Van Halen’s Earliest-Ever Recording Is Finally Getting an Official Release 52 Years Later

Van Halen fans are in for a treat. Genesis Publications will release a new book, Van Halen, written and curated by Alex Van Halen.

The limited edition release includes only 1,500 printings, all of which Alex himself signed. Most of those copies are part of collector box sets.

In addition to the book itself, those box sets will include several extras, most notably an exclusive 7″ picture disc featuring the previously unreleased 1974 live recording “Glitter,” together with a spoken-word recording from Alex.

The collector boxed set also include replicas of a 1979 Van Halen Productions keychain, three Eddie Van Halen guitar picks, and six art postcards.

The vegan leather-bound box sets feature silver page edging and a silver debossed Van Halen logo from the band’s 1978 world tour.

As for the book itself, it’s being billed as the official chronicle of the band. It traces Alex and Eddie Van Halen’s journey from their childhood to the release of their chart-topping album, 1984.

Alex tells the story through a collection of correspondence, tour memorabilia, album artwork, press material, and musical equipment. It also includes previously unpublished photographs.

That archival material is accompanied by Alex’s original manuscript. Drawn from a series of new interviews, the manuscript is Alex’s most sustained and detailed reflection on the band’s formative years.

The book also includes contributions from fellow musicians, friends, and artists.

Van Halen is now available for pre-order. It’s will ship in November.

Alex Van Halen’s First Memoir

The new book follows Alex first release, Brothers, which came out in 2024. The book was described as Alex’s love letter to his late brother, who died in 2020.

“I was with him from day one,” Alex wrote in the book. “We shared the experience of coming to this country and figuring out how to fit in. We shared a record player, an 800 square foot house, a mom and dad, and a work ethic.”

“Later, we shared the back of a tour bus, alcoholism, the experience of becoming successful, of becoming fathers and uncles, and of spending more hours in the studio than I’ve spent doing anything else in this life,” he added. “We shared a depth of understanding that most people can only hope to achieve in a lifetime.” 

Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns