The legendary Van Halen co-founder and drummer Alex Van Halen is currently promoting his new book “Brothers” which tells the story of him and his brother, besides of course, the band Van Halen, but only until the album “1984”. During a session of questions and answers with Ariel Levy in Los Angeles, the musician answered what is the best thing about being a musician.
The best thing about being a musician according to Alex Van Halen
(Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage) “It gives you the sense of, even though it’s an illusion, that you are free to go and roam the planet and bring happiness to the people you are playing for. In your own little way, you think you’re changing the world for the better. I don’t know if that’s what we accomplished but that’s the goal.”
Then he talked about the worst thing about being a musician. “Actually there is no worst part. I was taught that for all the highs, you will have an equal amount of lows. So it’s almost like for a precursor of the nasty times, when you’re riding high and all of the sudden you experience the lows.”
“I don’t know if it’s a metaphysical fact or a superstition or island voodoo. But in the balance, the order of the universe, every time you have a high you gonna have a low somewhere. But you don’t do the lows in public (laughs). You create the illusion that you are always happy,” Alex Van Halen said.
With the audiobook of “Brothers”, a final instrumental song made by the two, called “Between Us Two” was released. The beautiful six-minute instrumental track really sets the incredible mood for his book and audiobook, which was narrated by himself.