Rock journalist Jas Obrecht is sharing a very cool unseen document with the world - his complete scan of Steve Vai’s original seven-page handwritten transcription of Van Halen’s "Eruption," done in 1984. From Jas Obrecht's Talking Guitar: While I was a staff editor at Guitar Player, we decided to feature Eddie Van Halen on the cover of the July 1984 issue. Since I’d … [Read more...]
Van Halen 1978 Archive
Van Halen’s Debut- If It Was Recorded in 1940!
Get ready for Van Halen like we've never heard before: a 1940s jazz twist on classic VH tunes! Imagine hearing Van Halen’s debut album transported back in time and reimagined in a 1940s jazz style. Sounds wild, right? That’s exactly what the Jazzified YouTube channel has delivered—with a little help from AI. Artificial intelligence plays a key role in this creative … [Read more...]
John 5 On Van Halen’s ’78 Debut: ‘Without These Four Guys, It Wouldn’t Be The Same’
John 5 recently recalled the "shock" of hearing Van Halen's 1978 debut album for the first time. "I bought [Van Halen I] from the cover alone, because it said 'Gene Simmons', and he worked on the record," said the Mötley Crüe guitarist during a recent appearance on AXS TV's Vinyl Obsession podcast. "And I remember putting this on, and I think maybe this record was the one … [Read more...]
Van Halen Was ‘The Nirvana For The Late 70s’
Credit: Neil Zlozower Few bands in rock history could create such a seismic shift in popular music in such a short time as Van Halen. In a recent interview, musician Roger Joseph Manning Jr (Jellyfish, Beck, The Moog Cookbook, Imperial Drag) recalled the first time he heard Van Halen and compared the band's impact to Nirvana's in the early 90s. "I remember being on my … [Read more...]
Exclusive: Childhood Friend Recalls Eddie Van Halen’s Early Years
Credit: Neil Zlozower In an exclusive interview with the Van Halen News Desk's Jeff Goebel, Eddie Van Halen’s childhood friend Tom Broderick revealed private moments with Eddie and Van Halen from 1968 to 2019. Tom’s older brothers Rob and Rick were the first to meet Eddie doing paper routes in the Pasadena area they lived at. Rob, a drummer, even jammed with Eddie in … [Read more...]
Part Two: Greg Renoff Interviews Donn Landee
Photo Credit: Warner Music Group Part two of Van Halen author Greg Renoff's interview with legendary Van Halen engineer Donn Landee has arrived! Renoff shared part one of his interview for Tape Op magazine with VHND readers back in September. Now he's back to make good on his promise to deliver part two. Below is an excerpt from part two of Renoff's two-part … [Read more...]
New 4k Transfers: Van Halen’s 1978 Niagara Concert
Credit: Neil Zlozower Speedy Films, in collaboration with The Genesis Museum, has released two new updated 4k versions of Van Halen performing in Niagara Falls, New York on September 8th 1978 from the original Super 8 Film! A short clips-based version with synced audio and a full-show version with audio and the video inserted as it was shot were released. The final … [Read more...]
Photographer Neil Zlozower Shares Van Halen Stories & Photos
When it comes to Van Halen, he's seen it all and he has the photos to back up every story. Legendary Van Halen photographer Neil Zlozower was the recent subject of Gibson TV's "Through The Lens" series for a look back at his unparalleled body of work with the band! From Gibson TV: From the moment he first heard “Running with the Devil” in an office building in Los … [Read more...]
Van Halen Among Top Ten Bands Who Outshined The Headliner
Credit: Neil Zlozower It's not often an opening act leaves a bigger impression with fans than the headliner they came to see but that's just what happened back in 1978 when Van Halen opened for Black Sabbath. Their outshining of Sabbath recently put them on the list of greatest show openers. Here's an excerpt from Greg Prato's recent article for Ultimate-Guitar titled … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen Immortalized With 1978-Era Funko Pop! Vinyl Figure
Edward Van Halen scored a couple of unexpected number-one hits recently. Not with a new song, but with a couple of HOT new collectibles... the guitar god has been immortalized with his own Funko POP vinyl figure - not once, but twice! Wolfgang announced the original Eddie Van Halen Funko Pop two years ago. “Dad signed off on this Funko way back in 2019 and it's wonderful to … [Read more...]
Donn Landee Takes Us ‘Behind the Boards’ of Van Halen’s Legendary First Album Recording
Photo Credit: Warner Music Group Van Halen engineer Donn Landee's first interview in decades! Renowned engineer Donn Landee recently shared some "behind the boards" stories about the recording of Van Halen's classic first album at Hollywood's Sunset Sound Studios in 1978, in a conversation with author Greg Renoff. Below is an excerpt from part one of Renoff's two-part … [Read more...]
The Fateful Encounter That Led To Edward Van Halen’s First Interview
Jas Obrecht, former Editor of Guitar Player Magazine (1978-1998), spoke in depth on Final Resonance TV's "Van Halen Stories Podcast" about his accidental meeting and first interview with Edward Van Halen in 1978 at The Day on The Green Festival Show. Edward himself referred to this interview as his "first interview." This fateful encounter captured a young Edward … [Read more...]