# Sweet Jeebus, Is David L Roth Serious? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2006, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439 "2006-07-14T05:35:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shai\_tan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Shai\_tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shai_tan)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/1 "2006-07-14T05:35:20Z")
I’ve seen him twice recently (including tonight) on Conan O’Brian. What in the name of **HOLY HELL** is he thinking??? That crap he’s singing is god-awful. It’s painful. PLEASE MAKE IT STOP! ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/2 "2006-07-14T05:48:36Z")
Except for his high-pitched screams, legendary in rock annals… he was NEVER the talent behind Van Halen. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Shai\_tan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Shai\_tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shai_tan)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/3 "2006-07-14T06:34:32Z")
I don’t know if you’ve heard what he’s doing now, but its got banjos and… i don’t know… stuff. It sounds like something from Hee Haw, or some hick country jubilee. It’s disturbing, and HE DOESN’T SING WELL. He’s off key (I’m assuming as I’ve never heard the music before) and seems to be tone-deaf in general. It’s really, REALLY bad. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/4 "2006-07-14T08:29:09Z")
Oh, boy. I’m watching Conan right now, just went to commercial and when we come back, David Lee Roth. This should be a treat. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/5 "2006-07-14T08:39:20Z")
Yeah. Wow. Okay then. That was totally lounge lizard with banjos and mandolins. I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but there it was. _Charasma_, David. You ain’t got it. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/6 "2006-07-14T08:58:46Z")
Yeah, I saw him tonight on Conan and he was doing basically the same thing on Leno a couple of weeks ago. Basically it’s David Lee Roth singing Van Halen songs with a bluegrass band. The musicians actually sound pretty good, but Roth sings in an almost-but-not-quite “lounge-act” style. On Conan tonight he performed “Janie’s Cryin”. The musical arrangement worked pretty well, I thought, but Roth sounded horrible and he looks spastic while singing, like maybe he wants to cut loose and start jumping and dancing around like the old days, but instead he just pumps out an arm or throws out an elbow or does a very small jerky kick. On Leno a couple of weeks ago he performed “Jump” and it was just really strange hearing that song played as bluegrass. I just Googled and found [this CMT article](http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1534233/20060613/roth_david_lee.jhtml). Apparently there is a whole CD of Van Halen songs done in southern music styles, but David Lee Roth only does the two I mentioned. The others are covers by other bands. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/7 "2006-07-14T11:48:47Z")
Since this is about Dave’s singing, this needs to Jump on over to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/8 "2006-07-14T12:44:44Z")
David, David, David. _sigh_ You were the front-man for one of the most popular rock bands of the 70s and 80s. Sure, Eddie was the real force behind the band and everyone knew that, but still, you gave it Roth touch. Face it, you _always_ knew when a Van Halen song came on – there was no mistaking it. Then you went solo. You did passable sendups of The Beach Boys and Louis Armstrong – but you were still _you_, y’know? Even if you were in that lounge singer phase. So I guess I gotta ask. _What the hemmorhaging fuck are you thinking?!_ Van Halen songs done bluegrass?! Dude, I have to tell you. If, in this day and age, some musical concept hasn’t already been done before, there’s probably a damn good reason. In your particular case, it’s because _it sounds like unwashed ass_ and you look like a dork doing it. Accordingly, I’m leaving you. I can’t take this anymore. You’ve shamed and embarassed me for the last time. I really have nothing left to give you, so I must say goodbye. _Love,_ _ **Dignity** _ ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/9 "2006-07-14T13:56:58Z")
[linkety link](http://www.bestweekever.tv/2006/06/07/update-the-world-did-end-yesterday/) to bluegrass version of _Jump_ ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/10 "2006-07-14T14:09:11Z")
[QUOTE=phungi] [linkety link](http://www.bestweekever.tv/2006/06/07/update-the-world-did-end-yesterday/) to bluegrass version of _Jump_ [/QUOTE] The suck! It burns! I had to turn it off a minute into it, lest it do to me for the original Jump what Vanilla Ice did for Under Pressure – which even today I have to face with trepidation for those first few riffs to wait and see if a bassline follows. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/11 "2006-07-14T14:38:48Z")
Look, “Under Pressure” and “Ice Ice Baby” are two different things. Theirs is “Ding ding ding dingy-ding-ding, Ding ding ding dingy-ding-ding…” Mine is “Ding ding ding dingy-ding-ding, DING ding ding ding dingy-ding-ding…” It’s that little bitty hi-hat “ting.” It’s not the same. [sub]wish i stilll had a link to that video from the mtv[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/12 "2006-07-14T14:48:27Z")
He just played Summerfest here in Milwaukee. Apparently he stayed away from his Bluegrass crap. [Here is the review of the show, not too bad.](http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=451633) Sound like he’s still got it, somewhat. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/13 "2006-07-14T15:43:17Z")
No, hbe’s not serious…but he IS brilliant. That was hysterical. He forgot the best satire is delivered impeccably, and was too amused with himself to sing properly, so the satire failed somewhat. But the concept is genius. Reminds me of an act my friends did in college: a C&W version of Rick James’ Superfreak. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/14 "2006-07-14T16:02:08Z")
So washed up old David Lee has gotten himself on Conan and Leno and has a new CD out? Must be doing something right. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/15 "2006-07-14T16:14:25Z")
The hard-rock-to-bluegrass translation doesn’t _have_ to fail. Hayseed Dixie have aptly demonstrated that a novelty concept such as this can also be highly entertaining, even compelling in its own right. But one can only pull this off if they are a _very competent bluegrass performer._ DLR clearly is _not_. He’s barely a competent hard rock performer anymore as it is. If this were a Shatneresque embracing of one’s weaknesses to turn them into strengths, I’d maybe see the value of the self-parody angle, but Dave isn’t succeeding at it here. So, either this is either a miserable attempt at satire, or he’s gone completely batshit fucking insane. I’m just not sure. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/16 "2006-07-14T16:27:46Z")
You can see him in a So Cal Indian casino for just $25 if you really want to: [http://www.palacasino.com/entertainment/eventschedule.aspx](http://www.palacasino.com/entertainment/eventschedule.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![stretch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@stretch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stretch)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sweet-jeebus-is-david-l-roth-serious/364439/17 "2006-07-14T18:22:51Z")
[QUOTE=phungi] [linkety link](http://www.bestweekever.tv/2006/06/07/update-the-world-did-end-yesterday/) to bluegrass version of _Jump_ [/QUOTE] Why do I follow these links. I should know better by now… That was…so not good. Ugh.