Eddie Van Halen Thanks God for Sobriety and Guitar Riffs
From Spinner.com:
(VHND.com notes: This interview was conducted sometime before the interview that Eddie did with Rolling Stone two weeks ago)
Between Jimi Hendrix and Slash, there was Eddie Van Halen. For rockers who came of age in the late ’70s and early ’80s, EVH was the ultimate guitar hero. From his showcase piece on the first album’s ‘Eruption,’ as well as FM staples like ‘You Really Got Me’ and ‘Running With the Devil,’ he consistently tops the list of most influential guitarists of his generation.
In recent years, though, the guitar god has battled throat cancer, gone through rehab and divorced his wife, actress Valerie Bertinelli, positioning him more as tabloid fodder than rock idol. However, sober, healthy and happily engaged to publicist Janie Liszewski, he’s back, as evidenced by the chants of “Eddie! Eddie!” that awaited him every night on the recent sold-out Van Halen tour that reunited him with frontman David Lee Roth.
With the band that bears his surname currently between projects, Eddie has turned his attention back to his passion of guitars, specifically designing them. With the recent release of the Fender Wolfgang guitar, named for his 18-year-old son, now Van Halen’s bass player, Eddie spoke with Spinner. Though his interviews are rare these days, he proved to be very forthcoming, sharing stories about several of Van Halen’s signature songs, including ‘Jump’ and ‘Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love,’ touring with AC/DC, learning to play sober and how his guitar riffs are literally God-given.
You didn’t start off playing guitar, did you?
I never took guitar lessons. I took classical piano lessons from the age of six when we lived in Holland. And when we moved to America, it was just the typical thing except I was really good at it; so was my brother. Long Beach City College had this contest, it was a piano recital, and I won three years in a row. But I stopped playing piano for one reason: I was forced to do it and I wasn’t allowed to play what I wanted, so it wasn’t fun. So I rebelled and bought myself a drum kit. And my brother quit playing piano, too, and he started playing guitar. Well, Alex started playing my drums and he got better than me, so I said, “OK, f— you, I’ll play your guitar.”
Talk about your recording/writing technique now.
It takes me a good hour to loosen up my fingers and I always just leave the DAT tape rolling or something, or a cassette, anything, and after two and a half, three hours, you kind of get into a zone that I’m kind of relearning because I’m not drinking anymore. When I used to drink, it would get me there quicker. It’s kind of the zone where you’re not thinking, where you’re just open to anything and I just believe that when you play long enough you’re able to execute with your fingers, whatever God gives you, and God’s not gonna give you nothing if you don’t practice or play. So after a couple, three hours, God says, “OK, he’s ready. I’ll throw him a bone.” And God’s got a sense of humor, too — sometimes he gives me s—, ’cause not everything I do I like.
I think every writer hits upon moments where you know you’ve reached something special. What are a couple of those moments for you?
It’s like ‘Jump’: It was our only No. 1 single, and believe it or not I built my studio to put that song on our record ’cause everyone hated it, same with the song ‘Right Now.’ Alex and I tracked the whole thing, certain people didn’t want to be a part of it, then it wins a Grammy and a MTV Award for Video of the Year, and all of a sudden it’s like, “Hey, yeah, great!” But it was like pulling teeth to get the person to sing the damn song. And there are certain things that I fight for because I do write all the music so I think I have a little bit of say in how things should go. I’m not a tyrant, as a lot of people think. I just expect other people, if you’re in this band, to work as hard as I do.
How did not taking lessons influence you as a guitarist?
I started doing all kinds of weird stuff on the guitar, which became part of my playing. I started doing harmonics and tapping on the guitar and pulling off strings and doing all this weird stuff that no one had ever done before. And if I would have taken lessons I probably wouldn’t have done it, and what forced me to do all this weird stuff on the guitar was I couldn’t afford effects pedals, I didn’t have all this stuff when I was a kid so I just tried to squeeze all the weird noises I could out of the guitar, which brings me to building guitars. Nobody built the guitar that I like or that did what I wanted it to do, so I built my own. And to this day it’s still a great guitar.
On this last tour, I had a chance to see a few shows, and especially at the Philly show, there was that moment when you’re playing at the end and the crowd is just chanting “Eddie!”
It brought tears to my eyes. It makes me feel kind of weird, but obviously the Man Upstairs gave me something and it touches people, and I’m just so blessed. And now I got my son in the band and it makes it even more … Alex, Wolfie and I, it’s a family thing. And by the end of the tour, Wolfie was just incredible. For a 16-year-old to get up there and play in front of these people, he pulled it off very, very good.
My favorite moment in the Philly show came where you reached over and mussed Wolfie’s hair in a fatherly way. You looked like you were having so much fun up there.
It was. Whoever thought that my own son is the one to kick my ass? That kid is so good, you have no idea. When I first heard him sing, it was, like, fifth grade for a science project; he came up with the craziest idea … I think it was an ‘N Sync or New Kids on the Block song. I went out and bought a karaoke track of it, and he and a buddy changed the lyrics and called it ‘Dirty Cell.’ I still have that recording, and he blew my freaking mind how great his pitch was. I named him after the right guy [Mozart], that’s for damn sure. A lot of the stuff on the Van Halen records is very basic and simple; live, midway through the tour, he started noodling around. He got bored just doing the simple stuff that’s on the record. His first instrument is drums, he’s an amazing drummer; he’s got the Van Halen gene, I guess. Nobody thought that he’d be able to pull off Mike Anthony’s background vocals, and he did.
So will we ever hear the ‘Dirty Cell’ song on a Van Halen box set?
That would be funny. It’d be up to him [laughs]. Believe it or not, it holds up. If we ever did put out everything in the kitchen sink, I have footage of me playing guitar when the guitar is actually bigger than me in the sixth grade talent show, all kinds of crazy stuff like that.
It would be a different approach to a box set, like a family album.
There’s all kinds of stuff. So much stuff, I have so much music, so many CDs, DATs and cassettes in boxes, and just recently I’m starting to kind of listen to stuff because I never label stuff very well. I’ll pop something in, world music type of stuff and all kinds of stuff. But I was always up against certain people saying [about 'Jump'], “That doesn’t sound like Van Halen.” [I was told] verbatim, “You’re a guitar hero; nobody wants to see you playing keyboards.” Well, I didn’t mean to ram it up their poop chute, so to speak, but it’s our only No. 1 single.
And that closed the last tour.
Yeah, because it’s our only No. 1 single ever, right now. It’s a keyboard-based song. “That’s not Van Halen.” Well, what is Van Halen? Van Halen is whatever I write because I write all the music [laughs]. But I get outvoted because we are a democracy, so to speak: Dave, Wolfie, Alex and I are a band. I hope that after Janie and I get married in June and Wolfie graduates that we sit down and discuss recording new music, which I have tons of, if Dave’s up for singing … and then do another tour and just see where it takes us. But it is true that people expect a certain thing from Van Halen. But the stuff that Janie’s talking about I wrote years ago. I’ve always been this way. That’s why when people ask me, “Who’s your favorite band?” I don’t have one; I like songs by people. The only band I was really over-into was Cream. And the only thing I really liked about them was their live stuff ’cause they played two verses, then go off and jam for 20 minutes, come back and do a chorus and end. And I love the live jam stuff, the improvisation. Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce pushed Eric Clapton; I almost feel bad for Eric because these guys were jazz players playing Marshall amps and loud as s—. Listen to ‘I’m so Glad’ on ‘Goodbye Cream’; if that doesn’t blow your f—ing mind, I don’t know what will.
If you’re writing different styles of music, are there chances for you to collaborate with different people?
I think as long as we’re a band I’ve always pretty much felt I could get my ideas out in the form or the unit of a band ’cause I do write all the music, except I write a lot of different types of music that doesn’t necessarily fit the mold. So yeah, if Van Halen as the world knows it right now is over, then … Put it this way: Originally, when Dave quit in ‘85, I’d already spoken to Phil Collins, Joe Cocker, Pete Townshend, all kinds of people to have different singers on every song. But my brother talked me out of it. He goes, “Let’s just take Van Halen to what the world knows.” But it’s never too late. And now with my son in the band, he brings a whole new aspect to it ’cause he’s into a whole different trip; even though he loves Van Halen, he listens to all kinds of the current stuff, which I’m really not that up to date ’cause I really don’t have the time to listen to anything.
If you look at the rock bands who have longevity, they are the ones who are honest, as opposed to those who are writing songs for a commercial.
It’s funny, when bands or younger musicians ask me, “So, what does it take to make it?” Well, first explain to me what you mean by “making it”: Do you want to be a rock star or do you want music to be your livelihood? If you want to be a rock star or just be famous, then run down the street naked, you’ll make the news or something. But if you want music to be your livelihood, then play, play, play and play! And eventually you’ll get to where you want to be. What’s the old cliché? “It takes 10 years for an overnight success.” If it’s your passion and it’s from the heart, you just keep playing, playing and playing, and eventually somebody’s gonna notice. That’s how we got signed; we just played, played and played and Warner Bros. came to us; we never shopped a tape. Gene Simmons tried to help us, but that went nowhere. It was kind of a brief, fabricated idea that he had and it just wasn’t us; wonderful guy, don’t get me wrong. He tried to help, but I guess he and their manager at the time had a different vision of what are and what we could be and it just didn’t work out.
Has your approach changed as you’ve gotten older?
I don’t feel a day older when it comes to my approach to music or what gets me off than when I was a teenager. I’ve always been into different kinds of stuff and when I play I like to play loud. I like my arm hairs to move and I like my body to vibrate ’cause I like the feel of it; I’m still a teenager at heart. My favorite record by AC/DC is ‘Powerage.’ And ‘Down Payment Blues’ off that record is my favorite song by them. They never play it live. We did a co-headlining tour with them back in ‘83 or ‘84 and we had a gas. I kept asking, “Angus, you plan on paying ‘Down Payment Blues’?” And ‘Riff Raff,’ all that stuff is great on that record. To me, it’s not to take anything away from Brian, ’cause when I saw him he actually sang better live than he does on record, he does a great job, but ‘Powerage’ and ‘Highway to Hell’ are probably my two favorite records by them — ‘Powerage’ even more so than ‘Highway to Hell.’ There’s something about that record.
Having gone through everything you’ve undergone with the illness and the rehab, do you have a different appreciation for we’re you’re at in life and music?
Yeah, I thank God on my knees that I’m alive and obviously to be sober and to be working with my son. I’m so damn blessed it’s beyond words. And sometimes the reason I get emotional when people chant my name is because it’s like it’s really not me, I’m not a rock star, I’m just a musician. I make music for a living, I wouldn’t know how to act like a rock star. What is a rock star anyway? I think people pick up on the vibe that I’m not bulls—ting, that what I play comes from the heart. Of course, sometimes I have off nights, but when I’m on people do feel the message that I was given, and I think that they feel that and that it’s not just some prefabricated moneymaking thing. I would be doing this still in the clubs if we never made it, ’cause that’s just what I do.
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June 11th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
He refers to Sammy as “the person”?
Eddie cannot be honestly working a 12 step program with all the petty bitterness he has inside.
June 11th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Eddie looks great. And he sounds liek he’s doing great too. He even mentioned Mike Anthony by name. Not too much said of interest though.
June 11th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
VH is a family when you break ranks (MA) and go out to test the waters (planet us…sam&dave) you’re out dude !!! I was priviledged to hear VH sound check 4/22/08 and Wolfgang sang every song and he sounded great period !!!! I challege you Sammy fans to go read some of his quotes from The Inside Magazine. That breakup was happening in ‘91 but Lefler could keep Sam in line.
June 11th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
ass5150
Ed said “one person didn’t want to sing Jump” and “one person didn’t want to sing Right Now” because “He’s a Guitar God not a keyboardist”.
That’s not BITTER it’s just the TRUTH!
Looks like Ed was RIGHT, Two great songs!!!!
Sounds like you’re the one BITTER!!!!
June 11th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
“I think as long as we’re a band I’ve always pretty much felt I could get my ideas out in the form or the unit of a band ’cause I do write all the music, except I write a lot of different types of music that doesn’t necessarily fit the mold. So yeah, if Van Halen as the world knows it right now is over, then … ”
It’s over. EVH + AVH + WVH + DLR = ZERO,ZILCH,NOTHING
June 11th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Scottso,
Do you mean “nothing” besides the 93 million they just made making one million fans very, very happy on the last tour?
