Alex Van Halen Reveals the Real Reason Michael Anthony Left Van Halen in New Book “Brothers”

[@billadkins5150]

That’s the biggest bag of bullshit I’ve ever heard.

[@ashleylynn9333]

Nobody in history has EVER criticized Mikey's backing vocals. Ever. That's just a ludicrous statement.

[@burningdaylights]

Mike wasn't contributing enough on backing vocals? His backing vocals are a huge part of the VH sound.

[@johnnypissoff244]

@@OceanLives-j5kget lost, EVH and Alex were jerks, Michael Anthony’s vocals and bass playing are essential to Van Halen’s success and a very big reason that millions of VH fans loved this band, MA was more important than Alex if you ask me, what the hell did Alex do, he didn’t write or sing so you could say the MA contributed more than Alex!

[@duncansutherland47]

@@OceanLives-j5k Any time anyone types “lol” in a comment it reflects their immaturity, arrogance and ego rather than any relevant insight or commentary.

[@jeff19554]

His backing vocals made van halen

[@woodzie06]

This is total BS! Eddie kicked him out to have his son join the band. Michael found out he was out the same way everyone else did. They did Mike dirty!

[@charliepearson1678]

yuuuuup

[@SteveBurk]

Eddie wanted the free loading Mike out in 1980 lol

[@digmacdiggydoo]

Did Alex help write songs? I don’t know.

[@cazeblize3963]

Bs​ Eddie did want his boy in the band. And Eddie was struggling with his addiction. And at the Rock n Roll Hall of fame Eddie was either in rehab or dealing with his health issues. @OceanLives-j5k

[@armandomorenotherevival7827]

Not really . Vanhalen 3 Mikey only played 3 songs on bass . The rest of the album was Ed on bass, and pretty much from that point Mike didn’t record bass again. He was sidelined b4 wolfie came into the band

[@TheChef470]

Please.....you treated him like shit.

[@christopherh4653]

Quite the oversimplification. ​@@OceanLives-j5k

[@Hedwallfxtd]

So Eddie totally controls every aspect of Mike’s music, treats him like total s**t, gets jealous over Mike’s friendship with Sammy, completely cuts Mike out of Van Halen in 1984… and people wonder why Mike left? Well, I think in the long run, things worked out real well for Mike, and I’m very happy for him! Rock on Michael Anthony…

[@chuckydall9250]

Eddie was a fantastic guitarist but a shit person

[@brianstrutter1501]

Mike didn't leave, he was replaced

[@guestguest3715]

Whatever helps you sleep at night Alex. Whatever helps you sleep

[@ponchnunez6082]

All lies!!! Karma is a bitch

[@s.porter8646]

Ain't that a fact

[@bobravenscraft5376]

Here ya go during dinner arguments ensued. Daved smashed a plate of food on Mike's. He stood silent signed to be a hired gun forr 1984 it was wrong BUTT Noel said tell them to get Fkd. If I don't take the stage tonight they lose millions. MIKE COULD HAVE STOPPED IT he didn't want trouble

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

He's a drumming icon (the Salvador Dali of the kit) and owes nobody shit at this point. Spammy Belcher and Mike the Mullet can suck it especially.

[@s.porter8646]

@deathmetaldouglas69 I ate scrabbles pieces and pooped more sense than you

[@rjl310]

Eddie was an a-hole. Fans need to come to terms with that. We all loved him and the color he brought to our lives with his music - but he was a narcissist a-hole who demanded complete compliance. Alex, his sycophantic brother, made it worse.

[@shermbloom879]

EVH was a drug addict that was an Ahole when sober. As Bill Cosby said in a routine. People who do drugs will tell you it intensifies their personality and the reply is, "What if you are an Ahole?" I never thought EVH was the answer to that question, but he is.

[@Keith-l1q]

Opinions vary

[@detroitdiezel7856]

​@@OceanLives-j5kCan you repeat that in English, dunce?

[@rjl310]

@ 😂

[@Fandango229]

@@OceanLives-j5konce again you fail to acknowledge the truth. EVH was an a-hole. A total 100% a-hole.

