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Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga
The first definitive biography of the ultimate American rock band How did a pair of little Dutch boys trained in classical music grow up to become the nucleus of the most popular heavy metal band of all time? What's the secret behind Eddie Van Halen's incredible fast and furious guitar solos? What makes David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar so wacky? And, are all those stories about groupies, booze bashes, and contract riders true? The naked truth is laid bare in Everybody Wants Some --the real-life story of a rock 'n' roll fantasy come true.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published December 21, 2007
23 people are currently reading
872 people want to read
About the author
Ian Christe
7 books61 followersIan Christe is the author of Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal and Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga. He is the publisher of Bazillion Points Books, home to Swedish Death Metal, Murder in the Front Row, Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries, Touch and Go, Experiencing Nirvana, Heavy Metal Movies and other authoritative books about powerful movements and moments in overlooked history. Since 2004, he has hosted a weekly metal history show on Sirius XM in North America. He enjoys exploring.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
July 25, 2013
Having just read Tony Fletcher's "A Light that Never Goes Out: The Enduring Saga of the Smiths," I found Ian Christe's portrayal of Van Halen to read like a teenage novel in comparison. Halfway through the book, I found that my only motivation for continuing to the end was my curiosity about what went wrong in the band. Of course, I admit my bias conflicts with Christe's. I am a Van Halen purist, loving their David Lee Roth era stuff and abhorring Sammy Hagar's stint with the band; Christe holds an undeniable loathing of David Lee Roth as a person. Yes, Diamond Dave is an egomaniac, but there is only so much lamenting of his penchant for self-righteous drama that this reader could take, especially in comparison to the kid gloves approach to Sammy Hagar. The Red Rocker is portrayed as a savvy business man who makes little to no mistakes on or off the stage. Rather than being about the "Van Halen Saga," the book seemed to be more about Eddie Van Halen and his ongoing problems swatting at the gnats of Roth and Hagar while simultaneously battling alcoholism and marital problems (read: himself). Had the book been branded as such, I might have read it with less disappointment. On this note, the book's redemption was in the author capturing Eddie's human side and the family roots and passions that informed his identity. As such, I found it easier to forgive Eddie for patronizing the likes of Kurt Cobain and even throwing racial epithets at Pat Smear than to give Roth or Hagar the benefit of the doubt for their self-absorbed behavior. Eddie came across as the troubled hero along the lines of Tony Soprano, forcing the reader to always grant him redemption; while Roth's portrayal as a clown and mere caricature of himself rendered his off-stage soul-searching as mere hobby. Even Roth's stint as an EMT working in impoverished areas of the city was dismissed as another of his self-serving actions. If only for learning more about the band's history, I'm glad I read the book; otherwise, it was an exhaustive opinion piece.
November 8, 2020
The idea of Eddie Van Halen being gone is going to take a while for me to process. Few sounds are more alive than those he created with a guitar. I first read this book when it was originally published in 2007. It's a terrific, objective chronicle of Van Halen's (the band's) rises and falls over 30 years of rock-and-roll creative brilliance. (It preceded the band's reunion with David Lee Roth for a 2012 album and tour.) I find fascinating the concept of being the world's very best at something — large skill or small — even if for only a brief time. I'm convinced Eddie Van Halen was the world's greatest guitarist, and for quite some time. May he rest in peace . . . and live on in legend.
February 26, 2015
One of the greatest, yet unsustainable rock and roll band was Van Halen. Eddie Valen’s Dutch parents let him start drinking and smoking at the age of 12. Though arguably the best rock and roll guitarist of all time, he would go in and out of rehab throughout his career and not develop the assertiveness to manage his lead singers, David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, whose showmanship helped propel the band to stardom. Roth has an out of control ego, and Hagar has an unquenchable drive for his own personal success – both of these singers did not have the patience with Eddie Van Halen, whose alcoholism, procrastination, and eccentricities slowed the band’s productivity. While Page and Hendrix inspired me to want to play their music on guitar, Eddie Van Halen plays so incredibly fast, no one can copy a lot of it, and frankly, when music is played too fast it sounds mechanical without a melody. This book brought out the excitement I felt in 1979, when I first heard Van Halen in high school. It is time to dust off my CD collection and listen to the first six albums again. I only like a few “Van Hagar” songs, and the senseless David Lee Roth break-up with the band in 1984 disappointed a lot of fans, including me, although Van Halen reunited recently with Wolfgang, Eddie’s son, on bass.
