VAN HALEN NEWS DESK

History of Van Halen

January 14, 2009 28 Comments

Here’s “The History of Van Halen”, a VH-1 special, which aired in 2006. Each segment is 10 minutes long.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Filed Under: Van Halen

surferjoe

Nobody Does it Better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rock on Mother F” er!!!!!
Dawn

Thanks for all the articles on this site. I am a “Dave” girl however I do not dislike Sammy. I just bought his CD and hope to see him in concert this year. I just think VH is better with Dave. Whatever happens in the future, the one fact that will never change is that they are my favorite band and they will always rock.
Gee Lopz

Conclusion:

Sammy is a real cool/good guy…But Dave is the real charisma of the Van Halen…(the war with Sammy is pure Marketing. Sammy don´t realise that…Dave knows they both are a very important rockstars…the “battle” sells tickets and magazines…)

You can say anything about Dave. But he is a honest man. Not a traitor, liar or false…Dave is Dave, always.

…And Eddie don´t have sense of humor….Is a very jealous guy!!!

But i love this band!!
Adrian

depressing… How bout some new history =VH=? ehhh? nah. not gonna happin
Hide Your Sheep

Having lived through all of that as a fan.. great music, but drama, drama, drama. I remember the magazine “he said/he said” wars of the mid 80s.

Van Halen= Putting the “Fun” back into dysfunctional since 1985.
sully812

Thanks for posting this.
Gary

I’m torn to be honest. Life is too short to chose sides at my age. So I will just say that Van Halen will be remembered for having some of the best music a human could ask for. Very memorable kick ass tunes. And I do think that the Van Halen 3 record was very good as well. Boil it all down, everyone in Van Halen past, present, and future (Wolfgang) are talented beyond belief. I still remember the first time I heard “Eruption” in 1978. I was like.. WTF was that?! This group changed my life and musical taste forever since. Thank you Van halen for all of it. The show and the music. Your the best!
Garrett

Nobody turns a phrase quite like David Lee Roth. Long live the Mighty VH in all it’s incarnations.
Phil

Hey Gary!
I too liked the VH 3 album!! But I wish they could mix Alex’s drums again!! Being a buddy drummer myself, I thought Alex’s drum sound on VH 3 is the worse sound I’ve heard!! (and that’s hard to say of my favorite drummer!) If it had sounded anything like the FUCK, 1984 or VH 2 albums then as a whole it would have been much better (for me at least!) But going back to the band, Dave is the FUN, and ringleader of the band. Diamond Dave reminds me of “Alexander The Great”; not only was he a leader, but he led from the front lines!!! As Dave said in the clips “There can only be on Ali!!”
MammaURock

Thank you for showing this here – I really enjoyed watching it. I’ve just recently become a fan of Van Halen and I’m loving all their music and everything else that comes along with it. What a ride! What an attitude! You gotta love Dave … Van Halen – you rock! Looking forward to new stuff from VH, “Chicken Foot”, etc
pushtoshove

Ummmm…Just watched the ‘History’ ( seems like a little media manipulation – just call it like i see it ) and the whole drama , the whole ball of wax regarding the VH saga revolves around EGO CONFLICTS. Look , I dont have to like anyone and i dont really care how they live , just keep me informed and put out product.
ikethebird

Very cool
Travis

I really enjoyed this,, thank you so much
Russell

Great.Once again a lopsided view at the history of Van Halen where everything centers around Dave.Thank goodness for the publishing of the Van Halen encyclopedia a few years ago where you can find out everything you need to know about the band and it is completely unbiased.

Look, if you prefer the records they did with Dave,awesome.Turn it up!!!

You if you like Sammy’s time with the band.Rock on!!!!!

Gary rocks,period.

But please,after 23 years can this argument please be put to rest.

VAN HALEN.Not Dave Halen or Van Hagar.VAN HALEN.

Thanks and pass it on to your friends.

