Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga is a compelling and entertaining look at the history of the band. From their early days to their rise to massive success to the three different lead singers, Van Halen's interesting and drama filled career is chronicled in detail. Author Ian Christe does an excellent job illuminating the dynamics and chemistry of a band with a lot of turmoil and personality conflicts. He weaves the nuts and bolts of basic information with great anecdotes and stories.
Van Halen is the perfect band to write a book about because of their musical legacy and the turmoil both in public and behind the scenes. The conflicts between Roth and Eddie Van Halen, Eddie's substance abuse issues, the successful but also tumultuous Sammy Hagar era, the brief Gary Cherone era and the many reunions and near reunions are just some of the topics covered in this book.
I really enjoyed the book and Christe's writing style, but wonder about what the sources for the book were. There is no bibliography or list of people interviewed, so I'm not sure if the info came from old magazine articles or if there were sources close to the band that contributed some of the stories and information for the book.
Whether you're a serious Van Halen fan or someone with just a passing interest in the band, there is plenty in Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga to keep you turning the pages.