[@bctwitty]

All VH fans are well-aware of the fact Michael Anthony did not leave VH. He was fired and/or forced out by the brothers. Michael Anthony’s positive and productive relationship with Sammy is what triggered the decision into action.

[@theladiesmanou812]

Michael Anthony did NOT, that's DID NOT leave Van Halen.

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

Of course he left VH. Wolfgang replaced him and did a better job. Duh.

[@theladiesmanou812]

@@deathmetaldouglas69 Keep telling yourself that, Sparky.

[@brianstrutter1501]

​@@deathmetaldouglas69- false. Mike found out he was out of VH when VH announced their tour with Wolf playing bass. Stop lying

[@legasimusic]

@@deathmetaldouglas69 Wolf is a great musician but, you can't replace Michael's sound!

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

@@legasimusic Yeah well the album Wolf played on was the best since 1981's "Fair Warning" so they not only survived his departure but thrived. Wolf's "sound" on bass guitar way better than Anthony's. Vocals not as flamboyant but he did the job. Bass more important than backup singing. You don't agree? Go listen to the The Backstreet Boys then if vocals are everything to you.

[@duncansutherland47]

Michael Anthony was a vital part of the band period! Any VH fan can attest to the incredible contribution he made to the original line up (which does not include Sammy, sorry). Michael’s bass playing, personal energy, and exceptional back up vocals (best from that era of Rock) helped to make the band what it ultimately road the rest of its career upon. He deserves a tremendous amount of respect.

[@Catonian1]

EVH was sh*tting on Michael as early as 1981. They all were.

[@realdealio1]

Alex minimized Eddie's drug use.

[@rottingcorpse6002]

Nailed it.

[@bobravenscraft5376]

Nope untrue see other interviews

[@bobravenscraft5376]

They never mentioned it till he was gone PROFESSIONALISM AT ITS BEST

[@detroitdiezel7856]

​@@bobravenscraft5376Was that English?

[@jeff19554]

Alex minimized his own

[@jamesgeorge65]

I believe Alex is lying. Eddie wanted his son to be the bassist and that’s what happened. The only way they let Anthony in on the reunion tour is if he signed a contract to be paid as a side man, not a member of Van Halen. They treated him horribly. Not everyone is a songwriter.

[@rv9905]

Alex never wrote a song either, at least MA had that great backing voice that was part of the VH sound!

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

Alex never wrote a song? Have you ever been in a band? I doubt it as you have no idea what song writing is. Alex would stay in the studio with Eddie long after Mike the Mullet left the building. The last to show up and the first to leave. His bass playing never improved as EVH kept evolving as did AVH.

[@b1j1b1]

In a nutshell... Alex wrote the drum parts. Ed wrote the guitar parts. Dave wrote the vocal parts. Mike didn't write.

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

@@b1j1b1 A good percent of Mike's bass parts were written by EVH since he never rehearsed. Eddie even wrote some of stuff that deadweight used for his bass solos. He was given the opportunity to show off his bass skills to many millions of concertgoers and he fell short. The effects and noise sounded pretty damn cool I'll be the first to admit but where was the raw talent chop-wise?! EVH had "Cathedral" which requires chops AND creativity.

[@rq5663]

Eddie created the songs along Alex since he played everyday without bass player

[@dakotafred1829]

They screwed Mike!! Al and Eddie were not nice people.

[@davehenry7262]

I saw Van Halen as a kid in 1982 on the Diver Down tour, then on the 1984 tour and then on the 1986 5150 tour. I'm no expert, but I sure as hell can tell you that Michael Anthony was a vital member of the band on those tours. I then saw them on the disaster that was the 2004 tour. Michael was great that night. Eddie was not in good health and it showed in both his appearance and his playing. The drop off from the 82, 84 and 86 tours was unbelievable which was not fun to witness as EVH will always be my guitar hero. So. What do I have to say about Alex's take on why Michael left the band? He's gaslighting himself. Period. End of discussion.