Russell

P.S. Mike got the shaft.
Gary

Hey Phil!
I will give you that in regards to the drums on VH3. That could have been the producer (Mike Post?) fault. Although Eddie is in control of most of the engineering and mixing on all his records since 1984 and all VH records recorded at 5150. I do like how the drums sound on Balance. F.U.C.K.ranks up there and that was due to Alex working with Andy Johns of Led Zeppelin fame. Any Drummer in his right mind would love to work with an engineer that created magic with John Bonham!
Gary

BUT! I do like some of the songs on VH3. Cherone’s voice does sound a bit like Sammy Hagar. It was just different for them. This should have been Eddie’s Solo record… LOL! Van Halen needs to be a Soap on ABC Daytime. It would win a daytime Emmy. Sponsored by Jenny Craig….LOLOL!!! OK! OK! Just kidding.
Gary

Like Adrian said earlier in the blog. I would like some new stuff in regards to music. Get it on VH!
Mikey

Not much of a history of Van Halen. Just a lot of Dave flapping his gums. Seriously, how does anybody think this guy is funny or has anything intelligent to say.
Big Chris

BAR NONR, VanHalen is the absolute greatest rock band in the history of the WORLD! And it is EVH that makes VH that!!! Start with Dave, jump Gary to Sammy, and then back to Dave for last years tour, and VH was and is the greates of all time. NOW its time to bury another hatchet and TOUR THE WORLD with DAVE AND SAM, its what the FANS WANT! This would be the greates and biggest rock show of all time. A two hour and fifteen minute MONSTER GIG. One hour with Dave leading, one hour with Sammy leading, then a 15 minute oncore with BOTH of them on the stage!!!!! MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!
Big Chris

one more thing……….MIKEY needs to be brought back as well. Wolfy was good, Mikey is awesome. Bring Mike back, teach Wolfy to play the Key boards instead of the former Night Ranger guy off stage who plays the keys out of site, or let Wolf play some rythem, but Mike is apart of what made VH VH!!!!! Yeah, dreams for sure, but hey, it was dream to bring Dave back too………….
Brown M&M

As far as a tour with both Roth and Hagar that would be great. I believe Sammy would do it but there is no way that Roth would go for that. Sammy is the much better man in this regard as has been proven. With Dave it is all about Dave. I think Dave’s biggest problem up until the time of the reunion tour was that he realized how bad he absolutely blew it. I don’t care what is said about his solo career. I took off right after he left and nose dived there after. I bought all of the records that he put out as a loyal VH fan, as I have Sammy’s stuff. But, I always listened to VH because of Ed, because I wanted to hear what he was going to do next. I just think Dave thought that VH would fall apart without him. Sammy stepped in, Ed wrote the music and they continued on. I also think Mike got the shaft! His book will be the one I want to read. How about something new ED! No more best of’s please.
Dawn

That would be awesome if Michael Anthony wrote a book!
Gary

To everyone one of you saying Mike got the shaft? Your DAMN right! Life is too damn short to not let this happen. BRING MIKE BACK . HERE HERE!

CHEERS!
pushtoshove

The only reason Dave is all over this ” history ” is because Ed and Al are , let’s just say , Less than sociable and Dave took up the slack because , well I imagine what it would be like of Roth was quiet and never did all the goofy press.Sure VH would have stood on the music alone but what would that stand be ? Lately it wouldn’t be anything.No music , No statement.
Woodsie

Lol.. What I find funny about this video is that they focus so much on the singers… lol! Realistically, neither one of them would have done much as solo artists or in other bands without Edward Van Halen’s musical genius PERIOD!
http://www.myspace.com/dyslexicfudgicle contemptmedia

I feel like these videos have an anti-Dave slant. Either way, still a cool watch.
RW

Realistically, neither one of them would have done much as solo artists or in other bands without Edward Van Halen’s musical genius PERIOD!

Hagar was a multi-platinum artist before he joined VH.

One hour with Dave leading, one hour with Sammy leading, then a 15 minute oncore with BOTH of them on the stage!

Hagar tried that during the Hagar/Roth tour years ago. Kid Rock & Ted Nugent were there and attest that they were begging Dave to go out on stage with Sammy & jam. Sam said “yeah”, Dave refused. No questions, no he said/he said, just a flat refusal.

Mike & Gary are the ones who had the fans’ wishes in the forefront, Sammy – after refusing to sing much of the old catalog – eventually came around & was willing to please the fans first instead of thinking about “legacy”. Dave, Alex and especially Eddie haven’t had the fans as a high priority for quite a while. Any arguments can be lodged with the record publishing history of Van Halen for over the last decade: a Cherone CD and two Greatest Hits releases. Oh, and Eddie’s softcore soundtrack songs, of course.

Sad.
rochelle

I think they both are good…just different manners.I saw van halen in 80 and feel in love with them especially Eddie..wish the band the best