Rock 101/Van Halen Rising By Greg Renoff

1978. AC/DC puts out the classic Powerage. Judas Priest release Stained Class. Scorpions drop on the public Taken By Force. What do these three albums have in common?

They all stalled on the American Charts! None of them cracked the Billboard Top 100 unlike the four long hairs from Pasadena California calling themselves Van Halen.

David Lee Roth/Eddie and Alex Van Halen along with Michael Anthony did what AC/DC,Judas Priest and Scorpions couldn’t do in the United States and that’s sell records.

Van Halen’s debut titled simply enough Van Halen got as high as 19 on the Billboard Album Charts selling over 2 million copies. If your thinking overnight success not really and Greg does a very in-depth detailed look at the years leading up to 1978 and the release of the debut album. That’s as far as the book goes and it’s a awesome representation of the early years and struggles of Van Halen. Believe it or not they worked there asses off and it as we all know paid off in spades but getting there for these guys was tough.

Van Halen Uprising explains it all!

Greg did his homework here. Well over 200 interviews with people associated with the early years of Van Halen. Plus as an added bonus there are pictures  of  the earliest incarnations of Pre VH of photos who played with Ed and Alex  and also pics after Anthony joined.(pics I have never ever seen) Too be honest I’m not big on unauthorized books except for this one as Greg interviews key people to give this book a ton of legitimacy like Pete Angelus (who toured and worked for Halen and with Roth when he went solo) Neil Zlowzer(photographer) and the two biggies to gain street cred with me and that’s Ted Templemen(VH’s Producer) and Michael Anthony(VH’s  bass player)

One  of the many great things about this book are things that I didn’t even know about Van Halen is that Ed and Alex had auditioned David Lee Roth as far back as 1971 and he failed 4 auditions with the brothers. I’m not gonna give it away but the friction between Roth and  Van Halen was boiling long before 1978 rolled around. Some of the earliest band names of VH were Trojan Rubber Company,Genesis(until they heard about the British Genesis) and Mammoth(which I had read about).

The Brothers VH went through a few bass players before settling on Michael Anthony and the real deal of this book for myself is Greg goes at detail when VH opened for U.F.O and better still when the one and only Gene  Simmons shows up and begins working with VH! For every Kiss and Van Halen fan out their  was always talked that Gene had Ed play on some Kiss demos around the time of Love Gun. Greg goes into great detail on this time frame of the Simmons/VH alliance fallout and  disappointment that VH were dealt with. (Course we know the ending) this part is the Meat And Potatoes of the book!

We also get to read how Warner Brothers Records came to signing the band. It’s all here. No stone is left unturned!

What’s another real slick move on Greg’s part is his breakdown almost dairy like of the recording of the debut album. Greg places dates and this is not a bunch of B.S as its Ted Templemen (VH’s producer of the first 6 studio albums) giving the timeline of the debut albums recording.

Of course there’s also the tour details of Van Halen’s first Arena Tour opening for Black Sabbath and countless others. Also In true record company fashion you can read about the sordid details of how VH sells 2 million copies of their debut yet owe Warner Brothers 1 million dollars!

Welcome to the biz boys!

This is a totally awesome read! Hunt this book down its well worth it. Greg digs deep with interviewing a ton of people associated around VH(Templemen) and in VH (Anthony). I have even seen with my own eyes Billy Sheehan and Gregg Bisonette (Roths Bass Player and Drummer on the Eat EM And Smile Album and Skyscraper releases) even call Uprising a must read!

I could go on but Nope…buy this book and support a music fan (Renoff) who took the initiative to tell the story of Van Halens origins to a fan (myself) who has followed Van Halen for 36 years yet new little about their  pre 1978 history.

Bravo Mr Renoff!

ROCK 101…Carl Dixon/Strange Way To Live

So of all the rock biography books that I have read lately for example Joe Perry/Paul Stanley/Stephen Pearcy/ Sammy Hagar the one that interested me the most was Carl Dixons Strange Way To Live(A Story Of Rock N Roll Resurrection) The reason is simple all those musicians I have mentioned above all ended up millionaires and more power to them but although Carl may have not tasted the Holy Grail of a Rock N Roll Payout. Dixon is a millionaire and has won the lottery in more ways than the Stephen Pearcys off the world have its just in a different kind of way!

Let me explain it to Ya……

Alright,so everyone knows my deal here at Arena Rock about how much the three  Coney Hatch albums(the self titled and Outta Hand) had on my sonic senses as a young lad back in 1982 thru to 1985s Friction(title makes total sense now after reading Carl’s assessment of the recording and interband working relationships).

I’m getting ahead here….

The first part of Carl’s journey ( after two  great forwards by Larry Gowan and Pat Stapleton) is about Carl growing up in Sault Ste Marie Ontario and he talks about the Dixon clan and his Grandma who Carl says is one of his heroes as in 2011 she celebrated her 100th Birthday. You know by reading in the early part of the book how much family has meant to  Carl.

Carls career as a professional musician starts at the age of 16 and he gives credit where credit is due to his music teacher in high school a lady by the name of Sharon Sibthorpe who also contributes a page in the book as well and commends Carl on his dedication to being a musician and taking his craft seriously. They have the upmost mutual respect for each other.

From there Carl writes in detail about his earlier bands that he was in like Boots and than onto Olias  back to Boots who borrowed a name of a band to become Hollinger(great story) back to Boots to which they finally called themselves Alvin Shoes who became a touring act like Carl says you drive all day Sunday to play your next bar in some forsaken Northern Ontario city to perform 4 shows a night 6 days a week and living in seedy conditions with cheap pay to do it all over again but the gratitude he says is when the crowd appreciates what your doing. Many are called….few are chosen! Eventually Alvin Shoes packed it in except Carl whose decides to keep going.

Firefly is the name of Carl’s next band which was based out of Montreal and he as he puts it had to fight to get his 2 songs into there set and like anything times were tough so Carl packed up and went back to Toronto and hooks up with Andy Curran,Steve Shelski and Dave Ketchum and they become Coney Hatch!

The Coney Hatch part of the book is a big reason I was looking forward to this read. Back when they were putting out records there was press but not too much. Carl here tells it how he remembers it as like he says he stayed pretty focused meaning he stayed straight so what he says is not just some juiced up rock n roll frat party!

Coney Hatch became a big deal in the Toronto area in the early 1980s being discovered by Kim Mitchell and this led to there deal with Anthem Records (home of Rush and Max Webster) Some cool facts from Carl in the early years of Coney are.

They signed for $10,000(1982) and there lawyer bill was $9,364 meaning Carl,Andy,Dave and Steve split $366 between them to get to there next gig! (Welcome to the Music Business).

Carl speaks highly of Kim Mitchell who produced the debut(1982) and guided them through the studio and showed them the ropes.

Coney started making the Rounds touring wise opening for Trooper/Saga/Peter Frampton but the one show that stands out in the book is when Coney returned home to open for Cheap Trick and Ted Nugent in Toronto. Cheap Trick were cool to hang with but Nugents road crew gave Coney shitty sound and basically sabotaged there homecoming but as Carl puts it you put your head down and get on with it even if people in  the crowd can’t hear you!

Judas Priest is a band they opened a ton of shows for as well and Carl has nothing but high praise for Priest especially singer Rob Halford who would hang out with Coney and even occasionally drive with them to gigs! No ego whatsover and Dixon says that both Priest band and Crew treated them very well!

When Coney went to do the second record (1983s Outta Hand)they were manipulated by management and there record company in dumping Mitchell producing there second record and hiring Max Norman(producer of the first two solo Ozzy Osbourne records) and it wasn’t a pleasant fit! Band had no say in the matter…

Opened for Iron Maiden on Maidens 1983 Piece Of Mind tour and like Priest Carl says Maiden were awesome to tour with and still remain pals to this day. Watch out for those flying M80s In Seattle Carl!

By the time the Hatch record  1985s Friction there third release it is a aptly named record to say the least. Problems with producers ( they had to reluctantly go back to Max Norman) management,changing drummers(Dave Ketchum gets the boot) not getting on a big tour,and inner band turmoils and Dixons marriage was crumbling as well so he bid adieu to Coney Hatch and moved on.

This part of the story is about survival,working odd jobs to support his young family becoming a staff song writer out of New York than losing that job joining the Guesss Who as the keyboard guy basically doing the Burton Cummings deal! Moving on and joining April Wine as the keyboard/guitar slinger and Also there are numerous rock stories to go along with him joining these bands! Carl pulls no punches in regards to other musicians behaviours etc. I wouldn’t even so much say dishing the dirt as opposed to just calling it like it is! I think Carl tends to take the high road on most of it but he gives you great examples on what it like to be on other bands payrolls! Hired Gun I guess they call it!

Of course the book also goes into great detail on Carl’s  car accident when visiting his daughter who was filming a TV show down in Australia and his long road back to recovery.( He has a pic of the car that he was in the accident,it’s amazing he survived. I’m sure that’s not the first time he has ever  heard that or read that comment) I think this is the part of the book where he finds Resurrection and happiness in both his personal and professional life after something so traumatic.

Of course it all comes full circle as he reconnects with the original Coney Hatch fella’s and they put out the very good cd titled ‘Four’ back in 2012.

This book was a great read and as a fanboy of Coney Hatch from 1982 it was great to read about Carl Dixons obstacles and how he always survived and his journeys to do what he loves to do without the real fame and fortunes of rock stars! Carl just found fame and fortune travelling down other roads !