[@paulbattifora7617]

The Beatles at least got their manager to kick Pete Best out - Mike never even got that, but as ever he keeps silent on the issue. Truly a class act

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

Maybe he should break the silence tell all his fans that he was the last person to show up for rehearsal and the first person to leave. That he never improved as a bassist. The VH brothers were always rehearsing and bettering themselves.

[@ej9812]

Eddie’s best friends alcohol and cocaine kicked him out … so sad

[@bobl6139]

And meth

[@anonymousdude4011]

Wow, Alex has the makings of a lawyer.

[@davidshibilia7421]

The Van Halen bros crapped on Mike. Case closed.

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

He deserved it by being forever mediocre. Case closed.

[@b1j1b1]

Not really. He likely would've gotten a much lesser deal from just about every other band.

[@PatriotDave87]

I loved Van Halen but both Eddie and Alex have a hard time telling the truth. We saw this when David and Sammy left. Now with Michael. Michael didn't leave Van Halen, he wasn't invited back for the reunion with Roth. Eddie wanted his son so they basically kicked Michael out. Also you contradict yourself when you say that Eddie wanted full creative control but then felt that Michael wasn't adding anything to the songs. Which is it? Lastly, Michael was the best singer in that band so I seriously doubt that Eddie critiqued Michael's vocals

[@pal4597]

Alex never wrote songs either. There is a clip on KZbin were Alex says this during the Sammy years. Read Noel Monk's book. Manager for Van Halen during the Roth years. You'll get a good idea about the brothers.

[@pal4597]

Wow, I wonder what that would have sounded like with Eddie, Alex, and Billy overplaying with no regards to writing good songs. You know Van Halen because of the tunes. Only guitar nerds would know Eddie without the rest of VH. If Michael overplayed, Alex, Eddie, and especially Dave would have complained about that. Even Billy gives Michael a great deal of respect. Try reading a book especially from someone that actual spent an incredible time with the band. Even Alex mentions him in the book.

[@detroitdiezel7856]

Mike was a good background singer. But certainly NOT the best singer in the band. If that were the case, Mike would have been their lead singer from the get go and been a 3 piece. Sam had the best voice of any of their lead singers.

[@pal4597]

So am I...it's about the song though. If you throw in some killer chops, and it's a great song...that's awesome. Happy New Year.

[@FrancisCsaszar-gv9zt]

That's why Michael Anthony isn't touring anymore, oh wait, he's still touring and kicking major ass musically. And Alex wrote a book. We love you Michael

[@jimsledge5195]

Mike gets the last laugh in the end. Simply did his job in spectacular fashion, stayed positive and/or quiet in the press, and let the other guys destroy the whole thing. I can't wait for his book.

[@robertblair4647]

It was Eddie. He couldn't get along with DLR, so Dave quit. He fired Sammy. He started to remaster Michael's bass on records and wanted him to be an employee instead of a partner. Sad but EVH was a genius that was a little crazy. Michael was the nicest member and is still loyal to Sammy. Met them this year on the 70s Rock Cruise. Nice, humble guys.

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

Of course they are "nice and humble" because they lack talent and vision.

[@JobyOneKenobi7797]

Stuff like this is always the kiss of death for a band. If you want to be in a band, be in a band. If you want to be a solo artist, be a solo artist.

[@deejay7060]

Michael had to sign away his rights to Van Halen Inc just to be apart of the 2004 tour. After that tour completed, he never heard from Ed or Alex again. They’ve been treating him like 💩 since 1984, when they wanted him to sign away his publishing rights from every album. From VH1 up to 1984.

[@eddnodd]

No mention of that in the book of course , poor guy is gone,r.i.p., ❤. And big brother is still trying to justify it

[@emerickworthington1720]

Mike is one of the best background singers ever.

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

And a mediocre bassist who never got better or practiced to keep up with the might VH.

