Nice overview of the guitar gods life, but felt superficial at best. Recommend for the regular fan, not the hardcore

So this book is part interviews that had not been released and also part looking back at the history of the band and of Eddie and his brother. Their life was being raised in a Dutch home with a luggage barrier at times but also how their parents got them into music and playing instruments because they each played and music was important in the home. You see a look into the band coming together and then later all of the different struggles which you can make up your own mind about that because so much has been written about that. Eddie was a force with the guitar and without, just like I believe his brother had a lot to do with breaking up the band as well. Anyway, a good book though at times does repeat some information from other chapters, is still a good book.

I love memoirs of bands and singers from 70’s, 80’s, 90’s. This was an interesting read on Eddie’s personality and true love for singing and music in general. Musicians and guitarists who are readers would find this a true gem as it gets in details about equipment, guitars choices and and the overall technical side of the music industry.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. What a lovely book and a lovely man. So Sad. So Tragic. I was a metal head in the 80's and I loved the sound of Eddie on guitar. Loved this book

I enjoyed this book, I learned a lot of interesting things about Eddie. He truly was a genius. I wish the book had managed to feel less dry though, I struggled through sections of it where it was just lots of describing events. If you like EVH though, this is worth a read.

Sometimes things fall into place at exactly the right time; when Van Halen hit their peak in popularity with 1984, I was at that point in my life when I was really getting into music. Right from the intro guitar solo I was captured…the album (cassette) kept rolling along with one fabulous song after another: “Jump,” “Panama,” “Top Jimmy,” “Hot for Teacher,” “I’ll Wait,” etc. I connected with the music, the incredible guitar sounds, the smart lyrics, the thundering drums, and a beat that would not quit. I had found my band, bought the entire back catalogue, and would listen to them one after another.

Then there was the whole DLR solo thing – Van Halen kind of fell off the radar - what would happen? Who was going to do the vocals? Could a band recover from losing a showman like Dave? Then came 5150 – right from the screaming intro to “Good Enough,” a love affair was rekindled. What followed was thirty-four years of drama, frustration, and hope. How could I not read Eruption to find out why and how it had all gone so horribly wrong straight from the horse’s mouth (or as close as we can now get)?

I learned quite a bit about the internal workings of my favorite band: the dysfunction, the jealousy, the egos that made up my rock gods. I was disappointed with many of the things that my childhood rock and roll idols said and did (be careful what you wish for).

As far as the book and the writing, I was disappointed again. Within the three hundred and thirty-seven pages was a whole lot of repetition. The chapters are formatted with a well written, entertaining narrative that gave illuminating insights into the world of Edward Van Halen; this would be followed by an interlude, with some interview of someone involved in Eddie’s musical life and closed out with an interview with the guitar god himself. I found each of these sections to be redundant. Most of the details from the narrative were repeated in the interludes and interview; I was reading the same things over again. It felt like the authors were filling in space. If you’re going to write three hundred pages – give me three hundred pages – not one fifty.

In the end, I wanted to know why my dream never came true. That these adults could not put their egos aside and understand who it was that made them all the multi-millionaires they became: the fans! I wanted that live show where they could go seamlessly from: “And the Cradle will Rock,” to “When It’s Love,” to “Yankee Rose,” and “I Can’t Drive 55;” hell, I could even take Eddie and Gary alone on stage – it could be an epic “More Than Words.” I’m sure I’m not alone. I guess it never happened because of time.

*3.5 Stars

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Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen by Brad Tolinski and Chris Gill puts together interviews and of Eddie Van Halen, friends, and family. Mr Tolinski was Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine, Mr. Gill was the Editor-in-Chief of Guitar Aficionado magazine.

Is Eddie Van Halen overrated or underrate?
This,at any rate, was a often topic of conversation in high school, in hindsight by a bunch of know-nothing, yet all knowing, teenagers. I always maintained he was way underrated – afterwards, it turns out, I was wrong as well, not realizing just how underrated he was.

In Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen by Brad Tolinski (who also wrote a book about Jimmy Page) and Chris Gill, the authors certainly don’t hide their admiration for Van Halen. The compilation of interviews, as well as the sidebars, really lets the reader know Eddie Van Halen like never before.

The book covers some of the guitars Eddie played, and chiefly built himself. While I always recognized Eddie Van Halen as the best rock ‘n roll guitarist I’ve ever listen to. I did not, however, knew his contributions to guitar technology.

Specifically, I enjoyed the background essays before the interviews. These tidbits gave context to the interviews that followed, which elevated this book from “just a bunch of interviews” to probably the best biography of Eddie Van Halen we’re ever going to get.

The authors also included interviews with other people who worked with Van Halen during pivotal times in their life. Ray Daniels, manager in the 90s, was a fascinating look at a turbulent time. Vocalist Gary Cherone put a very humane aspect to a man who was a legend during his life. And, of course Sammy Hagar, David Lee Roth managed a word or two in as w

1982 Freshman year of high school, band geek, talking with a friend who told me about this group I needed to listen to... Van Halen. I was hooked the moment I heard Eruption. My mom loved all kinds of music and we regularly listened to Zeppelin and ACDC, so of course I immediately went home and told her about this awesome guitar player I just heard!! Fast forward a couple of years and it is now 1984.. Van Halen released a new album and a friend of mine and her mom asked if I wanted to go see them live. My mom said yes, and off we went!! It was my very first concert and I was seeing my favorite band!! I still have that ticket stub ($12.00 to see Van Halen!!!). I was also blessed to see them one more time with Sammy Hagar.

This book, though technical at times, is just what I hoped it would be. In Eddie's words. From how he created his guitars in search of that sound only he could hear in his head, to the times he played on stage with his son, Wolfgang. Every song/album mentioned was a soundtrack in my life. If you are looking for a "tell all" of every fight he ever had, or his breakup with Valerie this is not the book for you. BUT, if you want to hear about Eddie, his immigration to this country, his demons, his need for perfection, his guitars, and his thought processes along the way, then THIS is the book you want!

Thank you to Netgalley, Hachette Books, and the authors, Brad Tolinski and Chris Gill for the eARC and trip down memory lane. All opinions are mine.

Great book! It was everything and more than I was expecting.
Look out for a detailed book review with The Aquarian Weekly soon!

Phenomenal! Eruption provides an insight into Eddie Van Halen through interviews and narratives. It paints a picture of the life and personality of a very gifted and talented musician. It is one of those books that tends to stay with you long after you have finished. Eruption will probably be reread again and again. Thank you to NetGalley.

Based on more than 50+ hours of unreleased interviews recorded with Eddie Van Halen over the years, Eruption is a powerhouse of a biography. It could almost be called an autobiography as you can feel Eddie Van Halen in every page. It tells of his young life, barely being able to speak English as a Dutch immigrant, which led to his crippling social anxiety and substance abuse. Arguably, one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) guitar legends of our time, Eddie even managed to change the face of guitar manufacturing. A must-read for all Van Halen and Eddie fans!

With The 1 year anniversary of Eddie Van Halen's death, many EVH books are hitting the shelves. I've read most Van Halen books, including Valerie Bertinelli's books, all, except David Lee Roth's "Crazy From the Heat"
I can say Eruption by Brad Tolinski and Chris Gill blows them all out of the water. These guys "knew" Eddie. They sat down with him (and his band members) for many many interviews over the decades. Yes, there is a lot of guitar/ gear head techie stuff. but Eddie loved music and playing more than anything. He could talk music for hours and this book has so much information spliced in between interviews that I felt this is THE book. The definitive Van Halen book. THE definitive Ed/Edward/Eddie book.

He wanted to be remembered as "a nice guy". Eddie , you sure were and you were a guitar genius as well.

Many thanks to Hachette Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy. I will be buying a hard copy to keep as well.

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.

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.

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 and 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.

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

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 of 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.

An interesting collection of mostly transcripts of conversations. He was an amazingly talented musician.
However, I did not learn anything new that hasn’t already been published in interviews and articles.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

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!

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.