October 18, 2020
Actually read this for the first time about 12 years ago but I guess I never reviewed it. Read it again due to the death of Eddie Van Halen, whose life along with his brother Alex and David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony are discussed. The book doesn't take long getting to their career in the music industry, wasting little time with their childhood stories. The first 110 pages or so are focused on the Roth years, while the next 90 or so are focused on the Hagar years. The last 100 are on both as well as Gary Cherone, the third lead singer of the band. In this book Ian Christe talks about all the albums, as well as all the songs on the albums and when they were actually written, what they are about. For Van Halen fans, this book is a must. Good stuff.
September 8, 2008
A complete bummer of a book about a band the epitomizes fun and good times. Not sure how a fun-loving band like Van Halen could earn such a downer of a book. Not much to the book. The author provides some new insight and deals with a couple of rumors and myths that have followed the band for years. I have never paid much attention to the band although I have listened to the David Lee Roth albums many, many times, but still felt, after reading the book, that there wasn't much new revealed. Very disappointing.
August 8, 2021
The early chapters about the band's beginning were the strongest. Just like the band itself, once Dave left and Sammy joined, it got pretty dull.
Read
August 8, 2024insightful
January 28, 2024
Overall, this book was pretty good, both interesting and a pleasant read, spanning their history until 2008. It covers the beginning of Van Halen, the turbulent years with David Lee Roth, the switch to Sammy Hagar, the best-forgotten Gary Cherone era, back to Sammy, and back again to Dave. The splits with singers seem abrupt and don’t make much sense, other than they just couldn’t stand each other anymore.
Some interesting facts: Eddie was an award winning piano player in his youth; Sammy and Dave toured together in 2002 and couldn’t stand each other either; the VH Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction was done by Velvet Revolver and was embarrassingly cringy (watch the video). The book details the large amount of sniping between Sammy, Dave, and Eddie through the years. Michael Anthony seems like a great guy but was the target of a lot of unfair attacks, especially by Eddie. Not cool.
Some minor criticisms, the author at times tries to be a little too snarky/clever/snide and sometimes it comes across pretty lame. Also, some odd factual errors (describing Weezer as from Chicago?).
The book gives a good overview of the making of the songs and making of all the albums as well. It was cool to check out songs I was not familiar with.
A good read that still holds up despite its age.
Some interesting facts: Eddie was an award winning piano player in his youth; Sammy and Dave toured together in 2002 and couldn’t stand each other either; the VH Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction was done by Velvet Revolver and was embarrassingly cringy (watch the video). The book details the large amount of sniping between Sammy, Dave, and Eddie through the years. Michael Anthony seems like a great guy but was the target of a lot of unfair attacks, especially by Eddie. Not cool.
Some minor criticisms, the author at times tries to be a little too snarky/clever/snide and sometimes it comes across pretty lame. Also, some odd factual errors (describing Weezer as from Chicago?).
The book gives a good overview of the making of the songs and making of all the albums as well. It was cool to check out songs I was not familiar with.
A good read that still holds up despite its age.
November 11, 2025
This book - originally with an alternate cover that emphasized the Blatant Sexism of the hard rock era (AC/DC! Aerosmith! KISS! Boobs! Bikinis! Big hairdos! NO WOMEN!) tells in a slightly condensed fashion how the band started as two immigrant Dutch-Indonesian kids in Los Angeles without money or influence, and became (for a stretch anyway) the "biggest band in America".
Van Halen were actually promoted for around 300k or more in pre-release radio hype before their debut appeared in the late 1970s (that's about 1.5 mil today), so the idea of wealthy, entitled pop celebrities - long past their shelf life - selling accounts of their poverty and obscurity is a little rich for me, to be honest. I mean, realistically, the MAJORITY of musicians live in poverty and obscurity, including ones that are actually good. Today, it's more like poverty and online recognition! But anyway, the main artists here, being Edward and Alex Van Halen put their piano background and years in teenage cover bands into playing, well, more covers with (half-assed, but comedic) Rich Kid David Lee Roth and their bass player Michael Anthony. Or rather, Michael Anthony Sobolewski, a man with a helluva MULLET and a very, very high backing vocal.
The band once had memorable riffs attached to catchy songs, but saying VH are overrated is like saying Antarctica is cold. They were - in live format - a "jaw-dropping, innovative hard rock combo" around 1982, living up to the ideal of Eddie's childhood heroes Cream, but in a different era. The later records have commercial appeal but lack soul.
