A&E Network will be airing five all-new Biography specials celebrating the careers of some of hard rock’s greatest legends and Sammy Hagar will be among them. Set to premiere in late 2023, each documentary will feature exclusive interviews with each of the artists and those closest to them as well as archival footage and audio. The specials will go behind the … [Read more...]
Mike Portnoy Names Alex Van Halen Among 11 Greatest Drummers Of All Time (VIDEO)
Credit: Neil Zlozower Mike Portnoy named Alex Van Halen as one of the most influential rock drummers of all time and a major influence on his own style. In a video for Revolver, Portnoy (Dream Theater, the Winery Dogs) was asked to name who he believes are the 11 greatest drummers of all time and named Alex, citing his imposing sound as one of the first things he was … [Read more...]
Coming Out Of Retirement One Show At A Time, Van Halen Wanted To Open For Queen
Credit: Neil Zlozower "There's a little bit of Dave in every mother f*!#er out there!" Who else can make that claim so boldly? Nobody else but David Lee Roth, of course. Dave is back with another episode of The Roth Show. Among the highlights are Dave talking about his retirement, the Van Halen studio/live recordings and how he, Eddie and Alex had reently talked about … [Read more...]
Latest David Lee Roth Studio/Live Release: ‘Unchained’
One more DLR Studio/Live release comin' up!!!! David Lee Roth has released studio/live track number six and this time it's the Fair Warning classic "Unchained". As with the previously released "You Really Got Me", "Dance The Night Away", "Panama" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" and "Everybody Wants Some!!", the song was recorded in the spring of 2022 … [Read more...]
Unearthed Eddie Van Halen: 1980 Jas Obrecht Interview, Part 2
Photo by Neil Zlozower Jas Obrecht's remarkably candid conversation with Eddie Van Halen continues, with lots of guitar playing! Today, Jas released PART 2 of his never-before-heard gem of an interview with Eddie Van Halen, from January of 1980. And, just like his complete 1978 and 1979 Eddie interviews, this is absolutely incredible to hear! But first, if you haven’t … [Read more...]
How Eddie Van Halen Has Inspired Nuno Bettencourt’s ‘Fire’ On New Extreme Album
Extreme has just released "Rise", the debut single from the band's forthcoming album titled Six due out June 9th. If guitarist Nuno Bettencourt sounds like man on a mission on this track, it's because he is. In a new interview with Guitar World, Bettencourt said he vows to make sure that the road Eddie paved for guitarists to follow must not come to an end. "When Eddie Van … [Read more...]
Listen To Eddie Van Halen’s Isolated Guitar Track From 2015’s Remastered ‘Panama’
Ain't nothin' like it. Like a shiny machine. It's Eddie Van Halen's isolated guitar track from "Panama"! The YouTube channel Isolated Tracks has shared the audio of the track above, which comes from the 2015 remastered version of the 1984 album. The isolation of Eddie's parts highlights his brilliance in places we may not have even noticed before. From the riff to the rhythm … [Read more...]
Steve Vai On The ‘Forensic’ Approach To Co-Producing ‘Skyscraper’ Album With David Lee Roth
Steve Vai recently talked about the "forensic" approach to co-producing David Lee Roth's 1988 album Skyscraper, adding that his solos came straight from the demos. Vai was interviewed by eonmusic to promote the release of his new album Vai/Gash, which was written and recorded back in 1991. Writer Eamon O'Neill noted that the guitar work sounds very much like Vai's raw, … [Read more...]
Jas Obrecht Releases Complete 1990 Audio Interview with DLR Guitarist Jason Becker
Jas Obrecht's latest audio release is certainly a special one. The acclaimed music journalist has shared his complete audio interview with David Lee Roth guitarist Jason Becker just a few weeks before the release of 1991's A Little Ain't Enough. Here are Jas's thoughts on the interview, which you can hear in its entirety above: In 1990, Jason Becker was rapidly … [Read more...]
More Van Halen Road Stories In Latest Episode Of The Roth Show
When Van Halen shot up a Florida hotel pool with Japanese pellet rifles. That's what's on David Lee Roth's mind in episode six of The Roth Show. Dave takes us back to the time Van Halen stopped in Florida while on tour in 1978. After the show [which included Dave's 95-year old grandmother at the show], they checked into a Holiday Inn. While there, Dave, Eddie, Alex and Mike … [Read more...]
Van Halen ‘Live: Right Here, Right Now’ to Make Vinyl Debut
VAN HALENLIVE: RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOWTO MAKE VINYL DEBUT ON RECORD STORE DAY 4-LP Set To Celebrate The Classic Album’s 30th AnniversaryWith Limited Edition Red Vinyl Version On April 22,Featuring Three Live Tracks Not Included On Original ReleaseFirst Title In A Series Of Upcoming Vinyl Releases FromVan Halen With Sammy Hagar Era Van Halen's first live album -- 1993's … [Read more...]
‘In The Studio’ Celebrates 45th Anniversary Of Van Halen’s Debut Album (Audio)
The syndicated radio show 'In The Studio' celebrates the 45th anniversary of Van Halen's debut album! In celebration of the 45th anniversary of Van Halen's classic debut album, 'In The Studio' has shared an episode devoted entirely to the album released on February 10th, 1978. Below is some of what host Redbeard had to say about Van Halen's debut.: The list of the … [Read more...]