June 11th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
“If Dave is up for singing..” If this is such a cohesive band, why wouldn’t you be planning new material..oh I forgot a wedding and a graduation–>meanwhile what are these guys doing? All this music which Ed really does have.. will never ever see daylight-no video footage of classic VH, no nothing..bull.
And this my kid is MOZART crap has got to stop-let me tell you, if your dad was this amazing musician and you had ANY interest in music, you could hit the backyard with your pals and make something happen-he isn’t that great Ed, not even close nit wit!
Bonham,Dylan,Joel,June Carter Cash,Norah Jones,Hank Williams Jr,Ziggy Marley,Julian Lennon,Emma Townsend,Zak Starkey,Buckley,Iglesias and on and on and on-so shut the fuck up Ed, he’s nothing special AT ALL!
We wont see another Van Halen album for a long long long time-if ever-a tour will happen no doubt-a new guitar toy no doubt-another half ass interview about Gods gift-check!
I liked it back in the day when he just smiled,played music and kept his trap shut! VIVA LA NEWS DESK!!!!!!
June 11th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
HAHA! He’s STILL pissed at Roth!! You can hear it in the way he speaks! It is so obvious that this is going to end in a trainwreck.
It’s not even funny really because the guy has the world at his fingertips but he’s still just a little ball of bitterness. Sad.
June 11th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
More bullshit, funny how this recent avalanche of press coincides with the release ofthe CF album?
And finding God? Wasnt this the same guy who Zak Wylde said that at Dimebag’s funeral kept interjetcing whenver someone would mention God “God doesnt exist”.
Its just hollow ramblings now.
June 11th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Shit or get off the pot Ed. Put some new music out already. We are all dying to hear it. I’m very happy for his sobriety. Long live VH. Hope DLR is back in the fold and we get a new disc next year and a tour to follow. That’s all I care about.
June 11th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Great interview. We’ve only been reading this stuff for 30 years: started on piano, then drums, then guitar, no one can build a good guitar but Eddie, the vocalists are to blame for everything, Wolf is the greatest musician on earth, he’s got enough music for 10 albums, blah, blah, blah. No one cares anymore, Eddie. Either make a new record, or just retire once and for all.
June 11th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Well said “el c” his bitterness is so so obvious. He goes out of his way to bash others. I thought the 12-steps was about apologizing to all you have hurt? I wish he would shut up and put out a record. All i hear is “I have tons of material” great do something with it. If U forgot how to rock pick up Chickenfoot’s latest!
June 11th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
like an idiot i keep checking this sight hoping for some good or new news but this interview doesn’t give me much hope. this guy is still in lala land. some day ed will realize he screwed this thing up more than anyone. i hope wolfie see’s the light and goes out on his own and makes his own mark on the music world.
June 11th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
And by the way did you know; Eddie writes all the music?
I used to love Eddie; he was just fun and easy going, now he’s just an uptight bitter old prick.
Eddie please; Shut up and play!
June 11th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Well, you bet your life I’m going to defend eddie. All you guys out there slamming eddie, whether it be regarding his relationship with mike or sammy or when or what music van halen will release.
Remember this, all you fuzznuts can only sit here bashing him. If you can achieve 1 iolta of milestones that eddie has done, then show me, otherwise, shut up.
Eddie is and will be the premier rock musician you’ll see in your lifetime. I’m not talking some overnight success star that sings on american idol 1 night, sells out tours and can’t be relevant 5 years from now (which seems how younger people value music today)
I’m talking about someone who makes musical contributions that span decades, brought something special to other artists music through guest appearances, and performs to this day with passion and individualism.
If you can’t understand this, perhaps you should buy all the VH albums and seriously listen to them, not just the radio friendly songs.
EVH is the man, and long live the man.
DAT
June 11th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
It’s amazing when Eddie’s speaks the truth others seem to crumble. In this interview Eddie has filled in the gaps that we as fans never knew. All this BS that ‘doing it for the fans’ that ‘other half’ worked to death is proof that it’s not what the fans wanted!! Thank you Eddie, finally some home truths have come out. For years I doubted Sammy’s BS story of how ‘Right Now’ was made. This is the same person that tried stalled Van Halen’s progress only for his then manager to tow him in line back in 91’. But when Sam quit, he comes out and says Van Halen is lazy. But when that didn’t add up, his next excuse was to use his wife’s pregnancy to drum up sympathy. But this gets better folks!! Soon after his kid pops out; he’s already in the mixing stages of his new solo album!! WOW! Aren’t you supposed to be by your wife’s side Sam? Hell no!! He’s out on tour, even a trip to Australia!! Don’t you think to do all that (Write, record, mix, master, promote, promo etc) takes a bit of time and planning? He was doing it while trying to keep Van Halen stalled!! People ‘in the know’ knew trouble was brewing way back in 91’. LSD? Remember that folks? Eddie is spot when he said Sam wanted to be a solo artist again. Sammy got found out and he has bitched & moaned about it ever since. Don’t worry Chickenfoot your turn will come…the hard way!
Eddie is a force that nobody can touch!!! He is a modern day marvel, a freak of nature, a one of a kind genius. But the ONE best thing I love about Eddie is he’s got a heart of gold. It’s laughable that people are already predicting doom and gloom for Van Halen. Presently, this temporary ‘break’ Van Halen is on after their successful last tour is exactly ‘the break’ they should have had back in 84’. This time round their doing it for each other, ‘a brotherhood like is never was before’ said Dave. This also means for us…the fans!! Van Halen has always been for the fans!!! And for those that say where Dave is? He hasn’t said anything? What’s Dave up to? Diamond Dave has always laid low after touring. Dave is recharging, planning and prowling to hear, see and taste on what makes this crazy world tick. Then he brings his ideas and wisdom to Eddie’s masterful music. That’s when the magic begins, it’s simple it’s the Van Halen way!!
June 11th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Wow, it sounds to me like all you guys are the ones who are bitter. Nobody is perfect. He’s a proud father, so cut him some slack about bragging on his son. How many 16 year old kids do you know with a virtouso father could step into something like Wolf did on the last tour and pull it off. Appreciate Eddie as one of the greatest guitarists ever and stop your whining. Oh yeah, chickenfoot, now that’s a band that will produce music that will stand the test of time….
June 11th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
- Scottso,DANNYBOY,Top Jimmy,el c, TK, and BTD
Why do you all come here? If Eddie has pissed you off that bad, why even visit the VHND and routinely post your bitter rhetoric? Have a drink, exercise, get laid, or do something else that will help you lighten up.
Where is Kimberly when I need her?
June 11th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
WOW Jonny Bets, That was an incredible rant of kiss ass blabber. There is no doubt to me or all the other people that claim to be fans that Eddie is really bitter. Can you call a band lazy that hasnt done anything for over a decade. So what they did a tour. I saw it, it was neat but
they arent the first band to get back together and tour off all their old music. I had no idea he wrote the music other than thats what he says everytime he coughs up a lung. And if Mike is out because he tours with Sammy then why is Dave back? He toured with Sammy and sucked all over the place. I am a Van Halen fan and I enjoy both singers, but come on people. The glory years are over, long over. The guy doe what he wants and runs things how he wants, period. If he’s doe with music then he’s done and there is nothing all of us chatters can say or do to change it.
June 11th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Holy crud what a bunch of whiners. Don’t like it, then don’t come here and complain (or is that what gets you off?). Go sit and listen to your classic Van Halen CDs while yanking your cranks surfing porn on the internet. Leave this space for those of us who still LIKE Van Halen.
garysamuelroth, you hit it on the head, man. Oh, and a very special thanks to Jonny Bets. Your assessment of the Sammy situation way back is the most logical, sensible one I’ve heard so far. Anybody ever notice how Sammy’s voice cracked back then whenever he’d go into the supposed reason he was no longer in the band, claiming he was “forced” out of the band? I love Van Halen with Sammy just as much as VH with Dave, but there was always something a little fishy about Sam’s story and how he acted when he told it.
June 11th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
This is the Eddie we need, not the drunk guy from ‘04.
VH will be back!
And to all the Eddie haters, let him be, anything he says is used against him, that’s not fair, when the album is realesed you can judge the music, but an interview where he says he wants to do a NEW album bothers you?
You know whatyou The Chicken lovers, better leave the VHND and go to KFC you’ll feel at home there!
June 11th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
I come here garysamuelroth to partake in the positive discussion relating to not only every incarnation of VH, but all that has come from it as well, yes, you can throw Roth’s somewhat checkered solo career in there as well.
I too used to worship EVH, just as much as any diehard here, but over time, he has been the VH member who has disapointed me the most, in terms of what he has done and in what he has done to others (lets think about it, can Dave, Sam and Mike all be wrong????)
I just grew tired of the same bullshit interview, the same bullshit throaway lines, the same promises etc, etc, whilst being offered amps, axes and pornos. No thanks.
Call Sam and Mike what you want, but at leas they are making music and doing what musos do, and not taking bullshit and lies, whilst adding to the ten albums worth of stuff that we will never here. Lets be realistic Gary, as I said think what you like about Sam and Mike, but can Dave also be wrong about this guy? The only reason Al and Wolf are safe is because they are family, but then again look what Edictator did to those woh we also thought were family.
Stop the bullshit, put out your tunes.
June 11th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
those that are bitching about ed are those who only want to read about foot since that’s what this site have turned into..
June 11th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
I would have thought VH’s fan base was mostly over 30, but judging from some of the comments here, there must be a lot of 12 year olds who listen to them. You people are a bunch of immature whiners, both the Sam and the Dave fans.
Who cares what Eddie says? He’s obviously going to bash the guy who’s not in the band anymore. Right now that’s Sammy. 20 years ago that was Dave. For a short period about 11 or 12 years ago, it was both, but apparently that didn’t work out so well for him either.
In case you haven’t been around long enough, this is the same song and dance that EVH has been peddling for over a *decade* now. Until I can walk into the local record shop and buy something with some new Van Halen music on it, I don’t believe any of this stuff he’s saying.
There are only two members of VH who have been there since day 1, and the problems keep happening. Seems to me that’s the common denominator with all the drama.
June 11th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
BOOBS! Well…it works whenever I yell it in any other argument. Boobs usually make people smile like some of the pissed off people commenting need to;) Anyway, I like Van Halen and Chickenfoot. When Eddie’s ready. Eddies’s ready. Congrats ED on getting hitched and stuff.
Peace out Ninjas
June 12th, 2009 at 12:31 am
I have been a Van Halen fan since the beginning. I liked VH when they had Dave, and I liked them when they had Sammy. Hell, I even liked some of the stuff they did with Cherone. It doesn’t matter to me because I just like to hear Eddie play.
With that said, I just have to say that you people are Unbelievable! It’s just so amazing how much bitterness and anger there is floating around. It’s like reading all the foul mouthed garbage that all the You Tube Haters are spouting out. It’s like a poison and I just can’t take all the mean spirited, uncivil, just down right rotten comments that I hear on pretty much any blog or board I go to.
So here is my comment to all of you EVH whiners and haters out there: Eddie Van Halen doesn’t owe you a damn thing! He is a legendary guitarist plain and simple. And don’t give me that garbage response of, “Hey if it wasn’t for us buying all their albums over the years, he owes his career to us!”
Come on Really? You bought his albums because he IS a Guitar God and his stuff was THAT good! So quit your damn whining about how he hasn’t released any new music since V3. Poor Babies! So what! Go listen to someone else for crying out loud. I’m sorry to break this to ya but, Eddie or any other talented musician out there doesn’t live to serve the pathetic and immature fan boy mentality. He’s a musician. If he hadn’t of made it big then he’d be playing in clubs like he said. Damn, did you actually read the interview?
And one more thing to the whiners and haters: What the HELL have you ever created musically that compared or compares to what this guy has achieved??? All you can do is whine and bitch about how Eddie and God knows who else hasn’t given you new music. Well here’s what you do - GET UP OFF YOUR LAZY ASSES and learn to play the freakin’ guitar yourselves and write your own damn music! And let’s just see if it sounds a fraction as good as Eddie’s material.
You know what? If I was Eddie Van Halen and I was reading all the CRAP you haters are poisoning the rest of us with, I would simply say, “!@#$ YOU!” and I wouldn’t release one more scrap of music to the public for this simple reason: You simply don’t deserve it!
June 12th, 2009 at 12:35 am
Is that that new thing Ed? It better be. Huh? Talk to me Chief. Is that it Ed?
June 12th, 2009 at 12:43 am
Wait a minute. I’m confused. I thought I read somewhere that Spike TV declared that Ed was God. So did he thank himself?
June 12th, 2009 at 2:52 am
“Van Halen is whatever I write because I write all the music” - I agree! Sammy, Dave , Gary. All is Van Halen!
June 12th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Eddie, I want Sammys songs too! Van Halen is Van Halen!
June 12th, 2009 at 3:25 am
what’s next?
edward is born again?
please ed make music
and yes we still love you.
June 12th, 2009 at 3:27 am
Did someone say boobs?…… Where?
June 12th, 2009 at 4:27 am
This is all shit. Eddie couldn’t give a fuck what all of you say. We have absolutely no influence.
All I want is for him to get real, get the band together, write a new album, release it and then go on tour. Maybe they will tour outside of fuckin America for once.
June 12th, 2009 at 4:56 am
If Van Halen do another album with Dave then I pray that Ed listens to Dave and Wolfie when picking the songs……cause I fear if he is left to his own devices we will get another mess like VHIII. I don’t even blame Cherone for that…the songs were just a mess. I am hoping Wolfie and and Dave can influence Ed to put the best, most VH-like songs on the album, cause the last thing I want to hear is VH-Jazz-world music………Ughhh…..God Forbid.
June 12th, 2009 at 4:56 am
I think you all who are complaining should just SHUT THE HELL UP for God’s sake I mean really. If you don’t like Eddie anymore, then STOP COMING here!!!! We are supposed to be here for the LOVE OF VH…not just Dave, not just Sammy, and not just Eddie…whether you want to believe it or not they ALL contributed in some way to VH and its history, so why are you hating on anyone? Just because I prefer Dave does NOT mean that I don’t think Sammy has no talent…Sammy can sing his face off and I respect him for what he did with VH. And you should all respect Eddie for what he has given us. Things change goddammit and there is nothing you can do about it. And stop talking shit about Wolfgang because you are bitter about Mikey wanting to play with Sam or Eddie kicking him out- WHATEVER. How many 17 year old kids do you know that can be good enough on an instrument to pick up with a legendary band and truly hold his own? YEAH. I didn’t think you knew too many. And its his SON for God’s sake…OF COURSE he thinks he is great dumbass. How would you feel if you were proud of your children for something and some ass hole on a message board who knows nothing about you or your kid said he was meteocre and not worth the time? You would feel pretty shitty. Anyways, stop being so negative!!!!!!!!! The music will come when it is ready!! This shit takes time and just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it won’t. A wedding takes time!! Graduation takes time!!! Get over yourselves and shut up because I actually LOVE Van Halen and always will..that’s why I AM HERE.
I am surprised at the level of idiocy the real fans meet on this board…if you don’t like the way things are going for this band, then take your ass and go follow My Chemical Romance or Fallout Boy. Stop whining like little bitches. VH F.O.R.E.V.E.R.
June 12th, 2009 at 4:57 am
I was at both Philly shows and my favorite moment was at the first show. They were right in the middle of Romeo Delight, which they absolutely crushed, and Dave walked over to Ed and gave him a hug. The wachovia center was never so loud. Everyone had chills, not just because the hatred had ended, but because those first four songs blew our minds. The speed with which they attacked them, the ferocity with those songs that we have not heard live in over 20 years. You could see how surprised Ed and Dave were to tremendously loud cheer or appreciation for them. I’ve seen Bruce, U2, The Who, and these two shows were louder than anything I’ve ever heard. Thanks Ed for those shows, keep writing music and we can’t wait to see you 2010.
JP
June 12th, 2009 at 4:58 am
Thanks for posting this article. I was encouraged.
I think Ed’s in a good place right now. As one who believes that life is a journey of ups ‘n’ downs and as one who has been praying for him for years (decades), I think Eddie is right where he should be. Right now.
Stay on track Eddie! God is good. God is patient.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:34 am
I personally think the man has done more than most people do their whole lifetime. He reinvented the guitar and influenced a large percentage of the bands you hear out there. He’s a human being that makes mistakes just like all of us. I thank god for eddie van halen everyday. He got me into rock music and forever changed the way i listen to music….
June 12th, 2009 at 6:19 am
To me, Eddie has always come across as very insecure. I suppose that’s where the drinking comes in or why he feels the need to take shots at former band members or has to constantly remind us that he writes all the music. I wish him well. He influenced a whole generation of guitarists and deserves the recognition he’s been given.
June 12th, 2009 at 6:20 am
Yawn. Same article I’ve read 1,000 times.
Ed. Go into the studio. Record *something*. Stick it on YouTube, iTunes or God forbid - van-halen.com (if you can find the time when you aren’t selling sneakers).
Release… something.
June 12th, 2009 at 6:21 am
Everyone’s RIGHT ON with the “BLAH, BLAH, BLAH”!!
This will probably p*ss off all the “VH CLASSIC ALBUM” huggers!! That’s right, keep on huggin’ them babies!!! You guys remind me of a bunch of “heart-sick, heart-broken” teenagers that can’t understand why the “love of their life” DUMPED them!!!! Get over it!!!! She’s LONG GONE!!!! BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!!
Mr. VH, sir, there has been NO NEW MATERIAL since….? Prove me and the rest of the “fans” that chant your name night after night… WRONG!! Give us, at least, ONE GOOD ALBUM of material ON DISC! We could care less about the other NINE!! Just ONE!!! Sorry to say though, MONEY TALKS and BS walks!! BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!!
Reality check time!! Does the VH team have what it takes to survive in 2010! My opinion on this, I don’t expect to see or hear anything from them for the rest of the year!! They were guilty of it before and circumstantial evidence only shows they are guilty of it again!! BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!!
You can attack now!!
June 12th, 2009 at 6:28 am
Amen, Reyoch. Good thing God is more patient and forgiving than his fans are. Geez, the guy is trying to get his life on track and you guys analyze every letter in every sentence. If only Eddie were as righteous and perfect as all the people on this page blasting him.
June 12th, 2009 at 6:44 am
Its funny because a few years ago Howard Stern was talking about dave getting back in the band, and he said that Dave had figured out that if you kiss Wolfies ass, Eddie loves you! I can see that!
Eddie has been bitching about Jump for over 20 years, time to chill out and just be proud of it. Sammy, Dave and Alex have all said that yes Ed writes the music but its all parts and small pieces and it was really the other three guys that put them into song form……wrote the lyrics….and made it into a piece of music. Eddie is a genius but most geniuses are crazy!
June 12th, 2009 at 6:45 am
He actually sounds pretty honest and humble in this interview….and motivated to play.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:45 am
Hate the drama but LOVE BOOBS!!!!!
June 12th, 2009 at 8:10 am
is ed a guitar salesman , a professioanl interviewee or FRIGGING ROCK STAR?!?!?
please put a new cd out– I DONT CARE IF YOU TOUR– I DONT CARE IF WOLF IS BASSIST– I DONT CARE ABOUT ANYTHING BUT HEARING SOMETHNG NEW–
you piss me off ed–I WISH I HATED VH– IT WOULD MAKE MY LIFE ALOT EASIER– IMAGINE IF I WAS INTO ONE OF THESE JERKOFF BANDS OUT NOW– THEY PUT A NEW CD OUT EVERY YEAR– BUT I HATE THEM– I LOVE VAN HALEN– MORE THAN THE BEATLES AND I WANT TO HEAR MORE—
June 12th, 2009 at 8:14 am
I sit here and read what everyone is posting and can only come up with one assumption. And that is you can easily pick out the people here who obviously don’t have a life, don’t want a life and never will. Yes Eddie isn’t perfect and never will be. He’s also made some mistakes that he even admits to.(off nights)
But show me one person other than Christ himself who hasn’t. Just like someone posted earlier. Those of you doing all of this bashing probably have never contributed one thing to the music industry other than purchasing VH albums and secretly dreaming that you are EVH himself onstage.(hasn’t everyone at one time or another)
Eddie has accomplished more in his years as a musician than any of us could dream of and has become a proud father while doing so.(think of the musicians that never even play a father role in their kids life)
There’s plenty of room for VH and Chickenfoot and I’ll be the first to buy everything that they both put out. Can’t we all get along?
June 12th, 2009 at 8:46 am
Van Halen is a Band. If you leave to play with another band then, in my opinion, you,ve quit. Therefore VH had every right to hire a new bass player and singer.
Try doing something like what Sammy and Mike did at your job and see what happens.
Mike was just surprised that it happened to him. Love you Mike but dont be selling your salsa under the VH name. And Sammy nobody knew you until you joined VH so you should be thanking VH for where you are in life. Sam, spend your money wisely because with your voice and lyrics you wont make that much more in the music business.
June 12th, 2009 at 9:05 am
BOOBS!! yeah !!
anyway - wasnt it last week or so ed said he was going over to daves house to go over tracks ? i know he sounds a bit ” vindicated” over “JUMP” but i dont see anything here that implies that ed has given up on dave .
” if dave is up for singing …” is EXACTLY what ed was saying just before the ‘07 reunion tour . so , while ed might be living in denial on some issues , but he’s hardly the character from GRAN TORINO ! lol
glad to see him opening to the idea of a boxset though - thats cool .
musically he can do whatever he wants and it’ll beinteresting- but he needs to do about 7-8 hard rockers for dave , a couple blusey tunes for dave , then a handful of instrumentals for himself. make it a double album .
June 12th, 2009 at 9:19 am
“Right Now” I want to “Jump” into Ed’s studio and grab some of those mystery tapes and hear something new!
June 12th, 2009 at 9:54 am
Ah, more news on the mystery footage and loads of new music. Leave the man alone. They just put a new record out in 1998 for God’s sake. I LOVE Eddie I really do, but I am now convinced he is clueless about fans and his bitterness is pretty evident.
There will be NO new VH record. He’s already backing off of the Dave thing I can tell. Im out fellas. Years of empty promises and disullusions just will not do.
2008 tour was outstanding I will say. Loved it. Would have been better with MA, but loved it. Now wheres the Blu Ray?
Thank God for Iron Maiden.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:10 am
Kimberly, you are awesome! Thank God for you!
June 12th, 2009 at 10:12 am
HAHA!! He’s still bitter towards Dave. I love it. I can see this trainwreck coming from a mile away.
It’s really not funny, the guy has the world at his fingertips and he’s still just a little ball of resentment. How long has he been telling that same old sob story about “Jump”? We get it dude, nobody thought you should do it, nobody thought you should play keys. Well guess what? It was a big hit, you proved them all wrong, the world and record sales have acknowledged how right you were and oh, by the way… It was 25 fuckin’ years ago! GET OVER IT! Sad.
The simple fact is it can’t always be everyone else’s fault. Roth, Hagar, Mike, Cherone, Sterling Ball, Hartley Peavey, Ted Templeman, just a few of the people he’s laid to waste. And he’s got the same story for each of them. And when pressed most people who’ve had to spend much time with him professionally have the same thing to say: he’s a miserable fuck.
The point is, I come here for the same reason the rest of you do, I love van halen. I love the music. But I don’t love Eddie Van Halen the bitter old bastard. If you read any of the interviews with him you can only turn a blind eye for so long until you start to say “man, this guy really is a prick”.
Ed thinks he can bully everyone including the fans. His strategy is the same every time someone leaves or is kicked out of the band; downplay their role and importance to the band. It almost worked with Dave and Sammy but when he tried to downplay Mike’s role in this band and make him out to be a bad guy it backfired on him because everyone knows Mike is a standup guy. Mike is good to the fans and whether or not he wrote the songs or not, those songs wouldn’t be the same without his slamming bass and his awesome vocals.
