When Eddie Van Halen was once asked to describe his band’s music he responded by saying it sounds like “Godzilla waking up.” Get ready. Godzilla is about to wake up. In celebration of the man who was born 66 years ago today, here are Eddie's ten greatest guitar riffs. 10. "5150" (1986) The 1986 Van Halen album ‘5150’ is led by hit singles like “Why Can’t … [Read more...]
Van Halen News
Van Halen’s ‘Balance’ Released On This Day In 1995
Balance is Van Halen's fourth and final album with vocalist Sammy Hagar Released January 24th, 1995, Balance became Van Halen's fourth consecutive number 1 studio album. It quickly went double platinum— just two months after it's release—proving that this hard rock outfit could do just fine, thank you, during the new grunge era. It was later certified triple … [Read more...]
Watch: Parrot Sings Along To Van Halen
All the bills are paid, I got it made in the shade an' all I n-n-need is Tico the singing parrot to kick off the weekend! Meet Tico, the parrot who's recently made internet headlines thanks to a series of videos uploaded by his owner Frank Maglio. The videos feature Tico singing along to various classic rock songs performed by Maglio on the guitar. Maglio launched his … [Read more...]
Van Halen’s ‘Unchained’: The Greatest Guitar Riff Of All Time?
Could Eddie Van Halen's guitar riff to "Unchained" be the greatest of all time? Dweezil Zappa and Nuno Bettencourt make the argument that it may very well be. "'Unchained' really is possibly the greatest guitar riff of all time," said Zappa in a recently released clip of his podcast Runnin' With The Dweezil, which you can hear above. "It can fire you up like nothing else. … [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...]
Sammy Hagar On The Healing Power Of Van Halen’s ‘Right Now’
In 1991 Sammy Hagar's lyrics to Van Halen's "Right Now" were inspired by a moment of solace amid a time of marital difficulties. Over 30 years later it offers the same solace, only this time amid a time of grieving. Hagar recently spoke with The Oakland Press about the day he performed "Right Now" with his band The Circle, which includes former Van Halen bassist Michael … [Read more...]
Nancy Wilson’s New Album To Include Eddie Van Halen Tribute Song
Heart's Nancy Wilson will include a song dedicated to Eddie Van Halen on her upcoming solo album. "I have an instrumental song on this album called '4 Edward', which is dedicated to Eddie Van Halen," Wilson told Hawaii Public Radio. Wilson said the song was inspired by a story that took place when Heart toured alongside Van Halen. “When we were touring with those guys … [Read more...]
Michael Anthony On Eddie Van Halen: ‘He Was A Very Humble Guy’
Michael Anthony remembered Eddie Van Halen as a "very humble guy" during a recent interview. "He never let the fame or stardom or all the accolades that he acquired playing guitar go to his head," Anthony told Portland, Oregon's 105.9 The Brew. "He always just considered himself a guy who played guitar, and that was really special about him." Anthony also offered his … [Read more...]
Engineer Breaks Down Van Halen’s ‘Why Can’t This Be Love’
There have been a lot of tributes over the last three months devoted to Eddie Van Halen's legendary guitar playing. Engineer Dennis Ward has decided to remind fans that Eddie was also one of the best keyboardists in music by highlighting Van Halen's 1986 hit single "Why Can't This Be Love". "We all know Eddie for his amazing, wonderful guitar playing," said Ward in the video … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar & Michael Anthony Say An Eddie Van Halen Tribute Is A Must
If an Eddie Van Halen tribute happens in the future Sammy Hagar & Michael Anthony are all in. ""It's gotta happen," Hagar told New York's Q104.3 in a recent interview which you can watch above. "Of course it's gonna happen. No one's really connected all the dots with everyone involved, but I have been told, and I have read interviews with various people involved — … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen Mural In Hollywood To Be Completed This Weekend [UPDATE]
A mural painting of Eddie Van Halen at the Guitar Center in Hollywood is set to be completed this weekend. It will be officially unveiled on the day of Eddie's birthday - January 26th. Artist Robert Vargas has been busy painting EVH since Thursday and expects his work to be finished by Sunday. "I'll be painting this, 10am -6pm, Thursday thru Sun, Jan 17th," Vargas posted … [Read more...]
Wolfgang Van Halen On Eddie Van Halen Hearing ‘Distance’: ‘He Cried The First Time He Heard It’
Wolfgang Van Halen said his father Eddie Van Halen was brought to tears the first time he heard his son's song "Distance". “I remember when I showed it to dad for the first time, maybe it was out of pride or also just the song in general, he cried when he heard it," Wolfgang told HardDrive Radio's Lou Brutus in a recent interview. “I don’t think he was aware of the … [Read more...]