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...]
Brian May On Planned ‘Star Fleet’ Reissue, Unheard Eddie Van Halen Solos
There may be some unheard Eddie Van Halen recordings in our future, according to Queen's Brian May. During a recent interview with Ultimate Classic Rock's Matt Wardlaw, May revealed that he plans on reissuing his 1983 EP Star Fleet Project featuring Eddie on guitar. Among the recording session tapes are never-before-heard solos from Eddie. "I haven’t gone back in there … [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
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, producers, and … [Read more...]
Richie Kotzen Discovered Eddie Van Halen From ‘Beat It’ Solo
Guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen said he discovered Eddie Van Halen thanks to Michael Jackson's "Beat It". In a new interview with RockSverige, Kotzen (The Winery Dogs, Mr. Big, Poison) recalled the time he first heard the sound of Eddie playing guitar. "I will never forget the first time I heard him, and this is how out of touch I was," said Kotzen. "We were driving … [Read more...]
New Alex Van Halen Book
Nice to see the GREAT Alex Van Halen get recognized! Modern Drummer has put together a special book that is entirely devoted to Alex Van Halen! Modern Drummer Legends: Alex Van Halen is the second installment in the 'Modern Drummer Legends' series, and is the one and only Alex Van Halen drum book! Includes Alex’s 1983, 1993, and 2008 Modern Drummer cover stories. … [Read more...]
Brian May Remembers Friend & ‘Star Fleet Project’ Bandmate Eddie Van Halen
It was the moment the planets aligned for two otherworldly guitarists. It was the moment Eddie Van Halen and Brian May became lifelong friends. “A couple of days after I heard the news about Eddie [passing away on October 6th], I went back to ‘Star Fleet’,” May recently told Total Guitar. He was referring to the 1983 three-track mini album called “Star Fleet Project” - a … [Read more...]
Documentarian Sam Dunn: ‘The Definitive Van Halen Story Is Yet To Be Told’
Canadian documentarian Sam Dunn says a Van Halen documentary remains the "Holy Grail" of stories yet to be told. Dunn (Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, Super Duper Alice Cooper) was asked by Death Angel's Ted Aguilar during an "Alive & Streaming" YouTube interview if he had a bucket list of documentary ideas. "Van Halen, for me, … [Read more...]
Hear Never Before Heard Outtakes/Alternate Endings Of Early Van Halen Tracks [VIDEO]
Sunset Sound continued its Van Halen November series with parts 2 and 2.5 of their interview with engineer Brian Kehew. This time Kehew takes us into the studio to hear never before heard outtakes and alternate endings of classic Van Halen tracks. Kehew was hired by Warner Bros. around 2005 as an independent contractor to sort through their archives to find material worthy … [Read more...]
Anthrax’s Scott Ian Calls Eddie Van Halen ‘The John Lennon And Paul McCartney Of Hard Rock’
Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian has paid Eddie Van Halen the ultimate tribute by saying his musical skills were those of both John Lennon and Paul McCartney combined. Ian talked about Eddie's legacy during a recent appearance on Dean Delray's "Let There Be Talk" podcast. "There's not a bad song from 'Van Halen I' to '1984' -- for me, there's nothing that I don't love. Every … [Read more...]
Engineer Brian Kehew Talks Unreleased Van Halen Songs With The Van Halen News Desk
Ah, wow, man. Wait a second, man. Waddaya think “Hot For Teacher” is gonna sound like this time? It’s hard to imagine hearing Van Halen’s classic “Hot For Teacher” and not being able to recite every lyric word for word. Even harder to imagine is hearing the song with an entirely different set of lyrics but that's exactly what engineer Brian Kehew has revealed. In a recent … [Read more...]
David Coverdale Remembers ‘Monster Musician’ Eddie Van Halen
David Coverdale said he will remember Eddie Van Halen as “an absolute monster musician”. The Whitesnake frontman, who spoke to eonmusic recently, said he did see Van Halen perform during their club days at the Starwood nightclub but it wasn't until 1983 that he became fully aware of what Eddie could do on the guitar. "I remember seeing those guys in this watering hole in … [Read more...]