So yeah, I’m happy about Chickenfoot. I’m happy that the VHND is covering them as they should be. I’m happy that Mike is having fun, the poor bastard deserves it after all he’s been through. And if Ed lives the rest of his life rehashing the same stories and thinking that the world is against him he has only himself to blame.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:41 am
to all you people who think we hate eddie because we are tired of his b.s. about dave, mike, and sammy being the problems over the years, you need to come off the bandwagon a minute and see that ed is about ed not the fans who made him rich. i have purchased every cd at least twice because i think they are the best band ever. i also have the dvd’s and shirts and other vh products. my wife and kids won’t ride in my car with me because the only music i have in the car is vh so as long has he keeps taking my money i can say what i want. we are just getting tired of the talk. if it happens great if not he will become less and less relevant. again i stress with you people ther is no doubt we all think musically he walks on water but he isn’t about the fans, just the money he keeps taking. if he really makes music because he loves music then put it out so we can love it again. its not that hard to do, look at all the crap music that is out there. IT SUCKS! ed quit talking shit and walk the walk.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Top Jimmy, I respect your opinion but I think you missed a key part of the article. This is the first time I’ve heard Ed consistently giving thanks to God. He now recognizes a higher power than himself. There could great things ahead if he keep himself on the right track.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Top Jimmy, best reply to this thread so far. You’re 100% spot on.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:08 am
More boobs - less drama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 12th, 2009 at 11:09 am
If “ken aldrige” has a bandwagon…I’m jumpin’ on it!
Well said brother. A lot of these “so called” fans are a bunch of fucking losers. Yeayh…even the dave era fans.
I’ve said from day one i was not a sammy hagar fan….not into chickenfoot….and i’ve made some comments here and there defending that. But to call eddie van halen a fucking has been or tyrant is ridiculous. The man HAS done more than most people have done their whole lives. Who gives a shit if after 30 years of being in the biz and reinventing the giutar for christ’s sake if he wants to sell some sneakers…amps etc! Sammy has had no problem selling his tequila and mike has had no problems selling his hot sauce.
It is a buisness…sad but true. But to rank on one of the BEST guitarists in the whole world due to his personal problems? Jeez…I’m glad a lot of you arent my friends!
June 12th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Right On Ken Aldridge! I totally agree. And I also think Kimberly’s statement was great as well. To K. Reyoch and Dirty Duck - thanks for your statements. You demonstrate that there is still just a bit of civility and decency left in our American culture.
But really, you’re statements aren’t going to affect all these miserable whiners all that much. I think its funny how much complaining I hear from the whiners how Ed is (and I quote an earlier post) “a prick” or a “miserable !@#$”, and really, its the awful commenter’s making such statements and calling names who are the bitter ones. This is music people. Its a privilege to hear it. I mean you do realize that it’s a luxury to be able to go into a music store and actually buy a CD when there are millions of people living in abject poverty all around the world.
So to the whiners, give it a rest already. Hate Ed or Love Ed, who cares anymore, this is all a broken record and it’s boring as HELL! This is not life or death, this is music. Get over yourselves, get off the blogs, go outside and get some fresh air, or a job. Better yet, go and give to someone in need and STOP with all the negative, mean spirited, ugly comments because with every hateful and idiotic statement you write, you give yet another shining demonstration of how truly ugly the spirit of our culture has become.
So to the folks I mentioned above, don’t waste any more of your time on this board, it’s obviously been overrun by a bad bunch of YouTube Haters. That’s it, that’s all, I’m outta here! Got better things to do then to listen to Haters.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Somebody said, “boobs,” right? Hello? Boobs?
June 12th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Oh, man…it just keeps coming. More and more and more griping, complaining, bitterness, grouchiness…unbelievable.
Tell you what…go find a copy of William Shatner’s song Has Been and take a listen. In it, he’s talking to people like you. Doesn’t matter if you complain about Bill or Eddie or whoever. Same difference…the lyrics are directed at individuals like yourselves.
Me, I appreciate the talent. The GOD GIVEN talent of these people. I love their music. I don’t care what incarnation it’s in whether it be Van Halen (including “Van Hagar” and Cherone’s one shot) or Chickenfoot or Sammy Hagar’s solo material or Los Tres Gusanos or whatever. It’s all fun stuff to listen to and I eagerly await any new material from Van Halen. In my opinion, Wolfgang more than fulfilled his role as the bassist on tour and I can’t wait to hear how the new stuff sounds with him. I like Mikey, miss having him in VH, but he’s happy where he is and I love the material he’s doing now. As for the question of can they all three be wrong, well…yeah, actually they can since Dave’s story and Sammy’s story and now Mike’s aren’t really interchangeable. They aren’t/weren’t saying the same thing about whatever happened. Don’t know how many relationships any of you who’ve mentioned it have been in, but it is quite easy to misinterpret someone’s words and actions. Alcoholics (even recovering ones) also have a bit of an emotional problem as well as difficulty in relationships. I’m not sure what happened with any of these people in the past, but it’s water under the bridge. With Ed sober now and Dave grown up finally, maybe all of the bitterness can be washed away. If they do a new album, great. I’ll buy it. If they don’t, oh well. Whatever. Life continues. I’m hopeful they do another with Dave. So far, it looks likely. They got along for the entire tour and Ed and Dave have both done interviews since indicating their plans to return to the studio to record new stuff. It looks like it’s really going to happen this time, especially with Guitar Hero: Van Halen coming out to coincide with their return to the studio. From a marketing standpoint, it’s brilliant timing. Time will tell…
Thank the Lord for Van Halen & VHND!!!
June 12th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Kumbaya
June 12th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
I’m with ya tom! Happy hour on me!
June 12th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Van Halen will come back on tour in 2010/2011 with a new record…
Chickenfoot is good enough…just to be the open act for the Van Halen Tour 10/11!…
Is good to see Eddie sober…Is good to hear the band still united (with DLR)…
And is good to see Michael Anthony playing, recording and touring…even if on CF.
I´m stil waiting for the new material Eddie!
Thank God for all this guys still alive and kicking!!
June 12th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Skutch, he’s been talking about “God” and his “God-given Gifts” since at least 2004. Go back to the Guitar World interviews from that period. When, by the way he also said that “Alex, Mike, Sammmy” and him were “the real thing” and they were “better than ever” and they were like brothers. I’m not making it up, he said that stuff.
He’s been lying about being sober since Balance. The guy is confused man. I’m not talking shit, I sincerely believe the guy needs help. He’s not really “lying” because he’s convinced himself that everyone is out to get him and that nobody understands him. That’s the way people like him with alcohol and drug problems talk themselves into doing what they do… “nobody understands me, I don’t have a problem everybody else does”.
Ed is an alcoholic. He needs to work the real 12 step program. That program refuses to condone resentment. You can stop drinking and still not be truly “sober”. That might not make sense to you but it’s true. If you are full of resentment and blame everyone else for why you are the way you are, you haven’t truly beaten alcoholism. You have to own up to your side of the problem. Ed can’t bring himself to do that and until he does he’ll continue down the path he’s been on.
June 12th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
So nice to see ED back and happy about playing the guitar again!
Long live the KING!
June 12th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
It’s funny how some people get so pissed when eddie gets his balls busted. Here is me theory and probably alot of others. Over the many years of being a VH fan, I bought every record( you know the round black disc), then got them on cassette, then CD. I’ve seen them live 8 times, bought books, bought posters, t-shirts, hats, pins, videos, made sure to see every video premier, or TV appearance. I’ve been a loyal fan and gave them alot of my hard earned money. So if I want to bitch them out, then dammit thats what i’m gonna do!
Enough said!
June 12th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Top Jimmy, your right that Ed has to own up his side of the problem, but you also need to realize that all of the problems with VH over the years are not solely Ed’s fault. I don’t see Dave or Sammy coming out and taking any responsibility for any of the drama over the years. I said it before in one of the other threads, that Ed is 50% to blame, but so is Dave during his time with the band, and so is Sammy during his time. All of the Sammy lovers think he’s faultless in this mess, but I’ve seen plenty of interviews over the years where he’s rehashing things from years earlier (one of the big complaints about Ed in this thread), or taking potshots at Ed. One that stands out in my mind is on MTV Cribs, Sammy made a crack about a half empty bottle of alcohol that “Eddie Van Halen must have been here”. Making cracks about someone’s alcoholism - really classy!
garysamuelroth, kimberly and ducky/dirty duck are right on with their comments. They appreciate what Ed has given us over the years and don’t feel that Ed owes them anything more. If VH comes out with a new album, I’ll be the first one in line to buy it, but if they don’t, I’m not going to sit here and find someone to blame about it, I’ll go on with my life with a classic VH cd blasting!
June 12th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Well this is a little less MANIC of an interview. Is it just me or are all his interview about the same things and the same rehashed statements… “We are a band…” and “I’ve got so much music laying around…” and “and Wolfie is so awesome that he shoots sparks out his A$$ when he plays…” So sad Eddie’s better days are behind him. I see no fire to create though he claims he’s got it…we will be lucky to ever hear it. EVH and AVH need to do something new and different. The got slaughtered with VH III but you know what I think that record still holds up. It is different and fresh and sounds nothing like the previous two singers. He is a typical victim addict.
June 12th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
The fact that all of the posters have found this thread and made a comment shows they really do care. Eddie has always been my favorite guitar player and Van Halen has always been my favorite band. Besides anyone who grew up in the 70’s early 80’s who are you going to find to listen to these days. Great rock and roll music hasnt been produced in over 20 years. All we have are the old bands. Eddie says it over and over you must practice, practice, practice. I would say todays kids spend more time on xbox then the guitar. People must remember that we are all entitled to our opinions and that is what they are, OUR OPINIONS, it doesnt make them right or wrong. Thank you Eddie for all the music and if you never produce another album ever again, who cares, your music was apart of many of us for a long time.
June 12th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
^ Eddie’s been giving the same interview for the last 30 years.
June 12th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
I don’t get the bitter vibe that a lot of the people here are getting. Yeah, Ed may not have referred to Sammy by name, but whatever - that’s something that Sam and Ed have to work out themseleves someday.
As far as the rest of the interview goes, Ed sounds pretty good. Compare him with the drunk Ed from like 2004-2006 - major improvement. Anyway… Didn’t know Ed digs AC/DC… That’s pretty cool.
Hope to hear some new tunes, and can’t wait for the next tour!
June 12th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
I just saw a documentary on U2 music, well here’s how it should be a real rock band: 4 great musicians with their personalities and their ego at the service of the band and not for personal gain.
One thing: the songs of VH were accredidate to all 4 components (except for 3 of the best of 2004);I wonder: and chickenfoot songs?
June 12th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Top Jimmy U have it pegged.
June 12th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
When anyone medicates heavily ( alcohol or drugs ) it stunts their emotional and mental growth ….So it may explain the Interviews Ed is giving…He is trying to catch up to his own life and it takes time…I hope he does good.
June 12th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Look At Sammy’s track record ……it’s all about him. I loved him in VH but solo?….I thought he was a turd……….He is a solo artist…look at his record !!!! I saw the Cabo Wabo tour on Directv it was emmbarrasing…..He’s a joke !
June 12th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
True dat, Top jimmy.
Karl, you’re right this is the same interview for 30 years, and you keep reading it (like me). LOL
June 12th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Remember when Van Halen would put out an album, we’d buy it, listen to it, love it and the world would turn?
Ahh… the good old days.
Sigh.
I thought the mud-slinging was over. But it seems that Eddie and everyone else is focused on the same thing the bickering that goes on here is focused on: Being RIGHT!
Enough already.
Ed… I don’t give a shit who said what, did what, and all that jazz.
Speak through the guitar.
Testify brother…
Or…
Keep your mouth shot like Mr. Diamond Dave.
(Dave’s like a saint now. I love it!)
June 12th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
RU kidding me!!! Is this really Ed in this interview? I write all the songs,I write all the songs,I write all the songs….? Jesus, aging really goes to someones head after awhile and the rockstar comment was just icing on the cake! What is a rockstar? It’s you you arrogant ass, as you always have been in our and your eyes for thirty years plus.I’ve been a Halen fan since 78 but c’mon Ed,your arrogance has ballooned tenfold over the past few years.Man there was a time when i always thought when you see and hear VH there was always happiness in their music and attitudes.They always brightend my day when i listened to them but as i’m getting older i’m really seeing a different side and it’s just disheartening after hearing all the comments lately from the hand of god. I’m still a fan, but why in the hell all the bashing and weirdness going on in the press lately,especially against Mikey? The man hasn’t said one bad thing against VH ever since his departure but you bring him up out of nowhere two weeks ago and he even represented them with Sammy at the R&R hall of fame induction when the very people who’s name is the name of the band didn’t even attend! I just don’t get it.This is not the VH i used to know but i’ll hang in there to see what’ll happen just like other VH head scratching fans are doing to see where this soap opera will end up.
June 12th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
BOOBS! BOOBS! i wish edward well. stay sober buddy! if god makes you happy, more power to ya!
June 12th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Bob nicely said > I too a fan since 78,I’ve loved all versions of VH I,II and III. I have met Ed on a few occassions over the years. Fair Warning and 5150 tours I had “partied” with Ed and he was nothing but gracious thanking us for coming to the show, telling us how much it meant to him to have people like me buy the records and support him on tour. He blew away even my highest expectation. With that said anytime Ed opens his mouth it’s either a re-hashed story or a dig on somebody. I just wish we had the old Ed back it’s like he’s suffered a head injury. Please get better Ed…VH forever!!
June 12th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
All of you guys that are wondering why he seems a little less serious about the new record in 2010 may have missed the fact that this interview was done well before the interview with Rolling Stone two weeks ago. It was stated in the very beginning of the article and that is why his answers on the next record are more vague.
Also, for f–k’s sake leave the man alone. Yeah, I’m a massive EVH fan and a little biased but shit as much as I would love to hear new music I’m happy seeing the guy not doing embarrassing shit on YouTube anymore. I mean did you see the video of him at NAMM with the Frankenstein reissue, holy shit.
Look, he is sober, he looks good, he’s getting married, and that is it. If we get new music great, if not so be it. At least he is living a healthy life. Remember this guy is not here on Earth just to amuse us, he should be aloud to live his life as well.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Ed and Al, Dave owe us nothing. Remember this. If we get something new that`s awesome and it will be there best. Us fans no nothing to the inside. Sam,Micky,Dave,Wolf Rock on……………….You have inriched my life and many others………With all your great music.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
“…same with the song ‘Right Now.’ Alex and I tracked the whole thing, *certain people* didn’t want to be a part of it…”
“…and all of a sudden it’s like, “Hey, yeah, great!” But it was like pulling teeth to get *the person* to sing the damn song.”
Geez. Does Ed hate Sam that much now that he can’t even bear to utter the man’s name, lol. Why not refer to him as The Person Who Once Sang In Van Halen Who Shall Remain Nameless. Talk about bitter.
June 12th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
EDDIE PAY ATTENTION!! SIGN RALPH FORMER FRONT MAN FOR ATOMIC PUNKS. RALPH BLOWS DAVE AWAY WHEN IT COMES TO SINGING.WAKE UP !! WAKE UP EDDIE !! DAVE CAN’T SING ANYMORE! HE SUX!!!!
June 12th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Note to Ed: “Right Now” might have won a Grammy, but it still sucked. As much as I look forward to some new VH material, all of these interviews and petty comments about Sam and Dave, it really turns me off. Whatever, get over yourself. Just put some music out and stop talking. He says he has all this music written, so where is it?
June 12th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Once again, contrary to Rolling Stone stating that Eddie was speaking about “the new album”:
“I hope that after Janie and I get married in June and Wolfie graduates that we sit down and discuss recording new music, which I have tons of, if Dave’s up for singing … and then do another tour and just see where it takes us.”
“Hope?” “Discuss recording?” “If Dave’s up for it?” It sounds like Eddie wants to record an album, but it doesn’t sound like everybody is on board with it (which could be the new wife too?). I hope it happens though.
Hey VH, why not record one song and release it immediately?!? Put it on the radio & internet before cutting the whole album! That will get the juices flowing for everyone!
June 12th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
So based on this interview, the commercial success of a song is the mark of a good tune. Jump was #1, Right Now won awards. I guess that means there are a lot of bands out there right now that are a heck of a lot better than Van Halen. I guess I’ll have to dump these guys and start listening to all that other crap.
I hate Jump and I’m not crazy about Right Now. To me, Jump was the least VH-ish tune of the Dave era, except maybe Big Bad Bill (is Sweet William Now), which I actually kind of like.
I hope Eddie’s not trying to win some kind of award or hit #1 with all this supposed music he’s got sitting in the wings. I just hope he makes some of the old magic again.
But I’m not holding my breath.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
eddie would do himself a huge favor by taking the high road with mike and sammy and just letting it go.in the end new music speaks for itself and chickenfoot has spoken,its your turn (eddie) van halen
June 12th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
Who writes the music in Van Halen?
June 12th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Hey all you dumb fucks that claim to be Van Halen fans!! Hear this!
WHEN KING EDWARD VAN HALEN SPEAKS? SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!
You know nothing about the inner workings of Van Halen!!! Damn! Some of you dickheads actually think you are in Van Halen, WTF?!!! There are always two sides to the story, I couldn’t care which side you believe, but don’t tell Eddie & Alex what happened, I think they should know what happens in the band, they ARE in the band you know that? Bunch of losers!! All you dumb fucks were the first to go on the forums and talk down Van Halen’s tour, it was like dooms day for you all. If that’s how you dumb fucks felt? Then its music to my ears!!! FACT! Van Halen’s 2007/08 tour was their biggest to date. So eat that, you small cock minority!!
Like King Edwards music; it’s mystifying, breathtaking, mind blowing, beautifully crafted and delivered. It takes us years to soak it all up, yet we still find new things that blow our mind years after its release. Guitar players are still analysing “Eruption’ today. Yet when King Edward explains his genius it’s all so simple. And when he tells it like it is regarding Van Halen’s colourful/vocalist history, it’s all so simple.
When Van Halen was on tour in Australia in 1998, Eddie was criticized by the band Matchbox 20 for something Eddie supposedly said about them that they didn’t like. And Eddie’s response to Matchbox 20 was “Don’t ever believe what the media say and do”. Then when Matchbox 20 did their homework, they immediately apologised to Eddie for being misquoted and taken out of context. Remember “The Media’ folks? They are the true ‘Enemy’ in Rock n Roll. (Always were and always will be!) Eddie even said when reunited with Dave, that the media blew things right out proportion and ‘made a storm in a tea cup’. Think about this for a minute folks. If Van Halen and David Lee Roth’s relationship was so bad (as the media wanted us to believe!), then why would Dave in 1987 turn up to offer his condolence and respects to Ed & Al’s father’s death as well as when their mother passed away too? They always respected one another; they’d been through so much together.
June 13th, 2009 at 12:22 am
Eddie has never understood Dave and I think that is where the magic lies in their music. Take the song cant get this stuff no more off the greatest hits album. If you listen to the lyrics all dave is saying is he knows that the band are bullshitting him about being in the band and Eddie never even noticed. With lines like “thats how is is when you tell the truth” and a few other gems.
Eddie has bitterness towards dave because Dave has manipulated him since day one. But damn when those two get together its magic!
June 13th, 2009 at 1:16 am
Wow Jonny Bets, are you sure you’ve crawled far enough up Eddie’s arse, there? Seriously, he may be the greatest guitarist of all time, but he really has turned into a daft old fuck. And if he said something he hasn’t said in a thousand interviews before then maybe “WHEN KING EDWARD VAN HALEN SPEAKS?” we would all “SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!” By the way, did you know he writes all the music?
June 13th, 2009 at 2:07 am
Hey Rod!
Spot on dude! Dave & Eddie will never see eye to eye, much like Blackmore & Gillian. But unlike Blackmore & Gillian they’ve got a deep respect for each other. Eddie has always respected Dave’s talents but it was living with Dave on the road on those long tours and all the Rock n Roll excesses that got to him. I think in order for Van Halen & Dave to be together, they’ve got to have their distance away from each other. People seem to forget that these guys have known each other since high school. Before Van Halen were signed in 78′ they were slugging it out in the clubs 5 nights a week, all the rehearsing, jamming, partying etc, 7/8 years before they were signed!!
As I’ve said before if Van Halen back in 84′ had a break to rest & recharge things would have been better for Van Halen & Roth. 6 albums (including the marathon tours) in 6 years is a hell of a lot of work. Name me any of todays bands/artists that have done that recently? And see if they will be still selling out tours 30 years later? No chance!! It takes a current band 2 years to release their 2nd album. Then they start crying about all the touring, fucking WIMPS!!
Plus I also think if VH had a manager like Peter Grant (Led Zeppelin) who could tow everybody in line, Van Halen would have been the better for it. Van Halen’s management changes is just as much to blame. It was like a revolving door!! They didn’t have that big boss figure to keep everybody in line. Did you know Peter Grant even threaten to sack John Bonham if he didn’t clean up his act at one stage?
June 13th, 2009 at 2:19 am
I just wanna say that I witnessed the greatest Van Halen show I’ve ever seen last year. Seen every tour with Sammy,and I love him,but Dave is the man!I have no doubt that We’ll seen a new Van Halen disc in 2010.
June 13th, 2009 at 4:35 am
“A lot of the stuff on the Van Halen records is very basic and simple; live, midway through the tour, he started noodling around. He got bored just doing the simple stuff that’s on the record.”
This translates to: Mike did some really simple basslines, and Wolfie is so much better because he can noodle around.
Well, Chickenfoot’s debut shows that Mike isn’t just a one trick pony. But this shows that Eddie is still pissed at Mike! But its great how he replaces “bass” with “stuff”. Very good.
This isn’t whining, its just a comical observation. I hope that these promises of a new album do come to fruition.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:37 am
The person. . . .wow!
When did Van Halen become General Hospital/The Young and the Restless? I remember when it was about the music.
And I’m so tired of hearing about all this music Eddie has stockpiled. We can’t even get a new album!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 13th, 2009 at 6:07 am
Whatever you guys..all this fighting is ridiculous. At the end of the day I still love Van Halen with all my heart and whatever they so choose to do is completely up to them. I don’t know their life or what goes on behind the scenes so if nothing comes of this band at least we got a reunion tour and a shit ton of classics to hold forever. Eddie is a human being….a guitar God is different from an ACTUAL God…he has his flaws, but so does everyone. I still love him and can appreciate what he gave us. I personally don’t care about his personality anyway. I didn’t listen to VH the first time and say “Oh wow! Those guys sound like they have really cool personalities!” NO. It is all for the music…always has been and always will be.
June 13th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Some of these comments are too long and too serious. EVH is a great musician, he may or may not make new music, he is getting his shit together - enough said!!!
June 13th, 2009 at 7:01 am
Much ado about nothing. I’m going outside.
June 13th, 2009 at 7:02 am
Wow, such Ed idolatry around here! I think Top Jimmy see’s thru Ed’s usual stream of BS, as he mentioned that he still has yet to part with his bitter ways as a part of a twelve step program. Ed clearly has a LONG way to go still, going by his recent statements. From his piss poor decision to oust Mike from the album covers at their site, to not having the balls to fire him face to face, and then conveniently replace him with his son and turn a once great band into a very watered down version, why should I give a shit anymore? Mike was allowed by the VH Bros to go out and gig with Hagar, so long as he didn’t play with Dave in 2002. That should tell you something about his spitefulness right there. Then, when the lazy VH Bros didn’t want to do anything after the ‘04 tour, Mike got tired of sitting around watching the grass grow from their inactivity. The VH Bros only have themselves to blame. I don’t blame Mike one bit for playing alongside Hagar. Ed IS a bitter old prick, as some have said. And a gear whoring merchandise machine now. The new Guitar Hero game is a FARCE for how it’s being represented. Ed should be goddamned ashamed of himself for allowing that travesty to happen. It’s kind of ironic how Ed once was very critical of both Hagar and Mike for selling their wares, but now does the same thing. Hypocrite! Just put this meager band to rest already. I don’t give a rat’s ass to hear your son attempt to play bass. You had all the time in the world to do any project with him during your down time, especially since you have a studio in your backyard! But did you? No, you did not. Now you try and push him off on us. Too many bad decisions made by this insecure man if you ask me. Done with them.