[@robbreu1198]

​@@deathmetaldouglas69Alex paying you to be a troll or what? There's no denying MA backing vocals ,and everyone isn't a songwriter,ask Alex

[@jefffortner3839]

People say MA never wrote anything. Well, never did Alex. He was a VH and wasn't going anywhere, great drummer though. Even if MA would have injected any imput Im sure he would have been told to sit down and shut up until we need some back up vovals, his backing vocals can't be denied. MA was the steady rock of the band and just got pushed to the curb. Wolfie is a great musician and person from what I've read, and I feel he just got caught in the middle with his dad wanting him to play live with VH. The band was a shell of itself by VH standards by 04 and by 85 if you were an original VH fan

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

Not only am I an original fan but played bass/vocals in a VH tribute act. Michael Anthony was not that talented because he never bettered himself by practicing his instrument and hardly rehearsed with Eddie and Alex. When DLR returned with Wolfie on bass they made their best recording since "Fair Warning" so I call bullshit on you.

[@b1j1b1]

False. Alex wrote the drum parts. Huuuuge contribution. Mike apparently didn't write his own parts. So he had a sweet deal for a long time that brought him millions of dollars he likely would not have received in most other groups. There's a reason he has never cried about it...

[@stevetait7322]

Eddie thought MA wasn't pulling his weight with backing vocals. This is laughable. He is VH's backing vocals. They were likely still using them "live" long after Mike left when they were touring with Dave.

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

Dumb claim and false. Wolfie did better on the bass and vocally not much different.

[@digmacdiggydoo]

This is when Van Halen went from a band to a business.

[@AlKeys411]

@@OceanLives-j5k DLR named the band. Which in hindsight was a huge mistake as DLR wrote the melodies and lyrics...

[@donbailey6600]

Alex does mention in his book that towards the end, Ed wanted to tour with the 4 original members of the band but Ed got sick and never recovered unfortunately so it never happened. That's what the man said.

[@leonardvanorden5940]

THIS IS TOTAL BS WE ALL KNOW THE REAL STORY YOU'RE NOT FOOLING ANYBODY.

[@PeterNunn-k5d]

Mike's backing vocals were as integral to the sound of Classic VH as Dave's. Dave really needed him, as could be seen after Mike was gone in the reunions.

[@b1j1b1]

Mike's backing vocals were fantastic...a perfect fit for VH. But not even remotely close to being as integral as Dave's vocals or Ed's guitar or Alex's drums.

[@FramrodLiggins]

..Oh and BTW... Alex was Not talking about Van Hagar when he mentions the classic line-up. He is ONLY talking about the ORIGINAL line-up. His feeling seems to be that the REAL VH was gone when Dave left. He's not wrong...Van Hagar was a different band.

[@HEADLINEZOO]

“The classic lineup” does NOT include Sammy. Alex explicitly stated that in his book which ended without him discussing VH post David Lee Roth.

[@burningdaylights]

This is the comment I was looking for. You nailed it.

[@joncoscio]

Exactly. Was this written by AI? None of this was ever mentioned in his book

[@HEADLINEZOO]

@ In his recent book-promoting interviews Alex explained why he ended his book without talking about the post David Lee Roth years: ‘The magic to Van Halen was David, my brother and myself.’ He talks about that magic in the book. He didn’t think the Sammy years were worth one sentence. Enough said. If this is AI we could use a hell of a lot more of it.

[@ipitythefool2001]

Sorry, van halen ran out Charisma after Dave returned

[@HEADLINEZOO]

@ “As Is”, recorded 28 years after the end of the true classic legit VH lineup, is better than anything the cover band VH did in the previous 28 years. That’s why Alex didn’t bother to mention the Sammy years with the VH cover band.

[@rklewis2]

Michael was hired to play the 2004 tour. Imagine being an original band member, and adding a lot to the output of that band...the insult of it all. I'm surprised he even did it at all. Probably did it for Sammy and not either of the Van Halens. Yeah, Eddie was the main reason that they got so huge, but it's not like there was nothing else there. They ALL added a lot to the sound of the band. I don't know...maybe I'm not cutthroat enough, but I just couldn't do that. To be fair, it's not like Van Halen was the only band that segmented money shares like that. The Beatles did it. Kiss did it. I bet Led Zeppelin did it, and so on.

[@billycain9890]

Mr fingers Eddie Van Halen is still the greatest guitarist to ever play rock music but maybe not a great stand-up guy.