The actual "saga" of the band is revealed in record sales: after their 80s classic 1984 sold very well, the next record shifts about half as much, the slightly blander and un-impactful 0U812 sells less also. The following records sell worse in an era of changing musical style. Then they release some album called Van Halen III that sells, honestly, a fraction of the Sammy Hagar "era" recordings.
I'm not against 80s music, the big names from the era all have classic songs, and most people love "Jump", or the live guitar and drum sounds from around 1980, but for instance the band's estranged singer David Roth went on a tour around 1990 and many venues had to be pulled due to poor ticket sales. Van Halen, the second version sold consistently half, or less again after changing the band line-up.
WELL WAIT - they actually sounded BETTER sometimes in the second version of the band (with a different producer, manager and stage crew), but the improvements felt cosmetic and overly slick. But at the risk of getting off-topic, this book is well organized, easy to read and doesn't really list the lack of interest in 80s pop-metal after a certain point in history. For some reason (marketing), Eddie Van Halen held onto his role as "America's foremost guitar hero" for many years after it felt like their profile had seriously waned.
The book is presented in the standard chronological fashion of a rock biography also, with some formatted graphics at the start of each chapter. After the 80s, Van Halen seems like a band whose recognition overshadows their actual work and they appear to exist in a world without politics or much depth, also.
Van Halen were actually promoted for around 300k or more in pre-release radio hype before their debut appeared in the late 1970s (that's about 1.5 mil today), so the idea of wealthy, entitled pop celebrities - long past their shelf life - selling accounts of their poverty and obscurity is a little rich for me, to be honest. I mean, realistically, the MAJORITY of musicians live in poverty and obscurity, including ones that are actually good. Today, it's more like poverty and online recognition! But anyway, the main artists here, being Edward and Alex Van Halen put their piano background and years in teenage cover bands into playing, well, more covers with (half-assed, but comedic) Rich Kid David Lee Roth and their bass player Michael Anthony. Or rather, Michael Anthony Sobolewski, a man with a helluva MULLET and a very, very high backing vocal.
The band once had memorable riffs attached to catchy songs, but saying VH are overrated is like saying Antarctica is cold. They were - in live format - a "jaw-dropping, innovative hard rock combo" around 1982, living up to the ideal of Eddie's childhood heroes Cream, but in a different era. The later records have commercial appeal but lack soul.
The actual "saga" of the band is revealed in record sales: after their 80s classic 1984 sold very well, the next record shifts about half as much, the slightly blander and un-impactful 0U812 sells less also. The following records sell worse in an era of changing musical style. Then they release some album called Van Halen III that sells, honestly, a fraction of the Sammy Hagar "era" recordings.
I'm not against 80s music, the big names from the era all have classic songs, and most people love "Jump", or the live guitar and drum sounds from around 1980, but for instance the band's estranged singer David Roth went on a tour around 1990 and many venues had to be pulled due to poor ticket sales. Van Halen, the second version sold consistently half, or less again after changing the band line-up.
WELL WAIT - they actually sounded BETTER sometimes in the second version of the band (with a different producer, manager and stage crew), but the improvements felt cosmetic and overly slick. But at the risk of getting off-topic, this book is well organized, easy to read and doesn't really list the lack of interest in 80s pop-metal after a certain point in history. For some reason (marketing), Eddie Van Halen held onto his role as "America's foremost guitar hero" for many years after it felt like their profile had seriously waned.
The book is presented in the standard chronological fashion of a rock biography also, with some formatted graphics at the start of each chapter. After the 80s, Van Halen seems like a band whose recognition overshadows their actual work and they appear to exist in a world without politics or much depth, also.
February 14, 2012
If you're looking for a deep analysis of the van Halen phenomenon this wouldn't be the book to get it from. Lots of detail in the book but it reads more like a cobbled together effort of various news sources and articles. The author was, unfortunately, unable to speak to any of the actual members of Van Halen so most of their quotes come from various interviews through the years. A definite clue into the depth of the reporting is quoting a Guitar world interview for insight into marriage issues. Still I did finish the book, although I'm not sure if it was out of spite, the hope it would get better, or a combination thereof.
July 23, 2016
Author Ian Christie tells the story of Van Halen through numerous magazine articles. " The Van Halen Saga " fails to deliver any interviews from past or current band members. The accounts are all second hand, which in return makes the book read like one big jumbled up magazine article. However the book does deliver enough info on the band to gather that VH was not only one of the best rock bands but also the most dramatic. Definitely worth the read if you are a VH or music fan.
