Eddie interview from 1998

[guitarman51]

Found this old interview with Eddie that I'd never seen before. Thought I'd pass it along.

http://www.guyguitars.com/eng/interv...evanhalen.html

[sixstring]

Kewl find, bro! Thanks!

[batch]

Thanks, new to me..

[broken9500]

I remember reading that interview back in the day...all the talk about Gary and musical soul mate and stuff had me really excited...now when I go back and read it, it's just kind of a bummer that the record didn't resonate as well with people. Thanks for digging it back up...i had not seen this one in a few years.

[Uncle Rico]

I find it interesting that in the interview, Ed flat out states that "He writes everything", when asked what Mike A and Alex contributed to the album. But, then, he has the balls to openly say that (at other times-not in this interview) that nobody else ever contributes and they're only there to collect paychecks. Nobody else ever had a chance in hell to succeed in that band on a song writing level. Ed should know that, he's a musical fucking genius. You're gonna let Mike A write an actual song for the Band? It's like when you go to the bar and you're playing pool with your buddies, and your kicking their ass but, you let your girlfriend take a few shots so that she doesn't feel left out.Then you lose and have to buy the next round of drinks and she bitches at you for spending too much money at the bar.

Ed was there when all the songwriting arrangments were made and he shouldn't bitch about it - ever. And the real fucked up thing about it is that right now, he could probally keep a lions share of the credit and money for new songs and he's not even making albums.

[LegallyInsane]

I remember reading that interview back in the day...all the talk about Gary and musical soul mate and stuff had me really excited...now when I go back and read it, it's just kind of a bummer that the record didn't resonate as well with people. Thanks for digging it back up...i had not seen this one in a few years.

One of the things that bothered me most after Sammy's departure in 1996
was that Ed began saying many of the same things about Sammy that he
said about Dave. Saying that Gary was his musical soul mate was almost
verbatim what he said about Sammy in 1986 (anyone recall "Van Halen:
Unleashed" on MTV?). Hearing Ed say the same thing in 1998 made it
clear to me back then that perhaps it wasn't Lead Singer Disease but
Lead Singer Aversion Disorder and that Ed was the one infected. Oh well...

[RKVH5150]

Don't say that. Do not post anything that might implicate Eddie as being any problem with the band not currently putting out music. Don't do it. Eddie does no wrong, ever. Just ask around. It's all Sammy, or Dave or Mikey's fault, not Eddie's.

Eddie has never done anything wrong...ever. Please delete your post.

I figured I'd say it before someone comes in and actually gets offended that someone would question Eddie's integrity instead of one of the singers.

[VanHalenFan]

One of the things that bothered me most after Sammy's departure in 1996
was that Ed began saying many of the same things about Sammy that he
said about Dave. Saying that Gary was his musical soul mate was almost
verbatim what he said about Sammy in 1986 (anyone recall "Van Halen:
Unleashed" on MTV?). Hearing Ed say the same thing in 1998 made it
clear to me back then that perhaps it wasn't Lead Singer Disease but
Lead Singer Aversion Disorder and that Ed was the one infected. Oh well...

I agree 100 percent. I also think to make an album that was so far out on left field with a new singer was a huge mistake. Why not make a traditional Van Halen record with Gary-I think that it would have done well, instead of the drivel that put on VH3. Then with the second album with Gary, after their commercial crediblilty would have been established with him, then on the second album with him, Ed should have done more experiementing. Ed wasn't thinking of the commercial impliciations this would have-it was a double whammy, new singer and an album that was all over the place. Not good if you want a big album.

[broken9500]

I agree 100 percent. I also think to make an album that was so far out on left field with a new singer was a huge mistake. Why not make a traditional Van Halen record with Gary-I think that it would have done well, instead of the drivel that put on VH3. Then with the second album with Gary, after their commercial crediblilty would have been established with him, then on the second album with him, Ed should have done more experiementing. Ed wasn't thinking of the commercial impliciations this would have-it was a double whammy, new singer and an album that was all over the place. Not good if you want a big album.

call me a an overromantic loser but I tend to enjoy music that is made with little to no regard for its commercial credibility or implications. VH III has its problems, it's not the greatest record ever made by anyone, but I applaud the hell out of its ambition and respect Ed's intentions. I think it's a helluva record.

And I do remember the Van Halen Unleashed bit and all he said about Sammy and when I read the interview about Gary the similarities in comments did register and I do think Ed may not be the easiest guy in the world to work with and has the capacity to be a dick but I think if anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the whole sam/dave/ed thing, it would be Ed...it's on his back that these fortunes have been made. I'm the first one to say it took DLR to bring VH to the masses and required Sammy to keep them commercially viable, but I don't think either of them have the type of musical or creative ability, goals, interests or ambitions to ever have had lasting partnerships with someone like Ed....and that's not meant to be a knock against any of them...that's just how I see it from the sofa in my living room.

[TOM_5150]

Good read.

[Sunya]

After reading that, I think I now know why Ed is getting al legal on everyone. It started with that one guitar and those strings. SOB.