[@cocktailhotel]

If Ed wanted more complete creative control of the Van Halen music, then why would they turn around and be bothered at Michael for not participating more in the writing of the music ? I don't understand. Maybe that's why it ended up not being the best decision to press Michael in doing more with the music to the point where he felt like he should leave the band if not wanted anymore.

[@mijlaid]

Eddie's perfectionism and need to have control. There it is!

[@michaelr.4878]

IF musical contribution was the real and only reason that Michael left, he probably would have been more eager to contribute if his band membership hadn't been revoked and then hired as a salaried employee. He went from 1/4 to being a hired gun..on paper at least. Eddie wasn't going to let him write songs...regardless of his status. Mike was a Sammy guy.........I'm pretty sure that was the biggest issue.

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

He was demoted to "hired gun" status because he did not practice or rehearse to better himself or his role in the group. That's why Wolgang's bass guitar sounds so much better than Mike the Mullet.

[@michaelr.4878]

@deathmetaldouglas69 I find that hard to believe. If true, maybe if he was allowed to play more than do-do-do root notes by Eddie, he would have been more motivated to practice.

[@Diggerdog2nd]

Ed didn't begin to feel Mike didn't contribute to song writing near the end Ed was complaining about that back in the early 80's. Big deal so Mikes not a writer. I'm surprised Ed never got use to that. And Mike didn't leave, He was fired & found out like the rest of us he as he's out. Very disrespectful & unprofessional of the Bro's. And what's that B.S. about Mike not contributing much to the back round vocals ????? I've read the book & Alex wasn't mean to Mike but he did disrespect him again by leaving Mike out of the Thank you section. He's so important he wasn't relevant .

[@garyeldenmaggs2927]

"Michael, we feel you're not contributing enough - so going forward, we're not going to let you contribute..."

[@brianscully3833]

The classic lineup of VH was with DLR as the singer, not Sammy

[@buzzquimby8240]

Mikey is a tremendous talent and class act in every way.He got the boot as soon as wolfie became old enough to tour.Wolfie is a phenomenal talent in his own right for sure but he cant replace Mikey.

[@billycain9890]

Michael Anthony has already come out and said years ago that ghost Brothers decided he should take a pay cut and shouldn't split money and royalties with him because he wasn't contributing enough even though he said his job was to play bass and do backup vocals from the time he joined the band so it was a combination of things it was Michael Anthony feeling like he was an outsider when he was an original member having to take a pay cut and I think Eddie had planned on getting his son the bass playing job when he got a little older.

[@dominicarmata8152]

Wasn't pulling his weight.......he only contributed to some of the greatest music that will live on for eternity forever!!!!!!!!!!love you mikey!!!!!!!!!!mikey continue to carry the van halen flag proudly!!!!!!!!!

[@bobravenscraft5376]

He only brought in Wolf when it was over anyway

[@musicadelrey]

He wanted his son in the band once he got old enough. Eddie was not honorable in his treatment of Mike. According to former VH manager.

[@deathmetaldouglas69]

@@musicadelrey Noel Monk never wrote songs so his imput is not all that credible. He ripped on "Fair Warning" as being a dark record. His book was good but his musical opinion was not much to be desired.

[@musicadelrey]

@deathmetaldouglas69 The cruel way they forced Mike out had nothing to do with songwriting. Eddie had 2 sides. That is obvious. He played on "beat it" and violated a longstanding agreement he cited previously that no member would do anything outside of the band without prior agreement. His excuse. The rest of the band was away on vacation. "Who was going to know"?

[@MrNihilist74]

His bass lines always sounded good on all of the david lee roth van halen stuff. I can't blame Eddie Van Halen for wanting his son to play in the band.

[@petermennona1389]

Mike is a gentleman and integral to VH's success. He sang all the big vocal parts and choruses with Eddie so DLR voice and songs succeeded. Hence, the greatest American rock n roll band was born. VH has been called the American Led Zeppelin and all four founding members are the reason why we hear that analogy, right or wrong. When Sammy left that last time the brothers and him were very much at odds. Mike was very close with Sammy during the falling out. When Wolf turns 14 or 15 he shows a lot of interest in the records that early VH recorded. He starts jamming with Uncle Al and dad by playing bass. Ed gives Wolf the go ahead to call Roth and see if he will come to 5150 and sing. Wolfie takes vocal lessons to develop the chops to sing Mikey's parts. I heard Ed on the phone with Stern proudly praising Wolf as a killer player. I thought that it was just Ed being a proud pop. Actually, he was telling the truth. Wolfie is a killer player. Mike understands how the kid got in the band with his pop and Al. I saw Sam last Summer in NJ. I loved the show. I see VH and Van Hagar as two different entities all together. Sam wrote songs and sang melodies that succeeded with Ed's piano anthems. God Bless him. But Sammy wrote a lot of negative shit about Ed in his autobiography. I believe every word, incidentally. But Al doesn't forgive Sammy for what he perceived as unnecessary ugly portrait of his baby brother. His brother who is now dead. Let Al feel like he wants to feel. He doesn't have to play or talk with Sam. Sammy needs to let it go.

[@greeneyesshow]

Michael Anthony Never quit Van Halen!!!!

[@ericponce8740]

I saw VH in NJ during the 2004 Reunion Tour. Eddie's guitar playing, well, was sloppy...very sloppy.

[@richardsmith9989]

Not fallling for it. Eddie and Alex both felt that Van Halen needed a spark and a change of pace and so they felt Mike at bass was expendable and the bonus was Eddie was able to bring in his son Wolf.

[@DaveHample-h4t]

Well Eddie's dead and Michael still rocking....so....... who wins !

[@HipsterEatinShark]

Everybody dies, but in 200 years Eddie Van Halen will still be known as a legend, a vital influence in music, a virtuoso, a luminary, and a household name. Dave Hemple won’t even be remembered in his own hometown though he lived a few more years than EVH😂 I’d say Eddie wins big time.

[@shaymcquaid]

Mikey's backing vocals WERE =VH=. The brothers did Mike DIRTY.

[@stevenholquin2127]

I Was The Electrician When Van Halen Rehearsed at Sony Studios on Stage 31 & 32 in Culver City Alex Van Halen and Eddie Van Halen Showed Up Every Night For Two Months I Only Saw Sammy Two Times And Michael Anthony About 10 Times And That Was It Michael Anthony and Sammy Didn’t Show Up Sammy For a Party With Friends and Michael Was There Just a Few Days yet Sammy Was Not with The Band He Was With His Friends Sang And Got Out

[@thomasmorris2245]

Maybe part of it was Eddie- and his personal demons is what helped make some changes - Wolfie- is also a Super Talent

[@thudor1]

Seriously?!! Michael was the undisputed GOAT of background vocals!!

[@KelleyMobile]

Agree this is big time spin .. it just further solidifies the fact that no one can get along with the bros, esp Eddie .. If you can't get along with the Red Rocker you can't get along with anyone .. which is a shame because there could have been at least 2 more decades of awesome music coming from this group and one of the best guitarists on the planet ..

[@johnnyfreeman1018]

Eddie wasn't right about everything.....as seen here 👆

[@MoonPieCurtis662]

If Mike not helping write songs or evolving his sound were the reason, why would that matter for the reunion, where they are playing covers from way before?

[@mlaforce]

Of course, Alex is going to paint Eddie and himself in the best light possible. I love the Van Halen brothers for their musical abilities, but they did hurt a lot of people over the many, many years.

[@MichaelMartinez-d5h]

Solid player Respect for others. Doesn't gossip. Real rock player. Not really a Face for 'Hot Sause' And the background music is redundant crud.

[@toddedwards5373]

Dave and Eddie had horrible shows often.i don't recall anyone saying Michael did.

[@AlfPane]

The two brothers are 🔔

[@douglashaner6802]

Lies. They always treated Mike as a guitar for hire. Anthony was a 20% member (manager Noel Monk being the 5th) of all debts and profits, including merchandise, until midway through the 1984 tour, when tensions rose to the point that Roth and the Van Halen brothers insisted that he sign away all future songwriting credit and royalties, retroactive with the current 1984 tour.

