Van Halen (Part 1): Bootleggers, U.S. Marshals, and Protecting Innovation at Any Cost

On the backs of one of rock ‘n roll’s greatest innovators and one of its greatest ringmasters, Van Halen made some of the greatest music of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen chased the perfect sound while lead singer David Lee Roth chased the next party. They were also ruthless when it came to protecting the unique thing they had created. Nothing was allowed to stand in their way. Not bullies, bootleggers, cynical guitar manufacturers, record producers – even the members of Van Halen themselves. This episode was originally published on March 26, 2024. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at ⁠www.disgracelandpod.com⁠. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at ⁠disgracelandpod.com/membership⁠. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - ⁠GET THE NEWSLETTER⁠ Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠X⁠ (formerly Twitter) ⁠Facebook Fan Group⁠ ⁠TikTok To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices