Rick wrote:That makes AC/DC and Van Halen with Sammy cover bands then.
As far as AC/DC is concerned, I'm not a fan, so am not qualified to comment. I am a fan of Van Halen, and as I've said here 1000 times before, people should STOP using Van Halen as an example when comparing Journey replacing their lead singer! It's not the same...It never was the same...and it never will be the same! Van Halen replacing their lead singer was the most successful replacement of a lead singer, in the history of music! Also, some of us thought that the "replacement" was far more talented than the original!
The reality is that "5150" is the only number one album that Van Halen has EVER had (and that is still true to this very day), and it was their very first with Hagar. Also, I'm talking number one on the Billboard top 200 album chart, not the ridiculous, old fuck, "Adult Contemporary" chart! That fact alone doesn't allow for the comparison. Remember, Van Halen was a VERY successful band (all of their albums had gone platinum), long before Hagar was brought on board. The fact that his first album ended up being the most successful the band ever had tells me that they were no cover band with Hagar! Also, they had 4 top 25 hits off of that first album with Hagar, so again, no "cover band"! A band is not a cover band when their new material stands on its own, which was absolutely the case for the Hagar led Van Halen!
John from Boston