Unchained - by Paul Brannigan (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The first full-length biography of Eddie Van Halen--a searching, affectionate, and in-depth look at the remarkable life of a genuine musical virtuoso who changed the course of rock 'n' roll.

"The game changing guitar legend gets the biography he deserves.... Diligently researched, perceptive and well-written." --Classic Rock

Arriving in California as a young boy in the early 1960s, Edward Van Halen and his brother Alex were ripe for the coming musical revolution. The sons of a Dutch, saxophone-playing father, the brothers discovered the Beatles, Cream, and other icons as they bound together as musical partners, forming identities for themselves in their adopted home along the way.

"Affectionate and unflinching portrait of heavy metal's Mount Everest.... Paul Brannigan goes deep here, his detailed...biography probing Van Halen's psyche as well as his music." --MOJO

From the moment their hugely influential 1978 debut landed, Van Halen set a high bar for the rock 'n' roll lifestyle, creating an entirely new style of post-'60s hard rock and becoming the quintessential rock band of the 1980s. But the high-flying success was fraught with difficulty, as Eddie struggled with alcohol and drug addiction while simultaneously battling David Lee Roth over the musical direction of the band, eventually taking the band in an entirely new direction with Sammy Hagar and scaling new heights, before that iteration of Van Halen disintegrated.

Acclaimed biographer Paul Brannigan tackles the dramatic story with respect and affection for one of rock's greatest musicians, pairing original interviews with meticulous research to bring the story of Eddie Van Halen completely up-to-date. Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story is a remarkable account of determination, genius, and single-minded commitment to the music.

About the Author

London-based Irish writer and journalist Paul Brannigan has two books due for publication in 2021--a fully updated and revised 10th anniversary edition of his 2011 Sunday Times bestseller This Is a Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl, set for publication via HarperCollins on September 2, and a revealing new biography of legendary, much-missed guitar god, Eddie Van Halen, scheduled for publication via Faber & Faber (UK, September 23), Permuted Press (US, December 14), and Ullstein (GER, August 30). Brannigan is a former editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine, and a contributor to Mojo, Classic Rock, and Kerrang!