Shinedown bassist Eric Bass says Van Halen's 5150 album started him on his journey toward becoming a rock and roll musician. "It was really Van Hagar first and then I backed into the older records [with David Lee Roth]," Bass said during a recent appearance on The Paltrocast. "I was born in the 70s. I'm a child of the 80s so my musical trajectory was just perfect for some of … [Read more...]
Mike Rutherford Has Unreleased Music Recorded With Edward Van Halen
Mike Rutherford says he recorded music with Edward Van Halen in the mid-80s and has the tape to prove it. He just needs to find it. "I think Eddie heard a song from my second solo album (1982's Acting Very Strange) which I sang," Rutherford [Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics] said during an appearance on My Planet Rocks. "And he rang me up and said, 'Will you do some writing?' I … [Read more...]
Why Edward Van Halen Was The King Of Rhythm & Riffs
Plenty of much-deserved praise has been given to Edward Van Halen for his extraordinary guitar solos but there were a few other special weapons in his arsenal. Ultimate-Guitar's Greg Prato has turned the spotlight onto Edward's unparalleled rhythm and riff skills. Below is an excerpt from Prato's article "10 Examples of Why Eddie Van Halen Was the Master of Rhythm Guitar and … [Read more...]
David Lee Roth Drops New ‘Panama’ Performance Video
Is David Lee Roth hinting at a return to the stage? His latest video has us wondering. In the video above, Dave is singing along to a solo recording of the Van Halen classic "Panama". It's one of 14 songs he recorded at Hensen Recording Studio in 2022 with Al Estrada on guitar, Ryan Wheeler on bass, and Francis Valentino on drums. The video ends with the quote: "Don't love … [Read more...]
Jason Bonham Not Returning To Sammy Hagar’s Best Of All Worlds Band
Sammy Hagar's Best Of All Worlds band will return but it will be without drummer Jason Bonham. Bonham confirmed the news via an Instagram post by Bonham Friday (Nov. 15) to promote his upcoming Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening concerts. The post prompted a fan to ask, "C'Mon Jason... Can we get some Los Angeles dates? Also will you be rejoining Best of All Worlds band?" … [Read more...]
Alex Van Halen: There Is ‘Probably Three Or Four Records’ Worth Of Music In The Vault
Just how much music lies within the 5150 vault? Probably enough to fill three or four records worth of music, according to Alex Van Halen. Alex addressed the possibility of future unreleased Van Halen material with Chris Jericho during an appearance on Talk Is Jericho. Below is an excerpt from that segment: What do you want to do now with kind of the legacy of Van Halen? … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar & Joe Satriani Channeling Van Halen’s Songwriting Style
Sammy Hagar is following through on his promise to release new music with Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, and Jason Bonham. "It's really, really good," Hagar told ABC Audio. "And the idea is to channel the Van Halen way of writing. Let Joe write some crazy, whacked out guitar music, and I'll just write lyrics and sing to it." Hagar also said he's also up for another Best … [Read more...]
Van Halen In The 90s: What Could Have Been
The decade couldn't have gotten to a better start for Van Halen when they returned in 1991. Another number-one album (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge), more hit singles ("Poundcake", "Top Of The World", "Right Now"), and a lineup with a seemingly unbreakable bond. At least it seemed that way until internal tensions led to Sammy Hagar's departure in 1996. Looking back on the … [Read more...]
Valerie Bertinelli: ‘I’m So Pround Of You, Al’
Valerie Bertinelli says she's proud of Alex Van Halen for writing his book Brothers. "When I talked to Al last year -- when he told me he was writing the book -- I was super excited for him," Bertinelli said during an appearance on the Drew Barrymore Show. "And we had a long conversation about grief and what you go through. I know that Al, he has gone through... he's a very … [Read more...]
Alex Van Halen To NPR: ‘We Left A Lot Unfinished’
"We left a lot unfinished," Alex Van Halen told journalist Tonya Mosley in a brand new interview with NPR. Alex was the featured guest on NPR's Fresh Air segment to discuss his book Brothers. He discussed what it was like with he and brother Edward growing up in Pasadena, how Edward found his voice as a guitar player, David Lee Roth's contribution to Van Halen, Edward's … [Read more...]
Alex Van Halen Reveals Family Connection To Song Title ‘Unfinished’
Alex Van Halen revealed the story behind the title to the recently released track "Unfinished", the last song he wrote with his brother Edward. "The name 'Unfinished' came from a song piece of music by Franz Schubert," Alex told the audience during his appearance at the Robert Frost Auditorium in Culver City, CA on Thursday (Oct. 24). "He didn't finish the song so there … [Read more...]
Alex Van Halen Releases Final Song Written with Brother Edward
The FULL VERSION of "Unfinished", written by Edward and Alex Van Halen, has been released. The track titled "Unfinished" was made available for free download through the official VH site and will be included with the audio version of Alex's much-anticipated book Brothers. Experience the magic of Edward and Alex's last collaboration. Stream it now, right … [Read more...]