I was trying to take the band in a direction that I thought was appropriate, and Roth was trying to take the band in more of a Las Vegas direction. And there he is.
Music is for people. The word ‘pop’ is simply short for popular. It means that people like it. I’m just a normal jerk who happens to make music. As long as my brain and fingers work, I’m cool.
Sometimes I just want to lick David Lee Roth in the nuts.
We’re musicians. We make music for a living. It’s that simple. Nothing else matters.
Eventually you’ll take the phrases and rhythm patterns you’ve copped and begin to put your own mark on them.
The piano is a universal instrument. If you start there, learn your theory and how to read, you can go on to any other instrument.
On ‘Van Halen,’ I was a young punk, and everything revolved around the fastest kid in town, gunslinger attitude. But I’d say that at the time of ‘Fair Warning,’ I started concentrating more on songwriting. But I guess in most people’s minds I’m just a gunslinger.
We make music for a living. Like I’ve always said, if you like what you’re doing, you’re halfway there; if someone else likes it, that’s even better. If they don’t like it, at least you like it. Not to be selfish, but you kind of have to be.
I’m blessed with a good pair of ears. That’s how I fooled my piano teacher. I’d watch his fingers and I’d listen to it, and I just kind of basically learned it by myself.
I’m not a rock star. Sure I am, to a certain extent because of the situation, but when kids ask me how it feels to be a rock star, I say leave me alone, I’m not a rock star. I’m not in it for the fame, I’m in it because I like to play.
I don’t really know what inspires me to write the music I do, but usually, the music will set the tone for the lyrics.
I’m just a guitarist in a kick-ass rock and roll band. What more could I ask for?
Imagine if Beethoven had a tape recorder. Then you’d know exactly what he meant. Maybe he meant ‘Da da da da’ instead of ‘Boom boom boom boom!’ Who knows?
There are really three parts to the creative process. First there is inspiration, then there is the execution, and finally there is the release.
It’s always a Catch-22 situation. They hate you if you’re the same, and they hate you if you’re different.
I’ve had a hip replacement, I’ve beaten cancer, I had my hand operation, and I stopped drinking. Something inside of me just went, ‘I’m done.’
Some people think a song without words isn’t a real song. Tell that to Beethoven and he’ll kick your ass!
I applied to Uncyclopedia Bassists, and was accepted!!
Major third complications can be overcome by lots of alcohol.
A guitar is just theoretically built wrong. Each string is an interval of fourths, and then the B string is off. Theoretically, that’s not right, all the strings should be off.