Copyright Neil Zlozower We’ve got an unbelievably cool treat for everybody on Eddie Van Halen's birthday today! Veteran rock journalist Jas Obrecht has shared another never-before-heard gem of an interview with Eddie Van Halen, this one from January of 1980! And, just like his complete 1978 and 1979 Eddie interviews, this is absolutely incredible to hear! As you listen … [Read more...]
Upgraded Footage Of 1980 World Invasion Tour Surfaces
Rare video of Van Halen performing during the 1980 World Invasion Tour has recently resurfaced with upgraded quality! This show started circulating years ago but was somewhat blurry. Now we have a much cleaner version of the band performing live in front of a packed St. Paul Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The audio is taken from the band's show in Pittsburgh. Songs the … [Read more...]
Coheed And Cambria Guitarist Travis Stever On His Love Of Van Halen’s ‘Women And Children First’
Coheed and Cambria guitarist Travis Stever says Van Halen's Women and Children First album was a life-changer. Stever was recently asked by Musicradar to list the 10 albums that changed his life. He put WACF in the number two spot right behind Led Zeppelin III. "I wouldn't by any means call it under-appreciated, because Van Halen is Van Halen -- all of their early … [Read more...]
Dutch Abstract Art, Pasadena Hot Rods & Punk Rock Guitars: The Origins Of Eddie’s Striped ‘Frankenstrat’ Design
Credit: Bill O'Leary Eddie Van Halen's classic red, black and white striped guitar affectionally named "Frankenstrat" may be the most recognizable instrument in music history. Rock journalist and author Greg Prato has shared an article he wrote for AllMusic with the Van Halen News Desk that digs deep into the origins of the guitar design. By Greg … [Read more...]
What Are The Ten Best Van Halen Deep Cuts?
Credit: Neil Zlozower Just how deep will you go when it comes to your Van Halen fix? Of the 131 songs in Van Halen's catalogue, 56 of them were released as singles. That leaves another 75 songs that can be referred to as "album tracks" or "deep cuts". Just recently, Metal Injection's Andrew Kapper posted his own ten best Van Halen deep cut list, which included the … [Read more...]
The Eddie Van Halen-Inspired Hairdos On ‘Stranger Things 4’
Ah yes, the good ole 1980s. Remember those hairdos? The people behind the making of Stranger Things certainly do, specifically Eddie Van Halen's rockin' "do"s from that decade. So much so they decided to pay homage to a few of them in the latest season of the hit Netflix series. Stranger Things' lead hairstylist Sarah Hindsgaul shared the inspiration behind the wigs used to … [Read more...]
Guitarist Craig Parker Adams On Following In Eddie Van Halen’s Footsteps…Literally [VIDEO]
Credit: Neil Zlozower Many guitarists have studied the lightning-fast fingers of Eddie Van Halen in a quest to capture just a fraction of his musical magic. Craig Parker Adams, however, found himself drawn to more than just his fingers. "I didn't go after Ed the way most people go after Ed," Adams said during a recent appearance on the podcast Johnny Beane TV. "I had … [Read more...]
Guitarist Damon Johnson Recalls The Life Changing Night He Saw Van Halen In 1980 [VIDEO]
Credit: Neil Zlozower Guitarist Damon Johnson says the night he first witnessed Van Halen in concert, it literally left him in tears. Johnson (Brother Cane, Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alice Cooper, Blackstar Riders) was a recent guest on Final Resonance TV and shared the story of the time he first saw Van Halen in concert. It was on August 4th, 1980 at the … [Read more...]
Everybody Still Wants Some ‘Women & Children First’! Van Halen’s Third Studio Album Released On This Day In 1980
Here's the Van Halen News Desk's extensive tribute to Van Halen's third studio album Women & Children First, which was released 42 years ago today... Release Date:March 26, 1980Recorded:December 1979 - February 1980Length:33:13Producer:Ted TemplemanPreceded By:Van Halen IISucceeded By:Fair Warning Track listing: 1. And The Cradle Will Rock...2. Everybody … [Read more...]
New Bill McClintock Mashup Featuring Van Halen Is A Real Riot! [VIDEO]
Mashup master Bill McClintock has released another gem and this one includes David Lee Roth singing alongside Quiet Riot's Kevin DuBrow and Paul Rodgers! McClintock's latest work is titled "Van Free Riot - 'Ain't Talkin' 'bout Metal Health Now'". He takes Quiet Riot's "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)" and mixes in a heavy dose of Paul Rodgers vocals from Free's "All Right … [Read more...]
LISTEN: ‘Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story’ Author Paul Brannigan Exclusive Interview
The VHND's Eric Senich talked with author Paul Brannigan to talk about his book Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story! Here's a rundown of the topics covered in the interview: Eddie's guitar and recorder always by his sideThe influence parents Jan and Eugenia had on EddieForget the Fab Four, Eddie's fire was lit by The Dave Clark Five!Eric Clapton was the Cream of the … [Read more...]
Oh, Baby, Please!!!! Check Out Annihilator’s Smokin’ Cover Of ‘Romeo Delight’!
The Canadian thrash metal band Annihilator has just released a cover of Van Halen's "Romeo Delight". Grab your whiskey, find somebody to squeeze and turn the volume up! The track, which also features Dave Lombardo (Slayer) on drums and Stu Block (Iced Earth, Into Eternity) on vocals, is included on Annihilator's album due out February 18th titled Metal II . As you'll hear, … [Read more...]