June 13th, 2009 at 7:22 am
To some of you Eddie may sound bitter but to those who complain that Eddie sounds bitter are the ones who are bitter. Ed is sober and has gotten himself together. Ed may have been drunk in the past but the so called Van Halen Fans have always acted stupid bashing a musician like Ed and Sam kissing an ego maniac’s ass like DLR who may be an entertainer but at the same time the biggest dickhead who could care less about anyone else but himself.
June 13th, 2009 at 9:43 am
well , this is just me playing armchair band-manager here, but to me, this is simple :
1) have ed pick out 10 basic arrangements of hard rock
and about 2-3 arrangements of chicago-bluesy stuff.
leave those with dave for 4-5 months, let dave do whatever and accept dave’s role as writer/singer and dave brings back
about 8 demos for the album.
2) ed can do whatever he wants - with only al as a veto-power on 3 instrumental tracks , ANYTHING he wants ( except other singers ) . he can do a 15 minute artsy thing, he can play cello , he can have al play keys and wolfie drum and ed bass …. anything he wants.
3) a third-party producer MUST be involved.there has to be a neutral , skilled producer . ed cant produce.
thats it. ed offers a mere fraction of the music he claims to have- lets dave decide what to do with it
= dave salvages the record and gives the fans some brand-new”classic” VH
+ ed can be as experimental as he wants and give his son album credits like he wants
= ed will be content and happy to release a record and tour.
= fans will enjoy at least most of the record
= epic win.
what WILL happen ?
….i dunno , ed is addled , dave may or may not feel like retiring …. if left to themselves nothing may ever amount to anything.
but this is VH so expect the unexpected.
June 13th, 2009 at 10:17 am
EVH is an alcoholic and the mind of an alcoholic focuses on everyone but the alcoholic himself. For all his ability in making commercially successful music and building/designing guitars, the guy has always seems insecure. Why the hell did he let anyone tell him what he could play? Why did he compromise his music because some guy with ‘lead singer disease’ told him no? And why not compromise when one singer wants to go off and make a movie or another wants to take a break? And if Jump and Right Now were so good without lyrics, why sit on 10 albums of material? EVH is brilliant - a musical genius - but the alcoholism has made him a self-centered man who conveniently rewrites the history of one of the most amazing bands in rock history.
June 13th, 2009 at 10:48 am
It looks to me like Ed learns how it is when you are straight for the first time in decades (I mean RELATIVELY strait, because he’s too old to quit toxins completely. BUT THAT’S HIS PROBLEM AND HE’S OBVIOUSLY CAPABLE TO COPE WITH IT. I’m convinced that Chickenfoot is the best thing that could happened to all of them: Their success will be a kick to Ed (and they will make success, no doubt about it), their retro ( Zepp like) music is what Ed can write like no one else in this World( Page is too old!);The time has come for VH to be NO 1 again, because RETRO IS HERE TO STAY FOR NEXT FEW YEARS; Satch really is right axeman for Ed to compete with. LAST BUT NOT LEAST: NOTHING’S WRONG FOR CHICKENFOOT TO BE OPEN ACT FOR MIGHTY VAN HALEN! Imagine last encore…all of them together=CELEBRATION OF THE ROCK&ROLL! And to love and forgiveness! OK..maybe that only a dream…but that dream could make a lot of satisfaction to millions of their fans AND COULD MAKE SUCH A BIG MONEY TO ALL OF THEM!
June 13th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Rub & Sir U are either on to something or on something:-). Led Zep, Deep Purple christ they started in the 60’s.
Go see the Foot U won’t be disappointed. Best ROCK record in a long time. Sam fan or not it really has some hard rockin tunes…roll the windows down and crank it up. As the great Frank Zappa said “Shut up and play your fuck’in guitar” and please release an album (Ed).
June 13th, 2009 at 11:17 am
I think the guy is being honest. Possibly some integrity by apologizing to the fans might have been nice.
No doubt the booze got him for a long time, so being sober brings him to a new realm.
Nice to hear he is practicing and hopefully ties some of those pieces on tape to a new CD. I know what he’s talking about, I got the same kind of jumble. However he has the time and money to make it work.
June 13th, 2009 at 11:24 am
“WHEN KING EDWARD VAN HALEN SPEAKS? SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!”
Probably the most hilarious comment I’ve seen on here in a while. I hate all this “King Edward” bullshit. This is what makes him aliken a God and THIS is why he says stuff like Wolfgang is like Jesus! All this “King this” and “God that”.
I say let his guitar do the talking. For someone who hates the media he sure likes to visit them.
Guys, totally forgot the breaking news too! Apparently, Ed writes all of the music for the band! Crazy, I know!
June 13th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
what eddie says really doesnt mean anything untill van halen has some new music to back it up.when (if) that happens it’ll speak for itself.the fact that mike isnt in the band anymore isnt a huge deal but when he tried to erase him from the bands history by taking his image off of the albums on the web site was going to far.
June 13th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
being a van halen fan is like being a child of divorce and dysfunction .
we WANT to love them but dammit - they make it hard
June 13th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
remember when Ed sang on the VH 3 album? I was ashamed to listen to it. This guy is pickled….Put out a record and stop your bitching.
June 13th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
All who give Ed shit are retarded. He’s paid his dues, and can do what the fuck he wants when he wants. Most of you need to get a life and find something else to be angry or dissatisfied with. None of you wanna be critics have been in his shoes, so quit your bitching and get over it. If they make a new album, fine. If not, that would suck but oh well.
June 13th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Now I can’t stop thinking about boobs…I love boobs.
Fuck the box set. We don’t need another greatest hits album. We need NEW music. If Eddie wants to put it out..great. If he doesn’t that’s fine too (although I’ll be dissappointed). They (all six of them including Gary) have given us awesome music over the years and they don’t owe us anything more but a box set is just another cash cow like everything else Eddie is doing these days. I can’t blame him though, I’d be cashing in too if I was him.
Yes, this interview was the same as the last 100 interviews but I keep reading them hoping for the “new album will be out on xx/xx/xxxx”.
As for Sam and Mike…they’re new stuff is great live and on the CD. They want to play and they are. Good for them.
Firm…round…tan…boobs…I’m heading to the “other” websites…
June 13th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
rocko how do you know ed has his shit together? nothing and i mean nothing has been consistent when it comes out of his mouth. all of us on this sight want new music but we also want him to take some responsibility for the past and be man enough to admit he is just has much to blame. thats the only way he will get past this.
June 13th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
I am a huge eddie van halen fan but alcohol made him paranoid and question his friends.Sammy and michael anthony would have done anything for eddie and the bad blood is because of alcohol. There is no reason to have to choose sides because van halen and chickenfoot are great bands. Talk is cheap and the music and the fans are more important than back biting bs
June 13th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Can I get an ‘amen’ for vaginas and shapely asses? We must be fair and show some love for those parts too.
Do we really want a new VH album? Now, don’t get me wrong. If one of the “ten albums worth of material” that he has in his vault can remind me of VH1 or Fair Warning (my favorite), then I can’t wait. Bring it.
However, look at the direction the music’s been going. Because, as you may have heard, EVH writes all the music. And, judging from what he wrote at the end of Best of, Vol. 1 (”Humans Being”, “Can’t Get This Stuff…”, and “Me Wise Magic”), VHIII, the Best of Both Worlds (”It’s About Time”, “Up for Breakfast”, and “Learning to See”), and the porn stuff, is an album full of originals like the stuff just mentioned worth the wait?
June 14th, 2009 at 2:23 am
pirate, you make an excellent point. We’re all gagging for a new VH album but we could be in for a very big let down if it’s anything like his most recent output (sorry, recent is an inappropriate word but it will do for now…). There is a ray of hope, though, and it’s in the one place that I disagree with you. I think Can’t Get This Stuff and Me Wise Magic are both excellent (especially Magic) so I’m hoping the magic ingredient that might pull Eddie out of creative decline is Roth.
June 14th, 2009 at 6:18 am
pirate18 - AMEN brother!!!
June 14th, 2009 at 6:56 am
Who needs another VH album?
It’s 2009 now. It will never top the first 6.
I’m waiting for another tour with Dave!!!!!!!!!
Seeing EVH +DLR together on stage was the best thing of 07/08.
June 14th, 2009 at 9:47 am
First of all Eddie has proven himself to me and to countless others. He has dedicated his whole life to Van Halen and he did not quit or get fired. The old Van Halen still lives in all of us, that got to see them in 78 - 84, and they were the greatest ever at their prime and were unstoppable. I was just 12 yrs old when my older cousin took me to see them in 1982. Then again we went to see them in 1984 and I had front row in front of Eddie. I was like sitting in front of God with Christ at his side. I will never forget that and so all of those younger guys that have no idea what is going on and cut Eddie down or whatever, just ask your older brothers or sisters and they will tell you of a Van Halen that was unforgettable. He is why I play guitar and why some just need to leave him (Eddie) alone. So what if he don’t mention Sammys name and who is to say what kind of program or 12 step program he is running, who are you to judge someone and say what you think that they should be doing. Not even Bill Wilson would judge Eddie, so don’t you either. Fuck if you can pick up a guitar and play “Dirty Movies” all the way through then you can say your somebody until then shut the fuck up!! This is for all of the true Van Halen fans to give Eddie respect and thanks for all of the material that they gave us, and a piece of happiness that we all remember. Eddie,Alex,Dave,Mike,Sammy,and Wolfgang are now all part of Van Halen and if I had the chance to jam with my son who wouldn’t do it. I will always be a Van Halen fan and dedicated friend forever.
June 14th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Anything Eddie puts out is worth the wait. The man could fart into a microphone and I’d be the first one in line to buy it! I like all of his material, yes even fucking Van Halen III, beautiful record. Open your minds a little bit.
June 14th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Always liked EVH better when he played rather than when he talks….but the reason I love VH (all eras) is EVH’s playing!
Who cares about the reasons why who left, who got kicked ot, and the reasons why, they are all in the past. I dont like it when either member of the VH clan past and present talk about each other and slam, cant we just get over it! Who cares if Sammy didnt like Right Now at first, or DLR didnt like Jump, thats what is called collaboration. Ed didnt like the lyrics to Amsterdam, but I dig the song! Its the past. I liked it better when EVH kept quiet like he did on the 07-08 tour!!
And just because we have opinions on what EVH says doesnt mean we dont love him and his music!
June 14th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
i dont think van halen has to release another album to prove themselves but when their leader keeps talking about having multiple albums worth of stuff then people tend to want to hear it.
June 14th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
I really wish Ed the best of luck…but i keep hearing about the musician he is and the music he writes…hello?..anyone home? I havent heard anything…not only am i tired of waiting…im tired of saying im still waiting?..and tired of even reading his interviews anymore…hes not saying anything in alot of words….a new release would say books full and he could stop giving interviews again!…jeez
June 14th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
“The man could fart into a microphone and I’d be the first one in line to buy it! Chicken Joe that’s just hilarious, I laughed all day!!! That’s the great thing about Van Halen fans; they are passionate, rude, pretty, ugly, fat, skinny, tall, short, and wide and have the best sense of humour!!! As Diamond Dave use to tell us at every momentous concert “You are a rowdy bunch of motherfuckers!!” Like the guru said, “VAN HALEN IS FOR THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLES BAND”
June 14th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
I’ve always respected Eddie’s views. When he speaks it’s pretty simple. I think a lot of people take him out of context, because he doesn’t give that much in interviews. It’s a normal thing with Eddie, yet some people think he’s stubborn and arrogant. That’s the beautiful & mystique thing about the great man! In this latest interview, he’s honest and sincere. Eddie’s not bitter (as some here constantly preach!); he’s just making a generalisation or reflection on Van Halen’s history. But he’ll defend the band with vengeance if anybody trashes it. If Eddie didn’t do that I’ll then think he doesn’t care about the band. If Eddie didn’t care about the band he would have left it a long time ago. Remember KISS wanted him? He wanted to quit during recording ‘Fair Warning’ and even wanted out in 91’? Anyone hear the story about Eddie wanting to join Nirvana? If it’s BS then fine, but I can also see why he would? It was known around L.A. Studio City ‘people in the know’ (roadies, production, studios, clubs etc) about Sam’s work ethic and constant solo aspiration was a hindrance on Van Halen.
