We've got great news for Van Halen fans and collectors. Two new additions have expanded the line of official EVH miniature guitar replicas! Known to fans as the 'Circles' and 'Shapes' guitars, Eddie debuted these guitars to the world on the legendary FAIR WARNING tour in 1981. Ever the experimentalist, these Fair Warning guitars varied from his previous builds in the … [Read more...]
Dweezil Zappa’s Favorite Edward Van Halen Solo: ‘They Never Played That Song Live’
Credit: Neil Zlozower Dweezil Zappa is busting out a Van Halen rarity during his current tour - "Push Comes To Shove". During a recent interview, Zappa discussed the setlist for his current Rox(Postroph)y Tour. Dubbed the “Rox-Postrophy Tour”, Zappa is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his father Frank Zappa’s albums Roxy & … [Read more...]
Mike Tramp Recalls One-On-One Career Advice From David Lee Roth
Mike Tramp with Van Halen Madrid, Spain 1981 (Credit: Mike Tramp/Facebook) During a recent appearance on The Paltrocast, Mike Tramp of White Lion recalled a one-on-one meeting with David Lee Roth that would eventually take him to New York in pursuit of rock stardom. The meeting occurred in 1981 when Van Halen was in Madrid, Spain. Tramp was fronting the band Studs, … [Read more...]
Grammy Winning Composer Praises Eddie Van Halen’s Blues Skills
Credit: Neil Zlozower Count Grammy winning composer Carlos Rafael Rivera among the many fans of Eddie Van Halen. During a recent appearance on The Paltrocast hosted by The DLR Book author Darren Paltrowitz, Rivera talked about his love of 80s metal. Growing up in Miami as a teenager, Rivera saw plenty of bands come through the Hollywood Sportatorium including Van … [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...]
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...]
Director: ‘Mean Street’ Would Be Perfect For Horror Movie Song
Credit: Neil Zlozower Later this week (December 8) Magnet Releasing will release the horror film Lord Of Misrule to theaters and on-demand outlets. "Horror film? What does that have to do with Van Halen?" Lord Of Misrule was directed by William Brent Bell (The Boy, Orphan: First Kill, Stay Alive, The Devil Inside, Brahms: The Boy II) and written by Tom de Ville (The … [Read more...]
Nuno Bettencourt On The Drumming Origins Behind ‘Mean Street’ Intro
Credit: Neil Zlozower Discussing the "Mean Street" intro during his recent appearance on The Jeremy White Show, Nuno Bettencourt said playing it is "going into hallowed ground", adding “nobody can do you like you and nobody can play like Edward.” The Extreme guitarist also reflected on the genius of the "Mean Street" intro’s construction, calling it "the perfect … [Read more...]
‘Unchained’ Fan-Made Video Remix Re-Ignites The Fire Of Van Halen Classic
Just in case rock fans need a reminder that Van Halen's "Unchained" is among rock's red-hot classics, this video should light a fire under their collective asses. The folks at The Tapes Archive put together the video above by sourcing four separate videos of Van Halen performing "Unchained". Below is what they posted along with the remix video: This Van Halen fan-made … [Read more...]
The Lasting Legacy Of Van Halen’s ‘Fair Warning’
Van Halen’s 1981 album Fair Warning remains the darkest and downright meanest sounding of any record in the band’s catalog. No toes in the sand with a drink in hand. Dance the night away? Not on this dead-end street. With the absence of a good-time party rock single, Fair Warning was the slowest-selling album of the original David Lee Roth era. Despite that, the album went on … [Read more...]
Jas Obrecht’s Latest Audio Release: The Complete 1981 Interview With Michael Anthony
Credit: Neil Zlozower Jas Obrecht has released another classic Van Halen interview! This time the veteran rock journalist shares his complete interview with Michael Anthony from 1981. Jas shared the audio with the VHND and also released the interview via his YouTube channel "Talking Guitar: Jas Obrecht's Music Magazine". Here is what Jas had to say about Mike along … [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...]