It is the final song that Alex wrote with his late brother
Ahead of the release of his memoir Brothers, Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen has revealed a previously unreleased Van Halen track. It is the final song that Alex and his late brother, guitarist Eddie Van Halen, wrote together. Titled “Unfinished,” the instrumental effort clocks in at just over six minutes. Stream the audio below now.
Last October, Van Halen released The Collection II box set. The new release was a sequel of sorts to 2015’s The Collection, which featured the band’s six albums that were recorded with original lead singer David Lee Roth. The second set includes 5150 (1986), OU812 (1988), For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991), and Balance (1995). These records represent the band’s phenomenal streak of four No. 1 Billboard 200 albums in a row. Additionally, fans will enjoy the Studio Rarities 1989-2004 LP, an exclusive compilation that assembles eight gems from the Hagar era for the first time. Among these rarities is “Crossing Over,” the B-Side to Balance’s “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You”, and the band’s only non-album B-side.
The compilation boasts other exceptional highlights, including the band’s cover of Little Feat’s “A Apolitical Blues” and the instrumental “Baluchitherium,” which were originally left off the vinyl versions of OU812 and Balance, respectively. Additionally, the set features two songs the band contributed to the Twister Soundtrack – “Humans Being” and the Grammy®- nominated “Respect The Wind.” Rounding out the set are “It’s About Time,” “Up For Breakfast,” and “Learning To See,” which were recorded during the band’s temporary reunion with Hagar in 2004. All three debuted that year on Van Halen’s second greatest hits collection, The Best of Both Worlds.
In his upcoming memoir Brothers, Alex Van Halen gives fans an intimate look into life with his brother, Eddie Van Halen.
“I was with him from day one,” Alex writes 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. We shared a depth of understanding that most people can only hope to achieve in a lifetime.”
Brothers arrives tomorrow, October 22, through HarperCollins.
Fans can download the track now HERE