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...]
Guitarist Tracy G On Seeing Van Halen In 1976: ‘It Just Ran Over Me Like A Truck’ (VIDEO)
Guitarist Tracy G recently recalled seeing Van Halen perform in 1976 at the Golden West Ballroom in Norwalk, California. It was literally a jaw-dropping experience. "It just ran over me like a truck and I'm just standing there with my mouth open," Tracy (Dio, Love/Hate, Riff Raff) told host Jeff Goebel during a recent appearance on Final Resonance TV. "This was a band. … [Read more...]
Mike Portnoy Names Alex Van Halen Among 11 Greatest Drummers Of All Time (VIDEO)
Mike Portnoy named Alex Van Halen as one of the most influential rock drummers of all time and a major influence on his own style. In a video for Revolver, Portnoy (Dream Theater, the Winery Dogs) was asked to name who he believes are the 11 greatest drummers of all time and named Alex, citing his imposing sound as one of the first things he was hooked on. "He was playing … [Read more...]
How Eddie Van Halen Has Inspired Nuno Bettencourt’s ‘Fire’ On New Extreme Album
Extreme has just released "Rise", the debut single from the band's forthcoming album titled Six due out June 9th. If guitarist Nuno Bettencourt sounds like man on a mission on this track, it's because he is. In a new interview with Guitar World, Bettencourt said he vows to make sure that the road Eddie paved for guitarists to follow must not come to an end. "When Eddie Van … [Read more...]
Watch Gregg Bissonette Break Down Alex Van Halen’s ‘Hot For Teacher’
Bring your pencil and your drumsticks. It's time to get some schoolin' on Alex Van Halen's classic drum track on "Hot For Teacher" with long-time David Lee Roth drummer Gregg Bissonette! Bissonette (DLR Band, Joe Satriani, Ringo & His All-Starr Band) was a recent guest for Drum Channel's series of videos. He not only shows how Alex's drum track works but also notes … [Read more...]
David Lee Roth Releases Cover Of ‘Mustang Sally’ With Official Video
David Lee Roth released a new video this week - his cover of the R&B classic "Mustang Sally". Dave's version of the 1965 Mack Rice hit made famous a year later by Wilson Pickett includes various footage of "The Diamond One" over the years dating back to his early solo days. No details regarding the specific date of the recording or who is part of Dave's band, but we do … [Read more...]
Jason Becker’s Mother Shares ‘Beautiful Moments’ Spent With Eddie Van Halen
A message from Jason Becker who shared a letter written by his mother Pat about the day in 1996 Eddie Van Halen visited Jason: From Jason Becker's Facebook Page: On January 26, 1955, Edward Van Halen came into the world. Then, on February 10, 1978, the guitar world was changed forever with the release of Van Halen's first album. It is impossible to overstate his … [Read more...]
Wolfgang Van Halen and Matt Bruck on the future of EVH Gear
We feel Edward Van Halen's birthday would make a fine time to feature this special interview. Wolfgang Van Halen and Matt Bruck discuss the future of the EVH brand and their dedication to keeping Eddie Van Halen’s visionary ideas alive. This interview is by Chris Gill, for Guitar World magazine. The interview is printed here in full with Chris Gill's permission. From the … [Read more...]
Van Hagar Remasters In The Works According To Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar says remasters of his era with Van Halen are coming soon. In celebration of the 28th anniversary of Van Halen's Balance, Hagar posted the band's performance of "Amsterdam" (above) during their appearance on The Jon Stewart Show back in 1995. A very interesting comment Sammy made was on the Van Hagar / Other Half Instagram page where he posted the video for … [Read more...]
Young Band Covers Van Halen’s ‘Drop Dead Legs’
It's always great to see the younger generation cover Van Halen. Especially the deeper tracks! Guitarist George House tells VHND, "Eddie has always been my biggest influence. The precision, complexity, and style of Eddie’s playing is what got me into guitar when I was only 7 years old. He will forever be my biggest influence as well as the biggest influence for countless … [Read more...]
A Look Back On The Iconic Van Halen Video Released 39 Years Ago This Week: ‘Jump’
Just when we thought they couldn't get any bigger, Van Halen soared to all new heights on January 2nd, 1984, the day MTV debuted the video for the band's brand-new single "Jump". Just over two years after launching, MTV had gone from a struggling upstart only available to households in parts of New Jersey to a pop culture phenomenon. For Van Halen front man David Lee Roth, … [Read more...]
Steve Lukather Sets The Record Straight On Tracking Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’ With Eddie Van Halen
Steve Lukather says Eddie Van Halen recorded his iconic guitar solo on Michael Jackson's "Beat It" at 5150 studios, not Sunset Sound as some stories have claimed. Lukather recently stopped by the Sunset Sound studios in Los Angeles for a Sunset Sound Rountable interview. Host Drew Dempsey asked Lukather if he could set the record straight on where Eddie's solo was recorded. … [Read more...]