….
I’m one of the biggest VH fans of all time, but I’ve got to say that the comment from Aris Alamanos above gets it pretty much right on and the last line about Eddie bringing his cousins into the band next actually made me crack up. Seriously dude, that was hilarious. This new tattoo single is beyond disappointing. I think 1996’s Me Wise Magic was actually the last great Van Halen tune. Apart from it being the real lineup with DLR and Michael Anthony, the song had a tremendous hook and a great solo, while Tattoo sounds like it was slapped together and EVH is just going through the motions on guitar. No hook or anything. Not that Dave’s lyrics are ever material that would win a Pulitzer prize, but these are downright embarrassing. PLUS, have you seen the Tattoo video? WTF? First of all, there is an ugly and fat chick operating the close-up camera who ends up in about a quarter of the live shots. And the scene where the band is kicking around a bunch of balloons on stage? Wolfgang looks like he’s scared and has no idea what’s going on at that point. What a mess. Don’t even get me started on how frightening Eddie and Alex look in 1080P. The director of the video deserves to go to jail, but I’m guessing it was probably some sort of collaborative marketing decision in which no one wins, especially you and me, the real fans.
Just plain awful. The good news is that it actually brings people together. I was at the gas station the other day when this song came on. Complete strangers of different ages and sex were chuckling and commenting to each other about how terrible this “song” is. Thanks for the laughs Eddie.
Aris up there said it. The worst song I have ever heard VH or otherwise. Honestly Vanilla Ice, Rick Roll, Winger, even Pearl Jam with that douche Eddie Vedder have better songs than this.
Yeah I’m not independantly a fan of VH, although I hold immense respect for their music, and do not dislike their old stuff. When I heard this song on the radio, I didn’t even know it was them, and I would have called you a liar if you told me so. It is monotonous drivel, shat out in an obvious haze of self-congratulation and masturbation. Awful.