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Eruption: The Eddie Van Halen Story
'The game changing guitar legend gets the biography he deserves ... Diligently researched, perceptive and well-written.' 8/10, Classic Rock
'An affectionate and unflinching portrait of metal guitar's Mount Everest.' Mojo
Arriving in California as a young boy in the early 1960s, Edward Van Halen and his brother Alex were ripe for the coming musical revolution. The sons of a Dutch, saxophone-playing father, the brothers discovered the Beatles, Cream and others.
From the moment their hugely influential 1978 debut landed, Van Halen set a high bar for the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, creating an entirely new style of post-'60s hard rock and becoming the quintessential Californian band of the 1980s. But there was also an undercurrent of tragedy to their story, as Eddie's struggles played out in public, from his difficult relationship with the band's original singer, Dave Lee Roth, to substance abuse, divorce and his long-running battle with cancer.
With unique insights, Paul Brannigan's Eruption reaches beyond the headlines to explore the cultural and social contexts that shaped this iconic guitarist, while also turning up the dial on a life lived at volume eleven.
'An affectionate and unflinching portrait of metal guitar's Mount Everest.' Mojo
Arriving in California as a young boy in the early 1960s, Edward Van Halen and his brother Alex were ripe for the coming musical revolution. The sons of a Dutch, saxophone-playing father, the brothers discovered the Beatles, Cream and others.
From the moment their hugely influential 1978 debut landed, Van Halen set a high bar for the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, creating an entirely new style of post-'60s hard rock and becoming the quintessential Californian band of the 1980s. But there was also an undercurrent of tragedy to their story, as Eddie's struggles played out in public, from his difficult relationship with the band's original singer, Dave Lee Roth, to substance abuse, divorce and his long-running battle with cancer.
With unique insights, Paul Brannigan's Eruption reaches beyond the headlines to explore the cultural and social contexts that shaped this iconic guitarist, while also turning up the dial on a life lived at volume eleven.
- GenresMusicBiographyNonfiction
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 1, 2022
It says ”The Eddie Van Halen story” in the cover, but Eruption is not about a person called Eddie Van Halen, it’s about a band called Van Halen.
Written by a magazine journalist, it’s a collection of gig reports, anecdotes, and excerpts from other books and magazines. Quickly put together right after Eddie’s death, I assume.
It’s not badly written, but if you want to get to know Eddie as a person, you must wait for a real biography. On the other hand, if you want details about the brown M&M’s candies backstage, you might enjoy this book.
Written by a magazine journalist, it’s a collection of gig reports, anecdotes, and excerpts from other books and magazines. Quickly put together right after Eddie’s death, I assume.
It’s not badly written, but if you want to get to know Eddie as a person, you must wait for a real biography. On the other hand, if you want details about the brown M&M’s candies backstage, you might enjoy this book.
February 25, 2023
Having discovered rock music in the late 60s and mostly the 70s as to my album collection that drove me to take up guitar in 1969 I was into the Beetles mostly, and Hendrix. In 1978 I was flipping thru albums at a department store and saw Van Halen’s first album. I’d never heard of them but just based on the album photos I had a feeling they were a bit hard core. Oh, I was right! They were amazing. Yes, Eddie’s guitar work was the first thing I noticed but everyone’s part in the band fit together in a way I had rarely heard. I knew they were special.
The book hit close to me since I had listened to pretty much every band mentioned in the book. Black Sabbath, Slade, Bowie, Motley Crue, Eddie Money, Dokken, Foghat, KISS, you name it. Many of them I saw live. I never saw Van Halen (but I did see David Lee Roth perform in Seattle about 20 years ago.). I like the part where the 90s bands loved them also. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc.
I was excited to read about the start of VH, and knew a lot about the guitar innovations Eddie had created and his amazing guitar techniques. I was always following his work through the years.
I was sad to hear of Eddie’s later years with his drug and alcohol use and the toll it took on him. And his final years.
I have seen some videos of Eddie’s grown son Wolfgang and he is an extremely talented guitar player and singer (and I’ve read he can play many other instruments). So glad to see him continue Eddie’s legacy.
I highly recommend this book to fans of Rock and Roll and Van Halen in particular. It did a great job of capturing their rise to fame and accomplishments with Sammy Hager etc. Everyone can learn more about how the music industry works good and bad, from this book and it’s behind the scenes insights.
The book hit close to me since I had listened to pretty much every band mentioned in the book. Black Sabbath, Slade, Bowie, Motley Crue, Eddie Money, Dokken, Foghat, KISS, you name it. Many of them I saw live. I never saw Van Halen (but I did see David Lee Roth perform in Seattle about 20 years ago.). I like the part where the 90s bands loved them also. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc.
