Van Halen are arguably America’s greatest-ever rock n’ roll band. From inauspicious roots as a backyard covers outfit, they went on to revolutionise and revitalise heavy rock, creating a world-conquering blend of heavy metal power, punk energy and pop hooks. Armed with staggering musical virtuosity and irresistible charisma, they sold millions of records and spawned legions of imitators. From their humble origins and meteoric rise, through some dark, troubled years, to their triumphant rebirth, the band produced a remarkable body of work.
In this thorough and illuminating book, Morgan Brown guides us song by song through the band’s classic albums, charting their development from Sunset Strip upstarts to multi-platinum stadium rockers and beyond. We’ll examine the music’s ingredients and inspirations and meet the characters behind the songs, including visionary guitar genius the late Edward Van Halen, motormouth master showman David Lee Roth, and his replacement, powerful vocalist Sammy Hagar, who ushered in a new era for the band. Equally suitable for inquisitive new listeners or long-time fans, this book is both an in-depth guide to and an enthusiastic celebration of the career of a truly legendary band. Feel like diving in? Well, as Roth said, go ahead and jump!
Morgan Brown is the author of one previous title in the On Track series on The Damned and has been an active part of the UK music scene for over twenty years as a guitarist, drummer and songwriter. He is a self-confessed music nerd, enjoying a wild assortment of punk, pop, folk, jazz, heavy metal, country and whatever else takes his fancy. He is also an avid consumer of sci-fi and crime fiction and is a regular contributor to Hark! The 87th Precinct Podcast, which is dedicated to the detective novels of Ed McBain. He lives in Liverpool, UK.
