Van Halen 101: Hit or Miss?

**SR5150** · 10.02.06, 06:50 AM

Yo!

I've just finished the Van Halen 101 book by Abel Sanchez....and I think I'm gonna stick it straight on eBay.

What is everyone's thoughts on this book? I was really hoping for a low down, warts and all insight into Edward, but, in my opinion, this book is flimsy on fact and relies way too heavily on old magazine quotes and hearsay/opinion. Plus the guys writing style really bugs me....and the fact it glosses over the Sam & Gary periods in a few pages is unbelivable.

Would've been nice to have had a few old rare pics as well.

I guess we'll have to wait until Ed writes his memoirs!

Steve

**bobalu** · 10.02.06, 08:42 AM

Originally Posted by SR5150

Yo!

I've just finished the Van Halen 101 book by Abel Sanchez....and I think I'm gonna stick it straight on eBay.

What is everyone's thoughts on this book? I was really hoping for a low down, warts and all insight into Edward, but, in my opinion, this book is flimsy on fact and relies way too heavily on old magazine quotes and hearsay/opinion. Plus the guys writing style really bugs me....and the fact it glosses over the Sam & Gary periods in a few pages is unbelivable.

Would've been nice to have had a few old rare pics as well.

I guess we'll have to wait until Ed writes his memoirs!

Steve

Ditto

**Raldo** · 10.02.06, 09:03 AM

I enjoyed the book. There were times where the author repeating a few things. My favorite section was the quotes given by other musicians.

**scs5150** · 10.02.06, 11:58 AM

There were things in the book that were interesting, but for the most part, I knew or have heard most of the rest of the book's stories. I did like the quotes from the other musicians as well.

**Otis5150** · 10.02.06, 12:02 PM

Your right, it sounded like the "author" - if you can call him that - just strung together a bunch of magazine interviews/web info and didn't do any research or fact checking. What a piece of crap!

The thing that bothered me the most and that I found distracting was that he would write "I believe" before stating something. As in, "I believe Edward played dums initially". Well, did he or didn't he??? Did you even bother to check that out??? I swear I could do a better job with some back-issues of Guitar Player, the internet and a phone!

The only good part was the quotes from other musicians, but who even knows if those were real given how poorly written/researched the book was...

**Brett** · 10.02.06, 12:25 PM

The author's a tool, that takes away anything useful the book may have in it.

And it's poorly written, but the author has also made excuses for that too.

**Van Squalen** · 10.02.06, 01:02 PM

Total waste of money.

**Otis5150** · 10.02.06, 01:14 PM

We could have done a much better job by just publishing any number of threads from this forum

**chefcraig** · 10.02.06, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by Brett

The author's a tool, that takes away anything useful the book may have in it.

And it's poorly written, but the author has also made excuses for that too.

It's too bad he didn't make excuses for the time wasting threads he kept starting (some with bogus user-names) in an effort to shill this piece of crap.

**Otis5150** · 10.02.06, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by chefcraig

It's too bad he didn't make excuses for the time wasting threads he kept starting (some with bogus user-names) in an effort to shill this piece of crap.

Has this actually happened? It does suck, if it's true; but at least he gets to read our opinions on that piece of shit he has the nerve to call a book.

**chefcraig** · 10.02.06, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by Otis5150

Has this actually happened? It does suck, if it's true; but at least he gets to read our opinions on that piece of shit he has the nerve to call a book.

Yup, and that is the reason that Brett referred to the character as a tool.

When the author was called on it, he behaved rather poorly.

**Otis5150** · 10.02.06, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by chefcraig

Yup, and that is the reason that Brett referred to the character as a tool.

When the author was called on it, he behaved rather poorly.

Thanks for the info and sorry if it's rehashing old news. I know how everyone loves that, me included. Well of course he behaved poorly. He was just being defensive because he was stupid enough to have his name printed on the cover of that shit-rag.

Has anyone brought up the idea of a book burning? I know we're all for free speech and against censorship, but how about burning a book because it flat out sucks and we got ripped off?

**thebrownboys** · 10.02.06, 02:15 PM

What bothered me most was the conjecture. Too many times he stated "to the best of my knowledge" or "I believe". Hell, you can make up anything and put that in to disclaim it.
Grammar was weak as well.

**Otis5150** · 10.02.06, 02:23 PM

If anyone has his address, I'll be the first to send my copy back to him with a note telling him how much it sucks.

**chefcraig** · 10.02.06, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by Otis5150

If anyone has his address, I'll be the first to send my copy back to him with a note telling him how much it sucks.

It simply isn't worth the return postage. Quite frankly, I believe the fellow has gotten enough attention.

Ignore him and his book, and soon (hopefully) both will fade from the collective memory.