I was excited to read about the start of VH, and knew a lot about the guitar innovations Eddie had created and his amazing guitar techniques. I was always following his work through the years.
I was sad to hear of Eddie’s later years with his drug and alcohol use and the toll it took on him. And his final years.
I have seen some videos of Eddie’s grown son Wolfgang and he is an extremely talented guitar player and singer (and I’ve read he can play many other instruments). So glad to see him continue Eddie’s legacy.
I highly recommend this book to fans of Rock and Roll and Van Halen in particular. It did a great job of capturing their rise to fame and accomplishments with Sammy Hager etc. Everyone can learn more about how the music industry works good and bad, from this book and it’s behind the scenes insights.
December 17, 2022
I’m not quite sure how the Van Halen family likes this book but it was surely an interesting ”inside” view to one of the greatest rock bands ever. It’s written like it is an inside view but we’ll have to remember Paul Brannigan was never closely related to the band. So, some of it might be based on rumours etc. Not to say that many of the worst parts are probably true.
To me it was a great trip to my teen years. It told the story that I’ve lived as a fan. I enjoyed thd book but I don’t take it as the whole truth.
To me it was a great trip to my teen years. It told the story that I’ve lived as a fan. I enjoyed thd book but I don’t take it as the whole truth.
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December 2, 2021ERUPTION THE EDDIE VAN HALEN STORY was published to coincide with the first anniversary of Eddie’s death. He died at the age of sixty-five from complications of many medical issues, the main ones stemming from cancer. But the musical legacy he left behind is one that cannot be denied and the music world was better for his presence.
The book is unauthorized and some have noted, it does not cover a lot of new ground. Many aspects of it have been taken from books and comments that have been previously noted about Van Halen. While that may the case, there is still some new information and stories to provide even more insight into the man and his music. Van Halen the band, was really not thought to succeed. There were many a naysayer who thought they were not going to last, but others saw past the negativity predicting big things for the band.
Kim Fowley who was part of the pulse of the music scene said, “Van Halen newly signed to the Warner Brothers Records, are a modern day Black Oak Arkansas and are just a few steps removed from the level of greatness achieved by Led Zeppelin during their ‘Squeeze My Lemon’ period.” With David Lee Roth as their front man, Van Halen took the world by storm and packed stadiums. If they were opening acts for others, they quickly became the reason people went the concerts. Brothers Eddie and Alex, and Michael Anthony along with Roth create a string of hits that kept them at the top of the charts. Eddie was also compared to some of the greatest guitar players in the world, among them Jimi Hendrix.
The life in the band was not always smooth, and there was tension and dissension as Roth left for a solo career. There was the idea to replace him with Patty Smyth of the band Scandal, but that didn’t pan out. Sammy Hagar did eventually take over and everything was fine and dandy until tensions took over between Hagar and both brothers, and Hagar was long gone.
The book also looks at the personal life of Eddie, and his marriage to former One Day At A Time star Valerie Bertinelli. They had a son Wolfgang who eventually became a member of the band at the time when Roth rejoined many years later. Eddie’s drug and alcohol abuse are noted here in detail, and there is an interesting aside as well. One of the riders in the contract was for M&M’s to be in the band’s dressing room before each concert and all the brown M&M’s to be removed.
For those who want a glossed over look at the life of a music legend, ERUPTION will fill that void in your reading life.
The book is unauthorized and some have noted, it does not cover a lot of new ground. Many aspects of it have been taken from books and comments that have been previously noted about Van Halen. While that may the case, there is still some new information and stories to provide even more insight into the man and his music. Van Halen the band, was really not thought to succeed. There were many a naysayer who thought they were not going to last, but others saw past the negativity predicting big things for the band.
Kim Fowley who was part of the pulse of the music scene said, “Van Halen newly signed to the Warner Brothers Records, are a modern day Black Oak Arkansas and are just a few steps removed from the level of greatness achieved by Led Zeppelin during their ‘Squeeze My Lemon’ period.” With David Lee Roth as their front man, Van Halen took the world by storm and packed stadiums. If they were opening acts for others, they quickly became the reason people went the concerts. Brothers Eddie and Alex, and Michael Anthony along with Roth create a string of hits that kept them at the top of the charts. Eddie was also compared to some of the greatest guitar players in the world, among them Jimi Hendrix.
The life in the band was not always smooth, and there was tension and dissension as Roth left for a solo career. There was the idea to replace him with Patty Smyth of the band Scandal, but that didn’t pan out. Sammy Hagar did eventually take over and everything was fine and dandy until tensions took over between Hagar and both brothers, and Hagar was long gone.
The book also looks at the personal life of Eddie, and his marriage to former One Day At A Time star Valerie Bertinelli. They had a son Wolfgang who eventually became a member of the band at the time when Roth rejoined many years later. Eddie’s drug and alcohol abuse are noted here in detail, and there is an interesting aside as well. One of the riders in the contract was for M&M’s to be in the band’s dressing room before each concert and all the brown M&M’s to be removed.
For those who want a glossed over look at the life of a music legend, ERUPTION will fill that void in your reading life.
December 30, 2021
The passing of Eddie Van Halen hit me far harder than I thought.
His band and his music had insinuated themselves into my life far deeper than I had realised, and along with Linkin Park and Motorhead I have struggled to go back and listen to his back catalogue since his death.
Huge thanks, then, to Paul Brannigan, whose book has helped to heal that particular wound.
Honest and forthright, at times hilarious, full of love and admiration, Eruption is both the story of arguably the finest guitarist to ever attack a fretboard but also of the band that bore his name.
From his immigrant beginnings, Brannigan takes us on the rollercoaster of a career that saw Eddie conquer the world.
But he had his dark side, too. The drink and the drugs, far more prevalent and recent than I was aware, shaped him as much as his music. But they also brought out a side of his personality that makes you take a step back.
It's to Brannigan's credit that he doesn't whitewash the language EVH could use when off his gourd on booze and coke. It makes for very uncomfortable reading.
Away from being forced to have conversations with yourself about separating the art from the artist, Eruption takes us into the studio for every album.
I've mentioned more than once that the measure of a good rock biography is if you find yourself wanting to dive back into the records you're reading about. And this does that without fail.
Except for III. No writer is that good.
My one complaint about the book is a factual one. Brannigan writes about Van Halen's live shows with Bon Jovi being the band's first in the UK since their ramshackle runout at the Monsters Of Rock festival in 1984.
As someone who saw them at Sheffield Arena, supported by Little Angels, in 1993, I would argue against that statement.
But that is only a tiny niggle.
Eruption brings a flawed genius to life, with as many peaks and flourishes as the track the book is named after.
His band and his music had insinuated themselves into my life far deeper than I had realised, and along with Linkin Park and Motorhead I have struggled to go back and listen to his back catalogue since his death.
Huge thanks, then, to Paul Brannigan, whose book has helped to heal that particular wound.
Honest and forthright, at times hilarious, full of love and admiration, Eruption is both the story of arguably the finest guitarist to ever attack a fretboard but also of the band that bore his name.
From his immigrant beginnings, Brannigan takes us on the rollercoaster of a career that saw Eddie conquer the world.
But he had his dark side, too. The drink and the drugs, far more prevalent and recent than I was aware, shaped him as much as his music. But they also brought out a side of his personality that makes you take a step back.
It's to Brannigan's credit that he doesn't whitewash the language EVH could use when off his gourd on booze and coke. It makes for very uncomfortable reading.
Away from being forced to have conversations with yourself about separating the art from the artist, Eruption takes us into the studio for every album.
I've mentioned more than once that the measure of a good rock biography is if you find yourself wanting to dive back into the records you're reading about. And this does that without fail.
Except for III. No writer is that good.
My one complaint about the book is a factual one. Brannigan writes about Van Halen's live shows with Bon Jovi being the band's first in the UK since their ramshackle runout at the Monsters Of Rock festival in 1984.
As someone who saw them at Sheffield Arena, supported by Little Angels, in 1993, I would argue against that statement.
But that is only a tiny niggle.
Eruption brings a flawed genius to life, with as many peaks and flourishes as the track the book is named after.
September 24, 2023
on the first chapters, you're going to read SO MANY TIMES how great a guitarist Eddie was, how good the band was, it turns the reading annoying. What follows does not make a great reading, even it's still partially informational.
September 11, 2023
A surprisingly great read even though I'm not a huge Van Halen fan! I typically skip through the songs to listen to the guitar solos, so I was more interested in Eddie than in David Lee Roth. We run through his life as a Dutch immigrant, his father's musical influence, the creation of his famous "frankenstrat" guitar, the many iterations of Van Halen starting in his teens, and his rollercoaster ride through fame. This book does a great job of keeping the focus on Eddie, while chronicling the full history of Van Halen. It's a biography, not an autobiography, so we get an impartial view of his life story and his role in the band that is supported with interviews, alternate takes from others, author's notes and historical data. We hear from the band's many singers and collaborators, his longtime wife Valerie Bertinelli, and peers in rock music.
