Crazy From The Heat

Other people have complained about the quality of the paper (the photograph sections are particularly horrible and illegible) and DLR's obsession with sex but that's not really an issue that needs to be discussed further, in my opinion. This is undeniably a book that was written by the main character, David Lee Roth. Not a ghost writer within miles...In order to understand (or tolerate) this book, one simply must have a basic knowledge of DLR. This means having seen him in person or on TV/radio. Reading an encyclopedia on DLR or Van Halen will not suffice. The reason I mention this is because DLR is, without a smidgen of doubt, a narcissist. Not a malign, obtuse narcissist like Dr. Evil or Donald Trump - more like a happy-go-lucky narcissist that only connects with people in order to further his/her enjoyment of being the center of attention. If you don't understand this basic fact, then it's quite likely that you'll throw this book in the trash in abject horror prior to reaching the end of the first chapter.Everything is about Dave (it's his book after all). He paints himself in the best possible light almost always and the exceptions are essentially humble-brags. He comes from money and was brought up in exclusive zip-codes but tries to establish his street cred by using awkward, grammatically incorrect statements (usually beginning with "we was"). He mentions several times about working in hospitals (operating rooms and all). Again he's trying to make his after-VH job as an EMT into him being an triage surgeon saving the lives of gunshot victims. He calls the original Mammoth bassist Mike Stone (his name is Mark) and fails to refer Michael Anthony by name but instead as "my bass player" (seriously!!!). Unimportant details, of course - Dave is what matters.The book was written in 1997 prior to the many reunions so there's a lot of anger towards the Van Halen brothers and a lot of defense of his own actions (the solo album, the movie deal, etc). You need to filter through all the self promotion in order to understand the reality of it all. There's a lot of truth in this book (and it's a fascinating read) but understand that Dave is, above everything else, a harmless and fun narcissist.

Yep ,its just as you would imagine a cracking great read and gives you the chance to really understand how this man came to be such a huge rock band frontman influence to all the other frontmen since the late 1970's .I personally met the man in 1988 whilst backstage at The Monsters Of Rock concert at Donnington Park due to Samantha Fox being there (she was at that time keeping Mr Paul Stanley warm at night ) my friend was her photography as she was as any red blooded Sun reader knows hot at that time (press wise I meant ! )Anywho I digress , Mr Roth was like a total whirlwind that day and was so high on his craft (and with the help of some assorted pharmaceuticals )that he seemed to be impossible to manage backstage .Still if you were there front ,back or centre you know that the line up that year was awesome and his stage show and appearance that day was truly breathtaking !!This book is just the same ,truly awesome and some of his stories which even he claims he might not be to sure about are jaw droopingly insane !I mean lets be honest can you imagine the things this man as done ,seen ,eaten ,snorted and drunk etc ..etc since 1974 !So if like me you love this totally unique individual then buy this book and be amazed at how rubbish every other rockstars life as been.... and remember this man and his band VAN HALEN which in my humble opinion started and ended when he left the group is told in his own words and ones that now just recently have been confirmed by the man who again in my humble opinion totally destroyed the magic of VAN HALEN ,Eddy Van Halen .It is bold ,to the point and will I am sure annoy some die hard fans of both VAN HALEN and Eddy but hey as Mr Roth would say in his EAT EM AND SMILE videos ........................FORGET ABOUT IT ..DAVE !! :)

What can you say that Diamond Dave doesn't in his book? I bought this as a holiday read and I must say, I couldn't put it down. I've never been the worlds biggest Van Halen fan, but loved Dave's solo work, so this book was a real education for me. Part traveler, part singer and part philosopher his writing style is easy and a joy to read; almost like having a beer with him and listening!I enjoyed the small chapters that whimsically came from nowhere to interject his story, and for those wanting tell-tales of Rock n Roll: It's all in there. Highlights are the tales of his personal drive to make Van Halen a success, and his strange tales of traveling the world with his friend and roadie. He touches on the demise of VH and his problems with the Van Halen brothers, and I felt (if his side of the tale is to be believed) it pained him greatly that a group he worked so tirelessly to build, could abandon him so quickly.I highly recommend this book, as an insight in to the business and a backstage peek into one of the worlds biggest rock bands. I took a lot of heart from this book, not least of all that Dave really is a Diamond in the rough.. long may he continue to travel and rock! (hopefully with both the midgets..!)

It's a chaotic, digressive and fractured book with sloppily presented "photos" and a lot of narcissistic grandstanding – but that's what you expected, right? It's a pleasure to spend time with the man. His insights into how the music industry works are interesting, but don't expect much about the band or the music. Despite what he says, Dave was always more a front-man than a lead singer. You get the impression he was more concerned with his outfit and the camera angles than with Eddie's solos or Alex's drumming.

Diamond Dave at his larger than life best. Really enjoyed this book.

One of the most addictive books I’ve ever read and that’s a lot of books. Brilliant narrative by Dave and seriously laugh out loud funny in places. There’s no rock stars around like this anymore.