When Alex Van Halen’s Arm Caught Fire, but Roadie Wouldn’t Help
· Ultimate Classic RockAlex Van Halen recalled the time he set his arm on fire during a Van Halen show – and his roadie, who had an extinguisher, didn’t help him.
It’s one reason why the drummer and late brother Eddie Van Halen didn’t like the classic movie This Is Spinal Tap, as he revealed in his recent memoir, Brothers (via LAist).
“For me, fire represents the temporariness – that only the moment counts,” Van Halen wrote about his regular trick of playing while his drum kit burned. “I mean, the flame is there and poof, it’s gone. So it’s life, right? … And there was an element of danger because we did it on such an amateur level.”
READ MORE: Hear the Full Version of Eddie and Alex Van Halen's 'Unfinished'
He continued: “My favorite memory of all of that was [when] we’d kind of gotten it down to a science. And as we’re doing it during the performance, the lighter fluid starts to come down my arm. And then I look over and I notice my arm’s on fire. So I’m thinking, ‘That can’t be good,’ right?
“I look at [my tech] Greg – who, in theory, [is] there with a fire extinguisher… I look at him and he’s looking at me, and he gives me the thumbs up. ‘Looks great, man!’ I’ll never forget that as long as I live.”
Van Halen Brothers Thought ‘Spinal Tap’ Wasn’t Funny
Elsewhere in the book, Van Halen recalled seeing the celebrated 1984 “rockumentary” about spoof rock band Spinal Tap. “That wasn’t funny at all,” he said.
“Ed and I saw it and we said, ‘That’s what we experienced!’ That is really how things happen. It’s mind bending. The public doesn’t really have any idea what goes on behind the scenes. And I’m certainly not going to burst the bubble.
“But that movie, there were a lot of elements that were more true than they were parody.”
12. 'Van Halen III' (1998)
While there are more cool moments and interesting experiments here than many people might remember, Van Halen's only album with Gary Cherone on vocals comes off as unfocused and half-baked.
11. 'Balance' (1995)
This is the last record Van Halen made before a nasty split with their second singer, Sammy Hagar. Songs like "Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do)" and "Take Me Back (Deja Vu)" show the band tackling more serious subjects and tones. But there are also several tracks that come off rather lifeless, as if the chemistry within this lineup had already gone sour.
10. 'For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge' (1991)
Luckily, we’re already almost done with the ‘90s on our list – a decade that wasn’t all that kind to Van Halen. But first we take a healthy step up in quality with 1991’s ‘For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.’ Apart from the massive piano-led hit "Right Now," it’s the most straight-ahead, guitar-focused album of the Van Hagar era. The problem is, you find yourself missing the diversity of ‘OU812’ and ‘5150’ a bit.
9. 'A Different Kind of Truth' (2012)
After nearly 30 years apart, Van Halen welcomed original frontman David Lee Roth back into the fold for this delightfully raw, guitar-focused set. The only problem is a slight case of the "too long, too much filler" disease – which, to be fair, has ensnared nearly every artist since the birth of the compact disc.
8. 'OU812' (1988)
Hot on the heels of their first tour with Hagar, Van Halen quickly got back to work and released perhaps their most diverse collection of songs ever. The epic Led Zeppelin-esque "Cabo Wabo" is one of the best things this lineup ever recorded, but there's some filler here for sure.
7. 'Diver Down' (1982)
This is easily the most criticized of all the Roth-fronted Van Halen records – even by guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who was mad that the album was recorded in a label-mandated rush and half-filled with cover songs. But thanks partially to the series of amazing guitar interludes that turn up between tracks, 'Diver Down' maintains a wonderful, consistent “summer day at the beach” tone.
6. '5150' (1986)
By our count, we’re in five-star territory from here on out. All but the most stubbornly entrenched Roth loyalists would have to concede that 1986’s ‘5150’ found the band successfully incorporating Sammy Hagar into its lineup while also completely re-inventing and expanding its sound. Also,"Best of Both Worlds" might just be Van Hagar’s masterpiece.
5. 'Van Halen II' (1979)
Other than 'The Godfather: Part II," there probably isn't a sequel that's as good as the original, but 'Van Halen II' comes pretty close. Recorded in three weeks while the band took a quick break from conquering the world city by city following the release of its first album, 'Van Halen II' finds them sticking pretty closely to the template of that record – with slightly lesser songs, but even more confidence and swagger.
4. 'Women and Children First' (1980)
We’re definitely in the golden years now. ‘Women and Children First’ gave the band its first real chance to stretch out in the studio, and they took full advantage by writing songs that didn’t date back to the club days, experimenting with studio overdubs and even an overdriven electric piano on "And the Cradle Will Rock ... "
3. 'Fair Warning' (1981)
This album found Eddie Van Halen reportedly seizing creative control of the group in order to create Van Halen’s darkest, weirdest and downright nastiest album. It was the least commercially successful release of the initial Roth era, with only "Unchained" earning a permanent place in the group’s concert repertoire. But it also just might be the album you play for the Martians when they land on Earth and demand to know exactly what’s so special about this Edward Van Halen guy.
2. '1984' (1984)
This is the album that turned Van Halen from rock superstars into a household name, and which found Eddie Van Halen’s keyboard skills bursting out of the closet with the worldwide smash "Jump." The band’s songwriting, musicianship and wit hit such dizzying new heights on songs like "Hot for Teacher" and "Panama" that it’s staggering to think the first Roth era was about to come to a screeching halt.
1. 'Van Halen' (1978)
Van Halen's debut album found Eddie Van Halen completely rewriting the vocabulary and rules of rock guitar while he and his bandmates nearly single-handedly saved classic rock from being overrun by punk and disco. Not a single moment of its 11 tracks is wasted, and in less than two minutes, the instrumental ‘Eruption’ took Eddie straight to the top of the rock guitar god list.