[@ronjames6128]

I don't care how great Eddie was as a guitarist, innovator, and songwriter. His ego issues, his addiction issues with alcohol and drugs, were problems that caused a major rift with Roth, Hagar, Anthony, and even Cherone. Alex sided with his brother at times when he probably shouldn't have!!!! And than allowing Wolf Gang in the band was just another slap in the face to Anthony and Roth. Eddie was completely out of control and it showed.

[@grogthegrolie]

This was not in the book, which only covered the time period thru Dave's departure.

[@landofgoshenstudios6402]

Dude ! Mike was fired for doing a gig with Sammy Hager, outside the band. He never left .Ed fired him.

[@randyd5881]

That makes no sense. They wanted more from him and then minimized his role and showed him no respect. Two completely different paths.

[@humanbeing5300]

i think it was more about money, he probably got an equal cut but since he didnt write the tunes, they felt he was overpaid.

[@buckwrestling]

This is just ridiculous. The Van Halen brothers were incredibly talented, but they were also jerks, especially when it came to Mike. I'm glad Michael Anthony is out there playing gigs and feeling the love from fans today.

[@styrmugnsell4560]

The classic line-up, with Sammy Hagar!?!? WTF?? Everybody knows there is no Van Halen without DLR, one of the most interesting, funny, cool and clever frontman...ever...

[@Kur0y4m4]

I’m a fan of VH, and EVH. But Eddie did Mike dirty. Alex writing this just adds to the dirt.

[@barrysaint]

Van Halen was never the same without Michael Anthony's background vocals, I had to laugh at Eddie saying Michael didn't contribute to the band, that is the most ridiculous statement I ever heard, if it wasn't for Michael's high harmony background vocals and his bass lines letting Eddie shine, Van Halen would have never been as big as they were, Michael with his vocals was one of the most important pieces of the classic Van Halen sound, and as bad as Roth sang at times, Michael always came though to back him up with the melodies in the early Van Halen songs !!! Anyone with half a brain knows how important Michael was to the Classic Van Halen sound !!! Thank You Michael Anthony !!!

[@rennoger]

I have nothing but respect for you Michael Anthony way to take the high road. We all know this is a book of fiction...

[@ziskokid1]

Nonsense.....Eddie was out of it all the time....Alex is in denile

[@cwize]

But what about the dynamics?

[@mikerivera7509]

The VanHalens have consistently talked trash on everyone in the band, unless their last name is VanHalen

[@VivaToddVegas]

The VH brothers were jealous of Michael’s friendship with Sammy. And Eddie wanted to bring Wolfgang on tour, so they booted Mike, period.

[@shaymcquaid]

Can you imagine if Alex didn't have a brother what his opinion would be worth?

[@greeneyesshow]

Eddie was not him self at that point.

[@bobl6139]

I call bs.especially on backing vocals. Eddie did nothing for over a decade while in the throes of booze and drug addiction that cost him his marriage. Anthony stayed married for entire career which didn't go over well with the vh brothers either

[@jeffjacobs1963]

This is not in the book at all. Alex hardly mentions Michael. The book ends with David leaving the band and there's really no mention of the hagar years.

[@Bradp18]

Noel Monk's version is what happened. This is bullshit! Alex and Ed were both talented and both full of shit. Money was the biggest factor and getting Wolfgang in the band was the other.

[@kennethchristensen3582]

