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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Poignant, fascinating, beautiful, at some points heartwrenching, others hilarious. A perfect story of two brothers who with tenacity, determination, and hard work, reached their goal in the face of insurmountable odds (like arriving in the US and not speaking the language). What an incredible story, what an incredible relationship, and with so many moments in the book that I had to rewind either because of Alex's craftsmanship that I needed to rehear, or because the detail shared I wanted to be certain to hear thoroughly so I could remember it in its glorious detail. To those folks who are whining he stops at the end of the Roth era I say, you are missing the point, this is a book about the origins of Van Halen, what he built with his brother, and the end of the gloriousness of the lp 1984 is an absolutely perfect ending to making that point. I also say, his book, his ending. :) Just loved it, and the audio is such a treat with each of Alex's very heartfelt laughs and chuckles after sharing a VH shenanigan or joke.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
this felt like an absolute privilege to read, an intimate story of brothers, musicians, and loss. the amount of grief alex van halen has experienced is prominent throughout this book, and yet it often feels like a warm hug. i found myself consistently seeking out videos that were mentioned, and taking breaks just to process someone else’s grief. what an honor it is for alex to share this beautifully written and intensely felt story. i laughed, i cried, and i felt every word deeply.
“what a privilege it is to connect with a stranger……isn’t that the point of art? it makes life more bearable. art is hope.”
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Death of parent, Alcohol
Minor: Cursing, Suicide, Toxic friendship
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
All rock bios have similarities and it's the details that make a difference. This is a great account of two brothers working together to achieve their shared goal. It's not a definitive history of Van Halen from start to finish. It only goes to 1984, with occasional toe-tips past that. Overall, I quite enjoyed it. Thanks, Alex!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
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sad
fast-paced
Phenomenal. This book was phenomenal
Such an amazing inside look into the band Van Halen from one of the member's eyes. I have to be honest, I didn't know much about Van Halen before reading this other than they are a widely revered rock group. I didn't even know Ed Van Halen was one of the best guitarists of all time. To make it worse, this book was a skip the line book from the library and I checked it out because I didn't look too close and thought it was 'Just Kids' by Patti Smith.
I am so happy I read this book. It has the roughness you expect from a story about the rise of a band made up of guys in the 70s and 80s onward, but there is also a tenderness. Honestly it feels like a love letter to his brother. A remembrance of the good and the bad and all the pieces that made up their relationship. Even though the lens is focused on the band, in the periphery we always see Ed. It felt similar to 'On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous' by Ocean Vuong, poetic but in a different way, everything Alex says is laid bare.
In the first few lines of the book we are told that an entirely accurate account of the band has yet to be published so that is why this one exists now, to bridge that gap. But then how are we to know that this version is accurate if it was written by someone in the band. That is kind of an exciting aspect. But based on the rawness and shame present in some of the stories, I can't believe that this is written as any different from how it is remembered by Alex Van Halen.
These guys were extremely smart. The Van Halen brothers were really on another level and it was awe inspiring. I knew they were great musicians based on pop culture, and know that to be a great musician you can't be entirely stupid, but didn't know the degree of their genius. The line that really opened my eyes was in the beginning when Alex is talking about wine and the way he described it blew my mind.
I implore people to read this book. Or better yet, listen to the audio book. It was so powerful to hear the story from Alex's voice and to be able to hear how he reads it.
PS I never thought I would know more about Van Halen than my dad. I have so many fun facts now.
Such an amazing inside look into the band Van Halen from one of the member's eyes. I have to be honest, I didn't know much about Van Halen before reading this other than they are a widely revered rock group. I didn't even know Ed Van Halen was one of the best guitarists of all time. To make it worse, this book was a skip the line book from the library and I checked it out because I didn't look too close and thought it was 'Just Kids' by Patti Smith.
I am so happy I read this book. It has the roughness you expect from a story about the rise of a band made up of guys in the 70s and 80s onward, but there is also a tenderness. Honestly it feels like a love letter to his brother. A remembrance of the good and the bad and all the pieces that made up their relationship. Even though the lens is focused on the band, in the periphery we always see Ed. It felt similar to 'On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous' by Ocean Vuong, poetic but in a different way, everything Alex says is laid bare.
In the first few lines of the book we are told that an entirely accurate account of the band has yet to be published so that is why this one exists now, to bridge that gap. But then how are we to know that this version is accurate if it was written by someone in the band. That is kind of an exciting aspect. But based on the rawness and shame present in some of the stories, I can't believe that this is written as any different from how it is remembered by Alex Van Halen.
These guys were extremely smart. The Van Halen brothers were really on another level and it was awe inspiring. I knew they were great musicians based on pop culture, and know that to be a great musician you can't be entirely stupid, but didn't know the degree of their genius. The line that really opened my eyes was in the beginning when Alex is talking about wine and the way he described it blew my mind.
I implore people to read this book. Or better yet, listen to the audio book. It was so powerful to hear the story from Alex's voice and to be able to hear how he reads it.
PS I never thought I would know more about Van Halen than my dad. I have so many fun facts now.
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
This was a lovely little memoir. Alex’s love for his brother just seeps throughout the book making the title very fitting. However the ending felt really abrupt, ending with David Lee Roth leaving the band. I would’ve liked to have seen the two brothers relationship throughout the Hagar years, the Van Halen III era, and beyond.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced