Surviving Eddie Van Halen: by Sammy hagar

[Bloodshot Scott]

A terrific read. I had no idea Eddie was such a pig and serious lush, living in squalor and filth. I mean, come on dude. You have to read this excerpt though; it's well written and you want to keep reading it because of this. Alex Van Halen was drinking a case a day of tall malt liquor cans. Eddie was equally ruthless in his pursute to drink the vile rot. :eeew:

When Eddie Van Halen called me in 1985, it didn't come as a complete surprise. David Lee Roth had split a few months earlier, and I'd told my wife at the time, Betsy, "They're going to call me, you watch." Who else were they going to get? There was Ozzy Osbourne, Ronnie James Dio and me.

I walked into their place in Studio City. Alex Van Halen took one look at my short hair and started laughing. "You look like somebody put a doughnut on your head and cut it off," he said. Alex was drunk on his ass. He was drinking a case of tall malt-liquor cans a day. He pounded them too. He would pass out a couple of times a day, wake up and shotgun two or three beers, crack one more, and walk out of the room. Eddie drank all day too. They both woke up, grabbed a beer, lit a cigarette, and that was the way they started their day.

Eddie lived in a very humble house with his wife, Valerie Bertinelli, the actress. It was just an ordinary two-bedroom house up in the hills off of Coldwater Canyon with a garage that he'd converted into a studio. They called the studio "5150," after the police code for picking up a crazy person. The studio was filthy. Beer cans everywhere, ashtrays full of cigarettes. I don't think it had ever been cleaned.

...

Continued at page 3:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/photos/exclusive-excerpt-surviving-eddie-20110304/0913895

Can't say I ever like Van Halen...EVER. Something about their pop bullshit records just never appealed to me when I was a youngin'. I guess maybe it doesn't surprise me since Eddie was a complete egomaniach. Sad the way they ended their last tour like they did.

 

[meesterperfect]

I liked them until they came out with Jump......then I tuned right out.

 

[maildude]

I can only imagine how the Rolling Stones must live!

 

[FrostyBoy]

I grew up with VH and I never understood everyone elses fascination with them. A couple of good songs and a few good riffs and that was it. Looking back now I'd have to say that the number of VH songs (both eras) that I don't like outnumber the ones I do by a handy margin.

 

[Neutron66]

What an ungrateful fuck. Sammy was a one-hit wonder before Eddie made him a big star. He was more famous for wearing stupid jumpsuits than for anything musical.

Of course...even though they'd make a bunch of hit records...Van Halen died the moment the heart and soul of the band (ie: Diamond Dave) hit the road.

 

[D-rock]

I grew up with VH and I never understood everyone elses fascination with them. A couple of good songs and a few good riffs and that was it. Looking back now I'd have to say that the number of VH songs (both eras) that I don't like outnumber the ones I do by a handy margin.

Sadly music has gotten so crappy that by today's standards a couple of good songs and a few good riffs makes a group borderline legendary.

 

[Montrealman]

Van Halen & van Hagar are two different bands. If anything, it proves that EDV, AVH and MA were the greatest backup band ever. I will read this. I read the other VH book and DLR's as well. Ps:5150 is the best Van Hagar record. The original 6 records with DLR blow anything Van Hagar away though.

 

[alexpnz]

Van Halen & van Hagar are two different bands. If anything, it proves that EDV, AVH and MA were the greatest backup band ever. I will read this. I read the other VH book and DLR's as well. Ps:5150 is the best Van Hagar record. The original 6 records with DLR blow anything Van Hagar away though.

I dunno bout that, the songwriting became light years better when Hagar joined the band; the songs were just "better"!

Roth was just a good voice and a showman, nothing resembling a musician.
Sam was and is a musician who can write, sing AND play guitar.
Roth, on the other hand, couldn't even play air guitar!

Advantage, Van Hagar :hatsoff:

 

[Flanner]

Haggar may not have had the 'wildman' nee asshole stage prescence of Roth, but his lyrics were much better and more complex, at least for a metal band, plus Hagar at least had something of a vocal range, something Roth has never had.