I am not one to speak ill of the dead, but Eddie treated Michael like shit from the get go. He never got paid his fair share. Then basically pushing him out of the band so Wolfgang could take Mike's spot. Personally I feel that Eddie's ego and Dave's out of control partying were the end of Van Halen. I wish that Dave would've got his shit together. And Eddie would've checked his ego. And if the both of them realized that Van Halen was Eddie, Dave, Alex, and Michael. 4 men made that group. Not just one man. The problem with most bands I've known implode when one member of the band thinks he or she IS the band forgetting the fact. That a band is the sum of ALL it's parts, and not just any one man. I would never buy a ticket to see just 1 member of any band play all their hits on their one instrument. The problem is when you allow your head to blow up so big as to match that if a hot air Ballon. It's better to split equally the money between each member. Unless you as a group decided that the one who writes any of our songs deserves, X amount extra and if they own the rights to the song they wrote. I wish that instead of Van Halen becoming the Dave and Eddie show. They would've acted mature enough to see there were 4 members of the group and embraced that instead of fighting like two little girls. Over which one got the camera time. I would've loved to see VanHalen and what they could've been. If they stuck it out and matured. Rather then what actually happened. And watching them fracture and become the Eddie Van Halen show. Or Van Haggar not to discredit Sammy Haggar because he did a great job fronting the band. And the band Crunk out some great music. I've always referred to that period as Van Haggar. And when Dave handled the vocals, it was Van Halen. It tends to happen to alot of bands. Just look at Kiss and they went from Gene, Paul, Peter, and Ace to just Gene, and Paul and the floating two new replacements.

[@Rockinrollalot]

EVH goal for total control of the band on VH3 and onward was dismal. Its chemistry that made VH as good as they were. Four individuals and different input. Drugs and alcohol can cloud your brain.

[@legasimusic]

Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar, Jason Bonham, and Chad Smith are some of the greatest rock musicians in the world and all chose to work with Michael! He's a world class bass player! Heck, if they don't want them, then let him into my band! LOL!

[@bean11441]

Eddie was strung out at that point probably needed the money to take care of his fix

[@tonykramer949]

Bunch of straight BS, unless Alex paid back all the royalties the band owed to Micheal after cutting him out. Alex couldn't play a decent drum solo to save his life , never wrote a not of music for VH and Michael was never allowed to, what a punk to say this crap. HELL is where he is going to join his brother

[@thrash8315]

After Van Halen III in 1998, there was no albums until 2012: 14 years of nothing.

[@MM-ku2jt]

I believe. Its unfortunate but It happens. First let me say that to me, VH is the top 5 guitarest of all times. With that, i did see a bit of the huge ego that VH seemed to have acquired during the years and this affected all. And by taking out the great bassist, VH screwed themselves in the heart and screwed it up for their music and fans. It's kind of the same issue the Beatles had with George Harrison.

[@Saber_Rattler]

What a load of B.S. Michael is Vanhalen’s harmony machine. He was pushed out for Wolfie. At least he admits it was never the same.

[@2368CHRIS]

The internet rewards people for dillusions of eloquence

[@jamesadams7212]

I was never super impressed with Mike's bass playing, particularly in the later albums. I don't know if it's because he wasn't putting that much into it or because Eddie was holding him back. If I had to guess, it would be the latter. My favorite bass players are Billy Sheehan and Steve Harris. Not too many can write and play at their level.

[@kikiki4592]

Eddie had been trying to dump Michael as early as the Diver Down tour when Talas was opening. Billy Sheehan secretly jammed with them on the tour and as soon as it was over was offered the bass playing job with Van Halen, but turned it down.

[@Pieguy73]

Van halen will always be the original lign up. Sammy was the back up(more hits less rock). Gary was 3rd string.

[@Planktonn-p5j]

Best with Dave

[@TKDunn-qq7kd]

I finished "Brothers" last week - Alex mentions Michael Anthony in maybe four sentences throughout the entire book. This commentary is completely ridiculous and does NOT appear in "Brothers". And to be clear, Michael was never a "songwriter" in Van Halen although he was given equal songwriting credit on many of their songs - just like Alex (who also never contributed to any songwriting!). Even though Michael was stripped of his songwriting royalties years later, Alex retained his throughout the band's history - definitely not fair. Alex Van Halen is a great drummer, but I would not rate his contribution to the band's success above Michael Anthony, who was a great bassist AND provided the high harmony vocals so important to the Van Halen sound. Overall I enjoyed "Brothers", it was quite insightful, but it's definitely one man's take on a series of events and paints David Lee Roth as the (talented) tool I always thought he was. I just wish Alex could have spent a bit more time discussing Michael's key contributions in a band that we was an integral part of...

[@ronniepatterson2827]

What a crock of shit. I once loved the Van Halen brothers. They clearly full of themselves, both of them.