The Chronicles of Michael Christopher
Links to writings. Musings on life. Photography. Travels. Skulls.
Even the most casual readers of this column know I’ve always been a big fan of Van Halen, evident in the number of articles written about them since taking over Rock Music Menu a decade and a half ago. It would be an understatement then to say how much of a shock it came when... Continue Reading →
Tonight (Friday, October 9) I'll be appearing on Coast to Coast AM to talk about the legacy of Eddie Van Halen with host Ian Punnett. It'll be during the first segment, 1:00am - 3:00am ET/10:00pm - 12:00am PT, and can be listened to live on SiriusXM Channel 146 along with a host of terrestrial stations... Continue Reading →
Edward Lodewijk Van Halen passed away today at the age of 65. It's a brutal blow to music and to me personally as his namesake band was one of my favorites - hands down - when it came to rock and roll. I've got many memories from over the years involving Van Halen, and will be... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, as part of the 7th anniversary of Vanyaland celebration, I linked to a piece written for the online magazine about seven artists I personally think should be way, way more popular than they are. That was the first of two features I did for the landmark occasion, the second being seven revealing things I've... Continue Reading →
During the 70s and 80s, Ted Templeman was hands down the hottest producer in rock music. He worked on some of the most memorable records in the history of the genre, like Van Morrision's Tupelo Honey, The Doobie Brothers' Takin' It to the Streets and the first six albums by Van Halen. Seeing the words... Continue Reading →
Unbeknownst to fans at the time, come 1995 the relationship between Sammy Hagar and the brothers Van Halen had seriously deteriorated. Their fourth album together, Balance, was released that January, and by the following spring, they'd split. The recording of the LP had been anything but smooth, leading producer Bruce Fairbairn to ask Eddie Van... Continue Reading →
Today marks the 25th anniversary of Van Halen's final studio album with Sammy Hagar at the helm, the uneven Balance, which was released January 24, 1995. Though it wasn't clear at the time, the band was falling apart from the inside out, which had quite a bit to do with the mess laid down on... Continue Reading →
September allegedly kicks off the fall around these parts, so I decided to deliver my first "MC News Repository." This is where I'll provide links to articles of note for each particular month. It'll be a good place to catch up on what I've been working on for a variety of publications. This was a... Continue Reading →
"I am with the whole team right now. We want to know who you are writing for and where we can follow up and find your stories at. Are you on assignment or can you get assigned by one of your publications. Please let me know asap. Thanks" I received that message from Van Halen's... Continue Reading →
