The Giant Panther

Did I mention how much I love covers? Even when the cover turns me onto the original? Actually, in this case, the cover reminded me of the cover that should have turned me onto the original. In 1973 somebody handed me a copy of David Bowie's Pinups. It was an album of covers, which sometimes takes the fun out of it, but I didn't know many of the songs back then. After all, I was 13 years old. Among the songs was a cover of The Kinks song "Where Have All The Good Times Gone." It was first released as a B side to the classic 1965 single "Till The End of The Day." Baby I feel good, from the moment I rise...god I love The Kinks. I think The Everly Brothers invited inter-band family brawls, but The Kinks were right there. Ray and Dave Davies might not haven't gotten along much of the time, but they were one volatile rock & roll force. Few bands have 40 GREAT singles to their credit, but this band does without question. The funny thing is I didn't consider "Where Have All The Good Times Gone" to be one of them until I heard David Lee Roth and company rework this baby. I hate to say it, but this cover might be better than the original. And no offense to the legendary David Bowie, but his cover was nothing to write home about. Of course nobody can say that about his career though. I can never get enough cow bell, er, David Bowie. Whoa...

You can find The Kinks version of this song on the 1965 LP The Kink Kontroversy, but I'm sure it's out of print by now. Van Halen sped up the tempo and Eddie Van Halen Blows Your Face Out as J. Geils used to say. Van Halen was on such a ride by 1982 they could have put out a cover of Seasons in The Sun and the world would have soaked it up. Van Halen was an interesting act. I thought the Sammy Hagar led 5150 was more than respectable, but there is no comparison to the David Lee Roth led Van Halen. I don't know exactly why, but I fought Van Halen for the longest time. My friend's Jefferson and Mark just loved this band and the more they loved them the more I scoffed. I was wrong, big time. I'm not ashamed to admit it either. I never did care much for their cover of "You Really Got Me," but their love of The Kinks is to be applauded. I just thought there was too much showmanship in Eddie's guitar work and Roth's yelping vocals in that song and "Ice Cream Man." However, the first track that blew my hair back like the Maxell guy in the chair was "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love." OK I said.

Still, Van Halen's records didn't totally grab me until 1981's Fair Warning. Van Halen, Van Halen II and Women and Children First all had BRILLIANT singles on them; most notably Beautiful Girls, Dance The Night Away, Everybody Wants Some!!, And The Cradle Will Rock..., Jamie's Cryin', Runnin' With The Devil and Somebody Get Me a Doctor, but they seemed somehow incomplete and a bit disjointed to me. I even liked their cover of their cover of the Linda Ronstadt hit "You're No Good," but again, these records were not my all time favs. Fair Warning changed all that for me. My favorite Van Halen song is "Dirty Movies" and nobody even knows the track. It could have, and should have, been a monstrous hit. But "Unchained" was terrific. "Mean Street" and "Hear About It Later" I also loved. I reluctantly hopped aboard the Van Halen bandwagon express with my buddies. I only saw them once in their heyday. It was at the then Worcester Centrum on Saturday October 23, 1982 on the Diver Down Tour. I can't remember anything about that concert, after all, it was an hour ride from Boston to Worcester and I wasn't driving, but I'm sure it was a blast. My $11.50 ticket stub can't talk, but if it could I'm sure it would ask why I left it in my back pocket the whole show...

Van Halen was starting to splinter by 1982's Diver Down, but that didn't stop them for releasing another great record, even if they had to feature three covers in Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" and Martha & The Vandellas "Dancing in The Street" as well as WHATGTG to do it. "Little Guitars" and "Secrets" made sure there was some good original material on the record, but nothing could stop the masses from buying this record in droves. They peeled off one last big seller in 1984's 1984 before Roth took off to eventually become an EMT. I might have been the only one who enjoyed his radio show after the insufferable Howard Stern left the terrestrial dial, but I was clearly in the minority. The cynic in me thinks it must have been time to make the doughnuts with regard to the lastest Van Halen reunion with Roth a couple of years ago, but I did get to see them, sans the assless chaps and the ridiculously high leg splits, at The Naming Rights For Sale Garden in Boston's North Station recently and enjoyed the hell out of it. I hear tell they are planning a new record in the next year without original bassist Michael Anthony, but I'll get over that. Bass players get no respect huh?

I didn't mean to focus on Van Halen as much as I did here, but they are the artists with the post. I'll say it again though, The Kinks were among the greatest bands off all time. I can only imagine how many great songs they'd have recorded if they could have stood each other's company more often. In the grand scheme of things, there is no comparison between the legendary Kinks and Van Halen, but in no way do I mean to denigrate what Van Halen once brought to the table. They were a good, no make that great, time. So, I ask you, Where Have All The Good Times Gone?