Van Halen 101 (Paperback)

~ (Author), Brian May (Foreword)
Key Phrases: iron maiden, full track list, lead singer change, Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, David Lee Roth (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"All told, Van Halen 101 is a terrific encapsulation of Van Halen's storied musical career." -Ken Sharp -- Friday Morning Quarterback, October 2005

"Extraordinary... sets a new standard in how to write a book about an important rock musician." - Arend Slagman -- stevelukather.net, August 2005

"Sanchez has done some extensive work... the Brian May foreword alone is worth the money you'll spend." -Niclas Müller-Hansen -- Metalshrine.se, November 2005

"The exhaustive artist tributes make Van Halen 101 stand out from the pack." -Greg Prato -- Classic Rock Magazine, January 2006

"This book is an incredible read. Very, very highly recommended." -Murat Batmaz -- seaoftranquility.org, October 2005

"This is the most comprehensive VH guide written to date." -Dave White, Top 10 Classic Rock Books Of 2005 -- classicrock.about.com, Nov/Dec 2005

"Van Halen 101 is a book about dudes, by a dude, written for other dudes." -Lucas Aykroyd -- The Georgia Straight, October 2005

"Essential for any serious Van Halen fan." - Martin Popoff -- Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, Jan/Feb 2006

"You can't go wrong with this killer crash course." - Jude Gold -- Guitar Player Magazine, January 2006

'Recommended Reading' -- Rock 'n Roll Hall Of Fame, Spring 2007

From the Author

For as long as I can remember I've followed and supported Edward, Alex, Dave, Sammy and Mike (respect to Gary as well). They truly wrote the soundtrack to my life. When I learned of Edward's health issues a few years ago (hip replacement, cancer, etc.) I was quite moved. No one likes to see their heroes suffer. This led to my reaching out to the music community to come together and honor this man who's given so much to the world through his music. The response was amazing. The end result is this book. Although it was designed to be a loose rollicking shootin' the sh*t type of read I do apologize for the occasional typo and/or repetitive statement. I scratched and clawed to cobble this thing together over the course of two years and was not able to have it properly edited. My four-hundred page 175,000 word text was released to the public completely unedited and untouched. Warts and all I'm very proud of this project and can without hesitation say it came from a truly honest place. If you want dirt please look elsewhere because I have far too much respect for this group of men to dish dirt about them and their loved ones. If you want a truthful representation of their history, music, impact and influence then here it is. Thanks again and god bless.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 412 pages
• Publisher: Author House (September 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1420878867
• ISBN-13: 978-1420878868
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #688,193 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Whole Shebang, April 20, 2006

By	Freddy Graham - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Pgs 1-2 is the `Foreword' compliments of Queen axe man Brian May.
Pgs 3-120 is the `History' of the group.
Pgs 121-160 is the `Discography' which is self-explanatory.
Pgs 161-286 is the `FAQ,' curiously named and illuminating a diversity of fascinating topics relative to Eddie and the group.
Pgs 287-300 is `The Impact & Influence of EVH,' a close peek at Eddie's influence on the music world and other players.
Pgs 301-386 is the `Tribute' comprised of sensational musicians sermonizing about the prodigious talents and career of Mister Fingers, Eddie Van Halen. As multiple reviewers correctly noted virtually all of the greatest guitar heroes are present.

`History' is roughly 120 legitimate pgs dedicated to their complete story. No pictures, all text. Neither one of my other two books come anywhere near that amount. `The Van Halen Encyclopedia' who's cover read "The history of the world's greatest rock band" dedicated only the first 25 of it's 400 pgs to their history by way of a timeline. 2005's `Eddie Van Halen - Know the Man, Play the Music' was but a meager 106 pgs in total with only 44 actual text pgs dedicated to their history. Fans need not be a math major to safely assume 120 pgs is greater than 44 or 25. VH 101 does not gloss over anything and in fact contains the most detailed history of the group ever presented in book form.

The lack of "dirt" sets a new paradigm for the cliche "sex, drugs & rock n roll" type of books saturating the market for what seems like an eternity. While I'm fully cognoscente of the fact some people choose to live vicariously through their heroes I myself have a life so please don't count me amongst the mindless masses who obsess over backstage shenanigans, hotel room trashing, the lead singer's wang size, guitar player's alcohol consumption, fights between group members and things of that nature. My interests lay elsewhere in other more meaningful matters such as a group's music, talent and legacy.
It is correct that only a half-page was dedicated to David Lee Roth's solo career. After all the title of the book was `Van Halen 101' not `Roth 101.' Some of us would dare say that a half-page was being quite generous considering one could neatly sum up DLR's career after leaving Van Halen with but a single word - "mistake."

