In a new interview with Gastão Moreira of Brazil’s Kazagastão, Alex Van Halen spoke in more detail about the album he is working on with Toto guitarist Steve Lukather. The Van Halen drummer said (as transcribed blabbermouth.net): “Ed [late Van Halen guitarist and Alex‘s brother, Eddie Van Halen] 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.”
Regarding what Lukather‘s role is in the making of this new album, Van Halen said, “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. 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.”
When inquiring if he and Lukather are going to use some old Eddie recordings, Van Halen said, “Well, these are recordings that were going to be the next [Van Halen] 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.”
Regarding who is playing bass on these recordings, Van Halen revealed, “Most of ’em is Wolf [Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie‘s son and former Van Halen bassist], because these are recordings that were made ready for the next record.”
After Moreira brought up Unfinished (listen here), the last piece of music Alex and Eddie wrote together, which is included with the audiobook version of Van Halen‘s Brothers book, the drummer said,”The feedback for that song was incredible. But there was no vocals on it and it was not completed. And that was the whole point.”
He continues, “The lineage of how my brother and I did things was some of the stuff that our dad taught us were very deeply rooted, and one of his favorite songs was the Unfinished by Schubert. And so this song was unfinished, so I figured we’d call it Unfinished and then that’s it. We weren’t even aware that we were going to make this public at any point. This is just Ed and I working at the studio. Unbridled, unpressured, un-anything. And there are a couple of places, if you heard, where the needle goes right through the machine. [Laughs] I hope we didn’t blow up any speakers.”
When queried if the plan is to have vocals on the songs that he is working on with Lukather, the drummer states, “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 [Rodgers] 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.”
So, would they consider using another vocalist, Van Halen replies, “Yeah. Luke and I are looking for somebody right now.”
When asked if he has any singers in mind, Van Halen replies, “No, because it depends on who you ask. If you ask record executives, you’re gonna get one way of looking at it. If you listen to, I call it the peanut gallery, you’re gonna get something else.”
Music is not so much about music as it is about people having a shared experience,” he explains. “I’m 72. We gotta find somebody in that age group who was exposed to the same musical experience that we have. Otherwise, it doesn’t have the depth. I can’t remember what the expression is, but there’s a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is knowing that a cucumber is a vegetable. Wisdom is knowing where to put it. [Laughs]”
After Moreira suggested Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant, Alex replies, “Robert Plant is brilliant. But if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. And he’s out touring, doing his thing. He would’ve been an ideal choice. But nothing is etched in stone. And I really believe that the universe will work something out to where this project will come out the best it can possibly be. We have no other intent other than to have it come to fruition.”