Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen
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- Create Date：2021-09-24 11:21:22
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Brad Tolinski
- ISBN：1668601508
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Summary
A narrative rendering of the best interviews with Eddie Van Halen culled from over 50 hours of conversations with 'Guitar World' magazine， telling his own story in his own words
When rock legend Eddie Van Halen died of cancer on October 6， 2020， the entire world - already steeped in the grief of political unrest and a raging pandemic - seemed to stop and grieve the devastating blow to the music world。 Since Van Halen burst onto the scene with their self-titled debut album in 1978， Eddie had been hailed as an icon not only to fans of heavy metal and rock music， but to performers across all genres and around the world。 Van Halen’s debut sounded unlike anything that listeners had heard before and remains a quintessential rock album of the era。
Over the course of more than four decades， Eddie gained renown for his innovative guitar playing， and particularly for popularizing the tapping guitar solo technique。 Unfortunately for Eddie and his legions of fans， he died before he was ever able to put his life down to paper in his own words， and much of his compelling backstory has remained elusive - until now。
In 'ERUPTION'， music journalists Brad Tolinski and Chris Gill share with fans， new and old alike， a completely new look at this music legend via this groundbreaking oral history， composed of more than 50+ hours of unreleased interviews that they’d recorded with Eddie over the years。 Admired by both Eddie and his family， Brad and Chris were two of the closest interviewers to Eddie in the decade prior to his death and were frequent visitors at the infamous 5150 studios at Ed's home in Los Angeles。 The heart of 'ERUPTION' is drawn from these intimate and wide-ranging talks， as well as conversations with family， friends， and colleagues。
As entertaining as it is revealing， this oral history is the closest we’ll ever get to hearing Eddie’s side of the story when it comes to his extraordinary life - and the authors are determined to memorialize Eddie’s words with the dignity they deserve。 Perfect for fans of Van Halen， heavy metal and rock music， and books that takes listeners behind the scenes of iconic moments in the history of music， 'ERUPTION' will be the go-to resource for those determined to keep Eddie’s memory alive and kickin’。
When rock legend Eddie Van Halen died of cancer on October 6， 2020， the entire world - already steeped in the grief of political unrest and a raging pandemic - seemed to stop and grieve the devastating blow to the music world。 Since Van Halen burst onto the scene with their self-titled debut album in 1978， Eddie had been hailed as an icon not only to fans of heavy metal and rock music， but to performers across all genres and around the world。 Van Halen’s debut sounded unlike anything that listeners had heard before and remains a quintessential rock album of the era。
Over the course of more than four decades， Eddie gained renown for his innovative guitar playing， and particularly for popularizing the tapping guitar solo technique。 Unfortunately for Eddie and his legions of fans， he died before he was ever able to put his life down to paper in his own words， and much of his compelling backstory has remained elusive - until now。
In 'ERUPTION'， music journalists Brad Tolinski and Chris Gill share with fans， new and old alike， a completely new look at this music legend via this groundbreaking oral history， composed of more than 50+ hours of unreleased interviews that they’d recorded with Eddie over the years。 Admired by both Eddie and his family， Brad and Chris were two of the closest interviewers to Eddie in the decade prior to his death and were frequent visitors at the infamous 5150 studios at Ed's home in Los Angeles。 The heart of 'ERUPTION' is drawn from these intimate and wide-ranging talks， as well as conversations with family， friends， and colleagues。
As entertaining as it is revealing， this oral history is the closest we’ll ever get to hearing Eddie’s side of the story when it comes to his extraordinary life - and the authors are determined to memorialize Eddie’s words with the dignity they deserve。 Perfect for fans of Van Halen， heavy metal and rock music， and books that takes listeners behind the scenes of iconic moments in the history of music， 'ERUPTION' will be the go-to resource for those determined to keep Eddie’s memory alive and kickin’。
Reviews
*TUDOR^QUEEN* （on hiatus）
，
5 Rockin' stars！！I remember going to an evening high school event back in the late seventies where an amateur band was playing "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" from the debut Van Halen album。 This is one of my favorite Van Halen songs to this day， along with another tune from their first album， "Jamie's Cryin'"。 I probably first heard about them via my older brother who is a lead guitarist himself and was in a band at the time。 While I've only been a casual Van Halen fan having bought the first album 5 Rockin' stars！！I remember going to an evening high school event back in the late seventies where an amateur band was playing "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" from the debut Van Halen album。 This is one of my favorite Van Halen songs to this day， along with another tune from their first album， "Jamie's Cryin'"。 I probably first heard about them via my older brother who is a lead guitarist himself and was in a band at the time。 While I've only been a casual Van Halen fan having bought the first album and a later one with Sammy Hagar as the lead singer， I was intrigued enough to find out much more about Eddie Van Halen。 All I knew about him before reading this book was that he had customized his own guitars， built his own recording studio on his home property， married actress Valerie Bertinelli （with whom he had a son named Wolfgang）， and that he died of cancer。Well， I was barely hitting the 20% mark of this book and I just had to call my brother to discuss what I had digested so far about Eddie's construction of his iconic guitar known as the "Frankenstrat"。 You see， my brother currently owns 14 guitars and I hear all the time the details of his dissatisfaction with subpar guitar parts and his journey in customizing these guitars to his high standards。 He also does this for my son who has a band and his own recording studio。 Anytime my son or a band member busts something on their guitars or needs a modification， my brother loves to perform the work on their instruments。 But back to Eddie， my favorite part of the book is when he describes in detail how he purchased an ash Strat body for 50 bucks- rescued from the bottom of a pile of "seconds"， and for another 80 bucks an unfinished maple neck。 Normally a Strat body would have 3 narrow Fender-type pickups and these areas were pre-carved out for them。 However， Ed preferred a standard humbucking pickup， and chiseled out a wider area for this。 This change improved the guitar's bass response， sustain and output。 After some other customizations， Eddie performed a custom paint job。 He spray painted the body in acrylic black， then wrapped some masking tape in criss-cross fashion around it and further spray painted it in white acrylic。 This resulted in the iconic "Frankenstrat"。 Once the group Van Halen was famous this design was hijacked and copied by various guitar companies， which inspired Eddie to eventually put to market his own authorized versions。 Eddie was very proud that his innovations in guitar design found his "Frankenstrat 2" （a replica of the first version） on display in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History。 I began to perform internet image searches of this guitar while my brother and I were talking， because he was well aware of this iconic guitar， and described how Eddie used steel ring screws in his custom made guitars so that guitar straps just wouldn't come loose。 He would also use guitar straps made with clasps you find on laptop case straps。 I can't tell you how many times my son's guitars have had the metal thingy come out that guitar straps hook onto。 Eddie had a certain guitar sound in his head he was going for， and because he couldn't find it in any particular guitar， he made his own。 Later on when Van Halen was on tour， other famous guitarists would ask to try out his rig。。。like his homemade pedalboard。 However， whoever tried it out could never duplicate the amazing sounds like Eddie produced from it， because it had more to do with Eddie's guitar playing。 As Eddie said， "There was Ted Nugent playing my guitar through my pedals and amp。 He thought I had some secret weapon in there， but he just sounded like himself。"I was keenly interested in the last third of the book when Eddie's son Wolfgang proved to have the musical gene， and became Van Halen's bassist at the age of 15。 What an exquisite/poignant experience it was for both of them to go on tour together。 Eddie was incredibly proud of him。 Wolfgang recently released his own solo album， and he recorded all the instruments himself。 Like his father， he is multi-talented。 The band's name is Mammoth WVH （Van Halen's original name was Mammoth， until they were forced to change it because another band owned the name。 Original Van Halen singer David Lee Roth suggested they use their own last name for the band。。。。Van Halen）。 I also got very choked up reading Wolfgang's announcement of his father's passing on October 6， 2020 via Twitter: "I can't believe I'm having to write this， but my father， Edward Lodewijk Van Halen， has lost his long and arduous battle with cancer this morning。 