As an ardent supporter since 1980 who has stuck with Van Halen through thick and thin VH 101 is a godsend. It's mandatory reading that's currently been lauded by the likes of Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, Guitar One, Classic Rock and various others under the `editorial reviews' on this very page. Last I checked well-respected publications don't normally make it a habit of endorsing "nonsensical jibberish."
Matter of fact it was a glowing review in the January 2006 issue of Guitar Player that gave me the confidence to buy it in the first place. Personally I feel the negative reviews posted by a few vociferous individuals around here come across as more than a bit disingenuous and blatantly unjust. Save your faux indignation.
If Mr. Sanchez is not one of the world's foremost authorities on Van Halen then my name is Elvis f----n' Presley.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars reasonable but could have been better, November 28, 2006

By	paulscaper - See all my reviews

I thought Id write a quick review of this book because Im a huge VH fan and have also just finished the Van Halen guitar player interviews book.

If you have purchased or read many of Van Halens interviews, especially Eddie's, you'll know most of the stories in this book, and for most other early stuff just download VH the early years for free off the internet.

I guess its the authors style that got to me the most. Baby, man, period are words to use occasionally in a book. Seeing baby or dude at the bottom of every paragraph gets annoying after a while - as does his relentless praise of eddie re-inventing the guitar. After a while it almost taints eddie like a cling on fan.

Would have liked to see more coverage on the other members of the band and more interesting stories that aren't covered in other books or common knowledge for VH fans.

The best part of the book its its cover.

31 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What the pros have to say , October 13, 2005

By	Scott (Hollywood, CA) - See all my reviews

Recently I came across this review of Van Halen 101 by well respected music journalist Ken Sharp. This gentleman is the real deal. A true professional who has even written an authorized book on Kiss. Here is Ken's review as it appeared a few weeks back in Friday Morning Quarterback --

"Through various lineup changes and musical trends, and over 75 million in sales, the mighty Van Halen remain one of America's most inventive, exciting and revered rock powerhouses. A new book, Van Halen 101, provides an all-encompassing look at Pasadena, California's hard rock champions. Written by Abel Sanchez, the book, featuring a foreword by Queen guitarist Brian May, offers everything you wanted to know about VH and much much more. Tallying over 400 pages, the book chronicles the group's heady early days playing backyard parties in Pasadena and their long stint headlining Gazzarri's on Hollywood's famed Sunset Strip to their sensational self-titled debut to the group's most recent 2004 tour. Archival interviews with the band, producers, engineers, road crew and industry insiders help shape their compelling story.

"Along with an extensive overview of the group's four-decade career, the book also includes a slew of noted six-string luminaries attesting to the groundbreaking guitar work of Edward Van Halen, among them, Joe Walsh, B.B. King, Robby Krieger, Dave Navarro, Ted Nugent, Steve Vai, Steve Howe, James Hetfield, Joe Satriani, the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, Steve Cropper, Allan Holdsworth, Zakk Wylde, Steve Lukather, John McLaughlin and more. Making this book even more indispensable for Van Halen's legion of worldwide supporters is the inclusion of a comprehensive look behind the recording of each Van Halen album, an in-depth peek behind the VH sound with special emphasis on Eddie's revolutionary playing including a look at the creation of 'Eruption,' his jaw-dropping display of six-string virtuosity, his extraordinary tapping technique, and his arsenal of guitars and gear. All told, Van Halen 101 is a terrific encapsulation of Van Halen's storied musical career, their vast impact on the music scene and their unassailable legacy as purveryors of heavy metal genius."


Now that's a review. Along with this, Van Halen 101 even received the stamp of approval from Guitar World (the premier guitar magazine on the planet). Look no further than the back cover of the book and you will find a quote from an Editor of GW proclaiming, "I liked what I read a lot. This book is a labor of love and all true VH fans will love it."

When a book receives the stamp of approval from authorities such as Ken Sharp and Guitar World Magazine, everyone can rest assured it kicks some serious arse.