Def Leppard Star On Van Halen Vs. Van Hagar

Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell recently weighed in on the debate over which version of Van Halen (with David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar) is the best.

During an interview with "Zach Martin's Big Fat American Rock Show!", Vivian, who is also known for his work with Dio, Last In Line and Whitesnake, among many others, was asked which version of the iconic southern California band that he prefers.

He responded, "Dave Lee Roth, no doubt. That was part of the original character of the band. There was a humor in early Van Halen that came across in the music, and that was essentially Dave Lee Roth's input on that.

"He wasn't a tremendous vocalist, but he had a tremendous style and a unique character and personality, and that was as important to the early band as Eddie's guitar playing and Alex's drumming and Michael Anthony's bass playing.

Vivian then elaborated, "They were a great band - the original band. That's not to detract in any way from Sammy Hagar, who's a remarkable singer. And what they did with Sammy was different. I mean, it was good, but it was different. It was a little more mainstream, to my ears.

"It was also not just Sammy's influence that changed the sound of Van Halen. It was also around the same time that Eddie discovered the keyboards. Which is all well and good, but I prefer to listen to him as a guitarist. So those two elements definitely reshaped the sound of the later Van Halen. But I'm very much a fan of the early band." Check out the interview here

Van Halen's David Lee Roth Lines Up Second Rare Live Performance For 2025

New Van Halen Album Rumor Addressed By Steve Lukather

Sammy Hagar Pays Tribute To The Original Redhead John Pruner

Sammy Hagar Leads Lineup of Stagecoach Festival's Palomino Stage

More Van Halen News

Share this article