Van Halen Rising
Greg Renoff
book reviews: · · · · · ·
· · ·
|
There have been multiple books written about this iconic hard rock band in
recent years but Greg Renoff's book reveals information and insights only
touched upon in those other explorations. Here in his intro, the author lays
down his vision: Remarkably, the way that Van Halen evolved into a band
great enough to sell millions of records and skilled enough to electrify
stadium crowds has been shrouded in mystery and supposition since Van Halen
became famous. That's a pity, because before anyone outside of Los Angeles
knew about the greatness of Van Halen, everything that had made the best
episodes of Behind the Music must-see TV had already happened to the band.
Van Halen's road to success wasn't smooth and it wasn't short, but it was a
dizzying, white-knuckle ride.
Renoff talks about that crazy adventure to success in depth. To that end, he
interviewed well over 200 people to find the answers. Among those
interviewed were Van halen bassist Michael Anthony as well as key
individuals such as Neil Zlozower (the band's remarkable photographer),
Marshall Berle, Donn Landee, Ted Templeman, and many others.
The book concentrates on the band's early years up until their signing and
the release of their first self-titled album. This is a thoroughly engaging
book and will fascinate and astound even those fans who thought they already
knew everything there was to know about Van Halen.
Originally published on Curled Up With A Good Book at www.curledup.com. © Steven Rosen, 2015
|
|