An audio clip from Alex Van Halen’s upcoming memoir, ‘Brothers,’ has been released on Spotify.
Called ‘Overture’ and read by the Van Halen drummer himself, the four-and-a-half-minute clip is a tribute to his brother Eddie Van Halen.
“The world’s greatest guitarist is what everyone says. It’s kind of a dicey title. You never liked it,” the rocker told his brother in the message. “I can tell you this much, saying you’re the greatest implies there are many more like you. But there is only one, Edward Van Halen. You could play just a single note and it sounded different, distinct. Miles Davis said it’s not the notes, it’s the intent. It’s that intangible essence that makes the difference between one sound and another.”
“Since you’ve been gone, I catch myself talking to you, yelling at you, in my head or sometimes out loud. I still have trouble believing you’re gone, and probably for me, you never will be. Outliving my little brother, this just wasn’t the plan. As the older brother, I was supposed to die first. Same as always, Ed, butting in line,” the drummer added.
In the clip, Alex also praises his brother’s musical talent and mentions Eddie’s sensitivity to criticism. He adds that he’s watched with ‘anger, grief, and pride’ as the world mourned Eddie and others tried to tell his story but promises to set the record straight in ‘Brothers.’
The book will also feature ‘Unfinished,’ the last piece of music Alex and Eddie recorded together. Alex recently shared snippets of the track on social media.
‘Brothers’ will be available in stores on October 22, and Alex will host two book signings and a live conversation event that same week.