August 13, 2017 — Well, I’m back from my week off from writing, relying, again, on the radio for my inspiration. I had the radio on the classic rock channel this week, mostly, so given that my station is the Los Angeles station, and we don’t play new here, what I’m relying on is not music but a snippet about an interview given by Chris Holmes to Guitar World magazine. Mind you, I don’t actually know that name off hand, but Chris was the guitar player for the ‘80s band W.A.S.P. And actually I’m not really familiar with W.A.S.P.’s music from the ‘80s either. What caught my attention on the radio was Chris’ mention about Eddie Van Halen, with Chris quoted as saying he loaned Eddie Van Halen an Ibanez Destroyer guitar to play on a record. Chris doesn’t remember if the record was Van Halen II or if it was Women and Children First, but talked about Eddie cutting up Eddie’s own Destroyer then not liking the resulting treble-y tone of the guitar, prompting Eddie to borrow Chris’s for the record. I found the link to the article, Guitar World, August 7, 2017, confirmed the Eddie statement I heard on the radio, but as things do with me, the article sent me on a completely different investigation.

First, my ever-constant question, what is this musician, an ‘80s rocker, doing now? Seriously, it’s good to see the guys from then doing something now, even if I don’t have any familiarity with any of their work. The article talked about something I know: the rock music scene in Los Angeles is not so good now. The music of then, you know, guitar-based guys with long hair, has migrated to Finland. Listen to on-line radio from Finland and you’ll see what I mean. Wanting to play in bands, but apparently spending 10 years without much luck connecting with the right band in Los Angeles, Chris went to Finland to investigate, then visited in France with his French-native wife’s family. Chris found his rock and roll home in France and stayed. Chris doesn’t have a band, but puts out solo work. Chris’ now music is a bit heavier than ‘80s music, although, in my opinion, an honest attempt at evolution while still keeping his original feeling. Mind you, I don’t know his music either then or now; I’m only basing my opinion on my viewing of about three or four videos. And what struck me in this investigation was not so much his music, but him. It’s as if he’s not going to give up. It’s as if he’s seeking redemption.

His redemption could come from his now music, but I haven’t gotten that far to see if it’s reflected in his music. Instead, I cheated to come up with this theory by watching an interview, a really strange now (2016) interview where he answered his wife’s questions while seated in a lounge chair floating in a pool.

The interview was a post script to an interview he did then (1988) for a 1988 documentary I never knew existed called The Decline of Western Civilization, Part II (The Metal Years), a film depicting the excess of the glam rock scene of that time. Then Chris agreed to be interviewed, oddly with his mother, with the interview conducted from a pool chair. That pool interview, however, is nothing short of tragic — featuring Chris downing vodka, when he’s not pouring it on himself, admitting he has pain.

I’m not sure I understand the now 2016 interview. Why the pool, again? Other than to explain he’s not the same person, perhaps it’s some publicity plan for his new music, to explain his new music, and add to that the Guitar World interview too. Mind you, I don’t know because I really don’t know this guy or his work, but the contrast was stark – then to now of Chris in the pool. He’s showing his now sobriety, more maturity, but personally, I still see his pain. He’s sober, but he seems to have a ways to go. And that makes me wonder about them all, the musicians of then. What is their now in their minds, in their lives?

Sometimes we, the fans of ‘80s music, crave now music from our then artists, and admit it; we want that music to be just exactly the same – the same energy, the same sound, a revisit to then. But me? After I went on a thirty-five minute tangent spending that time watching the full documentary from which the original pool interview was taken (that’s all I could take, thirty-five minutes), I came out with one overwhelming conclusion (other than I was actually happy most of the ‘80s, for me, were spent in multiple jobs and going to seven years of college): we are lucky the then musicians gave us the music of then. Personally, I think whatever they make now, well… I think they should not try for then. I think the times of then were so tragic, even if they were beautiful and fun; I think what the then musician make now should be different; it should be now, whatever now is. And to Chris, a man who had serious pain then, I hope you’re better now. Oh, and if you really did lend Eddie your guitar, thanks. I love… Women and Children First; it had to be Women and Children First, Chris, not Van Halen II.