Credit: Neil Zlozower Nuno Bettencourt has honored Edward Van Halen by playing on a custom-made black and yellow striped "Bumblee" guitar during the video for Extreme's latest single "Beautiful Girls". The original guitar designed by Edward debuted on the back cover of the 1979 album Van Halen II and was heavily played throughout the 1979 world tour. Bettencourt … [Read more...]
‘They Were Nuts!’: Ann & Nancy Wilson On Touring With The Van Halen Brothers
Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart shared some "back in the day" stories during a recent appearance on the Howard Stern Show ahead of the band's Royal Flush tour. Among the stories were of their time spent touring and partying with Van Halen back in 1979. Heart opened up for Van Halen on their World Vacation Tour in 1979. As you'll see in the video above, the Wilson sisters got … [Read more...]
‘Van Halen II’ Anniversary Celebrated On ‘In The Studio’
On March 23rd, 1979, Van Halen released Van Halen II. In celebration of its 45th anniversary, the syndicated radio show In The Studio with Red Beard has shared its original documentary on the album. Below is what host Red Beard has to say about the album 35 years later along with the special: The quintessential American hard rock band Van Halen's 1978 debut probably … [Read more...]
Part Two: Greg Renoff Interviews Donn Landee
Photo Credit: Warner Music Group Part two of Van Halen author Greg Renoff's interview with legendary Van Halen engineer Donn Landee has arrived! Renoff shared part one of his interview for Tape Op magazine with VHND readers back in September. Now he's back to make good on his promise to deliver part two. Below is an excerpt from part two of Renoff's two-part … [Read more...]
Photographer Neil Zlozower Shares Van Halen Stories & Photos
When it comes to Van Halen, he's seen it all and he has the photos to back up every story. Legendary Van Halen photographer Neil Zlozower was the recent subject of Gibson TV's "Through The Lens" series for a look back at his unparalleled body of work with the band! From Gibson TV: From the moment he first heard “Running with the Devil” in an office building in Los … [Read more...]
Paul Gilbert: ‘Van Halen II’ Was Life-Changing
Mr. Big guitarist Paul Gilbert says Van Halen II is among the ten albums that changed his life. Here's what Gilbert had to say about Van Halen's classic sophomore effort from 1979 during a recent interview with ClassicRockHistory.com's Andrew Daly: All the David Lee Roth-era Van Halen records were monuments of excellence to me. But Van Halen II hit me at just the right … [Read more...]
Watch Michael Anthony Perform ‘Somebody Get Me A Doctor’ & More At ‘Save The Heartbeat’ Fundraising Concert
Michael Anthony had fans feelin' high with his performance of Van Halen's "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" this past weekend at the Save The Heartbeat fundraiser concert in Costa Mesa, California. Anthony, who headlined the concert held at the Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, was joined by some special guests including Sammy Hagar, Tré Cool and guitarist Phil X, who can be seen performing … [Read more...]
Unearthed Eddie Van Halen: 1980 Jas Obrecht Interview, Part 2
Photo by Neil Zlozower Jas Obrecht's remarkably candid conversation with Eddie Van Halen continues, with lots of guitar playing! Today, Jas released PART 2 of his never-before-heard gem of an interview with Eddie Van Halen, from January of 1980. And, just like his complete 1978 and 1979 Eddie interviews, this is absolutely incredible to hear! But first, if you haven’t … [Read more...]
Jas Obrecht Releases Complete 1979 Audio Interview With Eddie Van Halen
Credit: Neil Zlozower Veteran rock journalist Jas Obrecht has shared another gem of an interview with Eddie Van Halen, this one from December of 1979! Jas released the complete audio of his interview in HD via his YouTube channel "Talking Guitar: Jas Obrecht's Music Magazine" along with a complete transcript at his website jasobrecht.substack.com. Below is what … [Read more...]
Dutch Abstract Art, Pasadena Hot Rods & Punk Rock Guitars: The Origins Of Eddie’s Striped ‘Frankenstrat’ Design
Credit: Bill O'Leary 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 … [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...]
What Are The Ten Best Van Halen Deep Cuts?
Credit: Neil Zlozower 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 … [Read more...]