The syndicated radio show 'In The Studio' celebrates the 45th anniversary of Van Halen's debut album! In celebration of the 45th anniversary of Van Halen's classic debut album, 'In The Studio' has shared an episode devoted entirely to the album released on February 10th, 1978. Below is some of what host Redbeard had to say about Van Halen's debut.: The list of the … [Read more...]
Van Halen 1978 Archive
Van Halen’s Debut Turns 45: What’s The Best Track? [POLL]
Van Halen's iconic debut album was released 45 years ago today! Released on February 10th, 1978, Van Halen was a huge commercial success and would go on to influence countless bands in the years that followed. The album peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard 200 and has gone on to sell more than 10 million copies in the United States. Rolling Stone, … [Read more...]
Rock Journalist Jas Obrecht Releases Complete 1978 Audio Interview With Eddie Van Halen
It was July 23rd, 1978 when rock journalist Jas Obrecht was assigned to cover the Day on the Green Concert in Oakland, California. Just a month before, Jas had his mind blown when his editor dropped the needle on a brand-new revolutionary instrumental track called "Eruption". On this day in the summer of '78, Jas would get to meet the man behind that jaw-dropping sound he heard … [Read more...]
Unseen Footage Of Van Halen In ’78 Surfaces [WITH AUDIO]
Amazing unseen Super 8 footage of Van Halen performing live back in 1978 has surfaced! The video below of Van Halen performing at the Niagara Falls Convention Center in Niagara Falls, New York on September 8th, 1978 was uploaded to the YouTube channel "Speedy". The channel was launched as a tribute to Jim Kelly aka "Speedy", who passed away in January of 2021. Kelly worked … [Read more...]
Dave & Eddie Under The McDonald’s Arch Photo Returns To Original Location
Photo Credit: (c) Richard Upper/rockandrollgallery.com The classic black and white photo of David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen under the McDonald's arch has returned to its original location close to 45 years after it was originally taken. The photo was taken at the McDonald's in Crestwood, Missouri by Richer Upper in the winter of 1978. Soon after it was taken, however, … [Read more...]
Wolfgang Honors 45th Anniversary Of ‘Eruption’
Forty-five years ago today, Eddie Van Halen recorded his iconic solo "Eruption". Wolfgang shared a video on social media today to commemorate the anniversary. Below is the tweet Wolf sent out today: In honor of Eruption being recorded 45 years ago today, here’s me playing part of it on the guitar it was recorded on in 2015 while tracking some guitars for the first … [Read more...]
Ted Nugent On Eddie’s Musical Genius & Achieving Sobriety
Ted Nugent reflected on his friendship with Eddie Van Halen during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation" today (August 11). "What a great man he was," Nugent told host Eddie Trunk. "What a force to reckon with, how he enriched our lives with his musical genius." Nugent also took the opportunity to clear the air regarding claims that Nugent was envious of Eddie. … [Read more...]
Dutch Abstract Art, Pasadena Hot Rods & Punk Rock Guitars: The Origins Of Eddie’s Striped ‘Frankenstrat’ Design
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 Prato Much has been said about one … [Read more...]
David Lee Roth ‘Nothing Could Have Stopped Us Back Then Anyway’ Official Video
The official video for David Lee Roth's latest single "Nothing Cold Have Stopped Us Back Then Anyway" has been released. The video, created by Roth's guitarist John 5 along with Mike Savage of Vision Savage Media, includes vintage photos and video of Van Halen during their early days as they quickly rose to fame and acclaim. It was first posted by John 5 Friday (July 29). … [Read more...]
Tone Chaser: One Man’s Pursuit Of The Classic Eddie Van Halen Sound
Capturing Eddie Van Halen's early-era tone is much like cracking a secret code. It's no easy task and it most definitely won't happen overnight. Take twenty-six year-old Cameron Brown for example. He's been chasing Eddie's classic "Eruption" tone since he was 11. It's only now that he feels he's ready to share it with the world. Brown is a second-generation Van Halen fan who … [Read more...]
What Are The Ten Best Van Halen Deep Cuts?
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 tracks "Baluchitherium", … [Read more...]
Guitar World Revisits The Evolution Of Eddie Van Halen’s Guitar Style
Who influenced Eddie Van Halen's? How did his individual playing approach evolve? Was it by happenstance or all carefully crafted? Guitar World has taken on the task of revisiting Eddie's roots and influences to come up with an answer to those questions. Before offering up six immersive studies of Eddie's groundbreaking sound, Guitar World's Phil Short wrote: It’s a … [Read more...]