Ian Christe Talks Van Halen

Bring Back Glam! recently spoke with rock writer Ian Christe about his new book Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga. During the Interview, Christe explains his love for Van Halen, his opinion of the upcoming reunion tour and future book projects. Transcription follows.

Bring Back Glam!: What sparked your interest in telling the history of Van Halen?

Ian Christe: That's easy -- Van Halen is just plain interesting. Not a lot of rock bands span so many decades, cover so much geography, and reinvent the wheel so many times. I liked the challenge of turning that excitement into something portable and readable. The inspiration probably goes back about six years. When I was interviewing the great death metal guitarist Trey Azagthoth of Morbid Angel for my last book, Sound of the Beast, he raved about Eddie Van Halen for hours. Plus it's a thrill to unleash a biography of a band that, in it's heyday, never got the book it deserved because its fans were probably considered illiterate boobs.

BBG: Were the ladies of Van Halen (wives, ex-wives, mothers) especially helpful in your research?  

Ian:You mean why did I dedicate the book to our mothers? Valerie Bertinelli was a last-minute addition, by virtue of being Wolfgang's mom. Come on, these are the first women in Van Halen's lives, the ones who unleashed all this heathen male aggression on the world!

BBG: How long did it take for you to complete the project?

Ian: I spent about a year gathering newspapers, DVDs, live bootlegs, videotapes, interviews of all types, court records, and contacts with people who knew how everything went down. Then I sat down and wrote everything down from start to finish several times until it made my captive audience of close personal mental cases laugh aloud all the way through. I could have finished sooner, but by the end I was playing guitar at least four hours a day and drinking too much.  

BBG: Did you try to make contact with the Van Halen brothers? Did they give you the brush-off, or were they supportive?

Ian: Good question. I did not ultimately interview Eddie or Alex, but I didn't start the book until I had about 1,000 interviews on hand ranging from 1976 to 2006. Navigating the politics and handlers of the dysfunctional Van Halen machine did not turn out to be a productive way to spend time. I mean, I wanted Eddie, Alex, Michael, Dave, Sammy, and Gary all or nothing. And while I was working they were in no shape to give a clear picture of recent events, let along the distant past. I hope they're supportive of Everybody Wants Some -- I think they'll be more surprised than anyone, reading the story of their own band thus far. 

BBG: What is your opinion of the upcoming "reunion" tour?

Ian: Well, this is giving away the last part of the book, but I think the original four-man Van Halen is what the world wants. It would be great if Wolfie were part of that, or part of a future Van Halen, but everybody wants a little piece of 1977 first. And Wolfgang could learn a lot from watching the team in action. Of course it's Eddie's decision, and this is a great gift he's giving his son. We will all know before the end of the year whether father knows best. I'll be there watching, early and often.

BBG: What was the most interesting thing you learned about the band through your research?

Ian: Damn, it's too tough to call after filling hundreds of pages with good stories. I think the Van Halen brothers' struggle to adjust to life in America after leaving Holland, Roth's different lifelong attempts to jump outside his public onstage persona, and Hagar's harrowing childhood are all pretty fascinating. It adds a lot when you see these guys on stage to know what they went through.

BBG: Did you find yourself having to edit for space, or did you tell the whole story as you dreamed?

Ian: Nah, I didn't edit for space, but I left out stories that were too raw to print without absolute proof, and overall I tried to keep the book light-spirited and fast-paced like a prime Van Halen song. It's jam-packed with emotion and information, but you can take a sick day and read it with a six-pack if the spirit moves you.

BBG: Will you be doing a book tour?

Ian: If Barnes and Noble agrees to let me travel from town to town playing "Eruption" in the music section through a Marshall practice amp, I'll let you know!

BBG: Are you currently working on another book?

Ian: Yep, I'm writing a novel about some heavy metal kids who are caught up in a suburban devil worship scare during the 80s. I also just started a publishing company, and I'll be releasing a couple books in 2008 by other authors. First is the autobiography of guitarist Andy McCoy of Hanoi Rocks, the band that inspired Guns N Roses, Motley Crue, and half the hair bands on Sunset Strip during the 80s. The second will be a total scouring history of Swedish Death Metal by the bassist of Insision. Both are great, so better add some bolts to your bookshelf.

BBG: Hagar or Roth?

Ian: Aw, what about Cherone? I'd probably rather be stranded in Tahiti with an all-girl marching band and Hagar, because he's a good bro and at least he knows how to cook. But Roth started it all, and those first six Van Halen albums are just untouchable. I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of characters than this band.

For a review of the book, please click "Everybody (Still) Wants Some" to the left of this page.

Def Leppard: A Musical Progression

As Def Leppard continue to work on their next album, tentatively called Songs from the Sparkle Lounge , I thought it might be appropriate to take a look at the Leps career through the ages. When you mention Def Leppard to someone on the street, they usually get really animated and say "The band that sang that 'Sugar' song!" Indeed, Def Leppard recorded "Pour Some Sugar on Me" for Hysteria , but there are so many other songs - better songs - that provide a true representation of the band's career.

Way back in 1979, the young lads recorded the Def Leppard EP, including the three songs "Ride Into the Sun," "Gethca Rocks Off" and "The Overture." Studio musician Frank Noon played drums on this release, and Pete Willis played guitar (Phil Collen would replace him during the Pyromania sessions. Willis was fired from the band for alcohol abuse).

A record deal with Polygram came fast, and in 1980, the band released On Through the Night. That album included straight-up rock songs, including "Hello America." It's groovy in a late 70s, decade crossover sort of way.

Back in the day, rock bands had to record and tour constantly to gain a following. Just over a year later, Def Leppard released High and Dry. Like it's predecessor, High and Dry included hard rock anthems, like the masterful "Bringin' On the Heartbreak," "Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes)" and the album's title track. Here's the video for "High n' Dry (Saturday Night).

A producer switch and massive commercial success came with Pyromania. Thanks to good looks, catchy riffs and MTV, the Brits were suddenly a household name. Most American households own a copy of Pyromania in some form. The album includes the overplayed "Photograph," "Rock of Ages" and "Stagefright." Here's the video for "Too Late for Love," my favorite Def Leppard song (other than, of course, "White Lightning").

After four years, raging alcohol abuse and drummer Rick Allen's horrific car accident that left him with only one arm, the band finally got together to release Hysteria. Just about everyone knows at least one song from Hysteria, and for good reason: the album is RIAA certified diamond, and that's a lot of units sold. The massive commercial success of Hysteria is thanks to singles like "Pour Some Sugar on Me," "Love Bites," and "Armageddon It." Here's the video for the album's title track.

After the seemingly never-ending "In the Round, In Your Face" world tour supporting Hysteria, the band went on a hiatus. During this hiatus, wonderfully talented guitarist Steve Clark drank himself to death (former Dio guitarist Vivian Campbell took his place in the band). Many critics say that when Clark died, so did the band. I think this is an unfair comparison. Yes, the height of the Leps commercial appeal came during Hysteria, but the music scene was changing as well. By the time Adrenalize was released in the early 1990s, grunge was gripping the music world. Adrenalize included "White Lightning," (a tribute to Clark), plus "Let's Get Rocked," and "Make Love Like a Man." Here's the video for "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad."

Despite grunge and the loss of Clark, Adrenalize was a hit album, clutching the number one position on both U.S. and U.K. album charts (and sold around seven million units immediately after release). To follow-up on their success Def Leppard released a B-sides collection, called Retro Active. This unique collection included "Two Steps Behind," from the film Last Action Hero, as well as "Ride into the Sun," and "Only After Dark." Here's the video for "Miss You In A Heartbeat," one of the Leps best ballads.

After Retro Active, came the greatest hits package Vault. By this time, the band was ready to experiment with a new sound to combat the grunge wave. In 1996, Def Leppard released Slang, a grittier version of pop metal. I remember that Eric bought me Slang the day it was released. He was a senior in high school then, and we hadn't been dating so long. I just made it pretty clear the first time he came over to my house that I was fanatical over Aerosmith and other bands, namely Def Leppard. So he produces Slang and I pop it in my stereo. I was impressed, even if critics didn't like it. The guitars were louder and crunchier and Joe Elliott's voice was raspier than I remembered. Slang includes the songs "All I Want Is Everything," "Breathe a Sigh" and “Gift of Flesh." Here's the video for the album's title track.

While fans today complain that Def Leppard takes too long to record albums, I think the band is just enjoying a slower pace thanks to success. In 1999 Def Leppard released Euphoria. That album only spawned one hit single to speak of, "Promises."

After the semi- disappointing sales of Euphoria, the band tried again with X. I recently picked up X at a used record store for about five bucks. It's not bad, and I really like the postmodern concepts used in the video for "Now." The album also includes the songs "You're So Beautiful," "Cry" and "Girl Like You." Here's the aforementioned video for "Now."

The bands most recent release is Yeah! - an album of cover tunes. Critics and fans seem to really like Yeah!, but diehards are still clamoring for an album of all-new material. The boys covered "20th Century Boy," "Street Life" and "Waterloo Sunset." Here's the video for "Rock On" -- my favorite Def Leppard video in nearly a decade.

So, if you took the time to read this article and listen to the music, what are your thoughts on the Mighty Lep's musical progression? I hope Songs from the Sparkle Lounge see the band returning to their early rock roots, but only time will tell.

My God, Lynam Rocks

I had a completely different post in mind this morning when I logged first on.

Before I ever post I always check www.blabbermouth.net just to see the latest music headlines. Typically, all Blabbermouth ever posts is Nikki Sixx and KISS updates - but today, I hit the motherload.

There was an article on the Motley Cruise. As many of you know by now, I'll be joining that voyage of debauchery. Here's the bulletin:

"Birmingham, Alabama-based hard rockers LYNAM have joined the musical lineup of Vince Neil's Motley Cruise. Vince himself will perform, as will the reunited RATT, Skid Row and Slaughter."

At first, my hackles went up: "Who the hell is Lynam and why are they performing on my cruise?" Then I listened to one of their videos. It was so good, it made me want to roll around on the floor a little bit.

In fact, Lynam are so good they better just start practicing for Rocklahoma right now, because I assume there will be contests for non-80s bands to play early on the main stage. If they enter, they will win.

Lynam is now my new conquest. I must interview them and spread their message. Oh yes, I must.

Watch this video: Lynam "Tanis." You'll notice lead singer Jacob Bunton Lynam is wearing a Fastway shirt. That's so glam!

www.myspace.com/lynam

Review: Heroin Diaries Soundtrack

Before jumping into a quick review of the The Heroin Diaries by SIXX AM, I wanted to give the release a fair chance. So far, I've listened to the disc a total of five times.

It's amazing how my thoughts on the release change with each listen. At first, I thought the work was a little hokey and a too contrived. Now, I've realized that this album may represent the best song writing from Nikki Sixx since Mötley Crüe's Dr. Feelgood era.

Nikki Sixx plays bass on the work, James Michael sings and DJ Ashba plays guitar. There are times when I don't like Michael's voice. At the beginning of "Courtesy Call" I think Michael sounds a little too much like Bono, but then the tempo changes and so does his voice. I've read many reviews on the Heroin Diaries Soundtrack, just to see what other music fans thought about the work. A lot of people seem annoyed by the narration provided by Sixx, but this is where the music actually becomes a soundtrack. I can only assume that when Sixx recounts the days of his addiction - and path to sobriety - that he is reading from the forthcoming book. In many ways, the narration provided between the crescendos makes me more excited for the book. In fact, I was always looking forward to the book more than the CD. Remember: before I became a crazed Metal fan, I was a true English nerd. I feel right at home listening to Poison while reading John Donne, but I digress.

Dedicated readers to this online magazine might recall that I reported a negative view of the track "Life is Beautiful," also from the Heroin Diaries Soundtrack. After listening to the entire release I've decided the song is actually top notch, and it's the video I don't like. In fact, the video incorporates elements of the book and album cover art, which I really dislike. I assume SIXX AM were going for an avant garde element while juxtaposing a clouded photo of the band beside hand drawn skulls and scribbles. These "manufactured scribbles" represent doodles drawn by Sixx in the margins of his real journal, but I think this actually cheapens the product.

Still, the clouded album art doesn't detract from the quality of the music. My favorite tracks on the disc are "Heart Failure," "Girl With Golden Eyes" and "Permission."

A word of warning: the Heroin Diaries Soundtrack does not sound like Motley Crue, or even Brides of Destruction. If you're easily turned off by newer Metal trends (new, not "nu") avoid this release. If you like true rock, this album just might be for you.

The Best Gifts of Friendship

The best gifts are the personal ones.

You know the type: they don't necessarily cost a lot, and don't even have to be new. Typically, these "supreme" gifts are chosen with ultimate care with the recipient's personality in mind.

Yesterday, my dear friend Sean presented me with a great gift. With little fanfare he produced three records, all in primo condition. So what was the booty? Winger's self-titled release, Def Leppard's Pyromania and RATT's Out of the Cellar.

I already own these titles on the more modern CD or download format, but not vinyl. Sean is (just a little bit) older than me, and he's a big record collector. He likes to talk glam with me, even though his musical tastes have surpassed my passion. He's more into the funk now: James Brown, Parliament Funkadelic, you get the idea.  Still, Sean's been to his fair share of glam concerts, and he recently remarked he saw Def Leppard "When they were so young!"

I'm very excited about my new records. I have just about every Aerosmith release on vinyl, plus a lot of Van Halen and some other titles, but my three new additions really give my collection a boost.

I love vinyl, but I'm not elitist about it like a lot of people that read this website (and you know who you are). I love the size of the artwork and how the bands are featured prominently, typically with individual photos. Sean says he likes listening to one side and then having to get up and flip for the next listen. I never really thought about that before, but it makes sense: it takes time to absorb and appreciate good music. While I swear by my iPod (and would probably be arrested if I didn't have it to listen to while at work) I can understand how the quality of music is diluted these days. It's not hard to get sucked in by trends and the latest sale at Hot Topic. Vinyl makes me remember the golden age of Metal.

Nerd Girl Rocks Paradise City

Last night, despite a raging headache and total exhaustion from my first day back to work after vacation, I finished Nerd Girl Rocks Paradise City: A True Story Of Faking It In Hair Metal L.A. by Anne Thomas Soffee (Chicago Review Press 2005).

For some reason I wanted to hate this book. I can't really explain it, but maybe it was an overwhelming sense of jealousy that another girl, very similar to me in so many ways, had the experiences I dreamed of (alcohol abuse notwithstanding).

So, Anne makes her way from her childhood home in Richmond, Virginia to Los Angeles all the while clutching an English degree from the College of William and Mary. Yes, punk rock Anne sticks out like a sore thumb at the college of presidents, but never strays from her ultimate goal of becoming the next Lester Bangs.

Perhaps the best part of the book is the snarky asides and impromptu Q&A sessions Anne has with her readers. Her authorial voice is so clear, it's like listening to a friend recount a wild night of debauchery. Despite my best attempts at hate, I found myself laughing out loud at this book and at Anne and her wild attempts at making it as a rock journalist.

Yes, Anne talked her way backstage. Yes, she wrote for weekly papers without pay. Yes, she took crap jobs as a "publicist" and no, she never single-handedly resurrected CREEM. Anne embarked on her journey at the end of the 1980s, while there were still plenty of "hair gods" on the Sunset Strip, even with the horrors of grunge threatening the never-ending party.

Eventually, our heroine grows disheartened with her lack of writing success and becomes more enamored with drinking and after parties. Anne has a string of wild romances, too wild to be fictional. I can only imagine how she felt. Every day that passes, I grow a little more hurt and a little more frustrated with my stalled writing career. I feel like Anne. She felt she could take the world by storm and change the face of rock journalism. I think I can do the same. Is this logical? Probably not. Dreams never are logical.

As grunge and riots literally changed the landscape of rock L.A., Anne packed up and headed for graduate school. Been there, done that. I need to hunt down Anne Thomas Soffee and compare notes. We really are kindred spirits.

Home Sweet Home

It's Tuesday and I'm finally home and back at work. Eric and I had a nice trip and I'm proud of keeping up this website while on my voyage.

I have a lot of things planned for this week, including a classic album review of Faster Pussycat's Wake Me When It's Over, a book reviews of Nerd Girl Rocks Paradise City by Anne Thomas Soffee, my opinion of the SIXX: AM disc, plus I need to write articles and review for both Hairball John and Metal Express Radio.

Today, I plan on easing my way back into work, trying to capitalize on my vacation relaxation. For now, watch this video: Motley Crue "Home Sweet Home."