November 25, 2018
Gossipy but straightforward, this book makes due without any access to the bandmembers themselves (Christie relies on existing content) and does a really nice job of capturing the band's success and its endless bickering and in-fighting.
January 26, 2025
Today would have been Eddie Van Halen's 70th Birthday. I'm not musician- I barely remember how to the opening of hot cross buns on the recorder- but as a teen in the 80s, Van Halen played a major part in my music listening.
I discovered the band when they announced Sammy was taking over - so whatever DLR stuff I heard, I thought "that's the last of it".
And so I was more Team Sammy than Team David. But I knew either one was rocking it - and all due to the Music Gods prophet - Eddie Van Halen.
As a tribute to the rockers birthday, I spent the day finishing this book. It was sad to see how a once powerful group ended up being a "and here's another golden oldie from the Rockers..." group one hears on Satellite Radio. But reading about the band's troubles, I can see why.
One drawback of the book is the technical side of things. I'm not a drummer or guitar player, so the changes either Van Halen made to their instruments when over my head. (Except the part where they revealed one drum is actually a cooler, to keep drink cold while on stage. That I get). But, like watching a cooking show, you don't have to be a chef to watch a maestro at work.
I discovered the band when they announced Sammy was taking over - so whatever DLR stuff I heard, I thought "that's the last of it".
And so I was more Team Sammy than Team David. But I knew either one was rocking it - and all due to the Music Gods prophet - Eddie Van Halen.
As a tribute to the rockers birthday, I spent the day finishing this book. It was sad to see how a once powerful group ended up being a "and here's another golden oldie from the Rockers..." group one hears on Satellite Radio. But reading about the band's troubles, I can see why.
One drawback of the book is the technical side of things. I'm not a drummer or guitar player, so the changes either Van Halen made to their instruments when over my head. (Except the part where they revealed one drum is actually a cooler, to keep drink cold while on stage. That I get). But, like watching a cooking show, you don't have to be a chef to watch a maestro at work.
December 29, 2020
I read this book twice, once right after it was published in 2007 and again just now with EVH having passed recently. This is a good introductory-level overview of the band through the mid-00s. It is not exhaustively detailed. Ian Christe covers three decades in not a lot of pages and as a result is more of an overview than a deep dive. Think of it as a compiled summation of publicly available knowledge put together in one place. If that's what you're looking for, this is a pretty good way for a fan of rock guitar to spend a few days of free reading time. I gave it five stars because it's accessible, quick, and entertaining. If you're looking for a microscopic, behind-the-scenes view of the nitty gritty, try another book (such as "Van Halen Rising" or Noel Monk's recent book, both of which focus on the early period of the band and give a lot more background on some things that are just briefly touched on here).
July 13, 2020
The first half of this book is as inspiring as the second is heart-breaking.
Reading about the hard rock band driven by two immigrant brothers that rose to the very top of the music scene is reading about the American dream. What's not to envy? Well… everything else, according to the rest of the book.
The second part of the book, after the band had proven their worth twice with both Roth and Hagar, is a saddening tale of clashing egos, personal issues and the quiet implosion of the band that once changed every rule in rock.
Ian Christie has done a great job writing and researching – I recognised many quotes from the guitar magazines I read in the early nineties. It's a pity that in the very end he can't keep from coming out as blatantly, even sappily, pro-Roth, begging him to re-join the band. Then again, he seems to have put his money on the right horse.
Reading about the hard rock band driven by two immigrant brothers that rose to the very top of the music scene is reading about the American dream. What's not to envy? Well… everything else, according to the rest of the book.
The second part of the book, after the band had proven their worth twice with both Roth and Hagar, is a saddening tale of clashing egos, personal issues and the quiet implosion of the band that once changed every rule in rock.
Ian Christie has done a great job writing and researching – I recognised many quotes from the guitar magazines I read in the early nineties. It's a pity that in the very end he can't keep from coming out as blatantly, even sappily, pro-Roth, begging him to re-join the band. Then again, he seems to have put his money on the right horse.
December 21, 2022
I was expecting more from this book like exclusive interviews or information not previously released instead the book is a collection of quotes and history of the band that has already been out in circulation in one form or another. Another issue I have is how the author retells many of the stories. For example, he talks about how DLR and his security had a bad experience while at a show in London but only mentions it and never gives any details. Wtf? The author also spends too much time unnecessarily giving descriptions of almost every song on each album as the book moves along. Why?? I’m pretty sure Van Halen fans know these songs already. Steer clear and read tell all books written by people who were there on the inside.
