In the February 2014 issue of Guitar World magazine they rewind 30 years to the making of of Van Halen's masterpiece; 1984. Eddie Van Halen details how how he built his own home studio and took control of his group's musical direction. The result was 1984, the groundbreaking album that established Van Halen as chart-topping superstars. (Note that this is a NEW interview with … [Read more...]
Archives for 2013
Happy Holidays From David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth posted these two photos on his facebook page this week, wishing everyone Happy Holidays! … [Read more...]
Van Halen “Hear About It Later” Acoustic Folk Cover
A Van Halen classic turned FOLK? That's right! Here's a very unique and beautiful interpretation of a classic Van Halen tune, from a lovely couple standing in a shower. Nashville-based cosmopolitan-folk duo State Room gives us their version of what they call "the best Van Halen song of all time," Fair Warning's "Hear About It Later." Faye and Mike from Ryegrass say, … [Read more...]
Eddie’s Christmas Message
"Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May 2014 bring you love, health and happiness." -Eddie Van Halen Also, we Van Halen fans at VHND.com want to wish all our friends and visitors the same! This is the biggest melting pot of Van Halen fans on the planet, and even though the debates here can sometimes get a bit heated, lets just remember that we … [Read more...]
Randy Rhoads “Devastated” After First Seeing Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen and the late, great, Randy Rhoads were two of the youngest, hottest guitarists of the '70s. Both happened to live in southern California, and their paths crossed from time to time. Here's some Eddie Van Halen tidbits from Randy Rhoads biographer, Andrew Klein: The very first time Randy Rhoads saw Van Halen [in '76 or '77], he took his girlfriend Jan with … [Read more...]
Fan-Made Animated Video for Van Halen’s “On Fire” Demo
Check out this animated video for Van Halen's 1976 demo version of "On Fire." The animated video was created by Puerto Rican artist Jose H. Vazquez, known as "Vazz Toons." He's got plenty of other (non-VH) animated music videos on his Youtube channel. This demo of "On Fire" was produced in 1976 by Gene Simmons. The song was later rerecorded and released on Van Halen's debut … [Read more...]
David Lee Roth’s New Commentary for the Classic “Dave TV” Special
David Lee Roth has just uploaded newly recorded commentary for "Dave TV," his collection of videos and interviews released in 1986. The new commentary, which can be viewed above, was not included on his new Greatest Hits/The Deluxe Edition (CD+DVD) released last month by Rhino. While that collection has the full, original "Dave TV" special as part of the DVD, it does not … [Read more...]
Former Van Halen Engineer Donn Landee Discusses Recording Van Halen
Van Halen's engineer from the '70s and '80s, Donn Landee, rarely comments on his years with Van Halen. Here's some quotes from him on recording their classic albums... From SongWriter101.com, by Dave Simmons: The air-brushed album cover looked silly, an over-the-top rendering of “You Really Got Me” disgusted many a Kinks fan - and yet on their massive-sounding Warner … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen Makes Surprise Visit to Los Angeles Music School (Photos & Video)
UPDATE 12/11/13: We've added a video of the local news coverage, as well as more photos. Rock star Eddie Van Halen paid a visit to the Foshay Learning Center in Exposition Park where he donated music equipment. The video above aired on the KTLA 5 News at 10 on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013. From Guitar World.com: Photos: Lee Salem (Scroll down for video) Eddie Van … [Read more...]
Van Halen 2013 Holiday Gift Guide
We’ve put together this this list of the hottest Van Halen gift ideas this Holiday season. Whether you want something for yourself, or for the huge Van Halen fan in your life, you can’t go wrong with any of these awesome items. From Van Halen shirts, to winter gear, to books, to Eddie Van Halen striped items such as iPhone Cases, License Plate Frames and Guitar Keychains, this … [Read more...]
Flashback: Homecoming for Van Halen
Something from the archives of the Los Angeles Times: Posted By: Scott Harrison Posted On: 12:31 a.m. | December 5, 2013 July 9, 1978: David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen of rock band Van Halen celebrate their return to Southern California at the Long Beach Arena. Columnist Robert Hilburn reported on the band’s success in the July 11, 1978, Los Angeles Times: David … [Read more...]
Exclusive: Eddie’s “All Fired Up” Instrumental from ‘The Wild Life’
NOTE: Our Facebook link was bad. "Peeping Tom" is HERE. Another Van Halen News Desk exclusive! Here’s what we call “All Fired Up,” written and performed by Eddie Van Halen in 1983. This track is part of the musical score from the movie The Wild Life. Eddie wrote the entire musical score for the movie, playing guitar along with his electronic drum machine. The director … [Read more...]