Wanna stump your fellow music fans? Just ask them to name the first Van Halen song to feature keyboards. Odds are they'll "Jump" right into to the incorrect answer. Van Halen's "Jump" is often thought of as the band's first-ever song featuring keyboards. Not so. Understandable since 1980's "And the Cradle Will Rock..." sounds like yet another guitar heavy masterpiece from … [Read more...]
Podcast Explores Van Halen’s Rare & Unreleased Recordings
Credit: Neil Zlozower It's the biggest question among Van Halen fans: Will we ever get to hear what's in the 5150 vaults? The fascination with Van Halen's vast collection of unreleased material was pretty intense back in the 80s and 90s but with the emergence of the internet, it grew to mammoth (pun intended) proportions. The Wax Audio Show podcast recently released … [Read more...]
Exclusive Interview: ‘Van Halen: The Eruption and the Aftershock’ Author Michael Christopher
The Van Halen News Desk's Eric Senich talked with music journalist Michael Christopher about his new book Van Halen: The Eruption and the Aftershock! Below is the complete interview conducted by Senich for his podcast Booked On Rock. Christopher discusses a wide range of topics related to Van Halen including: The band's early days in Pasadena and original bassist Mark … [Read more...]
WATCH: Van Halen Photographer Neil Zlozower Interview At Sunset Sound Studios
Photographer Neil Zlozower has shot as many classic Van Halen photos as Van Halen has recorded classic songs. That's a lot, which means he has just as many stories to tell. Zlozower sat down for a lengthy interview at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, California to share the stories of his time "hangin', gettin' into trouble together and workin' together" with David Lee … [Read more...]
Van Halen Stories: ‘Nashville Eruption’ November 9th, 1978
Every fan has their story to tell. We know you've got yours. We certainly have ours. It's the story of the very first time you witnessed Van Halen perform live. The YouTube channel Final Resonance TV has recently launched a series titled "Van Halen Stories". For the debut episode guest Mike Simmons of Blackbird Rentals in Nashville, Tennessee recalled his first-ever Van … [Read more...]
July, 22nd 1980: Van Halen Invades Baltimore [AUDIO]
Credit: Mark Weiss Save the women and children first! Van Halen is about to invade Baltimore! On this night in 1980 Van Halen rocked the Baltimore Civic Center in Baltimore, Maryland while on the second North American leg of the World Invasion Tour - dubbed by the band as the "Party 'til You Die Tour". The trek, which began on March 19th, 1980 in Canada (Victoria, … [Read more...]
Van Halen Author Greg Renoff Interview At Sunset Sound Recorders
Author/Van Halen historian Greg Renoff sat down for in-depth interview at the site of Van Halen's classic early recordings - Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood. Renoff, the author of Van Halen Rising: How A Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal and Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music, had plenty of stories to tell regarding Van Halen's … [Read more...]
‘The Van Halen Story – The Early Years’ Now Available on DVD
Back on DVD! The Van Halen Story - The Early Years has been released again on DVD! This DVD documentary chronicles the rise of four young musicians from their formative years to their transformation into a worldwide phenomenon. Witness the group's gripping tale told by the people who were there when it began - the childhood friends, fellow musicians, roadies, bodyguards, … [Read more...]
‘Women & Children First’ Anniversary & Tribute!
Here's our extensive tribute to Van Halen's third album... Track listing: 1. And The Cradle Will Rock...2. Everybody Wants Some!!3. Fools4. Romeo Delight5. Tora! Tora!6. Loss Of Control7. Take Your Whiskey Home8. Could This Be Magic?9. In A Simple Rhyme(Hidden) Growth Release Date:March 26, 1980Recorded:December 1979 - February 1980Length:33:13Producer:Ted … [Read more...]
Watch Singer/Guitarist Derek Day Perform Scorching Version Of Van Halen’s ‘Could This Be Magic?’
Derek Day has clearly caught some of that Van Halen magic. The singer/guitarist from Los Angeles stopped by the legendary Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood to perform "Could This Be Magic?" from Van Halen's 1980 album 'Women and Children First'. "This is my favorite song off the album," said Day. "Going on tour I always play this album, riding through Nebraska and stuff. … [Read more...]
Dweezil Zappa & Blues Saraceno Dive Deep Into Van Halen’s ‘Women and Children First’
Abandon ship! Better save the 'Women and Children First' album first! So say guitarists Dweezil Zappa and Blues Saraceno, who have chosen this classic 1980 Van Halen album for discussion. Zappa and Saraceno took a deep dive into the album for Zappa's Runnin' With The Dweezil podcast. Below is a clip from the episode where they break down the WACF tracks "Take Your Whiskey … [Read more...]
Angus Young Looks Back On Good Times & Late-Night Call With Eddie Van Halen
Credit: Neil Zlozower AC/DC's Angus Young will always remember Eddie Van Halen as a man full of fire on stage, full of warmth off. "He was just all charm - full of warmth, happy to see me," Young recalled during a recent interview on the Talk is Jericho podcast. "At first, I was a bit shocked. I got this guy, he's talking like, 'You crazy motherfucker!', he's hugging … [Read more...]