November 30, 2024
Van Halen are really the only Hair Metal band you can name as your favourite without sounding like an asshole. So much so, it feels like an insult to call them “Hair Metal”. Van Halen are Hard Rock, Rock N’Roll, maybe even Pop Rock but certainly not Hair Metal. That they are owed this respect despite the numerous line-up changes, the corniness of the Sammy Hagar era, and the even bigger corniness of the David Lee Roth era, is testament to Eddie Van Halen’s unquestionable Bach-like skill as a musician. Even David Lee Roth, who permeates this book as its Falstaff, was an excellent showman and certainly in conversation as one of the greatest frontmen of all time.
July 10, 2024
Holy cow! I could not put this book down. Captivating story about the Van Halen saga. I love this band so much and it was great to finally hear the real story. Even if you’re not a Van Halen fan, this is a great story about an incredible rock band. Nobody, I mean nobody comes close to the power of the mighty Van Halen. I kept hearing their music and the sheer power of it in my head when I read the book. 😜 Go read this!
December 10, 2020
Good book. This one has the most definitive history of the band, all the way up to the David Lee Roth reunion in 2007. No other book talks about the Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone period. It's does a nice job talking about their time in the studio and on tour. It's fast paced, but does a nice job covering over 50 years.
February 14, 2021
Audiobook format. Good reader. Covered the band, its music, its antics, and its members thoroughly enough for my interest and I’m definitely a long time admirer of the music from most of the band’s incarnations.
November 21, 2018
This book doesnt add many unknown details, if any to Van Halen known facts. I dont think they describe Sammy Hagar era very much, who was more time in the band than David Lee Roth
June 29, 2019
A good description of the turmoil involving the members of Van Halen, very insightful.
July 13, 2019
Being a longtime Van Halen fan i enjoyed this book.
January 21, 2020
A good well-written biography of the band. So sad to read the downfall and negativity, but with great egos involved, it was expected.
September 29, 2020
Informative and entertaining history of one of the greatest American rock bands in history. Enjoyed the read from start to finish.
Want to read
March 9, 2021I enjoyed it start to finish......was a big Dave fan and wanted a reunion in the worst way.....think it happened far too late.......recommend this read....eat it and smile
April 25, 2025
Total fluff. Would be awful to the "non VH fan".
June 19, 2025
Big Van Halen fan here! I thought this was a good biography and I learned a lot about one of my favorite bands. I would recommend if someone is interested in Van Halen or rock history in general.
January 23, 2008
I understand why we hate rock bands from 1970s and 80s. It isn't the style, hair, clothing. Nor is it the music or the schlock.
It's the attitude.
As much pussy the likes of David Lee Roth pulled in and no matter how much dudes wanted to be Eddie Van Halen, nobody under the age of 32 is really going to care because they were assholes. Kiss. Van Halen. Journey. The crop of 1980s bands. Hell, even punk, disco, Yacht Rock, et al.
They were all cocky and generally thought that they were all better than each other and, in turn, better than everyone else (fans, press, etc.). Fans didn't care because these rock stars feigned the "everyman" complex.
I liked Van Halen and was mildly interested enough to read this book but I realize now that they interest me very little.
For one, their stock of quality songs is very, very limited. Tune into a rock station on the radio and they'll play a dozen VH songs during the day and you think their catalog would indicate a bevy of great songs over 20 years. A tight collection of 20 or 30 songs that are generally good. Not so much, in fact, their albums really are not very good. VH are the typical "Greatest Hits" band -- the atypical customer is better off buying the one greatest hits collection instead of trying to purchase all those records at once. It would cost a fortune.
Secondly, those guys do not know the word "quit" much more so than the Rolling Stones. No one buys a RS record, I doubt Mick Jagger loses a lot of sleep. Generally, I think it hurt David Lee Roth, the VH brothers, Mike Anthony and Sammy Hagar that no one gave a shit about them around 1994. Frankly, the fact that they were still selling albums after 1984 boggles the mind.
Sammy Hagar is a douche. Seriously, I'd kill myself if I were reincarnated into Hagar. In the book, it chronicles the fact that Hagar's dad was an alcoholic and how awful it was. So what does Hagar do? He grows up, opens a bar for dillhole American businessemen in Cabo San Lucas and begins a $20 million dollar a year tequila business. Seriously? Knowing what you went through and realizing that you're product was probably doing the same to countless kids around the world, you can still look at yourself in the mirror.
I feel sad for Roth. He's half ADD, half dick, half showman. He has such an attention complex it's not funny. He needs actual medical attention. Right at the moment you think the guy's humble, he shakes it off and becomes Bugs Bunny.
I should have known better when I noticed that Ian Christe was the author. He is awful. I've read some of his other books and they're awful. For one, this book contains nothing you can't find on the Internet. Furthermore, Christe did none of his own interviews. He culled a vast majority of his information from Wikipedia, old guitar magazine interviews and stories from "Circus" and "Metal Edge." He also comes off as a jaded and frustrated fan. Frustrated that none of the VH bros can get their shit straight. Angry that modern rock music changed when it should not have in order to accomodate a band like VH. Pissed that generations thrice removed from VH's heyday do not appreciate VH despite the fact they haven't released any thing of substance in 23 years. He comes off very old and reticent to actually indicate that any new non-Van Halen band without 10-minute guitar solos are even worth the time of day.
It's the attitude.
As much pussy the likes of David Lee Roth pulled in and no matter how much dudes wanted to be Eddie Van Halen, nobody under the age of 32 is really going to care because they were assholes. Kiss. Van Halen. Journey. The crop of 1980s bands. Hell, even punk, disco, Yacht Rock, et al.
They were all cocky and generally thought that they were all better than each other and, in turn, better than everyone else (fans, press, etc.). Fans didn't care because these rock stars feigned the "everyman" complex.
I liked Van Halen and was mildly interested enough to read this book but I realize now that they interest me very little.
For one, their stock of quality songs is very, very limited. Tune into a rock station on the radio and they'll play a dozen VH songs during the day and you think their catalog would indicate a bevy of great songs over 20 years. A tight collection of 20 or 30 songs that are generally good. Not so much, in fact, their albums really are not very good. VH are the typical "Greatest Hits" band -- the atypical customer is better off buying the one greatest hits collection instead of trying to purchase all those records at once. It would cost a fortune.
Secondly, those guys do not know the word "quit" much more so than the Rolling Stones. No one buys a RS record, I doubt Mick Jagger loses a lot of sleep. Generally, I think it hurt David Lee Roth, the VH brothers, Mike Anthony and Sammy Hagar that no one gave a shit about them around 1994. Frankly, the fact that they were still selling albums after 1984 boggles the mind.
Sammy Hagar is a douche. Seriously, I'd kill myself if I were reincarnated into Hagar. In the book, it chronicles the fact that Hagar's dad was an alcoholic and how awful it was. So what does Hagar do? He grows up, opens a bar for dillhole American businessemen in Cabo San Lucas and begins a $20 million dollar a year tequila business. Seriously? Knowing what you went through and realizing that you're product was probably doing the same to countless kids around the world, you can still look at yourself in the mirror.
I feel sad for Roth. He's half ADD, half dick, half showman. He has such an attention complex it's not funny. He needs actual medical attention. Right at the moment you think the guy's humble, he shakes it off and becomes Bugs Bunny.
I should have known better when I noticed that Ian Christe was the author. He is awful. I've read some of his other books and they're awful. For one, this book contains nothing you can't find on the Internet. Furthermore, Christe did none of his own interviews. He culled a vast majority of his information from Wikipedia, old guitar magazine interviews and stories from "Circus" and "Metal Edge." He also comes off as a jaded and frustrated fan. Frustrated that none of the VH bros can get their shit straight. Angry that modern rock music changed when it should not have in order to accomodate a band like VH. Pissed that generations thrice removed from VH's heyday do not appreciate VH despite the fact they haven't released any thing of substance in 23 years. He comes off very old and reticent to actually indicate that any new non-Van Halen band without 10-minute guitar solos are even worth the time of day.
July 9, 2015
Good timing on getting done with this last night before the concert tonight. Overall a pretty good old school Van Halen fan's perspective of the history of the bands from it's early roots in Southern California, to being the biggest hard rock band in the land in the early 80s all of the Dave, Sammy and Gary drama to their return with David Lee Roth. If you're a hardcore fan there won't be a lot of surprises in this book, but it's a good comprehensive history of the band up to 2008. I just wish it some first hand sources. All of the quotes from Van Halen members comes from previous magazine interviews. If you're a casual fan and want to learn more about the band, this would be a worthwhile book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews