Customer Reviews

Van Halen: A Visual History: 1978 - 1984

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sure, I enjoyed Van Hagar and even some Van Cherone, but nothing ever touched the glory of the MIGHTY VAN HALEN. Van Halen was simply never again as interesting musically or visually after 1984. This book captures Van Halen in all their glory, at their very best and most influencial. The text is icing to this delicious cake. Every picture tells a story indeed. Finally, a quality coffee table book to illustrate the greatest American hard rock band of all time, Cheap Trick being my close second.

This is THE book for any VH fan. Great photo's (I do wish that each photo at least had a caption of where it was taken) and cool memories from some of rocks biggest names. The best coffee table book I own, and it will stay on my coffee table for a long time. Great conversation piece. You watch them transform from virtually little kids at the beginning and by the time you are near the end of the book, they are truly rock monsters.
I particulary loved the photo's on pg 48, 96-97 (that pic says it all) and a really odd but cool one on page 197. Pick this book up now, it is a must have!

As a Van Halen fan since 1978. This book was on my "must have" list. Neil Zlozower does not disapoint.He captures memories in his outstanding photos of a band who's music has brought inmeasurable joy to many lives. It was worth the wait. I recommend this,a great read.

Thanks Neil :)

The reviews of this book do not do justice to this book. The pictures alone are spectacular. Neil Zlozower took nearly every famous and infamous picture of Van Halen during the DLR years. They are all here along with a plethora of never seen before photos of the band and quotes and anecdotes from a broad spectrum of the music industry ranging from Jimmy Page to Slash. The book itself is well done also, the cover beneath the dust jacket has a nice glossy finish on it and the pages themselves are nicely bound, sewn in instead of just glued in so that the book can be laid flat when open without damaging the binding. This book is a must for any true Van Halen fan or collector.

I remember hearing the first track of VH 1 when it was released,
bringing with it chills up the spine and jaw dropped.
This book brings you in a time warp to witness rock history, and
realize - in case you didn't - that Van Halen dropped a bomb on
the music scene. Not only a revolutionary guitar god, but songs
and live performances that rose light years beyond what was coming out
of the U.S.A. at the time. The kind we won't see again, either.

The photos, by a master of R&R photography, look like they were taken
yesterday. Crisp, clear and a great mix of group shots and live. The
backstage pics of Eddie preparing his axe arsenal, for example, are priceless; Alex behind one of his monster drum kits.

And yes, it appropriately culminates with 1984 - got a problem with that?

I was so excited when I got this book for Christmas. After waiting 23 years f or the band to get back together, and finally seeing them in NYC in November (minus Michael Anthony, plus Wolfgang), I felt my life was complete. Then seeing all these fantabulous pictures of them in their glory days- I just couldn't put the book down. I read it cover to cover, and soaked in every picture. The author was not just a hired gun photographer, but a friend, and you can tell this by the photos he took and the tidbits he collected from a wide range of people in the biz. He captured the guys' personalities, on and off stage. I used to have posters of clippings all over my walls of these guys during their prime, but I never got to seethem live- only van Hagar and the DLR band, which were great, but not the same. Between the band's reunion, however long that may last, and this book, which is awesome, I feel a missing piece of my youth (not seeing them before they split in 85) has been replaced. This book is truly a labor of love and not just somebody seeing a chance to make a few bucks off the band's reunion. And yes, ladies, there is more than one picture of Dave in buttless pants (chaps) and even one of him in a bathrobe and the tiniest pair of men's underwear I've ever seen. oh yeah, and a foreward by Diamond Dave, the man, the icon, the philosopher as well as one by Pete Angelus.

No ifs ands or buts about it. This is the best VH book to date. Given their recent tour there were actually two books about the band released this past year. This was one. The other was EVERYBODY WANTS SOME. Friends and fellow fans there is simply no comparison. Van Halen: A Visual History 78-85 by Zlozower is the ultimate in pictures and commentary. Zloz was shooting, hanging and partying with Dave, Eddie and the rest of the gang back when the author of that other book was still wetting their huggies. If you could only buy one VH book this would be it. Why waste your money on cut-and-paste tripe pieced together by an outsider with no ties whatsoever to the band and their crew when instead you can own what will surely be considered the best VH book ever presented to us by a world class photographer who was practically the fifth member of the band during their run with DLR. This is the best book out there, at least until the band decides to tell the story in their own words. There aren't enough stars to rate this so just do yourselves a favor and grab one!

WOW, WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO GO BACK IN TIME W/ THE VAN HALEN BOYS...ESPECIALLY DAVE, CUZ W/O HIM THERE IS NO VAN HALEN!!!!! IF YOU LOVE VAN HALEN, YOU NUST MUST MUST BUY THIS BOOK!!!!

If you are a HUGE VH fan like me, you will love this book! I'm a guitarist and a big Eddie VH fan. I was hooked on his style of playing since 1978, when I was a pimply-faced 15 year old in sophomore year of High School.

The pictures in this book definitely capture the look, spirit, and excitement of Van Halen and how they completely changed the face of rock & roll and how Eddie, singlehandedly, changed guitar playing for the better!

I highly recommend this book to anyone in your life who is a VH fan. I also recommend the Van Halen Saga book. GREAT book and great insight into the behind the scenes VH stuff, Eddie's struggles with alcohol, rehabs, recovery.

My all time favorite rock photographer, Zlozower, and one of my favorite rock bands of all time. Le Sigh. If you loved the photos of your youth in Circus magazine, and love Van Halen, this is the book for you. I do wish the photos were described in better detail. More please, Zlozower.