In this episode, we have Eddie Van Halen and Michael Anthony. At the time of this interview in 1989, Van Halen was in Japan promoting their OU812 tour and record.. In the interview, Van Halen talks about how Eddie wants to be remembered when he dies, David Lee Roth and Ted Templeman, their album OU812, why Eddie is still not 100% sober, and so much more. 

We have also added a bonus interview with Eddie alone from 1985.

The interview is conducted by Steve Harris. To learn more about Steve, please check out our podcast-only interview with him, which is out now.

00:00 - Intro

01:03 - Start to Eddie Van Halen Michael Anthony interview

01:15 - Is there a formula to make hit records?

01:45 - Eddie Van Halen enters the conversation

02:34 - Is Van Halen more like a family?

03:03 - If David Lee Roth is a businessman

04:13 - Is OU812 more straightforward?

05:38 - How has the age of fans affected the music?

06:42 - How Eddie wants to be remembered when he dies

07:06 - What separates Eddie from his clones

07:43 - Eddie talks about Jimmy Page

08:28 - Can Van Halen burn out musically?

08:55 - His playing when he first learned to play

09:35 - If they think as they get older, they lose certain things

09:59 - If they ever go back to the older Van Halen music and why he build 5150

11:03 - If Eddie ever becomes too indulgent

12:02 - How much input do producers have? Talks about Ted Templeman and Mick Jones

12:45 - David Lee Roth and Ted Templeman’s theory on covering hit songs

13:46 - Guns ’n Roses

14:12 - Drugs and drinking

14:51 - Did Eddie ever go too far with partying?

15:31 - With David Lee Roth leaving, did that lift a cloud?

16:09 - Does Eddie need to drink to write music?

18:03 - Did Eddie and Al go sober at the request of their father?

18:40 - Eddie tells the band to calm down during their first tour

19:22 - Van Halen band meetings

19:48 - Is Van Halen a democracy?

20:33 - What would Eddie have done if he wasn’t a guitarist

21:21 - Eddie talks about playing piano as a kid

23:09 - Does Van Halen bring out violent impulses from fans?

23:42 - Does he like any current bands?

24:27 - Sammy Hagar walks in

24:56 - Why Eddie started playing guitar [Start of the interview from 1985]

25:58 - Was his guitar like his friend

26:51 - Al and Eddie money making scam

28:08 - How Eddie depends on Alex, and how Al took over Ed’s drums

30:58 - What makes Van Halen good?

32:17 - When did Ed know Van Halen was something special?

32:51 - His love for his guitar and family

34:52 - What will it take for him to realize people appreciate him

35:56 - Eddie avoiding fame

36:28 - Why does he go onstage?

37:34 - Does he feel like a rockstar?

38:18 - What he dreamt of when he first started with Van Halen

38:53 - Alex throwing drumsticks at him

40:36 - Why he detunes

41:18 - He hates books

42:28 - The backstory to the song Girl Gone Bad

44:05 - Why was 1984 important to Eddie’s mental health?

44:56 - Eddie Van Halen plays Crossroads

47:50 - How old was he when he learned Crossroads?

48:10 - Is he happy while playing?

48:41 - Why he likes being alone

49:00 - Have people told him he was nuts?

49:15 - How has the success of 1984 changed him

50:06 - Did he think Jump would be a hit?

50:49 - Does he get pleasure from playing music?

51:40 - Could anyone play like Eddie?