White Lion guitarist Vito Bratta was among the leading guitarists of the 1980s. He had the speed, style, and look of the prototypical 80s guitar god. But the critics said he was merely an Eddie Van Halen imitation. In a brand-new interview with Guitar World, Bratta says he was eventually able to find out firsthand what Eddie himself thought. His response brought Bratta to … [Read more...]
Watch Van Halen Prepare For Orange Bowl ‘Monsters of Rock’ Concert
Here's another gem for all you rock-n-rollers out there! You can now watch a WTVJ local news report which has recently surfaced online. It's a news segment shot two days before 'Van Halen's Monsters Of Rock' stadium tour hit Miami, Florida on June 4th. Travel back to June 2, 1988: Rock band Van Halen prepares for its concert at the Orange Bowl. It shows band members Eddie … [Read more...]
Wolfgang Van Halen Looking Forward To Remastered Releases Of Sammy Hagar Era Van Halen
Wolfgang Van Halen says he's looking forward to the upcoming remastered reissues of the often-overlooked Sammy Hagar years of Van Halen. "That era doesn't get enough respect I don't I don't think," said Wolfgang during a recent interview with Oklahoma's KATT FM. "There's a lot of amazing songs and just, obviously, brilliant guitar playing on all of that stuff." Van … [Read more...]
Steve Vai On The ‘Forensic’ Approach To Co-Producing ‘Skyscraper’ Album With David Lee Roth
Steve Vai recently talked about the "forensic" approach to co-producing David Lee Roth's 1988 album Skyscraper, adding that his solos came straight from the demos. Vai was interviewed by eonmusic to promote the release of his new album Vai/Gash, which was written and recorded back in 1991. Writer Eamon O'Neill noted that the guitar work sounds very much like Vai's raw, … [Read more...]
Jas Obrecht Releases Complete 1990 Audio Interview with DLR Guitarist Jason Becker
Jas Obrecht's latest audio release is certainly a special one. The acclaimed music journalist has shared his complete audio interview with David Lee Roth guitarist Jason Becker just a few weeks before the release of 1991's A Little Ain't Enough. Here are Jas's thoughts on the interview, which you can hear in its entirety above: In 1990, Jason Becker was rapidly … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar & The Circle – ‘Father Time’ (Official Video)
At 75 years old, Sammy Hagar has certainly lived out his dream....but it ain't over yet. The official video for Sammy Hagar & The Circle's "Father Time" has been released via Sammy's YouTube channel. The song features some stunning backing vocals from Michael Anthony, just as Sammy promised we'd hear on his latest album with The Circle - Crazy Times. Along with hearing … [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...]
David Lee Roth Keyboardist Brett Tuggle Dies At 70
Long-time David Lee Roth keyboardist Brett Tuggle died June 19 from complications related to cancer. He was 70. Tuggle's son Matt confirmed the news to Rolling stone: "He was loved by his family so much. His family was with him throughout the entire time of his illness. He was a lovely father. He gave me music in my life." Tuggle was a member of Roth's band from 1986 to … [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...]
A Look Back: Van Halen’s ‘OU812’ Released On This Day In 1988
"Oh, You Ate One Too!" Released 34 years ago today - May 24th, 1988! 'OU812' was the second Van Halen album to feature Sammy Hagar as lead singer. It reached number one on Billboard (the band's second consecutive #1), sold over 4 million copies in the US and featured six songs that landed on the Billboard Hot 100 and/or the Mainstream Rock Tracks! Hagar looked back on … [Read more...]
When David Lee Roth Got Stuck On A Bridge…And Decided To Jog To His Radio Appearance!
Credit: Ed Yarb/YouTube Come hell or highwater, David Lee Roth will show up for his interview. Even when the bridge over those very waters isn't working. This story takes place circa 1988 while Roth's tour landed in Florida. To promote the upcoming show, Roth was scheduled to appear on WYNF-FM's Ron & Ron Morning Show in Tampa Bay. Unfortunately, Roth's limo got … [Read more...]