Eddie Van Halen
By Mike O’Cull
Acclaimed biographer and best-selling author Paul Brannigan delivers a one-of-a-kind reading experience in his new book Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story. Set to drop on December 14th, 2021 via Permuted Press, Brannigan illuminates the nothing-to-everything tale of guitar genius Eddie Van Halen from the beginning in a detailed and humanizing way that reminds us all that the always-smiling guitar god we all know and love was an actual person dealing with his own struggles and triumphs. The book also details the evolution of Van Halen the band, shedding light on the many circumstances that had to line up for it to come into existence. It’s a fascinating story that EVH fans will find impossible to put down. It also has the honor of being the first full-length biography of Van Halen, the most influential rock guitarist of all time.
Brannigan is an excellent biographer who sourced original interviews and did his own meticulous research on Eddie’s life and times. He tells a good story, too, giving life to the details and writing with an engaging sense of rhythm and flow. Though he clearly has love and respect for Eddie, he deals with his substance abuse issues, power struggles with lead singer David Lee Roth, and the industry challenges he had to face in order to bring his vision to the world head-on. He also tells the story of the Van Halen family, sharing a lot of information about Eddie’s parents Jan and Eugenia Van Halen, including how they met, their journey to the USA, and when they capitalized the “v” in their last name.
Some of the best parts of the book are about Eddie and brother Alex’s pre-fame years and how the band came into being. Most rock fans know the big picture of Eddie’s life and career (Dave, Valerie, Sammy, “Eruption,” Wolfgang, 5150) but haven’t heard the hard-scrabble skinny about the Van Halen brother’s early days in California. The two little European boys faced and survived a difficult new world where they didn’t speak the language, dealt with bullying and racism, and took more than a few lumps on the playground. These experiences forged the unbreakable sibling bond Eddie and Alex shared and built their band upon. Brannigan also shows us the future rock gods when they were just a couple of determined young men spray-painting address numbers on curbs to make money.
The book is also full of the rock star shenanigans, indiscretions, and party stories that made Van Halen legends to those of us whose own teenage years paralleled the band’s rise to stardom. Eddie, Dave, Alex, and Mike truly lived a rock and roll lifestyle that we could only dream of and, when you read it, you’ll understand why they always seemed so happy. The behind-the-scenes account of the filming of the “Pretty Woman” music video is particularly off the hook and will make you wish you could have been there.
More than anything, however, Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story is all about Eddie’s singular commitment to his music, indomitable spirit, and actual genius. Those are the traits that defined him and allowed him to touch the lives of so many. Much has been written about Eddie’s playing, technique, gear, and achievements but here we see the supremely talented, complicated, and vulnerable person behind his public image. It’s the book of the year for Van Halen fans, who will treasure this extended look at EVH before and beyond the stage. Read it. Know it. Live it. Highly recommended.
‘Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story’ order link
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