In any band that lasts for years, clashes are almost guaranteed. Musicians can argue like siblings, but if those fights fuel great music, it’s usually worth it. However, when tensions just linger without creativity, things can get messy behind the scenes. This was true for Van Halen, where longtime friends Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen sometimes found themselves at odds.
No matter how much a frontman tries to command the stage, when Eddie Van Halen picked up his guitar, he stole the show. His playing was like a masterclass in guitar wizardry, shredding complex riffs with the skill of a classical composer. So frontmen like Hagar had to know their role—give Eddie the space he needed to shine. For a while, Hagar embraced this balance, even having fun during live shows like “There’s Only One Way to Rock” when Eddie launched into his jaw-dropping solos.
But long tours can strain any relationship. After returning to the studio, Hagar noticed Eddie becoming more temperamental. The recording of Balance had already been difficult, and when they started working on songs for the movie Twister, the pressure grew heavier. The track “Humans Being” reflected that tension—its aggressive tone wasn’t forced, it was real.
Hagar recalls that Eddie’s way was often the only way. The band’s producer even admitted that he had to keep the two men apart during recording sessions because Eddie’s presence was interfering with the process. “Everything Eddie said about me is the opposite of what happened,” the producer said. “He claimed I wouldn’t listen to him, but he never listened to me. He felt sorry for me and wouldn’t even let Eddie in the same room when I was singing.”
There were rumors Eddie wanted to go solo, and judging by Van Halen III, that might not have been a great idea. While Eddie’s guitar work was always top-notch, his solo record lacked the full songs that Hagar and David Lee Roth helped craft for the band. Instead, it was more like long jams with occasional sparks of brilliance.
Though Eddie said Hagar became temperamental toward the end of his time with the band, the real story of what went wrong may never be fully known. What’s clear is that “Humans Being” proved movie soundtracks can be a curse for rock bands. It hurt Guns N’ Roses when they recorded “Sympathy for the Devil”, complicated Aerosmith’s career with “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing”, and for Van Halen, it marked the start of one of their toughest chapters.
