Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal

Van Halen exploded onto the music scene in 1978 after years of strenuously performing live within the Southern California area, and brought about a resurgence of hard rock during a time when disco and punk/new wave had dominated. As a life-long die-hard fan – along with being an avid history buff – this book by Greg Renoff is nothing short of manna from heaven. Seldom has the early history of the band been documented in such an extensive historical context that fans have had to rely on every possible snippet of information throughout the years – particularly from interviews with the band members themselves. Renoff is to be commended here for telling the story of the genesis of Van Halen and their rise to legendary rock status in such an informative, coherent and readable fashion. I only had (finally!) decided to purchase this book back in mid-2020 with the intention of reading it in the upcoming New Year 2021 holiday season, when I would be able to afford some free time...Then, on 6th October 2020, came the sudden, devastating news that Eddie Van Halen, the band’s legendary songwriter and rock’s game-changing guitarist, sadly passed away of complications from throat cancer at the age of 65. This ultimately made this one an obligatory and bittersweet read.I have always been intrigued and fascinated by Van Halen’s early history – especially their hometown performances that generated Pasadena’s rowdy, and often at times, chaotic backyard party scene which has become the stuff of legend, right up to the club days on the Hollywood Sunset Strip. Renoff’s account here is jam-packed with gems of information that I have not previously come across before that is meticulously well-sourced; I am eternally grateful that he has been able to trace many of the band’s surviving friends and acquaintances during this period, and for putting their accounts on the record that helps chronicle this terrain in such illuminating detail. With these firsthand accounts and a multitude of other available sources, it covers extensively the Van Halen family story and emigration from Holland to Pasadena; Edward and Alex’s initial background training on the classical piano; Edward’s other major influences on the electric guitar beyond Eric Clapton (and Cream’s “I’m So Glad”); how the cocky and flamboyant David Lee Roth managed to ingratiate himself into the band; Mammoth/Van Halen’s territorial rivalry with other musical group acts within Pasadena’s Battle of the Bands circuit; the way Eddie – ever the tone-chaser – came to initially touch upon his trademark “Brown Sound;” and how the guitar virtuoso became further inspired to eventually formulate his groundbreaking two-handed tapping technique (only after getting the idea when watching Jimmy Page perform “Heartbreaker” live). There is also a good portion of previously unreleased photographs; it was stellar to finally see one of a young swaggering Roth fronting his former band Red Ball Jet. Overall, this account goes well and truly beyond in enriching us further with a much greater comprehension and appreciation of the musical apprenticeship and arduous workmanship of the prodigious Van Halen brothers fused with the dichotomy of influences brought by Roth and Michael Anthony to the band (nods also go to Dennis Travis, the late Mark Stone, and Jim Pewsey) that propelled them – through their occasional trials and tribulations – on a path to success of the American Dream.Hats off to Greg Renoff for doing his homework here! As he notes poignantly, you can’t get this stuff no more.

