Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga
by Ian Christe

Ian Christe authored one of the best books ever written about heavy metal, The Sound Of The Beast, and this tome, although lacking the broad sweep of that book, shares many of the features, which made it an exemplary piece of rock writing. Christe’s encyclopaedic knowledge, wit, style and passion are perfectly suited to the tale of one of rock’s more cartoonish bands. The story, like the music, is complicated, raunchy and very entertaining. All the band’s phases are covered in detail, with the underrated Sammy Hagar years given their due and the lamentable Gary Cherone era treated sympathetically. As always, however, David Lee Roth steals the show with his near-parodic rock star persona and knowing dumbness. At the heart of the story is the paradoxical figure of Eddie Van Halen: Dutch-born, yet founder of one of the quintessentially American bands; introverted, almost geeky in his dedication to his craft, yet inventor of much that is flashy and vulgar. This is a big, bold book, part Spinal Tap soap opera, part touching biography. Essential reading for fans.