I feel that the author does a fantastic job telling the story and capturing Eddie's personality. We get to know the serious artist, and the troubled addict equally. We feel the emotional toll that he experiences from his interband relationships and his quest for musicianship. We ride along with him from playing school dances to headlining the world's biggest rock festivals. We cling to the edge of our seats as he and Roth feud, very publicly.
It was a great read, not too long, great pacing, and laden with music history. It was not too heavy, yet very exciting. I learned a lot that I didn't know, and I'd recommend it even if you're not a Van Halen fan.
I feel that the author does a fantastic job telling the story and capturing Eddie's personality. We get to know the serious artist, and the troubled addict equally. We feel the emotional toll that he experiences from his interband relationships and his quest for musicianship. We ride along with him from playing school dances to headlining the world's biggest rock festivals. We cling to the edge of our seats as he and Roth feud, very publicly.
It was a great read, not too long, great pacing, and laden with music history. It was not too heavy, yet very exciting. I learned a lot that I didn't know, and I'd recommend it even if you're not a Van Halen fan.
December 20, 2025
Huge VH and EVH fan so enjoy reading everything I can about the man and the band.
It's not a bad book, but for some reason I struggled to get through it. I think it's because the early years is written in such a way that I felt like I'd read it a thousand times before - I don't think there was anything new added here. As it's the EVH story I was hoping for more of a focus on EVH, but it's mostly about VH as a whole, particularly in the first half.
I feel like I've read so much about the years prior to 1984 - there's a lot of information about these years - so I was looking forward to reading more about 1984 onwards. But those years feel skimmed over in comparison. There's a brief mention of each album and tour, but it's light on details. There's no information about Eddie and his innovations like the D-Tuna, his relationship with the various guitar manufacturers, his stint with the SNL band etc. That's just off the top of my head. There's lots more about EVH that could be written about in the EVH story, but it's not here.
It's frustrating - it's the EVH story in title, but it may as well be just the VH story as very little here is exclusive to just Ed.
And for it being the EVH story, DLR gets a hell of a lot of coverage. Seems to be a theme, as AVH can't seem to separate the two, either.
It's not a bad book, but for some reason I struggled to get through it. I think it's because the early years is written in such a way that I felt like I'd read it a thousand times before - I don't think there was anything new added here. As it's the EVH story I was hoping for more of a focus on EVH, but it's mostly about VH as a whole, particularly in the first half.
I feel like I've read so much about the years prior to 1984 - there's a lot of information about these years - so I was looking forward to reading more about 1984 onwards. But those years feel skimmed over in comparison. There's a brief mention of each album and tour, but it's light on details. There's no information about Eddie and his innovations like the D-Tuna, his relationship with the various guitar manufacturers, his stint with the SNL band etc. That's just off the top of my head. There's lots more about EVH that could be written about in the EVH story, but it's not here.
It's frustrating - it's the EVH story in title, but it may as well be just the VH story as very little here is exclusive to just Ed.
And for it being the EVH story, DLR gets a hell of a lot of coverage. Seems to be a theme, as AVH can't seem to separate the two, either.
November 12, 2023
Käännös on paikoitellen suorastaan kamala. Pitkiä lauseita, sanajärjestys on Suomen kielelle vieras ja sivulauseviidakkoon eksyy pahasti. En muista aiemmin monesti joutuneeni lukemaan samaa pätkää kirjasta kolmeen kertaan, jotta ymmärtäisin mitä siinä sanotaan. Tämän kirjan ja käännöksen kanssa se tapahtui lukuisia kertoja ja teki lukemisesta paikoin hyvin uuvuttavaa. Onneksi koko opus ei ollut näin raskaslukuinen. Ihan kuin eri kääntäjät olisivat tehneet tekojaan eri luvuissa.
Itse tarina on melko hyvä, mutta "Eddie Van Helenin tarina" nimessä on aika liioittelua. Materiaali on koostettu haastatteluista, ei kirjoittajan omasta materiaalista. Tarina jää siis hyvin pintapuoliseksi, vaikka yhtyeen (Eddien?) tarina käydäänkin alusta loppuun läpi. Tuntuu, että varsinkin David Lee Rothia puidaan välillä enemmän kuin Eddietä itseään. Eikä Eddieltä itseltään mitään suurempia tarinoita kirjaan näillä lähtökohdilla irtoakaan.
Jos käännös olisi kunnollinen, voisin antaa yhden tähden lisää. Olen aika varma, että 75 miljoonaa levyä myyneestä bändistä/kitaristista saisi huomattavasti paremman kirjan. Ja aion etsiä sellaisen myöhemmin. Ihan viihdyttävä pintapuolinen leikkaus tämäkin oli, kahdesta tähdestään huolimatta.
