Popular rock news website Ultimate Classic Rock has listed their TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2012. Guess which album they liked the most this year? From their article, here's their intro and their Number One pick: "Our list of the Top 10 Albums of 2012 features some of the biggest names in classic rock history. Perennial favorites like Van Halen, Bruce Springsteen, Dylan and Rush have … [Read more...]
1962 Photo: The Van Halen Family On a Boat to America
This historic photo was taken on the very boat that carried the Van Halen family to America (Feb. 1962). It was a nine-day boat ride, and to help pay their fare, Jan, Edward, and Alex provided the ships musical entertainment. Special thanks to Jan and Eugenia for taking their two beautiful boys and risking everything by immigrating to America with their nothing but 75 Dutch … [Read more...]
David Lee Roth: Gene Simmons Tried To Recruit Eddie For KISS, But I Was On To His Game
Yesterday we featured a quote from an old friend of Van Halen's that said that sometime before Van Halen's debut album was released, Kiss's Gene Simmons tried to recruit Eddie Van Halen for his band. In his out-of-print autobiography, ‘Crazy From The Heat’, David Lee Roth concurs that Gene Simmons tried to recruit Eddie Van Halen for KISS. Here's what Roth had to say in his … [Read more...]
Did Gene Simmons Beg Eddie Van Halen To Join Kiss?
Kiss bassist Gene Simmons has always boasted that in 1982, Edward Van Halen, while expressing his frustration over dealing with David Lee Roth, actually asked if he could join Kiss. We're thinking Gene is making a bigger deal out of it then it was. If Eddie really did ask to join Kiss, he probably woke up the next day with a brutal hangover and had a laugh about it with the … [Read more...]
Is Ozzy Dead? Van Halen’s Crazy Tour With Black Sabbath
David Lee Roth shares a tale from Van Halen's first world tour: There is an old science-fiction movie from the fifties called Forbidden Planet, where the extinct inhabitants are called the Krell. So we started to call cocaine "Krell", gave it a science fiction name. We would stay up all night, well into the next day, having what we called Krell Wars. And the best Krell War was … [Read more...]
Van Halen’s ‘A Different Kind of Truth’ Nominated for ‘Best Rock Album’ in Guitar World’s 2012 Readers Poll
Days ago, we reported that Guitar World nominated Van Halen in four categories in their 2012 Readers Poll, but failed to nominate them for 'Best New Album'. Well, now things have changed... 'A Different Kind of Truth' is now nominated! So if you're one of those fans that likes to make your voice heard, head on over and vote so that Van Halen can catch up from a late start in … [Read more...]
Legendary Record Producer Andy Johns on Producing Van Halen
In the video above, Guitar Shop TV sits down with legendary record producer Andy Johns (The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, and many other rock greats) In this exclusive interview, Andy discusses his work with Eddie Van Halen in producing several of his classic rock albums. “WORKING WITH EDDIE VAN HALEN WAS MAGIC,” Johns told Guitar Player magazine. “I loved him, … [Read more...]
Sammy VS Dave Poll! (And VHND’s Facebook Page News)
We're finally doing it! The Van Halen News Desk's official SAMMY VS DAVE poll! Tell the world if you prefer one singer over the other, or if you like both Van Halen singers equally. In order to promote our Facebook page, this poll is exclusive to our Facebook page. You can 'Like" our page below, and vote HERE. Why you should 'Like' VHND's Facebook page: We will always … [Read more...]
Van Halen Reschedules Japan for 2013
From Pollstar today: The good news for Van Halen’s fans in Japan is that rescheduled shows in Osaka and Tokyo have been announced. The bad news is they’ll have to wait until summer 2013 to see Eddie & Co. in action. Van Halen had originally planned to play Japan in late November. But that was before Eddie Van Halen underwent surgery in August for diverticulitis, a … [Read more...]
Vote For Van Halen in Guitar World 2012 Readers Poll
It's time once again to make your voice heard in the annual Guitar World readers poll! Eddie Van Halen is nominated under the following: Most Valuable Player Best Rock Guitarist(s) Best Live Act Comeback of the Year But what's very peculiar is that Van Halen's 'A Different kind of Truth' is not nominated for 'Best Rock Album'! Perhaps they didn't want ED to win … [Read more...]
The Roth Show, Episode 4: Love Train-ing/Howard Stern/The Boom
The best episode yet? In this episode, your host, David Lee Roth, talks about Love Train-ing, "replacing" Howard Stern on K-Rock, The Boom and much more! Also, the classic "Just a Gigolo" music video with added commentary by DLR! … [Read more...]
Jim Florentine Disgusted by NFL Picking Beyonce Over Van Halen for Super Bowl Halftime Show
Comedian Jim Florentine is disgusted that the NFL chose Beyonce for the Super Bowl over a band like Van Halen. In his recent podcast, the co-host of VH1's 'That Metal Show' goes on a long, hilarious rant about it. "Did ANY male heterosexual football fan get excited when they heard that it was Beyonce doing the halftime show? NOBODY. Van Halen would have been … [Read more...]