He was the best father I could ever ask for。 Every moment I've shared with him on stage was a gift。 My heart is broken， and I don't think I'll ever fully recover from this loss。 I love you so much， Pop。"I could go on and on with the multitude of gems uncovered in this book， which is presented in oral history format from straight interviews with Eddie， fellow band members and musical colleagues。 This personal delivery made the book extra special and digestible。 Let me just say this: if you have a friend or family member who loves music， buy this book for them。 I would especially recommend buying it for a burgeoning teenage guitar player to inspire them to greatness。 Thank you to the publisher Hachette Books for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley。 。。。more
Michelle Smith
，
Picture it - New Jersey， 1984。 Every single person I knew （or so it seemed） had MTV but not my parents。 My parents were perfectly content to go about their lives without cable。 Therefore when when 1984 came out; I was 10 years old and even being without MTV as I was， I knew who Van Halen was - I had caught sight of one of their music videos at a friend’s house and was terrified; David Lee Roth’s magnetism was recognizable even to me and， at ten years old， that was so far outside my comfort zone Picture it - New Jersey， 1984。 Every single person I knew （or so it seemed） had MTV but not my parents。 My parents were perfectly content to go about their lives without cable。 Therefore when when 1984 came out; I was 10 years old and even being without MTV as I was， I knew who Van Halen was - I had caught sight of one of their music videos at a friend’s house and was terrified; David Lee Roth’s magnetism was recognizable even to me and， at ten years old， that was so far outside my comfort zone that I stuck my nose back in my books and stayed there。After seeing that music video in 1984， and for many， many years after - I never listened to the band until I married someone I soon realized was a giant Van Halen fan。 I’ve grown to appreciate their music （along with Motley Crue and Slayer） over the past years）。 But even with all my reading （some things never change）， I still knew who Eddie Van Halen was。 I remember the inimitable， adorable smile， his solo on Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’， and when he married Valerie Bertinelli （never mind that I can’t remember what I ate for dinner last Thursday or why I walked into the kitchen） but I didn’t understand the music so much until after I met my husband。 This incredibly in depth book made me more impressed with all the talent that was in that one man。 I view guitar players the way I view artists and some really fantastic writers - I don’t have a clue how these people can create such beauty in the world， but I’m glad I’m aware enough to appreciate the talents of such people。 This book was technical， sure， but it was still a highly enjoyable read for a non-musician like myself。 The authors went above and beyond in compiling hours and hours of conversation into this book， in a way that reads seamlessly and easily。 I’d recommend this to any guitarist， fan of EVH， or fan of 80’s rock。 Thanks to Hachette and NetGalley for an eARC of this title。 Opinions shared are influenced by nothing other than my reading experience。 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
，
Eddie Van Halen was a guitar genius。 The first time I ever saw him was in the 1984 video。 While David Lee Roth flashed his legs I was taken with the bashful Eddie In his gaudy outfit， smiling as he created magic with the guitar。 When he died almost a year ago， I mourned the loss of a talented musician who continues to give me hours of enjoyment。 Eruption reveals bits and pieces of his life thorough interviews that were unfiltered。 I think it was fantastic that he got to play and tour with his so Eddie Van Halen was a guitar genius。 The first time I ever saw him was in the 1984 video。 While David Lee Roth flashed his legs I was taken with the bashful Eddie In his gaudy outfit， smiling as he created magic with the guitar。 When he died almost a year ago， I mourned the loss of a talented musician who continues to give me hours of enjoyment。 Eruption reveals bits and pieces of his life thorough interviews that were unfiltered。 I think it was fantastic that he got to play and tour with his son。 After he died I read up on his life I never knew he Immigrated from the Netherlands。 Thanks Eddie for over 40 years of some of the best damn music ever made。 I cranked up Panama and now I’m gonna Jump to his guitar solos while Dreams and Top of the World Dance the Night Away。 Thanks to NetGalley and Hatchette Books for the advance read。 。。。more
Lauren
，
ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher， Hachette Books， in exchange for an honest review。“Eruption” is a biography about Eddie Van Halen， told in both narrative and interview form， including vignettes of histories and descriptions of Eddie’s many guitars。 The book contains interviews not only with Eddie， but also with many people and musicians in Eddie’s orbit。 In essence， this book is truly a musician’s guide to Eddie Van Halen。 It is a bit lacking in the personal details of Eddie’s life w ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher， Hachette Books， in exchange for an honest review。“Eruption” is a biography about Eddie Van Halen， told in both narrative and interview form， including vignettes of histories and descriptions of Eddie’s many guitars。 The book contains interviews not only with Eddie， but also with many people and musicians in Eddie’s orbit。 In essence， this book is truly a musician’s guide to Eddie Van Halen。 It is a bit lacking in the personal details of Eddie’s life which I would expect in a standard biography。 However， Eddie Van Halen was not your standard fare。 Instead， this book does a fly over of Eddie’s personal history and life， touching on major points without getting bogged down in the details。 The details in this book are found in the accounts of Eddie’s musicianship and his construction of guitars and related gear。 The interviews more often than not are detailed accounts of the way Eddie played， the development of his style and its impact on music as a whole， and his constant tinkering and designing of guitars and gears to suit his needs， which， of course， led to him designing products for the masses。 The book does get a bit technical， which may not suit the average reader。 It would help if the reader was familiar with guitars and how to play them。 There is a lot of technical jargon and discussion of details involving guitar techniques， guitar parts， and the many ways Eddie modified each。 The book definitely focuses more on Eddie’s musicianship than his personal life。Despite the technicalities， I believe this is a book that many readers and fans of Eddie Van Halen would enjoy。 Most importantly， I think Eddie would have like this book because， in the end， it is about the music。#netgalley #hachettebooks 。。。more
MB KARAPCIK
，
I jumped for joy when I received the okay to review the upcoming book about the brilliant musical genius， Eddie Van Halen。 Since I read the Jimmy Page book by this author， I was very interested in how he would approach discussing Eddie's techniques， gear， and thoughts about his musical journey。 Also， I've been somewhat obsessed since EVH died nearly a year ago and strangely affected and saddened by it。 I'd always considered him one of my favorite guitarists even when I wasn't listening to Van Ha I jumped for joy when I received the okay to review the upcoming book about the brilliant musical genius， Eddie Van Halen。 Since I read the Jimmy Page book by this author， I was very interested in how he would approach discussing Eddie's techniques， gear， and thoughts about his musical journey。 Also， I've been somewhat obsessed since EVH died nearly a year ago and strangely affected and saddened by it。 I'd always considered him one of my favorite guitarists even when I wasn't listening to Van Halen， but his passing spurred me to binge his earlier recordings from the first album to 1984。 （I'm a Diamond Dave-era fan， for the most part。） And I haven't ceased doing so since that time last year。This book provides EVH's own words about the genesis of his musical talent， about the formation of Van Halen， and hopes for the future。 He discusses his gear and how he constructed his own guitars and accessories to chase the sound and tone he searched for to replicate what was going on in his head。 He straightens out and gives his own perspective on a range of topics， including his relationships with his band members from David Lee Roth to Sammy Hagar and his own son and brother。 Some of the talk about his guitars， gear， and technique may sound foreign to those without a musical background， but it's interesting all the same。If you're a big fan of EVH， though， you may be familiar with some interviews or pieces of them。 You may know the odd tidbit or two about who he planned to replace DLR with， but some， like one singer he considered， may surprise you。 For those fans who may not have delved into this material before， you'll find out some interesting facts and thoughts。In reading this book， I kept thinking about other contemporary musical geniuses that sound so much like him， namely Brian Wilson and Miles Davis。 They， too， did not want to be pigeonholed or controlled when it came to their music。 Getting the sound they were after superseded any other goals， which may have disrupted every other aspect of their lives but cements EVH as more than just a rock guitarist。 He was an artist。Even though I knew some of the information in this book， if you're a fan， it's worth reading。 It's refreshing how candid he was and how committed he was to his music even during the lowest points of his life including his substance abuse， constant fights against cancer， and the challenges of living up to the deity status he earned in the music world。 Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Books for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！ It was a pleasure！ 。。。more
Meghan
，
This book was received as an ARC from Hachette Books in exchange for an honest review。 Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own。 I've heard so many stories on Eddie Van Halen and how he became one of the greatest rock star legends we know today。 Brad Tollinski and Chris Gill asked very enticing questions and Eddie’s responses were very inspiring。 Reading this book felt like watching an episode of behind the music and Eddie just opened himself up to the readers through This book was received as an ARC from Hachette Books in exchange for an honest review。 Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own。 I've heard so many stories on Eddie Van Halen and how he became one of the greatest rock star legends we know today。 Brad Tollinski and Chris Gill asked very enticing questions and Eddie’s responses were very inspiring。 Reading this book felt like watching an episode of behind the music and Eddie just opened himself up to the readers through Brad and Chris’ questions。 Eddie focused mostly on his music and what each Van Halen hit meant to him but you also got to see the vulnerable side of Eddie which as part of the public was interesting to read and it made the book more memorable。 I know we will have many people asking for this book and I can't wait to hear their thoughts and opinions。We will consider adding this title to our Biography collection at our library。 That is why we give this book 5 stars。 。。。more
Maureen
，
Interesting book on EVH told in interview style throughout the years。 It was interesting to hear about is immigration to the US with his family， how he built his own instruments and the balance with the lead singers in the band。 Would recommend this book for a fun read！ Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity。 Rest in peace EVH！
Dave
，
Eruption: Conversations With Eddie Van Halen， as we approach the one tear anniversary of Van Halen’s passing， is part biography and part transcribed interviews， tracing the guitar legend from his formative years to the end。 This book does not purport to cover every tour， every song， or every part of Van Halen’s life。 What it does though is give a Birdseye view through Eddie Van Halen’s own words and those of his contemporaries。 There is a strong focus on Van Halen’s creativity with guitars and a Eruption: Conversations With Eddie Van Halen， as we approach the one tear anniversary of Van Halen’s passing， is part biography and part transcribed interviews， tracing the guitar legend from his formative years to the end。 This book does not purport to cover every tour， every song， or every part of Van Halen’s life。 What it does though is give a Birdseye view through Eddie Van Halen’s own words and those of his contemporaries。 There is a strong focus on Van Halen’s creativity with guitars and amps， redesigning everything to make it sound better。 。。。more
John Anderson
，
Received this ebook via NetGalley for free。 If you are a guitar geek， you will love this book。 Lots of technical jargon to satisfy the inner guitar god in you。 Most was Greek to me but that doesn't mean i didn't enjoy the book。 EVH at the same time was a unique individual/musical genius/all around nice guy （or so it seems） and a tragic figure fighting his inner demons on a daily basis。 He was one of those tragic figures that you envy and pity at the same time。 You want to be him and yet thankful Received this ebook via NetGalley for free。 If you are a guitar geek， you will love this book。 Lots of technical jargon to satisfy the inner guitar god in you。 Most was Greek to me but that doesn't mean i didn't enjoy the book。 EVH at the same time was a unique individual/musical genius/all around nice guy （or so it seems） and a tragic figure fighting his inner demons on a daily basis。 He was one of those tragic figures that you envy and pity at the same time。 You want to be him and yet thankful you aren't。 The one statement that really struck me was EVH stating he didn't want to die prematurely like his father at 65。。。。。。EVH died at 64。 Above all， it seemed that EVH was a terrific father to WVH and regardless of his musical legacy， as a father myself， I feel his legacy as the father that he was with WVH is his greatest accomplishment。 。。。more
Lori Holuta
，