Van Halen's double-disc greatest hits package, The Best of Both Worlds, hits stores this week. The compilation includes material from the David Lee Roth years: "Ain't Talkin Bout Love," "Jump," "Dance the Night Away," etc. It contains about an equal number of songs from the Van Hagar era: "When It's Love," "Right Now," "Why Can't This Be Love," etc. There's a lot of great songs in the Van Halen catalogue. Both of these incarnations of the group put out some awesome music. So, I ask FlynnFiles readers: Sammy or Dave?

Sammy always left me sort of cold: after Dave left, I followed his solo work (with the amazing Steve Vai, former sometime-guitarist for Frank Zappa), and found it much more inspiring (as music, of course, not a moral compass).

I vote for the original: DAVE!

Dave - this shouldn't even be a question.

Sammy - There is no doubt that even though Dave's time with the band was great, Sammy and his incredibel range of vocals allowed Eddie to do things he had only dreamt about doing while Dave was in the group. Sammy took the group so much further musically and creatively because he was capable of so much more vocally.

Steve is just a contrarian. Roth is THE only choice. Without him, VH would never have gotten off the ground.

I would have to say Dave, just because when I think of Van Halen, I think of Dave.

But Sammy is great too. And far less annoying than Dave.

I did see them in concert about a month ago here in Washington. I was right down by the stage and even gave Sammy a five.

Is this somekind of sick joke? I can't believe this is even a question?!?!?

Gary Cherone baby!

Wait a minute...gave Sammy a five? Did you stick it in his G-string or something? What does that mean?

Nothing so special as that. Just a simple high five, in other words, the action of slapping one's palm to the palm of another.

Like the others before me, there should be no question. Dave is the man. "Everybody wants some" - 'nough said.

Again, I dissent. Like The Godfather II and Ms. Pac Man, the sequal was better than the original. Sammy is the man.

A tale of two genres. VH was HARD ROCK with Dave. VH morphed itself to POP with Sammy. Hard Rock has since been cast off by major labels. Dave is the wise choice if you like to rock. I choose Dave.

SAMMY WHO?

SAMMY WHO?

I saw VH with Dave in 1984 and they were as bad as it gets. Swigging iced tea from a jack bottle...guitar solo... bass solo... drum solo... fake improv and banter amongst a band that obviously hated each other and a tired album of songs (Hot for friggin teacher?) That ruined it for me. Sammy was great. Had some great songs and two good albums. Then they got tired. Years have past and just the other day I heard Everybody wants some while I was driving home late. I started to drive fast, really fast. I didn't see the construction signs and the next thing I know I am in a ditch being called down a white hall by an old indian. I lived but am in a wheelchair which I control with a straw. Oh how I hate them both now.

Sammy

My roommate Jen votes Dave but thinks that it is almost a toss-up given the great difference in musical styles of the two eras. I somehow missed out on 80's rock so I have no vote. But if you were to ask whether Black Flag was better with Dez as vocalist or with Henry Rollins, then I would have an opinion.

So, Brian: Dez or Rollins?

P.S. People who listen to Black Flag tend to have a lot of personal issues, sort of the inverse of the problems that afflict Avril Lavigne listeners.

van hagar.

Dave - Sammy took himself waaaaaaay too seriously.

Implying I have personal issues that are the inverse of Avril fans after I heaped praise on you in your "Great Moments in American Liberalism" post above; that is low.

Avril fans problems would be something like the mall being closed on a Saturday, or their mom insisting on picking them up in front of school rather than 5 blocks away. Black Flag concerts would start riots. So I am not too terribly insulted actually.

Anyway, the first four years of BF (1977-81) before Rollins took over as vocalist are the best years of that band. Dez was my fave singer (although a couple other guys sang in those first years). Greg Ginn, the main songwriter was at the top of his game then and they pretty much single-handedly reshaped the Californian music scene. Besides if it wasn't for Black Flag then we never would have gotten a chance to see Henry Rollins suck so bad at acting in films like Johnny Mnemonic.

Btw, I saw the second best band to ever come out of Boston last weekend, Mission of Burma. They may play second fiddle to the Pixies (I know I am ignoring Aerosmith and a slew of other bands) but were probably almost as influential on late eighties and nineties so-called alternative, and indie rock.

I wonder who they are going to vote for.