Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock

Most rock star autobiographies are pretty much the same. Guy grows up in a dysfunctional house in bad neighborhood (The father in this story was the town drunk and the city is Fontana, CA, known to some as Felony Flats), guys falls in love, gets married, has a kid all the while struggling to keep a career as a musician going. Guy has limited success for awhile. There are ups. There are downs. Finally guy hits it big. Joins an existing successful rock band and makes it even bigger. Now either the author or someone close to the author has substance abuse problems which threaten the success of the band that has made it.

Okay, so in this case Sammy Hagar does have a remarkable story to tell: He was the guy who was crazy enough, in a controversial move, to replace David Lee Roth as the lead singer in Van Halen back in the mid-80's, and at the same time turn his back on a highly successful solo career. As a sophomore in high school, I remember the release of "5150" with nervous anticipation. I wanted to project to work, but the newly released single, "Why Can't This Be Love" wasn't my cup of tea. Needless to say, even if the album wasn't perfect, the record was pretty good.

What makes Hagar's book so intriguing is his story telling style. He's very honest and matter-of-factly. There are several amusing anecdotes throughout the book but sadly the book does deal with the drinking problems of band mate Eddie Van Halen and the fall out that took place ten years into Hagar's tenure as Van Halen singer. Die hard fans of Van Halen will probably be familiar with a lot of the drama written about here, but it's presented tastefully, not in a "I'm good, they're bad" kind of style.

As a fan of Van Halen since the days of DLR, I would really like to read a autobiography written by Michael Anthony, Van's Halen's bassist who was quiet during Roth split 1, Roth split 2, and Hagar split 1 as well as the coming and going of Gary Cherone. There would be a book for VH fans.

I liked Sammy's solo music, but when he joined Van Halen, it raised him up a notch in my book. Although the prose isn't that great, the book is an easy read. Sammy is pretty balanced in explaining his triumphs and problems. He's pretty hard on the Van Halen brothers, especially Eddie, but his criticisms appear accurate. The book really portrays Eddie as a troubled genius, battling some form of inner demons. Sammy doesn't give enough credit to the band overall, though. The songs he co-wrote with Van Halen are so far superior to his solo stuff that it's not even a close call. Yes, he made lots of money and became famous as a solo artist, but "I Can't Drive 55" and "Heavy Metal" can't compare to "Dreams" or "Judgement Day" just to name a couple examples.

There's alot to admire about Sammy: his work ethic, refusal to quit, love of family, business acumen. However, he's not perfect, with his infidelities, drug use etc. All in all, he comes across as well grounded despite his substanital wealth and fame. He's mostly objective, but no autobiography can be 100% so. Bottom line: easy read, some fun stories, but it's not going to win any awards.

SPOILER ALERT! I cover some of the book's high- and low-lights in the following review.

It's true that this book seems remarkably candid, so much so that I think some passages reveal more than Sammy may have ever intended. Particularly his attitude toward his first wife, Betsy. My jaw hit the floor when, after her mental breakdown during the recording of "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and his taking a year off to care for her, he basically came out and said he felt like he'd finally done enough to justify leaving her.

As his fame grew, he'd first subscribed to the Bill Clinton definition of cheating while on the road, but eventually succumbed to full-frontal temptation. All the while claiming sex with his wife was still great. I know, we expect this kind of behavior from rock stars, but the first Mrs. Hagar married the guy before he was famous and probably didn't know what she was walking into. His characterization of her as mentally unstable and "weak" also shocked me.


Meanwhile, his current wife is carrying on w/ him knowing full well he's married to No. 1.

Describing the birth of his first child with wife No. 2 as more meaningful than that of a child with his first wife also was a stunning admission. I give him points for candor, but he sure comes off as something of a dirtbag. (I also wonder how friend and foreword-writer Michael Anthony feels about being called a "loyal dog.")

Finally, unrelated to personal ethics, his descriptions of EVH as, at best, a drunk and, at worst, completely certifiable, made me wonder how the heck the band was ever able to craft some of those classic songs. If Eddie can barely stand, how is he able to even understand verse/chorus/bridge structure?

You don't get much insight into Sammy's creative process here. He mentions the writing of a handful of specific songs, but doesn't go in depth into why certain subject matter might resurface in his writing or if any particular chord progressions mean anything to him.

He's also very open about how, in his late career, he views himself more as a businessman who has a music hobby. But I believe him when he says this fact has allowed him more creative freedom to explore music that is outside his image.

BTW, his self-belief that his lack of desire to be a billionaire (even though he could be if he wanted to, natch) makes him a "working class hero" is patently ridiculous.

So, my star rating is for the readability of the book and the honesty. If I were to rate the man as a human being, I'm sure there would be fewer stars.

The book was good, very easy and quick read. It seemed like the second half of the book was written to fast and some parts were confusing. He talks about how he left his wife, but then the next chapter goes into them living in Cabo. It would of been nice to add information about his relationship with his kids now, especially Andrew. For whatever reason it seemed like he ran ragged at the end and just wrote what he had to in order to get the book completed

I think he is honest and not pulling any chains, but seriously, there were a lot of ego-rising statements in there talking about his Ferarri's and other cars and toys. Completely understand the connection with him and those toys, but it wasnt necessary to write a chapter about how Ferarri built him a custom car. Some comments felt like he was just showing off. Again, more info on the family life instead of the car life would of held my attention to the book a bit better.

Overall it's a good read, best way to say it is think of a movie, this is one where you don't need to pay a full ticket price, just wait for the dvd.

There was a bio that was written about 10 years ago with another author called "In The Red", in it were much more explosive details about Hagar's run in's with Rush manager Ray Danniels, Danniels comments on Rush being over with and washed up and that Van Halen was his true golden meal ticket. His details in those chapters were way better written and definitely more interesting as the conversations were noted more between Hagar and other managers and producers and band members.

This book comes off like it was written in a hurry for some reason. Hagar should have added another 70 or 80 pages of real dirt into his time with and post Van Halen. He held back sadly and chose a co-author who really threw it together so to speak.

Eddie Van Halen comes off as exactly what he is...a lunatic. If you met him in person and spent time with him you would understand exactly what I am saying. A user if there ever was one and a real issue with narcissism.

That being said I find it funny to read Hagar bash on Van Halen for doing all these drugs and booze and saying how bad drugs are and how they can destroy your life (read the Stephen Stills/Metallica chapter), and there is Sammy right along with them and members of the Grateful Dead constantly getting stoned or doing blow all of the time.

It's rock and roll...I get it.

But Hagar always came off to me as a guy who didn't need a ton of blow to have a good time all of the time.

Oh...and if he sent me home drunk and stoned off my ass to get in my car after it almost went off a cliff? I would lose him as a friend for life. How could he tell him to drive home in that condition?

Ridiculous life this guy has lived that's for sure and for that reason I give this book 3 stars. But I am glad I got my hands on the original book chapters which were stopped due to a lawsuit.

Having been a Sammy Hagar fan, having met the man several times, and having known his family for several years, I was disappointed.

Sammy airs some laundry simply for the sake of sensationalism in this book. There's nothing new here (although I think that his recent interviews on MTV will show the jury that he's going the way of Tom Cruise and Charlie Sheen and going "bat S*** crazy"). It is only a loose description of his real life where everything is larger then it really is and the only thing that can compare would be Sammy's own ego.

I'm sorry, this isn't compelling stuff.

I would liken it to Madonna's movie "Truth or Dare". Was I the only one that LOVED her before the movie and then, after seeing how a horrible person she was, had a hard time even listening to her music??

If you LIKE and/or LOVE Sammy (like so many Sammy fans do in an idolatry sense of the word), this might not be for you.

He doesn't come off as a nice person and, upon reading it, I had to call my friends who are Hagar family members and see how they were doing.

Sorry, Sammy... Not your finest hour.

This is Sammy's story, and you can tell the enthusiasm he has for HIMSELF in every page. But it's pretty dopey throughout. Sammy is so in love with himself and his accomplishments, his faux modesty comes across as entirely disingenuous. However, if you're looking for dirt on the Van Halen brothers, David Lee Roth, Ronnie Montrose, and others, this is probably your book. I dug it for what it was, but I was sure glad once it was over. Wait for a sale. And no matter how you slice it, Van Halen >>> Van Hagar any day of the week. Twice on Sundays. I don't care how many records you sold.

Long-time Sammy fan - love the attitude, the music, tequila, cantina, etc. I had March 15th on my calendar for a few months and ran out to read the book yesterday. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. As a fan, there wasn't much in terms of new information (though the family background was interesting) and the writing itself was only "ok" (accidentally noticed several misspellings / grammar problems throughout) - though I'd blame these on the co-author.

The book isn't bad, but it's not of the same quality we've come to expect when it comes to Sammy-related stuff. At 200 pages, it's also very short. The whole thing just seems kind of rushed.

Long story short, it's an "ok" book, but for long-time fans, it's largely a retelling of stories you heard from Sammy during interviews over the years. That said, if Sammy put out another book tomorrow, I'd go out & get that one too.

Sammy's book is a pile of lies and B.S. He was never big, and Van Halen pulled him up from the gutter of trash rock.

# Adam says:
April 26th, 2011 at 2:50 pm

I'm a longtime fan of BOTH VH singers and longtime commenter at VHND. I thought I knew Sammy before this book came out, but I simply can not believe how much he lies in the book! Is he lying about Eddie? I don't know because I wasn't there. All the lies that I spotted are lies that any knowledgeable fan could spot. He is shamelessly rewriting history. I have numbered the lies I spotted below:

1) Page 54: "...the first Montrose album has sold more than 4 million records over the years." According to the RIAA, it's certified just ONE million. (Worldwide sales are barely more than USA sales for all Hagar's albums).

2) PAGE 78: "I sold out the Oakland Coliseum that Fourth of July" [1980]. He fails to mention that he was on the bill with 4 other bands, three of which were hugely popular at the time: Blue Oyster Cult, REO Speedwagen, and Triumph, (and also Randy Hanson). Hagar conveniently implies he sold it out by himself.

3) PAGE 80: [In 1982]: "We went out on tour, headlining arenas, double nights in a lot of places." From my years working in concert promotion at Electric Factory in Philly in the '80?s (a huge concert promoter back then), I have the list of Sammy's 1982 tour dates straight from Pollstar. There was only ONE city listed where he played twice: San Francisco. Again, he is lying through his fake teeth.

4-7) Page 90 contains one incredible paragraph that is the biggest pile of B.S. I've ever read relating to Van Halen in my life!:

"The tour for VOA was my most successful. I sold out arenas everywhere, two, three, or four nights some places, one of the top grossing tours in 1984-right up there with Van Halen, who broke at the same time with "Jump" and all that. I remember getting an award in Portland, Oregon. I sold out two nights and got the Show of the year. Van Halen was runner-up. We were neck-and-neck on the road. My album was 1.6 million, but they ended up selling 10 million records."

4) "VAN HALEN "BROKE" WITH JUMP IN 1984?? How he belittles VH's earlier success! I was under the impression that they broke in 1978, when they exploded with their earth-shattering debut, rewriting the rules for rock music and sold 2 million copies right out of the gate! Ed was winning every guitar player award in site. In only their first year, VH far eclipsed everything that Montrose & Hagar ever did. Everyone was talking about VH in '78, and NO ONE was talking about Hagar or Montrose.

5) "I SOLD OUT ARENAS EVERYWHERE, TWO, THREE, FOUR NIGHTS IN SOME PLACES, ONE OF THE TOP GROSSING TOURS IN 1984-RIGHT UP THERE WITH VAN HALEN".

Wow. With this statement, Hagar completely abandons any mindset that the "truth" is sacred. He is SHAMELESSLY rewriting history here. VAN HALEN was the monster that was selling out multiple arenas, not him! Hagar COULDN'T EVEN PLAY most cities on the east coast because he simply wasn't popular over there. Hagar could sell out arenas in the midwest and in California, and that's practically it. His VOA tour was his biggest tour ever, yet he played ONE night in each city except for places where he was big, such as St. Louis, Dallas, and San Fran, where he played two nights. He was playing ONE night in virtually every city (not 2-4), and overall, he played smaller venues than where VH was booked, and sold far less tickets in those venues. The VH tour was a 100% sell-out virtually everywhere, and on the other hand, Hagar had plenty of cities where he could only sell 30%-50% of the tickets, even after "I Can't Drive 55'.

6) "We [VH & his band in 1984] were neck-and-neck on the road." On what planet? Anyone who was alive during the '80's knows that Van Halen was infinitely more popular than Hagar. Perhaps Hagar was the only person on EARTH who didn't see it that way. In 1984, Van Halen was through the stratosphere - their tour absolutely dwarfed all other rock band's tours, especially Hagar's.

7) "I remember getting an award in Portland, Oregon. I sold out two nights and got the Show of the Year." Again, from my years working in concert promotion, I have here Sammy's 1982 tour dates. He played ONE night in Portland, Oregon, on 3/19/82, at the Memorial Coliseum. The dates before and after were both in Washington. No other Portland dates.

8 ) Page 113: "Before I joined the band, Van Halen didn't have a particularly tight show. Roth would talk. They'd do another song. Ed would play a 20 minute guitar solo. They would do another song. Roth would talk some more, another song, Al would do a drum solo for 30 minutes. On the 1984 tour...they were doing 8 songs in a 2 hour show. They ended every song the same way."

Any fan who reads this who either saw Van Halen before Sammy joined, or owns ANY amount of old Van Halen bootlegs, knows that every single thing Sammy said in that paragraph is complete B.S.. EVH's solo was always around 10 minutes. Alex's was always 3-4 minutes. They always did 16 songs, not counting solos. VH was a well-oiled machine, a stellar production, and tightly choreographed - the exact opposite of what Sam describes. Again, he is shamelessly rewriting history to try to diminish what Van Halen was before he joined.

9) Page 121: "The record [Sammy's solo album "I Never Said Goodbye"] went platinum immediately."

As of today, 4/26/11, it has only been certified Gold status w/ the RIAA.

10) Page 122: "We [VH in 1986] were selling out four nights in arenas anywhere." Although the 5150 tour was a smashing success, and they occasionally would sell 2, 3 or even 4 nights in certain cities, the band played ONE night vast majority of cities. Also, the 5150 tour wasn't as big as the 1984 tour, which had the band playing one additional night in several cities than they were on the 5150 tour.

11) Page 173: "The fans went against Roth. He died a quick death as a solo artist." [When he went solo in 1985]

I would say that most current VH fans are under the impression that Hagar's solo career has been more successful than Roth's. However, if you want to measure the success with ALBUM SALES, Roth's solo career has actually been more successful than Hagar's! Roth's first 3 albums went Platinum (Crazy From The Heat in '85, Eat `EM And Smile in '86, and Skyscraper in '87). Hagar, however, never had could match that success - he never had 3 consecutive Platinum solo albums... just 3 consecutive GOLD albums, and then later in 1987 released another one that only went gold, with the help of Eddie playing bass. Hagar's solo career simply was never as big as Roth's was in the '80's. Roth was consistently platinum, while Hagar was consistently gold.

12) Page 222: When Irving Azoff told Hagar that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame wanted to induct Van Halen, but only the Roth-version of the band, Hagar says, "I went nuts on Irving. I was in the band longer than Roth. He was in Van Halen seven years. I was with them eleven years. I sold more records than he did. How could they do that to me?"

He is wrong on both counts. Roth was in VH for 12 years ('74-'85) and VH sold twice as many albums with Roth than with Hagar. (See RIAA.com).

13) Page 234: Sammy says that, before he joined VH, "I was selling out multiple arenas, had five platinum albums in a row on Geffen, and I was ripe to join Van Halen when they asked..."

I already went over the "multiple arenas" bull. As for "5 platinum albums in a row on Geffen"? He had only 3 Geffen albums, and none were platinum:

1981 Standing Hampton - Gold as of 1985.

1982 Three Lock Box - Gold to this day.

1984 V.O.A. - Gold as of mid-1985.

Those are all the major lies that I can detect, just as a fan. I can't even imagine how many more lies are in the book that the fans would have no way of detecting.

Hagar wants all the fans to think that he was hugely successful BEFORE he joined VH, as if joining them wasn't necessarily the thing that catapulted his career. In countless interviews, he states that his solo albums were going platinum before VH.

This is all a lie. In reality, NONE of his solo albums went platinum by the time he joined VH in mid 1985. Sure, as of 2011, 3 of his albums have gone platinum (Montrose, Standing Hampton, and V.O.A.). But Hampton didn't go platinum 'till 1992, V.O.A. didn't go platinum until Nov. '85, and Montrose didn't until many years later, either.

YES, Hagar was (moderately) successful before VH, and good for him!! Why can't he just be satisfied with the success that he truly DID have and just be HONEST about everything in his book? It's because his ego and his insecurity can't handle the truth.

Sammy's all about HIMSELF. He belittles Roth and Eddie to try to seem better than them. He belittles the legacy that Roth, Ed, Al, & Mike created together, just to make HIS years in VH seem better. I find his behavior disgusting and immoral. Nothing outside of HIMSELF is sacred to him, and certainly not Van Halen! Ironically, his very own autobiography shattered my respect of him.

Good book, if you are interested in Sammy Hagar and Van Halen. However...
Seems like Sammy took this opportunity to fully blow up the bridge between him and Eddie Van Halen. It seems like most of the book is Sammy trying to convince the readers (and himself) that HE was the reason for Van Halens popularity, not David Lee Roth, and not the Van Halens themselves. Sammy rips Eddie and Alex van halen as alcoholics who were real jerks.
I don't think I am alone in my opinion that it was Van Halen that propelled Sammy in to the stratosphere as a megastar. Sammy had a respectable solo career before van halen, but was far from a superstar. Sammy never acknowledges this. He also takes pot shots at David Lee Roth, and tries to convince everyone that David did not have near the talent as himself. In my opinion, Van Halen with Hagar was good, Van Halen with Roth was incredible. A good book if you are interested in Sammys life, but it does get tiresome hearing Sammy rant about what an a hole he thinks Eddie Van Halen is.... to the point that it is obvious that Sammys ego does not let him realize that it was Eddie who put Sammy in to the stratosphere of great bands, not the other way around.

I found this autobiography to be be a blunt, in-your-face, no-holds-barred truth--Sammy's truth. I'm sure some opinions and memories are exaggerated but it still allows for a true insight into the world of hard rock.

Hagar himself comes off as a guy who doesn't give a damn and just lets it rip, probably due to the world and conditions in which he was raised. If you're not into rock or hard rock and your musical preferences lie between the Carpenters and Back Street Boys, this book will offend. The language is vulgar and very "street," un-PC and graphic. So you have been warned.

Unlike some people's reviews about Hagar himself, I never found him to be egomaniacal, probably because I saw him in real life situations and not on the altar of the rock stage in a 35,000-seat arena. I first met him in L.A. when he was promoting "Street Machine" in 1979 at the rock station where I worked. Although dressed the part of rock star, he sought out our news guy with whom he'd gone to high school in Fontana. They hunkered down in a corner talking about their old high school days, asking each other "whatever happened to..." just like regular folks would. Another time I saw him was years later dining alone at a chain restaurant in Marin, obviously on a bike ride. He was dressed in bicycle riding gear and had brought his bike into the restaurant. He was cordial and pleasant to the staff and nobody bothered him. He did not have grand expectations of himself. He was just a guy fueling up for his long ride. The last time I saw him was at his bicycle shop in Sausalito where I was shopping for a bike. Once again, he was just a normal guy checking out his inventory who was polite to his employees.

The point is, though he portrays himself as a rather obnoxious, flamboyant, over-the-top rock god throughout the entire book, his real persona is evident in his daily goings-on in his hometown and environs--he's not that loud-mouthed guy in the book or the red-raged rocker you see on stage. These personal observations are what lead me to wonder how much he may have exaggerated or "colored the truth" in recalling incidents or details in his book, especially those pertaining to behind-the-scenes rock egos--principally his own.

Overall, a fun read for anyone who's a fan.

Wow, another book by a rock star that tells us nothing we didn't already know.

A. That he's Rich
B. That he's famous.
C. That he gets laid a lot.
D. That he cheats on his wife.

Sammy, while a talented singer and songwriter, as well as businessman, seems really high on himself and this book is basically an advertisement of how successful he's been.

He conveniently fails to point out, however, that his solo career was semi-succesful and not really that noteworthy until he joined Van Halen. Then, when he left Van Halen (both times), he went BACK to being a mid-level club type act. What does that tell you?

I found it rather crass that when he talks about when he met his new wife , that he couldnt' wait to get "some pussy" from her. Real classy! I wonder what his wife thought about that line in the book.

Sammy Hagar is an honest guy, hard worker, entrepreneur and likable fellow. So why has he had so much trouble with bands? The answers are inside and some you already know, but others may surprise you. It's a quick and entertaining read into the rock & roll world beginning in the 70s and culminates in present day. I wouldn't say that anything shocked me, but based on my recollection of events, I tend to lean toward Sammy's version.

The book is an easy read and a very interesting insight at his early years before music. Then later he gets into talking about alien visitation and then his facts about Van Halen album sales during their run with him are incorrect (the band sold more with David Lee Roth by far)and then he goes on to say he sold out shows for three nights in a row, when in fact there were four other bands on the bill besides him which he never mentions. I use to think Sammy was a top notch guy and I always seem to take Sammys side during his split with Van Halen but after this read I kind of think he is a little wacky like he claims the Van Halen brothers and Roth are. After you look at all the facts and figures and find out what is really true it makes you wonder what other facts about his book aren't quite the truth, so basically don't beleive everything you read.

I'll admit I'm a Sammy Hagar fan. I've seen him in sold out arenas and Amphitheaters in the 5150, 0U812, and For Unlawful Carnal Knowlege days; in a 1500 person theater in the Red Voodoo days, and even in the Sammy/Dave tour. I like Roth VH and Sammy VH...they are different bands. I like his solo stuff...pre and post VH, again...a different band.
Sammy's history in the late 60's, growing up, everything is interesting (all the rock stars/famous people in the buiz he's hung out with). But of course the meat of the book is the VH days and post VH days. He doesn't really pull punches on himself...regrets what he did to his kids with his first wife (although hung out longer than alot would), doesn't negate his own infidelity and drug use (although its apparent he doesn't have an addictive personality). But he comes out as a successful artist, businessman, and a guy you'd like to sit down and have a tequila shot with! In a world of overblown rockstar ego's, this one's abreath of fresh air.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I could really feel what Hagar was going through as I was reading. I am a big fan of Sammy Hagar though, and have been since the 70's. That may be a big contributing factor. Even if you're not necessarily a huge Hagar fan, I think you will find the stories of the rock music business interesting. Since he wasn't ever an addict or went through recovery and all that, it's a little different story than you may be accustomed to. What really shocked me was his childhood years and how hard it was for him getting started. I had preconceived notions that he was just another kid raised in an upper middle class, southern California family and had pretty much everything available to him that he could need. Man, was I wrong! Amazing perserverance Sammy, I have a new respect for you! It was also really enlightening and surprising the details he gives about life with the Van Halen guys. While I really enjoyed the book overall, my biggest "complaint" if you can call it that, is that the book is too short. I felt like the last chapter or two were rushed, shortened, and should have provided more information. Another couple of chapters could easily have been included in my opinion.

For the price, I think the book is a great value. That almost seems to be Sammy's mantra, deliver great entertainment at an affordable price. I saw Chickenfoot in concert in 2009, same deal. Now I'm hooked. I'll buy his book, concert tickets, and CD's because he seems to know that not all fans are driving Ferrari's. We just wish we were! Thanks for the book Sammy. I'm looking forward to the next CD and tour date in Denver!

Most of this is is not a bad read. It is mildly interesting when covering Sammy's childhood, unfortunately it consists of the ever-so-familiar down and out, bad luck tale that we have all heard a million times from just about every rock star of the 80's. Sammy is not the most articulate writer, also contradicts himself several times in the book when it comes to things like cheating and drugs; admitting to doing it and then denying it literally on the next page.

If you have played in a band you can skip the chapters on Montrose, bin there done that. If you have not played in a band read this part, then you can tell everyone you were in a band.

What I found most compelling was his time with VH. I was a VH addict and I'll usually read anything I find on them. I don't think Sammy trashed the brothers too bad in this book. My guess is that to an outsider, just like Michael Anthony and Sammy, the brothers would have seemed like a wild ride at Disney, one that you can only watch. I highly doubt that Sammy was so innocent and not the cause of any turmoil during his time with VH though.

I have to agree with some of the other reviewers - Sammy tries to come across like a regular guy but constantly shoves his inflated value in your face. We are probably all a little guilty of that though.

I really liked the history about Sammy especially with Montrose and the behind the scenes Van Halen stories were very interesting, but it seems like Sammy has something negative to say about everyone and anyone that he "used" to work with. David Lee Roth gets roasted as does Eddie Van Halen. I liked the book and am glad I read it, but it wasn't the best rock bio I've read by far. For Hagar and Van Halen fans it is worth reading.

I really had no intentions of getting Sammy's book. I'm in the Roth camp but I never disliked Sammy and Van Halen continued to be my favorite band when Sammy joined , though, the first 6 albums still remain my favorite. Since Sammy was the new guy in '85, I decided to check out his work prior to VH and I like a lot of it - Montrose, Solo work, HSAS but I could not shake that Hagar was basically the hard rock equivalent of Kenny Logins as far as showing up on every movie soundtrack known to man - Vision Quest, Footloose, Heavy Metal, and the cinematic tour-de-force of Over the top - ('Winner Takes it all' is my all time favorite Sammy song). I bought every VH with Sammy on the day it came out and I bought some of Sammy's albums post VH and like his pre-VH days, some things where good, other's completely forgettable.

So, not desire to read Sammy's story but after hearing so much about what he wrote about, I broke down and bought the book. I enjoyed the read and he is certainly an interesting cat. Not sure if I like him any better or worse than before but I do more fully recognize his ingenuity. Of course, reading his book does force you to put VH in a much different light and, to a degree, the admission of Eddie being a full blown addict does hurt the music. What really hit me was the how far gone both Eddie and Alex were back in '85. Why this really jumped pout at me was back in '89-'90 a Fraternity brother of mine headed out to California for Spring Break to hang with his brother at his brother's fraternity. About ten guys were sitting around in the frat house on a Saturday afternoon and in walked David Lee Roth with one of his humongous body guards. He just wanted to hang and shoot the breeze. Roth had his bottle of jack and started talking about his sol work and then the conversation went to VH. My friend asked Roth what the real reason was behind VH breaking up. Roth said what finally did it was to drug abuse and that the band imploded because of it. He said he was not an innocent bystander but woke one day and said he couldn't do it anymore but Alex and Eddie had no intentions of stopping and they were absolutely toxic. Fast forward 20 plus years later and Sammy pretty much says the same thing in his book and kudos to Sammy for being honest.

So, if you are a fan of Sammy's or VH, the book is worth the read. I'm looking forward to the new Chickenfoot album and , fingers crossed, a new VH album. The shame of it all is that the innocence of the music is lost forever and I'll never listen to any of VH's songs to same way I use to, but, that might not be such a bad thing.

One of the defining characteristics of this book is its honesty. It lives up to his title and holds absolutely nothing back. Sammy tells us almost everything, and we hear a great deal about his solo career, the Van Halen years, and the differences between his two wives. The prose is very readable and easygoing. It feels like you're just listening to Sammy tell you his life story; and the whole story is fascinating and organized within the chapters, although it isn't necessarily chronological.

One flaw on the book is that it's too short. Some sections that aren't embellished enough, and everything flies past like a good party you're enjoying and then it's over before you know it. I wish there was more about Chickenfoot, but they sort of just taper off and we only get a snapshot.

I also feel that some of the more shaky things in the story need more clarification, like: Eddie Van Halen's state in the reunion tour, Sammy's relationship with his first wife Betsy, and his drug use we don't get quite the full picture. Joel Selvin didn't seem to sum up how much Eddie still respects him. Sammy admitted in an interview with Dr. Drew recently that after all those years since the breakup, the first thing that Eddie did when he saw Sammy again, was give him a big hug. Sammy said that he has "the biggest heart in the world." In the book we read just how crazy and unreliable Eddie was, but we didn't get to see the good moments as much, but that probably isn't really Sammy's fault. I also wish there was a passage that truly summed up Sammy's opinion on the breakdown of his first marriage and his infidelity, how he feels about it in retrospect.

As a Hagar fan, I feel like I came to know him closer as a person, which is the ultimate point of any autobiography; and I am satisfied.

I've read a lot of reviews on this site that seem to review the man and not the book. That's not what this should be for. Leave the criticisms elsewhere.

This was a really good book. Sammy took you to the beginning to the very end in good detail. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I have been a Sammy Hagar fan since'78.And although im more of a Roth person it did not upset me in the slightest that Sammy replaced him.Van Hagar were a great band and i remain a Sammy fan now.But after reading this book i couldn't help but feel that this was a totally one sided and contradictory read.

At one point Sammy explains that he didn't do drugs,and then two paragraphs previous was a story of him doing just that.He says the same thing later in the book after several stories of him admitting to smoking weed and snorting coke.He may not be an alcoholic or a drug addict but he needs to make up his mind.His "alien abduction" story was interesting but would have been a little more believable if he was totally straight.LSD hallucination maybe? Also there's a part where he says he never had or would play nightclubs after the first few chapters cover him and his early bands doing just that.

And don't get me started on the VH stories.I won't go into great detail but the one that stood out the most is the claim that while he was in VH they sold more albums than the Roth era.I had a good laugh with that one.I love ya Sammy but you haven't sold more albums if you included your solo work and Montrose and Chickenfoot.Just check out the RIAA website.You may be in for a shock.

With that out of the way i can say that this was an interesting book that i couldn't stop reading.His early years were very interesting and a lot of good stories about the rock world and the business thereof.

If your a Sammy fan i think you will be delighted by this book and its at a decent price.What you may not be delighted about is your opinion of the man himself and his revisionist history of Van Halen.Maybe he needs to put down the tequila and stop being so jealous of David Lee Roth.

Just finished reading Red by Sammy Hagar. Good, quick read. I like the fact that he calls everything as he see's it and like it even more that he admit's his own screw ups. I've always been a fan of the music he's made with Van Halen and appreciate that he embraces what his heart tells him to do. I do recommend this book.

As a longtime fan, I was awaiting the book. I began it as soon as it came out of the Amazon box. So much for breathless anticipation. The book was an OK read, but nothing outstanding.
Sammy comes off a bit as a dirtbag. He discusses his second wife's childbirth while he barely covered his first wife's child. He's always right and everyone else just seems to be along for the ride.
It must be tough being richer than God, and doesn't really thank the fans for
making him that way.
Sammy, you are still the finest looking man in rock and roll, and I will always enjoy your music. No need to write another bio, though. One is enough.

A time killer at best. Horribly written... but any story about the rock and roll lifestyle is somewhat interesting. If you are a van halen fan and lived through there rises and falls, you will likely be sorta satisfied.

I have mixed emotions about this book
I first saw Sammy in 74 with Montrose and I have always been a fan

The first few chapters I liked, from his childhood Montrose and solo years
But the sex under the stage, letting friends stoned and drunk drive home..come on Sam

but the trashing of Van Halen wow!if Ed and Al are that sick he could have walked away from that train wreck , there was no need to air all that dirt.
Sammy is a very good singer had a huge solo career but was never the musician Ed is and Van Halen was creating history in music while Sammy had a nice solo career.

your daughters and wife should really be impressed with all the ladies you bedded while married

lay off the dope and Cabo Wabo juice Sam it's clouding your brain

The other reviews that gave this 1 star have summed up the book well. I would like to add the following.
1. Sammy goes to great lengths to point out that Van Halen became even bigger (sold more records, made more money on tour) after he joined. Well Sammy that is not just because you joined the band but because the band was well established by then. Ron Wood could claim the same thing about the Rolling Stones after he joined!
2. Sammy "I am a Wonderful Person". I could have sold the Tequila business and made 1/2 a billion dollars but I want to stay true to myself so I didn't. WOW WHAT A HUMANITARIAN YOU ARE. Instead you sold 70 % and got a nice car out of the deal.
3. Sammy I love that you have NO REMORSE ABOUT ANYTHING! Your wife is coming apart and you pat yourself on the back because you stayed married. Cheated every night with multiple sluts, but stayed married! WOW. Then you ditched her at Christmas.
Sammy KNOWS PEOPLE. Unfortunately they all are the same people who are like him. RICH semi-talented singers/musicians.
4. At one point he mentions Jimmy buffet's name, which I found very interesting for a few reasons,
A. He claims his second wife mentioned Jimmy Buffett, and that he had heard of him but didn't know anything about him. Really! That seems to be a stretch, especially since Jimmy and Irving Azoff are friends. But to comparison of the two is striking, because they are both wildly hypocritical, greedy, one trick ponies who got lucky but instead of admitting it they would like you to think they are the Henry Ford's of the music industry. They each have marginal talent, multiple restaurants, and a fan base that will buy anything with their name on it, and will attack anyone who encroaches on their territory.
B. Somehow you managed to Pirate the beach bum style from Jimmy Buffett and also live the same pampered lifestyle he does. Sammy/Jimmy, Beach bums don't have private planes and have multiple houses in Maui, Malibu, St Barts, and Palm Beach, with "full staff" to take care of everything!
C. I have restaurants and I give to charity! Yeah, I make money by peddling a drunken, carefree, beach bum lifestyle and give SOME of the money away to charity! Just what my tax account says I should do.
To all celebrities out there thinking about writing a book, DON'T!!! You are not that interesting, and you were Lucky! Admit it and be happy! Try to portray yourself as better than everyone else and you will come off as phony, and pretentious, which most of you are.
IF YOU WANT TO READ AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY BY A MUSICIAN THAT IS NOT BORING, I RECOMEND EITHER KEITH RICHARDS OR ERIC CLAPTON!!

Okay, so I've got some explaning to do on this one. I don't read much non-fiction, let alone celebrity autobiographies. And I'm not a huge Van Halen fan. I've never paid to see them in concert, but I have all of their albums, even the one with Gary Cherone (I know, sorry). So the bottom line is this, under normal circumstances, I never would have read this book, let alone paid for it. But, when I walked past a Barnes & Noble in southern California and saw a sign in the window that Sammy was going to be there signing his book the following night, an internal debate began in my head that lasted until the following evening.

I had no desire to read the book, but I kind of wanted to own a signed copy of it. I thought it would be a waste of money to buy a book I was never going to read, but then here was a chance to meet a bona fide rock star and one from a band that I listened to for several years of my my life. So I decided to go to the signing.

While waiting in the hour-long line for the three-second experience of meeting him and getting the signature, I started reading the book. It's not Pulitzer material obviously. In fact, I have a sneeking suspicion that he didn't type one word of it himself. It reads as if he sat down with Joel Selvin - who gets a much smaller billing as coauthor, and is taped as he describes different periods of his life. Nevertheless, by midway through the book when he comes to the Van Halen years of his life, I was pretty interested and was enjoying the book.

Sammy has some out-there ideas about things like numerology and exta-terrestrial mind-hijackers. He also describes numerous experiences where he was visited in his dreams by people from his life who he learns the next day had died during the night. But the bottom line for me is here's the guy who wrote Summer Nights, Finish What Ya Started, and Right Now. That's the person I waited an hour to shake his hand and get his autograph . . . and it was worth it.

The information in this book is interesting and fun to read about but the structure and quality of the written word leaves a little to be desired. Better wrting would have garnared it 4 stars. Suffice it to say, Sammy is obviously not a writer of books but he is a teller of stories, and he lays some real whoppers on you in this tome. In the end, those stories alone are worth the price of admission, but that's not all this book has to offer. Sammy tells a real story of struggle, growing up in poverty, living and working with addicts, and finally overcoming these road bumps to become not only one of the most successful rockers in our time, but an even more successful business man. In the end this is a story of perserverance, "can-do", and indomitable spirit. Warning #1: rated R; Warning #2: this book may have the un-intended consequence of causing you to buy all of Sammy's current and past work (Montrose, Solo, VH, Chickenfoot), or perhaps that is intended. Either way; get it, read it, ROCK ON.

I've been a fan of Sammy for many years and I now have more respect for him. The way he has handled adversity with Montrose, Eddie, Alex and assorted managers and producers is to be commended. I had no idea the crap he has endoured. Your songs say it all and I hope you never stop.
He is the best at what he does. Either in business or Rock and Roll. Everything he has done, or does he makes better period. Sammy, you are truely an American Hero. Thank You. And thanks for Cabo Wabo.

Don't waste your time and money on this poorly written, redundant, attack-style, autobiography. I've read better 5th grade book reports. This was a stab at the VH brothers in an attempt to "get" them before they "got" Sammy. It's a total Van Halen rip session disguised with some other career stories...and a LOT of self-performed ego stroking. I've never seen so many attempts at convincing the reader how rich and successful a person is.

Here are the highlights of the book (so you can save some time and money):

-Ronnie Montrose was a jerk
-Sammy is the best person in the business
-Eddie still is a major jerk (and a RAGING addict)
-Eddie and Alex seek to destroy people on purpose
-The record industry sucks
-Everybody screwed over Sammy, he never, ever, screwed over anyone else
-Sammy is the best person in the business
-Mike Anthony is a great bass player
-Everybody screwed over Sammy, he never, ever, screwed over anyone else
-Sammy owns Ferraris, airplanes and houses
-Sammy is filthy rich
-David Lee Roth is gay, bald, and a total a$$hole
-Sammy gets lots of women and lies to his wife about it
-Sammy is the best person in the business
-Everybody Sammy meets is way cool at first, and then they somehow become a$$holes.
-Everybody screwed over Sammy, he never, ever, screwed over anyone else
-Oh yeah, I almost forgot, Sammy is the best person in the business
-Lastly, the VH brothers are a$$holes and Eddie is a raging addict (did I mention that already?).

Don't bother buying this book unless you enjoy reading about narcissistic ego-trippers. Wait for this book to come out at your local library. It's R-rated so control access to it accordingly.

I didn't realize the conflict he had with the Van Halens. It was a real eye opener on what goes on in a band behind closed doors. Sammy has a very fascinating life to talk about and more yet to come. It made me go through the old music of his and Montrose, which is when I first heard his name. I highly recommend this book to any rock fan or anyone else interested in the life of a rock star.

If you appreciate the freedoms of our country than you'll enjoy this great success story of a kid from humble beginnings rising to super stardom. Juicy Van Halen stories too if your a fan

Depending on my mood, the season or whatever... I can't definitively say which singer I prefer. I can say that the writing got better when Sammy was on board. But I can also say that the best time to see Van Halen live was pre-1984. But I never did see them live because I was too young to see the era I just mentioned. I can also say that anything David Lee Roth wrote in book form was of no interest to me. There are probably some good stories in there but I didn't even check it out of the library. My first reaction to hearing that Sammy had a book was that I thought I already knew all there was to know about Van Halen. The Rolling Stone excerpts were all stories about Eddie and Alex being too drunk to play music. I wasn't interested in keg party stories and for the most part, I dismissed all the chapters involving Montrose. There are some low blows in the book but Sammy has a huge heart. Genuine, my favorite word is the highest compliment I have for Sammy. The reason I avoided Roth: I didn't want a story distorted to sell books. I always respected Ted Nugent for being in control despite the caveman antics and wild appearance. To learn that Sammy runs the same kind of show helped him earn respect in my eyes. Sammy is smart. Someone who quit smoking pot forever after a few nights in jail may not seem like a risk taker but he's made his fortune and held it with timely risks and and not foolish ones. Sammy is living proof that you can be "good enough" and still make a fortune through persistence, hard work and maintaining like-minded relationships afloat. I don't think Sammy is excellent. He'd tell you Ted Nugent plays guitar better. He'd tell you Steve Perry can hit higher notes. Sammy's excellence is showmanship and longevity whose dignity comes from work and more work after that. It's the great showmen who've seemingly always been a factor despite trying some new things along the way that I admire the most.

If you have ever been a Sammy Hagar fan, this book is a great read. Sammy was not only a great musician but a sucessful business man as well. Holds your interest from beginning to end!!!

This guy has done his quota of bucket lists for quite a few people in his lifetime.
What can you say, but, that it's astounding he kept some integrety for himself and
came through the other end with wealth and a family life. Hats off to Sammy Hagar for following his dream, pursuing his art with dogged determination to never give up.

Before this book, I was not a fan of Sammy Hagar. I am not sure that after the book I am either. However, I think his book appeared honest. At the end of the day, I expect a book like this to appear to be transparent; good, bad or ugly, and that is exactly what I got. Good read, good story. Thanks Sammy.

As a Sammy Hagar fan I found this book very enjoyable and entertaining. Written in the same simple perspective that Sammy views real life, almost made you feel like you were following around watching the story of his life unfold. I no-holds barred look into his career , family, and lifestyle .

...of Sammy's life. Decent amount of material from his days in VH. Would have liked to hear a bit more on the post-VH days and tours, including Chickenfoot. Probably not as juicy as what "Red Storm Rising" would have been, but still a good read nontheless.

I thought the book was great. You could tell Sammy put his heart and soul into it. I didn't realize all what he went through to get where he is today and I really admire his determination. All those long hours of hard work paid off that now he can just sit back a reap the rewards. There are truly no rock bands today like there were in the 70's, 80's & 90's. He belongs in the Hall of Fame.

WARNING TO VAN HALEN FANS(as I am)This review is related to the information about Sammy and his relationship with Van Halen, Realize this book is from Sammy's perspective. I also read Valerie Bertinelli's book which was fantastic as well. As Sammy noted in an interview regarding Van Halen, both books (and countless YouTube videos/interviews) portray Eddie in the same light, which leads me to believe that he has quite a bit of charisma and charm however at the end of the day he really is a dysfunctional fruitcake! I had always wondered why the Van Halen brothers did not jam with other acts and now I know. I must say that I come away from this book not respecting Eddie Van Halen any more, and finally realizing that just because Roth is a great front man his ego is bigger than Texas and I will never spend any of my money on anything they put out with him. Also, I have every reason to believe that Sammy is telling the truth because there has been no disputing any of the book's facts by the Van Halen camp. Regarding some of the book reviewers that said Sammy comes off as a bit of a jerk because he is trashing Eddie Van Halen, I don't agree with this (again read Bertinelli's book). The way Sammy tells it, my impression was that he genuinely loved Eddie however Eddie's demons got the best of him. As Sammy said, he is just telling his side of the story if Eddie wants to write a book from his point of view then he can tell his side of the story.

This book is worth the read. Sammy has lived
And played in one of Americas most beloved rock bands.
He is open and honest and it makes for a great book!!

This is at the top of the heap, when it comes to rock n roll biographies. Great read. Get a real honest feel for what is written.
You won't be disappointed.

I grew up in the 80s and 90s and my first exposure to Sammy Hagar was the "I can't drive 55" video. I liked the song but didn't follow his music much. It was just as interesting to learn about his roots as much as it was to learn about how Sammy got into his music career. I remember being devastated when Roth left VH and didn't know what to think of a Hagar-led Van Halen. I was in high school when 5150 and 0U812 came out and liked some of the songs but wouldn't say i was a die-hard fan.

It wasnt until i got to college and met a friend who was a HUGE Sammy Hagar fan, did I really get to follow Sammy. It was great for me to read the history of the man and his music that I grew to like so much! It was also interesting to hear some of the behind the scenes stuff when he was with VH....amazing stories!

It is very obvious that Sammy has a good head for business and knowing how to keep his act together. You also get to hear about Sammy's mistakes and he doesn't try to hide from them. He is honest, fun to read, and is the kind of guy I'd like to hang out with.

This is an awesome, honest book. I now appriate and understand where Sammy started from and how he got to where he is now.

Sammy, you are one of my heros! I would love to meet you if you will be on Maui May 26-June 3rd.

Don

Been inta Sammy since I heard BAD MOTOR SCOOTER so I had ta have this book. Startin w/ Sammy's early life and his lack of money he some how becomes who he is, Multi millionaire Rock Star. His music made his money and his money became a series of business ideas that made more money.
Oh yeah then there is that whole Van Halen years thing. Viva Rojo

Very funny book. Couldn't put it down. Cars, babes, drugs, rock n roll the crazy Van Halens and the nutty David Lee Roth. What more could you ask for in an inspirational book. This guy came from dirt poor to the man that started a tequila company from scratch and sold it for a 100 million dollars!

I would recommend this book for anyone. It's a quick
read and very well-written. I couldn't put it
down until I finished it!!

Very good book. Sammy holds nothing back. I say that because there are some things that do not put him in a good light. Reading this book, it seems like later in life he figured things out but made no excuses for his mistakes. If you like the story types of "poor kid makes good" you will love this. I think it is a very honest "rock star" book and that is why I enjoyed it.

Im a big fan of VH. Saw them live for the first time in '88, Monster's of Rock in Denver, CO. Loved them with Roth, loved them more with Sammy. Fans got scant info on what happened behind the scenes of their break up. This book not only gives you the play-by-play of what happened, but more importantly who this guy is. How he started from almost nothing and with an incredible work ethic, created a Rock God. Pretty awesome story. I recommend the book to any metal fan who wants to know what the scene was like in the 60's, 70's, 80's through today.