Eddie’s alcohol problem spiralled out of control as a result of politics in the band. But you think Sam wanted to help Eddie? NO WAY!! A drunk & numb Eddie is exactly how Sam wanted him!! That way he can be off organizing his solo career. When he was ousted he then worked on getting Mike out of Van Halen. Why? Because Sam’s ego and arrogance told him that Van Halen would never get back with Roth!! “I’ll poach Mike” It was all to do with revenge and bitterness. But when Eddie woke up, Sam was out of there…in a flash!!
People that talk trash on Eddie are really a reflection of themselves. You are a tiny small minority that is frustrated; you seek attention for your own pleasure. GET A LIFE!!! I found it pathetic and downright disrespectful that some questioned Eddie’s rehab and absence from the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. He needed help yet those ex-members questioned if it was legit. Months went by, yet no response by Van Halen. I guess Eddie had more important issues on hand than to respond to a media thriving puppet in Sammy Hagar. Have you all noticed how Sammy always ‘sucks up’ in every interview? He tries to make himself to the public like he’s some great, cool ‘happy go lucky’ guy!! Don’t you think Eddie knows who Sammy really is? He knows Sam from the inside; he’s knows the real Sam, not the Sam that that we know from the outside. Eddie knows… Sam is a snake.
June 14th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Wow Jimmy V8, we’ve got a real competition going now between you and Jonny Bets to see who can get further up ‘king’ Edward’s arse! Seriously, that’s got to be one of the most tell-it like-you-want-it-to-be-rather-than-how-it-is views of VH history I’ve ever read. Your level of sycophantic delusion is impressive.
June 15th, 2009 at 1:17 am
Karl (and everyone),
With all due respect to you, as you (and nearly everyone here) are die hard fans with no inside connections, let me tell you that I have some “inside” VH sources too, and Jimmy V8 is absolutely right about a lot of what he said!
I agree with everything he said except for one thing; Eddie wanting “out” of the band in 1991. Ed was very happy then. And I think the Nirvana thing was nothing more then Ed in a drunken stooper - I do NOT think he wanted to join Nirvana.
Sammy is a SMART business man. He KNOWS how to conduct himself in interviews to make him seem like a “fan-friendly” and easy going guy. Sam would never make himself look bad in an interview, because he understands how the fans think and how they would react to any band member saying this or that. (He knows how to “play” the public).
Eddie, on the other hand, is just the opposite. He has NO CLUE about that stuff - he says things that come to mind, with no flippin’ idea how to properly defend his side of the story or how to explain the bad things that other band members did. If he was as good at that as Sammy is, I think the fans would be WAY more on Ed’s side of the story. But he’s not good at it, and his publicists & managers never, ever seem to help him with that at all.
In 1995-1996, it TRULY WAS well know among the entire VH camp that Sammy did indeed have a VERY bad work ethic with Van Halen! He wanted to be a solo artist, but knew if he simply left Van Halen, HE would seem like the bad guy. So he made himself very hard to work with and the band finally started thinking about getting rid of him and moving on without him. He was hoping that they would simply fire him so that he would get the sympathy vote from the fans. And he knew that if that plan worked, after they split up, HE could easily manipulate, by using the press, how the fans thought about the break up. Sam knew he could make himself look like the good guy to the fans. (And I’m not saying Sammy is some genius at this. Rather, he is simply not CLUELESS about it like Eddie, so it would be simple for Sammy to be the one to “win” the breakup war in the press). And in reality, Sammy’s plan worked perfectly, much to the detriment of Eddie’s reputation.
THIS IS TRUE, although I am very aware that most fans believe just the opposite. They believe that Sammy was the one who had the great work ethic, and they (understandably) believe THAT just because AFTER Sam left VH, he did indeed pump out lots of albums and tours. That is because he finally got his wish - he was a solo artist again, and felt very re-energized, and his work ethic turned from bad to great.
In 1996-98, Ed, Al, and Mike were absolutely DEAD ON when they kept saying his work ethic sucked (again, back then, when Sam was in VH in ‘95-’96). But now, years later, the fans think ED, Al, & Mike were lying through their teeth, but they weren’t!
In ‘95-’96, people inside the VH camp (including roadies, band, and management) were secretly VERY worried that VH would simply fall apart and cease to exist. This is because it seemed to everyone as though Sammy simply did not want to be in VH anymore. The band was very frustrated with Sammy long before they ever thought of working with Dave again, or finding another singer.
If fans knew the REAL story, they would be way more towards Ed/Al/Mikes side of the story. And what’s frustrating to me is, VH could have SO EASILY properly explained thisin the press, but they never did - either because they didn’t know how to, or didn’t feel the need to.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:02 am
Nice Adam… unfortunately I’m not part of the Eddie v Sammy party. I don’t read any interviews with Sammy, don’t follow his solo career or catch any of his TV slots. I do, though, read and watch everything Ed says.
You say “… and the band finally started thinking about getting rid of him and moving on without him.” Moving on to what? One crap album in 11 years. At that rate of ‘moving on’ Van Halen make Boston look like workaholics!
I don’t care who’s the good guy, Ed or Sam (although it does look like Eddie has turned into a biter old fuck), I just get a bit pissed at listening to Ed raving about all this great music he’s got ready to roll. I get pissed at listening to that same story for ten years. Yeah, I know Ed doesn’t owe us anything (even though we did buy his big house for him) and I know he’s earned the right to sit on his arse if he so chooses. Ed, if you want to retire go ahead. Just don’t keep telling us “Any minute now, any minute now…” Because as long as he keeps neglecting the day job it just looks like a cynical attempt to keep us on the hook so that we’ll keep buying the sneakers. And for the last ten years that’s exactly what’s happened, Ed has popped up every now and then and just cynically dipped into the pockets of his loyal fans and offered nothing in return.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:42 am
Ed should get the new wife onboard, she can play keyboards. Who says Van Halen has to be just 4 guys? Maybe this could be the solution?
June 15th, 2009 at 5:56 am
Eddie is toast.. Damn shame, but true. Can’t face reality / truth. Constant denial, never takes responsibility. He is not straight. If he was, he would deal with those realities. He instead surrounds himself with yes men (and woman - Janie). If the pono crap was a display of the “ten years worth of material” he has laying around - OUCH! That stuff sucked big time. Sam said getting the 3 songs out of him for the second greatest hits rip off was a painfully long process. There was no way they could have gotten an album out of the drunken guitar god. Can’t even show up for Hall of Fame?? Maybe he had an excuse (rehab), unlike his brother and that game show guy.. Let’s hope he gets better and gets his life in order first. Then hope for the guy and music we fell in ove with 30 years ago..In the meantime, we can buy some sneakers..
June 15th, 2009 at 6:06 am
Adam, you are wrong on Sammy. His work ethic cannot in any way be questioned - EVER! Dude, his work ethic and energy are the stuff of legends. Ed can’t get out of the basement while Sam has many business ventures, a functioning family and new material and tours! He was right. The manager was a loser (Danniels, he wife was pregnant numb nuts! He did not think they should do a greatest hits or movie soundtrack. Again, at this time his wife was near 9 months! They agreed to take a break, then the weak Ed broke to the wants of the evil manager and called Sammy in. Sammy wants to help his wife deliver thier first child!! You do an 8 ball of blow a day and tell me if you don’t loose your mind. No way you or anyone can question Sammy’s motives or work ethic to defend the drunk cokehead..
June 15th, 2009 at 6:23 am
“Working” a 12 step program means just that….. it may take years to complete all of the steps, actually it takes a lifetime….. Eddie will work thru step 8 just as he has worked thru the first and most important step. I personally am proud of Eddie and stand behind him as I would my best friend when facing the giant task of reworking every habit of every hour of his life. And what a great father, getting himself on track before going on tour with his son; to show him that you can rock and roll on the road without all the drugs and alcohol. You rock Edward VanHalen!!!! Congratulations!!!!
June 15th, 2009 at 6:37 am
Wow so many “so called” experts on this site. Well I for one never believe everything I read, that being said, I could care less about the VH inner circle drama crap and wish them all well and hope they all continue to make kick ass music in both VH and Chickenfoot!!! Drama leads to stress and misery where as parting leads to getting laid and having a damn good time!!! Which do you prefer????
June 15th, 2009 at 8:41 am
This bickering is pointless. Vader, release him!
June 15th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Eddie sank this band and I at least give him credit for trying to keep it going now that he is sober.
But when will this guy man up and admit he fucked it up? Still til this day he sounds like he is out to clear his name.
Too late Ed, we believe Sammy and Mike.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Wow KO! Talk about a backhanded compliment, “Eddie’s a coke head”, “toasted”, “drunken guitar god”, and then you sarcastically say “Let’s hope he gets better and gets his life in order first” WTF??!! What do you think Eddie’s doing right now? You think an alcoholic quits overnight? You need a serious reality check pal!! I’ve worked and helped with recovering drug/alcohol addicts. I was one myself so I think I know more than you in regards to what Eddie is going through.
Trust me! Eddie has just touched the surface, and that’s exactly what has to be done!! In 95’ he finally admitted he had a problem with the booze, but he didn’t admit he was an “ALCOHOLIC”. Just by saying that word “ALCOHOLIC” is the start to his reform. Anyone can recover, that’s going ‘cold turkey’ but it’s not even close from beating the disease. Eddie needed to ‘reform’ his life, he had to change his whole way of life because alcohol was controlling it. Eddie’s got incredible courage to admit he had a problem, (being who he is) others wouldn’t come close to coping with what Eddie endured in his life. I applaud him more for doing that than his Eruption solo’s every night!!!. Predictably, Eddie might have gone back on the booze and his bad habits (that’s to be expected!), but did you understand what Eddie said in this interview when he said “I’m over this”. That’s the best thing I ever heard him say, it was like a big release, a cleansing system that hopefully is gone for good. But it will always be in the back of his mind, it never goes away, Eddie’s just learning how to deal and live with it. It was interesting when he said it use to take him 5+ beers to get warmed up and in the ‘zone’, yet now he warms up for an hour to get in that ‘zone’. Those are the changes that he was looking for to beat his alcoholism.
Backtrack a few years. With Eddie’s alcohol problems, Sammy was no help at all, in fact he really was putting more ‘fuel on the fire’ with his Cabo antics’ and cringe worth ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll’ stage persona! In that 2004 deplorable re-union, Mike and Sam carried on like they were 20 year olds again!! What were they trying to prove? That they can still party and rock hard? You’re so cool man!! Or was it to push Eddie over the edge? HELLO!! They’ve got a guy on stage falling to pieces yet they carry on like it’s nothing!!! Where was the love from Sammy? He seems to always write about it in his songs!! And please Mike enough with the ’doing it for the fans’ BS. Van Halen is always about the fans. Let’s face it Eddie was in no state to do that tour, I think he felt guilty for us the fans in agreeing to do that tour. It was killing him, he’s a proud emotional man but it was all for the money!! Whether he admits it or not, I couldn’t care less the proof was all there to see!!! But let’s take into consideration his difficult circumstances at that time; recovering from cancer, getting a divorce, his mother’s death and Warner Brothers/Van Halen’s severing their ties. Do people want too or can understand the bigger picture? Thank god that tour ended sooner rather than later. That was the worst I’ve ever seen and heard Eddie. It was sad to see. But fast forward to 2008, it was wise and admirable of Van Halen when they canceled some shows at the start of the 2008 leg of the tour when Eddie had some health problems resurface. And look at the results after he and Van Halen came back…OUTSTANDING!!!
I’d like to also add that Adam & Jimmy V8 are absolutely 100% correct in their comments!! Adam said “Sammy is a SMART business man. He KNOWS how to conduct himself in interviews to make him seem like a “fan-friendly” and easy going guy” Eddie is not good in interviews; he’ll be the first to admit that! Eddie said once “I talk better with my guitar than with my mouth!” Like Jimmy V8 said “people take him out of context, because he doesn’t give that much in interviews”. He never skirts the issue, he just throws words around and lets you figure it out; he just hasn’t got the time or need for it. That’s not being stubborn or mean. At the 2007/08 tour press conference when asked how his guitar playing is now that he’s sober, Eddie’s answer was “You just have to come by and check it out and see what you think” That’s the normal Eddie answer we come to expect!! Andy Johns once said about Eddie “His mind runs a million miles an hour!!” Jimmy Page is the same. Pagey hardly slept during Led Zep’s peak, his mind too was running at a frantic pace. That’s how these geniuses are. They are a creative force, enough with the questions…just give me more of that amazing music!!
June 15th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Boo Fricking whoo…Who cares go write a kick ass album Ed.
You gotta keep up with the “better half” now…Mike and Sam.
Chickenfoot Rules!!!!
June 15th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I used to really feel sorry for Ed but not anymore.
I myself have faced an addiction problem and didn’t change overnight but I damn sure didn’t come out of rehab blaming everybody else for my mistakes. I had held on to old animosities for too long and just wanted to make everything right with everybody I had alienated over the years.
Some people wanted to forgive me. Some people still won’t have anything to do with me but at least I tried.
Do you honestly think that if Ed reached out to Sammy and Mikey to just let bygones be bygones and to wish them well that they would hang up the phone on him? They wished him well at the Rock-n-Roll HOF ceremonies and stated they just wanted “their friend back”.
I am sorry sometimes when you take the alcohol away from a drunken asshole you still have an asshole!
June 15th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
I don’t believe for one second that Ed is sober, maybe a little more than he used to be because of age but not totally. Look during his last tour he had to cancel a few concerts because of medical reasons… yeah right he probably had alcohol poisioning LOL. I don’t know he probably relapsed or just overdid it. Who the F knows but i don’t believe the sobriety factor at all.On another note, if they do record a new album soon which will probably be in 2020 it won’t have the majic they used to have especially without Mike, I just don’t see it happening. That glimmer has gone away. The Me wise Majic time was their best hope with Dave and it was pretty damn good and could of been something great but i honestly think they’ve plateu’ed and any attempt with Wolfie will be dismal. Dave just can’t hit the highs anymore which can be expected from a man of his age now.Hell back when Me Wise Majic was recorded Ed said back then Dave couldn’t hit those highs live and he was extremely overdubbed on that mix.Point being is that band needs to get their heads out of their asses and let Wolfie enjoy his youth and wealth privately and bring Mike back and that tour would be bigger than the last one ever was because we have the original VH not some hybrid and all would be good in Van Halen Land.
June 15th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Pete, you RULE!!! You are totally correct on everything.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
ace5150
That’s so typical of your comments. But that’s really a reflection on you as a person. You out of all people (a recovering addict) should know that everyone is different. ‘Every case is different’ In Eddie’s case he wasn’t just denying for the sake of denying, he was denying because he felt ashamed and insecure deep down. I guess the difference between you and Eddie is Eddie’s addiction was there for the whole world to observe and scrutinize. Whereas with you…who are you?
Calling him and his son names and degrading them is LOW!!! He doesn’t deserve that at all. For once Eddie opens up and straight away people shoot him down with their negativity. I might add most are from the Sam and sadly now from Mike’s camp.
Judging by this Chickenfoot, I think this has more to do with Van Halen’s 2007/08 successful tour than people think otherwise. I mean let’s cut to the chase here; Sammy being the media attention seeker that he is was IMO privately hoping that the VH/Roth reunion failed. For then he would expect Eddie & Alex come running with their tails between their legs back to him. Sam on a rare occasion was caught off guard at the RRHOF awards when he sarcastically said “I’m not trying to be funny here, but I hope one day we can all get together, even Dave and do this whole thing” Hello!! Don’t you see how he’s trying to pre-empt to the fans and media that the VH/Roth’s tour is going to fail? Again like Adam said; “he understands how the fans think and how they would react to any band member saying this or that. (He knows how to “play” the public).”
I just think people should be grateful that Eddie is heading in the right direction. I prefer this Eddie than the sad ghost figure Eddie of 2004.
P.S. Thanks Skutch at least some people see the bigger picture. VAND HALEN ARE BACK!!!
June 16th, 2009 at 12:20 am
Pete, every time you post it’s just your own personal fantasy account of everything Van Halen.
June 16th, 2009 at 4:54 am
Hey Karl the only fantasy is your un-realistic fantasy of Chickenfoot lasting long enough!
Besides what is so wrong with what Pete is saying? He’s not calling anybody names or degrading them, he’s only looking at it from the outside in like you and me. He does make some valid points whether you deny it. It pisses me of how Eddie’s given us the most amazing music and the ultimate soundtrack of our live’s!! Yet some people turn on him because of ex-members moaning about being fired or quiting Van Halen. Someone here said who gives a shit? As long as Eddie is alive and walking this earth, only Van Halen fans give a shit!!! He is a GUITAR GOD!!!
Hey Pete!! Way to go bro!!!
June 16th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Pete says:
(VAND)?????? HALEN ARE BACK!!! I thought this was a Van Halen site. My bad i’ll make sure i type in Van Halen or KING EDWARD next time so i don’t end up at the wrong site.
June 16th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Yo Bob!
Sorry about the ‘VAND’ mistake. You see I got big and wide fingers, a computer slip up (1 finger landing on twp letters!!) Or with others here they seem to talk in codes, what they are trying to say I’ll never know. So I’ll correct it for ya. I like your sense of humour!!
VAN HALEN ARE BACK!!!!!
June 16th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
As for you Karl
No fantasy! Just an honest and respectful view/opinion on the greatest rock guitarist to erupt this earth!!! Like I said before, people that live in denial, are mean spirited and downright disrespectful are only a reflection of themselves!! I say for your own good read the interview again, carefully.
I think you and the other naysayers had a pre-empted view of what you wanted said out of Eddie. But when Eddie didn’t do that for you, you immediately degrade him!! In the meantime you all missed some valid and important things Eddie said. Did you know that Eddie actually complimented Michael Anthony when he spoke about Wolfie nailing the background vocals? Eddie acknowledged and gave respect to Mike’s role in Van Halen. With Wolfie nailing the bass and backing vocals, that in itself is a tribute to Mike!!! Remember he’s a musician not a rock star!!
It’s pretty simple. Aside from all the naysayer’s negative attitudes towards Eddie prior to reading this and ever other interviews, you completely missed the whole purpose of the interview. Under all that negativity & hatred for Eddie you predictably and blatantly didn’t want to hear a bar of what Eddie was saying!!
But he’s the low-down!!
Eddie’s in a good state of mind, he’s got control back of his life and is looking forward to the future!! The benefit of that is Van Halen is back and new music is on the horizon!!! In 2004 I thought that was the end of Van Halen, thank god Sam’s out of Van Halen.
June 16th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
No Pete, the only one who needs to re read the interview and come at it without a ‘pre-empted view’ is you. I come to each interview (and I’ve probably read almost every interview Ed’s ever given) with no pre formed view and just take each one for what it is. And only an Eddie sycophant would deny that the tone of his interviews have changed over the years. You’re in denial, Pete. Eddie is what Eddie is. Sad but true.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I stopped listening to what Eddie has to say long ago. Back in the early 2000’s when he overcame tongue cancer and told the fans “I got enough music to fill 10 records” and then Van Hagar plays “Up for Breakfast” as the new hit song on the 2004 tour. Is that the great music we were waiting for? I’ll pass.
I’m glad Dave is back and hopefully he’ll kick Eddie’s ass like the old days and take over creative direction of the band. Eddie was a lot more likeable when he was just the drunk guitar player coming up with tasty riffs and Diamond Dave was running the show.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Pete, you are 100% right on the money here!! I went back and read the interview, and instead of being disappointed in Eddie, as I was the first read, I came away with a very positive feeling about the man. Thank you for making enough valid points for me to go back over it again.
Bottom line is that I love and respect Eddie, and if he is on the right track, then I am behind him 100%. That is not to say that I also do not love Sammy and Mike, because I do. They all contributed to something great……even through the tougher times with Ed, so props to them as well.
I truely hope and pray that Ed stays his course, and that one day we will hear music from him again, but if we don’t, I just hope he stays healthy and sober for good.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
“I’m glad Dave is back and hopefully he’ll kick Eddie’s ass like the old days and take over creative direction of the band. Eddie was a lot more likeable when he was just the drunk guitar player coming up with tasty riffs and Diamond Dave was running the show.”
Bocephus???
How can you be such a callous person, as to wish a disease like alcoholism on someone like Eddie?? Why are you here?? This is for VH fans.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
^ +1
June 17th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Pete says:
VAN HALEN ARE BACK!!!!!
Oh ok, I guess I was on the right site LOL. Just a little humor Pete and TY for understanding.
June 17th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
if creative direction means back to spandex then i’ll pass,thanks.
June 17th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Hey Bocephus!
I response to you questioning Eddie’s music (e.g. “Up For Breakfast”) Your right in one way, that was the final straw as far as I was concern with Sam ever committing music lyrical crime!!! In another world he would get “Life” for the atrocities he’s committed in Rock n Roll!!!!
IMO the music in “Up For Breakfast” was ASTOUNDING, STUNNING, AGGRESSIVE AND BRUTAL!!! It had the “Me Wise Magic” vibe to it. But as usual Sam with his lyrical crime and screaming vocals completely destroyed it. I can see why Eddie got on the booze again. I did too!! I think Eddie realize Sam is just not doing it for him. Is there any chance I can hear those 3 songs without Sammy’s vocals? When I first heard “Up For Breakfast” The music had that danger and adventurous VH/Roth classic vibe to it. It had Diamond Dave written all over it!! I Thought “yeah when you’re ready Diamond Dave!!” And then Sam comes in with his……huh…Feelings’ and stuff?…BORING!!!!! I agree with you “I’ll Pass too”. I thought this is really the end of Van Halen, I can’t take it anymore!!!
Shame really, such a monster riff by King Eddie and Big Al stretching the groove like no other and within a blink of an eye…GONE, here comes that same old, middle of the road, old fart Sam again!! You must know Sam is a repeated offender? Chickenfoot will meet the same fate…
June 17th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
i really dont see how daves lyrics are so much better but thrn again guitar is the most important part,not lyrics.
June 18th, 2009 at 8:32 am
This interview could’ve been pulled from 25 years ago. He sounds like my grandfather, “Everything after Glenn Miller is terrible.” haha
June 20th, 2009 at 12:47 am
People, I think it’s time for some forgiveness what’ya say?
Let us all forgive Ed for his faults, whatever they may be. The same goes for Dave, Alex, Sam and Mike. Whatever any of these guys did to piss whoever off, let’s just all forgive each other and move on. I hate to say this, but the Van Halen we have all known and loved is simply OVER. And it has been so for a long time now.
I too would love to hear a new album, but I think it will be a cold day in hell before we see another record stamped with the name Van Halen. Sam and Mike have their new thing and will most likely never work with Ed again. Same goes with Dave. The tour was awesome, but come on, do you really think that Ed and Dave will be able to stand each other long enough to produce another album?
Van Halen will always be one of the great classic American rock bands! Just cherish the music that they gave us from all the Van Halen eras. Play the CD’s. Crank up the volume when it’s on the radio. Congratulate Sam and Mike for their new success in Chickenfoot. The album really does rock!
Happy Trails All!
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:02 am
Well there is no doubt Eddie has had great difficulty working with his band members the last decade or so. That is except for family members, which you can still have disputes but make amends much easier. But part of alcoholism is dealing with resentments which taking a quote right out of the AA book “Resentments is the Number one offender”. I am sure he is still dealing with it. After the all the bad feelings in the past over Roth, I doubt seriously if it is all behind them. They are working together for professional reasons. Even Roth said a few years ago Van Halen politics are very fragile and anything could set them off. I know he just wants to continue the reunion and make some new music and keep touring. This is his second chance to be back in a big band and make a ton of money. But it wouldn’t take much for their to be another dispute, conflict, falling out, etc. A relapse by Eddie would almost guarantee it. That’s what caused the last eruption between him and Sammy Hagar! He was drinking heavily on the last tour when they were going at it toward the end of the tour. But if he stays sober and everyone keeps their head, they might just make some new material. if they can get through an album and get it released, there will certainly be a new tour. But it’s not guaranteed. I am not en Eddie hater, but I know things are still fragile. I love the Chickenfoot album, great songs sung by Hagar with some tremendous guitar work (familiar formula?). But also how nice to have a new Van Halen CD next year? Lets keep hoping!