Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga - Ian Christe

I still remember receiving my first Van Halen album from Columbia House Record Club. Though I've always preferred progressive rock in the vein of Kansas and Pink Floyd, it was hard not to be captivated by the power rock and blazing guitar solos of Van Halen. That is why I was interested in reading this book. Plus, I wanted to understand the "soap opera" better. I had heard of the battles between David Lee Roth and the Van Halens, David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, Sammy Hagar and the Van Halens, and now, David Lee Roth and the Van Halens against Michael Anthony. I did not realize, however, how hostile and vindicative these attacks actually were. It was interesting to learn of Eddie and Alex's background. Sons of a musician, they learned to play a variety of instruments early in their lives. I was also unaware of how much work Eddie has put into his mastery of the guitar. He makes it look so natural that it is easy to forget that his mastery is due to long hours devoted to practice and experimentation. I also didn't realize how much work he has done, not only in honing his technical skills, but in engineering and crafting his instruments and sound to his own liking. Michael Anthony comes across as the quiet, easy-going bassist. This makes his current displacement that much more tragic. Sammy Hagar seems to be the epitomy of a good-time, red-state, party boy. Roth's love for outrageous showmanship and shameless self-promotion is also evident throughout the book. Yes, he comes across as an egomaniac and a womanizer, but it is interesting to note that in late 2004 he started riding along in ambulances in poor neighborhoods in New York City in order to be certified as a paramedic.