Van Halen’s 1998 album Van Halen III was a project intended to be led primarily by Eddie Van Halen, according to a candid interview with the album’s producer Mike Post.
During an appearance on The Hustle podcast, Post explained why he was chosen by Eddie to produce the album, what his role was to be as producer, and why he had the difficult task of asking Alex Van Halen to step aside so his little brother could play the drums on the record.
Below is a transcript of Post’s comments:
“[Eddie] actually hired me to produce it because I’m…um…I’ve never been an addict and I’ve never had a problem with substances. And we were really kind to each other and really good friends. I hope he hired me…I know he hired me because he respected me musically and because I was much, much, much more technical than him. [I’m] not even in the same fucking universe in terms of being a genius, ‘cuz I ain’t and he was.
So, what did I really do on that album. I tell ya a good story. So it was not ever going to be a solo album. It was just going to be an album Eddie’s way. Without any negotiations with the lead singer because neither of the…this lead singer [Gary Cherone] grew up on Van Halen and it wasn’t somebody with a big sense of himself the way that Sammy was or, you know, it just wasn’t. It wasn’t a big personality. It was a big voice and a great guy. Eddie came in and basically, I mean, Eddie said, ‘Look, sing this this way.’ You know, ‘Do this this way.’ So what I did is encapsulated in a conversation I had with Al. So when we first started, Al was in the middle of a divorce, one of the worst periods in his life and he was drinking a lot. And so we, you know, we go up to 5150. We’re going to do the whole thing at Ed’s place and I said, ‘Look, Ed, I’m not gonna to show you how to play a fucking guitar. I’m not gonna show you how to write a song. I’m not gonna show Gary how to sing it. What I’m really going to do is, is find ways for you to execute your dreams on this and if I don’t think something sounds right, I’m gonna say it. But that’s really it. It’s not gonna eminate from me. I’m gonna put my musical sensibilities and my ego is non existent.’ You know, I just. I’m just here to help my friend, right? And he said, the way he got me to do it was, he said, ‘I wanna do one sober. I want to do one without being altered.’ I said, ‘Great. I’m here for you…and I will do that.’
So really early on, Al came in, you know, and we started to…and he just wasn’t Al. He just wasn’t…he wasn’t playing like Al. So, you know, Ed [said], ‘I don’t know what to do. It’s my brother. It’s my brother.’ And I said, ‘Well, what do you want to do?’ He said, ‘Well, I want him to think about himself and his family and to get straight and to figure things out and get his divorce finished, but I don’t, you know, I oughtta play drums.’ I said, ‘Okay, no problem. I’ll get it done.’ He goes, ‘Hey, you gotta be careful,’ you know, ‘Al’s. He’s no pushover,’ you know. I said, ‘Oh, I know.’ I said, ‘No problem…no problem. So far we’ve had a very good relationship.’
So I went over, I called up Al in the morning, okay, you get it? I mean, before anything had been [consumed]. And that’s on purpose. I said, ‘Al, can I come up and talk to ya?’ He said, ‘Sure.’ So I come up and I made sure we were outside. And Al’s got some pretty good martial arts chops, you know, but, ‘Okay, I’ll be all right,’ you know. So we go sit down outside and I had everything kind of figured out you know? What if it really got really stupid, but I didn’t think it was gonna. And I said, ‘Al, I gotta do something here really difficult. [This is] really gonna be a hard conversation and I just ask ya from the bottom of my heart to stay calm and use your logic and your kindness.’ I said, ‘So…you know what I think of Eddie.’ He goes, ‘What do you mean?’ I said, ‘Well, your brother’s Mozart. Your brother is, ya know, once in hundreds of years. You know, he really is. He’s that special, he’s that different. He’s that signature. It’s, it’s. He’s singular. There’s just nobody like your brother.’ He goes, ‘I agree.’ I said, ‘He’s actually a genius.’ He goes, ‘I agree.’ I said, ‘Do you want to know what I think of you?’ He goes, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘I think you’re one of three greatest rock and roll drummers ever born.’ He sits back and kind of gets his hackles up. He goes, ‘What!?’ I said, ‘I think you’re one of the three greatest rock and roll drummers ever born. Agreed?’ He goes, ‘Three?’ I said, ‘Yes, yes.’ He goes, ‘Who are the other two?’ I said, ‘You know who they are. It’s John Bonham, for fuck’s sake and fucking Keith Moon. Come on, don’t be an idiot. You already know.’ And he starts laughing. He goes, ‘You got some balls.’ And I said, ‘Naw,’ you know, I said, ‘You’re a fucking monster, Al. You’re unbelievable. You’re so good…’ He goes, ‘Yeah, I don’t understand where we’re going.’ I said, ‘Al, you’re in the middle of a divorce. You’re really fucked up and you’re not playing like Alex. I mean, you are not playing like you. And my job is to get your little brother to do a record sober and to facilitate that. So you gotta sit down and concentrate on yourself and concentrate on your divorce and concentrate on getting rid of all the substance abuse.’ And, man, he just went, ‘God damn it. What!?’ I said, ‘Don’t get mad. Calm down. Stay calm.’ You know, ‘I don’t mean disrespect. I just mean that you don’t want. You don’t want to stop your little brother from doing something that’s very different for him. He’s had tremendous struggles, and he’s your little brother, God damn it! Be a big brother here. Put yourself second and let this kid do what he wants to do. He’s earned it.’ And he went, ‘Okay, you’re right.’ And I said, ‘God, you’re just a stud, man. You’re a fucking stud.’
And so, you know, it didn’t take him long. Took him four or five, six months, and he was fine. He was great. And when they got ready to go out on the road after the record was done, and I knew the record wasn’t real good. The record was kind of crappy but it’s the way Ed wanted it. And so they start rehearsing, and God, Al just sounds like Al, and it’s just fucking great. It’s fucking great. He’s twice as good as what Ed played on the record, you know, twice as good. And so the first show I went to, I think it was the first show, too, it was in Philly. And me and my wife go. I go backstage, and it was a really good show. Gary was great. Ed was Ed. And Al was Al, you know, and I go backstage, and Al’s coming. I said, ‘I wanna talk to you, big boy.’ And he goes, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Get over here.’ And I said, ‘You might get the beating you deserve right now.’ He goes, ‘What the fuck’s wrong with you?’ And I said, ‘You pissed me off. That’s what’s wrong.’ I said, ‘You cost me the chance to work with three, two or one. I don’t know which one you are.’ I said, ‘But you played so fucking great tonight. You’re so fucking good at your job, man.’ I said, ‘You’re such a stud,’ and we hugged.“