Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal

Description

After years of gigging everywhere from suburban backyards to dive bars, Van Halen - led by frontman extraordinaire David Lee Roth and guitar virtuoso Edward Van Halen - had the songs, the swagger and the talent to turn the rock world on its ear. The quartet's classic 1978 debut, Van Halen, sold more than a million copies within months of release and sky-rocketed the band to the stratosphere of rock success. Their high-energy shows left fans and bands alike floored. Based on more than 230 original interviews, Van Halen Rising tells of the band's electric rise to fame.

Greg Renoff was born in the Bronx, New York, and grew up in New Jersey. Renoff earned his Ph.D. in American history from Brandeis University and is the author of The Big Tent: The Traveling Circus in Georgia, 1820 1930. He lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with his wife and two daughters.

"Renoff explores in depth Van Halen's reluctant journey from back yard band to superstardom and, in particular, the role of David Lee Roth's ambition and entrepreneurial skills." -- Forbes "In an excellent new book called Van Halen Rising, author Greg Renoff argues that, in the era of disco and punk, Van Halen's arrival saved heavy metal. While that may be hyperbole, there's little arguing that the backyard party band from Pasadena put Los Angeles back at the center of American rock & roll, where it's largely stayed ever since." -- LA Weekly "It's a rollicking roll through the life and times of a group that mowed through more groupies and drugs than could possibly be good for a young fella ... a fascinating read." -- Pasadena Star News "Renoff's book is a thoroughly entertaining read that will appeal to every hard rock fan." -- Publishers Weekly "This prehistory is usually glossed over in accounts of the band, but in Van Halen Rising, author Greg Renoff devotes an entire book to it. It's the tale of hardworking kids with nothing in common learning to fuse pop and heavy metal into a new sound that completely changed the music world. It also vividly shows that the personality clashes that would later destroy the band were there from Day One." -- Rolling Stone