Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I am a huge fan of the original iteration of Van Halen, and have been so for 30 years. Unfortunately, I was too young to see them in concert during that era. Anytime I can listen to live recordings from that era or read about their dominance of rock 'n' roll from 1978 thru 1985, I do so eagerly. So when I heard about this book being published, I pre-ordered it as soon as I could, and started reading it as soon as it arrived on my doorstep. I thought this book was a good read, and I learned some new things about Van Halen. I always knew DLR was a narcissistic egomaniac, and that the VH brothers had hard fought lifelong battles with alcoholism, but this book surprised me with how deeply Alex/Edward spiraled into their addictions, or just how much Dave became full of himself to the point that he was downright mean and intolerable to be around. Reading how the three of them treated bassist Michael Anthony broke my heart. I don't think Noel Monk had a bone to pick with the band, nor do I think he set out to seek revenge for what he went through as the band manager, but I do think he felt betrayed by Van Halen after all the hard work he put in as their manager for 7 years. I think he did his best to be as matter-of-fact as he could about his time with the band, and while he pulled no punches, there was some bitterness to his tone. I've read DLR's autobiography (twice), along with Van Halen Rising and Sammy Hagar's autobiography. I would say this one is as good as the other three. It's a bit more gritty in its details about the VH brothers' addictions than SH or DLR's autobiographies, and it wasn't as detailed as Van Halen Rising, but it does a great job of portraying what happened between 1978 and 1985. I do wish he would have present for and been able to write more about the recording of 1984 and the prior albums. If you want to view Van Halen through rose-colored lenses, and just appreciate greatness of the DLR-era albums (except Diver Down), then don't read this book. If you want an honest behind-the-scenes look at the rise and fall of the one of greatest rock 'n' roll bands of all time, then read this book.