Itse tarina on melko hyvä, mutta "Eddie Van Helenin tarina" nimessä on aika liioittelua. Materiaali on koostettu haastatteluista, ei kirjoittajan omasta materiaalista. Tarina jää siis hyvin pintapuoliseksi, vaikka yhtyeen (Eddien?) tarina käydäänkin alusta loppuun läpi. Tuntuu, että varsinkin David Lee Rothia puidaan välillä enemmän kuin Eddietä itseään. Eikä Eddieltä itseltään mitään suurempia tarinoita kirjaan näillä lähtökohdilla irtoakaan.
Jos käännös olisi kunnollinen, voisin antaa yhden tähden lisää. Olen aika varma, että 75 miljoonaa levyä myyneestä bändistä/kitaristista saisi huomattavasti paremman kirjan. Ja aion etsiä sellaisen myöhemmin. Ihan viihdyttävä pintapuolinen leikkaus tämäkin oli, kahdesta tähdestään huolimatta.
January 6, 2023
I must say it's a logical run-through of Eddie's life, though features lots of inside information which was unknown to me before. It's a shame he got himself into such a state with drugs and alcohol, which just goes to show that being famous and in demand can be a dangerous thing. Careful what you wish for, folks.
One or two thoughts. Even though we more or less knew it, there can't be a musician alive who was not touched or shocked by Eddie's extraordinary guitar playing, and he was admired across the board. But his latter output (from 1995 onwards) was scant and, let's be honest, pretty 'orrible; just witness that guitar sound on that 2012 album with Roth. (If that's his famed 'brown' sound, well, the brown I imagine is not a complimentary thing).
We're left with his incendiary playing and sound on the first album, along with other highlights like parts of 1984, Women & Children First, Fair Warning and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, some of which is pulse racingly good. Most importantly, everybody said that he was a sweet, modest, kind man, and I'm glad that he sorted himself out in the end.
Edward Van Halen, a pioneer, a singular talent, I salute you
One or two thoughts. Even though we more or less knew it, there can't be a musician alive who was not touched or shocked by Eddie's extraordinary guitar playing, and he was admired across the board. But his latter output (from 1995 onwards) was scant and, let's be honest, pretty 'orrible; just witness that guitar sound on that 2012 album with Roth. (If that's his famed 'brown' sound, well, the brown I imagine is not a complimentary thing).
We're left with his incendiary playing and sound on the first album, along with other highlights like parts of 1984, Women & Children First, Fair Warning and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, some of which is pulse racingly good. Most importantly, everybody said that he was a sweet, modest, kind man, and I'm glad that he sorted himself out in the end.
Edward Van Halen, a pioneer, a singular talent, I salute you
October 27, 2021
This is a "guitar" book (literally about the physical instrument and its parts) written by "guitar" guys ... The authors geek out on guitar componentry and that will be over most readers' heads ... But, still, it is well done and it employs, to great effect, a writing device that is part narrative and part interview transcript ... In the end, it is a timely reminder of just how great Van Halen is and, for me, a trigger for just how much I miss Eddie - a one-of-a-kind person and one bad-ass guitar player ... Worthwhile
April 14, 2023
A whistle stop biography of Eddie Van Halen from his young years to sadly his death. The majority of the book focuses on the development of Van Halen the band, from its early struggles to worldwide fame and all the dramas of David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar leaving the band. It certainly provided an insight and probably provides some shocks.
June 18, 2023
Great inside look on the life of Eddie Van Halen. Enjoyed hearing from Eddie and also others in the music industry, how they interacted with Eddie and how he touched their lives (hood and bad). Overall great read!
June 25, 2025
For someone like me who is not really familiar with Van Halen (the band) story, this was entertaining and easy reading. However, if one expects to read a definitive book about Eddie Van Halen, this is not the one. David Lee Roth seems to be as much of a protagonist as Eddie.
February 6, 2022
More of a 33 1/3 series installment, than expansive monograph; But Brannigan frequently produces dual or multi-volume projects (maybe another is in the works, or just missed?)
September 27, 2022
A very good book about Eddie Van Halen and the band. It was amusing at times and did hold a lot of good information. Not written by Eddie but by a magazine artist. Very good!
Read
January 20, 2023Excellent good insight to Eddie Van Halen.
May 30, 2023
This is a great compilation of stories and reports and snippets and anecdotes. As it’s not from the GOATS mouth it has to be taken in the spirit it is meant but enjoyable for an EVH fanatic.
April 19, 2025
more about Roth than Eddie almost
February 29, 2024
Amazing but as far as biographies of the greats go, not the absolute best
July 28, 2025
Review to follow
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews