There's no time like the Summertime, and there's no music like Van Halen. The two go together like an ice-cold Corona and a slice of lime. We think of Van Halen as kind of an American Led Zeppelin but with an added dose of humor and attitude. Another unique attribute that sets them apart from other rock bands is their almost Beach Boys-esque backing vocals, which helped them … [Read more...]
Happy Birthday Michael Anthony!
Join us in wishing "Mad Anthony" aka "Mikey" aka "Cannon Mouth" a happy birthday. Bottoms Up, Michael! Michael Anthony Sobolewski was born on June 20th, 1954, and was partly raised in Chicago. The family moved to California twice in Anthony's early years, settling in 1966 in Arcadia, California. Anthony attended Dana Junior High School, in Arcadia, California, from 1967 to … [Read more...]
Michael Anthony: ‘We Recorded Everything, Every Idea We Had’
According to Michael Anthony, whenever Van Halen was in the studio, someone was always ready to press the "record" button. "Every time that we went into the studio, whether it was Donn Landee or whoever was engineering for us, we had him press record," Anthony told Ultimate Guitar's Greg Prato. "We recorded everything, every idea that we had. And there's stuff in there … [Read more...]
Van Halen ‘Top Of The World’ Live In Dallas 12/4/1991 [Official HD Remastered Video]
Another official HD remastered video from Van Halen's live performance in Dallas, Texas on December 4th, 1991 has been released. This time it's "Top Of The World". The video comes from the upcoming expanded edition of Van Halen's #1 album from 1991, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. The Expanded Edition arrives this summer and includes a newly remastered version of the original … [Read more...]
Michael Anthony On Hearing DLR’s ‘Eat ‘Em and Smile’: ‘Is Dave Trying To Kick Our Ass?’
During a recent interview with Ultimate Guitar, Michael Anthony was asked what he thought of David Lee Roth's first full-length solo album Eat 'Em and Smile. "That's a great album," Anthony told Ultimate Guitar's Greg Prato. "I mean, I'm friends with Billy [Sheehan]. And Steve [Vai]. Obviously, they're both great frickin' players. It was great. At first, my thoughts were, … [Read more...]
Unearthed Video: Eddie Van Halen and Leslie West Jam Together
Unearthed footage of Eddie Van Halen and Leslie West hit the Internet last night, courtesy of the Lightyear Entertainment YouTube channel. Their description reads: "Never before-seen footage of the incredible Eddie Van Halen playing with the incomparable Leslie West and Corky Laing of Mountain at the House of Blues in Los Angeles in 2002. Includes behind-the-scenes footage … [Read more...]
Michael Anthony: Alex ‘Continues To Grieve Today Over Eddie’s Passing’
Michael Anthony has commented on Alex Van Halen's decision to auction off his personal instrument and gear collection and why he wouldn't be surprised if Alex never returns to the stage again. Below is an excerpt from Anthony's recent Ultimate Guitar interview contributed to the Van Halen News Desk by UG writer Greg Prato: Although he's not entirely sure why his former … [Read more...]
Alex Van Halen Historic Instrument and Gear Auction to Benefit Ride On Therapeutic Horsemanship
"I hope that passing on all these pieces will inspire current and next generations to be the best they can be.” Alex Van Halen is selling his personal instrument and gear collection in a new auction, which Backstage Auctions, Inc. announced as "The Alex Van Halen Collection." The company stated: The auction event will feature rare music memorabilia, including iconic … [Read more...]
Author Martin Popoff On Edward Van Halen’s ‘True Creative Force’
Van Halen at 50 author Martin Popoff calls Edward Van Halen is this era's "true Mozart" who had tools that no other guitarist had, including the ability to bring "personality" to the guitar. "He might even be the guitarist with the most personality ever on the guitar," said Popoff during a recent interview with the Van Halen News Desk's Eric Senich. "Because we know there's … [Read more...]
Van Halen ‘Poundcake’ Live In Dallas 12/4/1991 [Official HD Remastered Video]
The official HD remastered video of Van Halen's live performance of "Poundcake" in Dallas, Texas on December 4th, 1991 has been released! The video comes from the upcoming expanded edition of Van Halen's #1 album from 1991, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. The Expanded Edition arrives this summer and includes a newly remastered version of the original album, along with … [Read more...]
Van Halen Releasing Expanded Edition of ‘For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge’
For the first time ever, Van Halen is releasing an EXPANDED EDITION of one of their albums! With rarities, promo videos and previously unreleased live footage!! Van Halen’s ninth studio album, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, debuted at #1 and stayed there for three weeks during the summer of 1991. It was the third consecutive #1 album from singer Sammy Hagar, guitarist … [Read more...]
EVH Releases New Wolfgang Van Halen Signature Model
Nearly four months after the announcement, Wolfgang Van Halen’s flagship EVH signature guitar – the EVH SA-126 Special – has been officially launched! Back in January, EVH formally announced the SA-126 Special, which was created in collaboration with brand managing director Matt Bruck, Masterbuilder Chip Ellis, and pickup expert Tim Shaw. The unveiling of the … [Read more...]