The legendary Van Halen co-founder and drummer Alex Van Halen revealed in an interview with Brazilian journalist Gastão Moreira of the Kazagastão YouTube channel that he is currently working with Toto’s Steve Lukather on what will be Van Halen’s final album. According to him, the drums, guitar, and bass were recorded when the band was still together, working on what would be the follow-up to “A Different Kind of Truth” (2012). The remaining work involves structuring the songs, adding finishing touches, and recording the vocals.
Although David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar and Gary Cherone are still active, he didn’t mention either of them, saying that they had approached Paul Rodgers from Free and Bad Company, who unfortunately couldn’t participate due to voice issues.
Alex Van Halen says he is looking for a singer to complete the final Van Halen album
“Ed and I had a lot of stuff that we made, that we made musically that we never let go. Many people have asked, what about releasing unreleased stuff? Well, we’re not gonna release it in its embryonic form because it wouldn’t make any sense. But I’ve been fortunate enough to have Steve Lukather, who was a good friend of Ed‘s, and we’re working on putting a record together, but it has to be of the quality and the level of where we left it. Not just to say, ‘Hey, here’s some music that we made. If you like it, that’s great.’ No. It has to be the quality that we expect.”
“I call Lukather Luke affectionately. He is the connective tissue. Luke can play anything… But because of this talent that kind of blends in with everything, he doesn’t get the recognition that I think he deserves. And I may be wrong. Maybe he is recognized the world over. He should be, because I can’t play guitar. And I can work things out on a keyboard, but it takes me too long to figure it out. And by that time, the moment is gone. I went to Steve’s house several times and we played a piece of music and he goes, ‘Yeah, I got it.”
He continued:
“That’s it. That’s all we need.’ Then he can do all the connective tissues. He knows where to put the solo, as far as structure and organ and structure and an organization. I have my opinions and he has his, and they are just opinions. So he can facilitate things that would’ve taken me 10 times as long. And I love the guy. We’ve known him for years. These are recordings that were going to be the next record, and that were stopped because (Ed) didn’t live that long… The drums are already recorded. The drums, the guitar and the bass are already in there. What we didn’t have is a vocalist, and obviously the subtleties and the glue — we call it the glue or the spackle. Most of ’em (bass) is Wolf (Wolfgang Van Halen), because these are recordings that were made ready for the next record.”
“We originally had plans to — I think I can probably say without talking outta school, one of the singers who we really, really, really wanted to use for the new stuff was Paul Rodgers, and he has a relationship with Luke and we grew up on Free and all that, but (he) can’t do it anymore. And it was very difficult for him to bring himself to say, ‘No, I can’t. Count me out.’ I respect that. I’m saddened and disappointed, but you know, that’s life… He knows he can’t do it — which I think is better than saying, ‘Yeah, I can do it,’ and then not be able to do it. Luke and I are looking for somebody right now,” Alex Van Halen said (Transcribed by Blabbermouth).