10 minutes on the phone with Alex Van Halen in 1995

By Steve Newton I haven't interviewed that many drummers over the years, mainly because when I cover a band I shoot for the guitarist, since that's the instrument I'm most drawn to. But after interviewing Alex Van Halen in advance of a Van Hagar show on the 1995 Balance Tour, I should probably chat with … Continue reading 10 minutes on the phone with Alex Van Halen in 1995

That time Alex Van Halen told me how ideas for Van Halen songs sprang from Eddie just noodling around

By Steve Newton When I interviewed Alex Van Halen on August 9, 1995, Van Halen was in the midst of a North American tour in support of its tenth album, the Bruce Fairbairn-produced Balance. As on all Van Halen albums, the songwriting credits on Balance were shared between all four members. At one point in … Continue reading That time Alex Van Halen told me how ideas for Van Halen songs sprang from Eddie just noodling around

That time I asked Alex Van Halen how much longer he expected Van Halen to keep on rocking

By Steve Newton Back in August of 1995 I interviewed Alex Van Halen, legendary skin-basher for Van Halen, while the band was touring behind its Bruce Fairbairn-produced Balance album. That tour had been dubbed "The Ambulance Tour" by Eddie, due to his hip problems and Alex rupturing three vertebrae in his neck. So as the … Continue reading That time I asked Alex Van Halen how much longer he expected Van Halen to keep on rocking