 

[pete rose]

I saw them maybe 5-6 years ago when they were touring with Hagar. Awful show. Absolutely awful.

 

[Little Red Wagon Repairman]

Sammy Hagar > All Members Of Van Halen Combined

 

[Shifty]

I love EVH. Love him.

He's a brilliant guitar player.

One of the EVH sickest riffs ever:



For me, VH was more about the music and less about the vocals anyway. Obviously, Roth and
Hagar were vital to the band, but in the end it was the guitar that did it for me.

 

[ragincaucasian]

I dunno bout that, the songwriting became light years better when Hagar joined the band; the songs were just "better"!

Ive got to admit --- I like Van Hagar (couldn't rep alexpnz anymore....:crying: ) I know that isn't popular (or safe) to admit it.

I love DLR, but I really enjoyed the depth Van Halen had with Sammy. The songs had more to do with actually getting ladies and was much more hedonistic (whereas with Dave, it was about getting shot down by the ladies and getting your ass kicked). This really isn't that much different in the approach of AC/DC with the loss of Bon Scott....they dynamics of the group changed considerably.

I've seen them live and unfortunately, every show really is the same......I didn't think this story is all that note-worthy though.....I figured it was common knowledge that the Van Halens were raging alcoholics and why Alex's "new life" (as a pastor) is supposed to be something special

 

[Ike Stain]

Eddie did some pretty incredible stuff with the way electric guitar sounded—
like he'd do an album with a different sound for each song,
really innovating stuff for the time.

Many accomplished artists are total dicks.

Love him or hate him, it's hard to argue with this opening riff:



or the flavor he puts into this track:



And David Lee was truly great in his moment.

 

[Shifty]

Here are some random gems, in no particular order whatsoever. Simply pulled on a whim.

I could do this all day ...









Bonus:

Eddie plays Für Elise - 1986 Highly recommended! (Can't embed)

 

[Bloodshot Scott]

Sorry for the mispell of pursuit. I knew I got that one wrong.


My favorite part about the excerpt was when their manager and the whole band tried to do an intervention, and "Eddie smashed a wine bottle at the intervention. 'I left my family for this,' he said. 'You think I'm going to do it for you guys?'" That's gangster ass rock star shit right there.

Sammy's got a ton of money with royalties and his tequila. I don't think he needs to bow down to EVH. :dunno:

 

[Shifty]

The one sad thing about Ed is that music has taken 2nd place to his addiction(s) over the last decade. He's released nothing new in so many years ...

I saw them on the reunion tour with Sammy ... I was very close to the stage and Ed was wasted. He rocked Eruption that night, and sounded great but there were a few times when he was really off the mark. I remember cringing at one point during Humans Being. Just like Sammy notes, Ed did come out on stage at one point with his hair up and he was running around like a psycho. I was exhausted just watching him. Don't get me wrong, it was EVH but his playing had truly faded.

I saw them a few years ago and let me tell you there were indeed some flashes of total brilliance reminiscent of the good old days of Van Halen!


Back to the music. Listen for the elephant @ 2:26.

Ed used to make this sound with his guitar just prior to hitting the stage. :thumbsup:

 

[LukeEl]

I am waiting for Gary Sheron to do a book.

 

[ChuckFaze]

Very interesting read.
It's mind-boggling that he's still alive.
Day-Um! I almost want to clean my Monitor after reading how filthy and unkempt he was. :laugh:
Shit! It's possible that he might have surpassed Keith Richards in how horrible he looks. :eek:

 

[ChuckFaze]

I'm curious. So, how does that work?
Did Sammy Hagar have to get permission from Eddie Van Halen to drag him through the mud in this book? Granted probably everything Sammy says is not only true, but Sammy probably even took it easy on Eddie. Would Sammy have to pay Eddie royalties on the book sales? Or can anyone at anytime just up and write a book and drag someone through the mud? I would think that for sure, without permission, there'd be a lawsuit.