Ricchie Teter

I really loved Van Halen the band. I as a guitarist was mesmerized as all were by Eddie Van Halen’s playing. I’d read the books from David Roth , Noel Monk and Sammy Hagar. This book was the one I was most interested in reading. It took me inside the lives of Alex and Ed in their formative years , and how for better or worse their father shaped them. He was the original Van Halen musician, who had some similar habits as his sons would. I was surprised to read how young the brothers were when they began playing professionally. Alex comes across as well read, reverent and loving of his brother. He recounts their wild ride together on ways I hadn’t known from the aforementioned books. All the while exposing his relationship with Eddie. He smartly incorporated quotes from the participants both in the band and in their stratosphere- managers producers etc. -which gave perspective from within and without . I’ve seen that some people think Alex cut the story short by not writing about the post Roth years, but he addresses that in his closing statements. He was talking about a period of time that was the childhood and creation of the original Van Halen. Perhaps protecting and preserving the greatness of his brother and family as it was. Many accounts of Eddie falling into addiction and health trouble have been done. This is a look inside of he and his brother’s lives , leaving me to wonder if they could go back to the two kids on the back jacket and avoid all the craziness that their ascent to fame gave them so they could just be brothers would he?