I sent one to my brother. Both of us, die hard Van Halen fans...even Van Hagar fans, a slight nod to Cherone (Fire in the Hole). If you want to know the back story this is it. Very in depth, the most in depth book on the pre-fame you will ever find. From the upbringing, the meeting Roth whom skipped class to strum a guitar under a tree to Mammoth to hustling the backyards, disco dives and other shabby joints in the ascension to greatness - its all here. However if you are a true Halen-a-holic, a member of the Roth Army or...heck maybe even a Wabbo...don't stop there. After checking this book out, find the Van Halen coffee table book "A Visual History". It is monstrous, bursting with color and provides that party atmosphere that will make you want to crack open a cold one, or drink some Jack Daniels ("the only people that put ice tea in Jack Daniels bottles is the clash!" - David Lee Roth). Relive the glory of Van Halen. After you have had your fill of that, check out Ted Templeman's book "A Platinum Producers Life in Music". As the man behind the classic Van Halen albums and what many consider the "sorta" last classic Van Halen album, Roth's Eat Em' and Smile, Ted has all the insight into his biggest accomplishment and the debauchery that came with it. From there it's time to enter the Twilight Zone, pick up ol' David Lee Roth's "Crazy from the Heat", a babbling array of disassociated topics with no sense of direction. I was one of the first to get this book when I was a teen, actually I was the only one to get this book...after reading it I was so confused about what he was talking about, I haven't read it sense. It's like a blind, deaf, schizophrenic jacked up on cocaine that is asked to explain how to make a sandwich with his hands for someone to transcribe onto 300 notebook pages. But it sits on my bookshelf to a testament to the mind of the man that ruled the lead singer position of the greatest American rock band ever. Then....oh yes...then...when you think that its gonna get better...nope, it will get worst. Being amused by a rambling pot smoking lead singer is one thing, being p&%#ed off is another. Pick up Sammy Hagar's "Red". Synopsis: Sammy Hagar is the nicest, most talented, smartest guy in the world...everybody else sucks, nobody is as talented, smart or nice as Sammy. Also Eddie is drug addict bum with bad teeth, Roth is a gay looking bald jerk, Alex can't play good anymore because he is sober and Van Halen were nothing without Sammy Hagar (Apparently he was as big as Van Halen when he was VOA...yeah sure) because...Sammy Hagar is the greatest musician of all time...also a mad adulterer, but its not his fault...because he is Sammy...poor Sammy...the greatest, smartest, nicest, most talented guy in the world. Still there's gems in there and some insight if you can get past the ego, me literally makes Roth look somewhat normal...seriously. After you have hit all these books, settle down with Running With the Devil...hands down the BEST book in Van Halen. And you have the whole picture. As a massive Van Halen fan, and especially a Eddie fan with his passing its worth exploring this entire collection. If you are like me you will also check out Valerie Bertinelli's book "Losing it". Like Sammy she dumps on Eddie and sometimes Roth. But her ego, like Sammy's is so blatant and contradictory page after page you end up having sympathy for this poor guy (she once wigged out of him for daring to eat a bag of peanuts she was in her multi hour labor). Still she has some good insight into the Early Van Halen, especially the Fair Warning-For Unlawful Days. Eddie, rest in peace buddy. God be with you. Van Halen Forever!

When I first heard about this book, I just assumed it would join the ranks of the many rehashed, poorly written, hagiographic books about Van Halen already in existence. But after reading just the first chapter alone, it's clear to me that this book sets a new standard in Van Halen writing. Quite an impressive work.Unfortunately, the author's apparent desire to be as authoritative and "scholarly" as possible causes the book (at least the Kindle version) to be a very distracting read, due to his incessant footnoting of nearly every sentence or paragraph. The footnotes in the kindle edition appear inline at the same type size as the body text, instead of being set in superscript. This makes it very distracting to read. This probably wouldn't be so bad if the author didn't feel the need to support simple statements like "... the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, driven by the seemingly limitless appeal of the Bee Gees, sold an astounding twenty million copies in 1978 alone" with a footnote referencing supporting documentation for what is otherwise a relatively unimportant passing statement. This makes the book read more like a student's research paper than an engaging biography.These typographic annoyances aside, this is an impressive book.

Leitura divertida para entender os percalços que a banda passou, muita info sobre os caminhos tomados... Valeu a leitura. The big 🎸 rock

Great book.

Bellissimo libro, l'ho divorato. Documentato in modo meticoloso, si focalizza sulla musica e sulle persone che c'erano. Si può usare per ricostruire un'ipotetica setlist di cover dei Mammooth. Fa piacere leggere che i fratelli Van Halen erano ossessionati da Cream, Ten Years After, Cactus, ZZ Top... ma anche Captain Beyond, Trapeze e Spooky Tooth.Alcuni tendono a dimenticare che Eddie Van Halen è stato sì un Copernico della chitarra elettrica, ma non qualcuno che abbia fatto tabula rasa di chi è venuto prima di lui, anzi... Molto meglio del libro scritto dal road manager, un mitomane frustrato e penoso.

Great book so far.ive read jus about every word published about VH. This is great. Only just started it though

This book is great. One of the best researched and entertaining rock biographies I've ever read. Covers the early yrs of VH before they became famous and gives great insight into the band's early yrs. Goes well beyond the usual "lore" you get in most bios. And a definite page turner, well written and informative. Based on many interviews and a huge amount of research. I'd recommend this book for any VH fan and any budding musician trying to make it for insights and motivation.