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June 12, 2009
Eddie Van Halen Counts His Blessings
The one word that might best summarize Eddie Van Halen’s outlook on life these days is ‘thankful.’ In a recent interview with Spinner, the guitar legend emphasizes just how grateful he is to be in a place where everything seems to have finally come together for him.
That may sound strange when we’re talking about a talented musician who truly made it, and has experienced the highs of living the life of an honest-to-God rock star, but like so many others who find themselves in the celebrity spotlight, the tremendous highs are often accompanied by devastating lows, and Eddie Van Halen has not been spared his share.
After enduring battles with cancer and addiction, Van Halen sounds like a man who has finally managed to gain the upper hand in his long battle with the demons that haunted him through the decades. Numerous references to ‘God’ reveal an Eddie Van Halen that sounds more humble than might be expected of someone who is considered by many to be the best rock guitarist of all time.
Even so, Van Halen does not hesitate to take credit where he believes it is due, mentioning three times during the interview that he writes all of the group’s music. He does acknowledge, however, that the group – at least in its current incarnation – is indeed a democracy, and as a result, he does sometimes get outvoted. “I’m not a tyrant, as a lot of people think,” he says. “I just expect other people, if you’re in this band, to work as hard as I do.”
Asked whether he has a different appreciation for where he is at with his life and music these days, he responds by saying: “Yeah, I thank God on my knees that I’m alive and obviously to be sober and to be working with my son. I’m so damn blessed it’s beyond words.”
To read the entire interview, visit Spinner.
June 11, 2009
In Sickness And In Health, Aerosmith Rocks On
Four decades, give or take a year or so, is a long time rockin’. With that in mind, I suppose that the health problems the various members of Aerosmith have been dealing with lately should not be unexpected. These guys, after all, are all in their late 50’s or early 60’s, and the rock and roll lifestyle does tend to take its toll through the years.
Recently, bass player Tom Hamilton talked the Sun Chronicle about his battle with throat cancer and how he has come to the conclusion that the experience has actually improved him as a musician and resulted in a sort of wake up call for the 57-year-old rocker.
Having to sit out a 2007 tour due to his illness Hamilton reflected on that time. “What I had to go through was the band going out on tour without me. And so I had a taste of that, the negative feelings of that,” he said. “So it was a
terrible thought, but I had to learn that there were some things that could be worse than not having the band.”
Since then, Hamilton’s band mates have had to deal with medical problems of their own. While working on their new album, the group was forced to put a halt to the work when frontman Steven Tyler got sick with pneumonia and guitarist Joe Perry had to undergo knee surgery.
Tyler has also endured both throat and foot surgery in recent years.
With their summer “Guitar Hero” tour just getting underway with ZZ Top, the veteran group has been dealt yet another blow which takes guitarist Brad Whitford out of the lineup while he recovers from surgery. The exact nature of Whitford’s surgery has not been revealed, but he is expected to recover in time to join the tour before it concludes. In the meanwhile, Bobby Schneck will be standing in for Whitford.
As contrary as it may first appear, Hamilton does look back on his experience with cancer in a positive light. “But you know, sometimes you have to think like some day is coming. I think going through that cancer experience, it kind of grabbed me by the head and made me look at a lot of stuff and just sort of in general, you think of things you always wanted to do some day,” he said.
“Well some day is here. So I got a lot of that, which I think is a positive thing because it really focused me. And I’ve come a long way musically since that happened. It was almost a gift of the whole process that I’m probably a better player, writer, recorder now than I would have been if I hadn’t gone through that.”
For now, work on the new album is going to have to wait until the tour is over. Hamilton does reveal that fans can look forward to an album with a sound that is more like the raw, hard-rocking Honkin on Bobo as opposed to the more highly-engineered approach that was applied during the production of an album like Just Push Play.
The current tour comes to an end during September, and the group is expected to convene in the studio to finish up work on the new album. As long as they remain in good health, that is.
To read the entire interview with Tom Hamilton, visit the Sun Chronicle.
June 1, 2009
Jon Anderson Returning To The Stage
It seems like forever since we heard that Yes frontman Jon Anderson has been battling serious health problems. Although Yes has been touring with an “understudy” in Anderson’s place, many fans feel that Yes is simply not Yes without the presence of Jon Anderson.
Anderson appears to be on the winning side of his long struggle with health issues and has announced via his Facebook page that he will soon be performing again. Anderson wrote:
“zoooooooom, 6th of June, I will be doing a solo show here at ‘Mongo’s in Grover Beach to celebrate my ‘Honey’ Janee’s birthday, weeeeeee…then I will be doing some shows this summer in Europe, more like a vacation, with one show every week…and maybe some shows on the east coast at the end on August….I feel more healthy everyday, and thanks to you peeps out there, realize YES music needs a voice….I’m ready…..”
If Anderson’s writing style is any indication of his current mood, it certainly appears that he is very excited about performing again, and although it looks like he will be taking it slow for a while, this is a huge step forward for someone whose health troubles were described as “serious.”
No word yet on whether Anderson will join up with his band mates from Yes, but I’m sure that’s something that cannot be ruled out. Original member Chris Squire has made it clear that Anderson will be welcomed back into the fold as soon as his health will allow.
Fan reaction on Anderson’s Facebook page since the announcement about two weeks ago has been very positive, with many encouraging and congratulatory replies posted in response.
October 13, 2008
Chris Squire Leaves Door Open For Ailing Yes Frontman
In an apparent attempt to quell some of the unrest among some Yes fans and probably try to help patch things up with Yes lead singer, Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire has spoken out publicly about the group’s decision to continue with their plans to go on tour with a replacement singer who will be standing in for Anderson, and has been referred to as an “understudy.”
As readers may recall, Jon Anderson seemed quite upset with the group’s decision to go on tour without him, and wrote about his feelings openly on his personal website. Anderson stated that he felt very disrespected, and was also disappointed that no other members of the group has been in touch with him since he fell ill, with the exception of 
drummer Alan White.
Anderson does not consider this upcoming tour a true Yes tour, something that fans will have to decide for themselves if the show comes to a venue in their area.
Squire’s most recent comments appear to extend an olive branch in Anderson’s direction, by stating publicly that: “Unfortunately Jon has had these health problems for the last few years. We’ve had to be very respectful of the fact he’s not been well and he’s been in and out of the hospital having quite a few major procedures. If Jon is well again next year, he’ll be back.”
As a Yes fan myself, I do hope that Anderson can patch things up with the rest of the group, and join back up with them in the near future. It’s kind if hard to imagine Yes without Jon out front, but I suppose as classic rockers start getting into the 50’s and 60’s, health problems are more likely to keep them from the grueling ordeal that life on the road can sometimes be.
