I had written lyrics to a song called The Silent Extreme, which Alex later renamed Humans Being.

Overall, we had about 50 meetings where the brothers would say that I couldn't do any solo records, I couldn't write for other people, I couldn't do this and I couldn't do that. These guys were trying to nail my feet to the ground.

I'm the only choice to make a record. And that's the only way I would do it. We'd have to make some new music. The fans deserve it. Van Halen's got some of the best fans on the planet.

Every year on your birthday, you get a chance to start new.

In Van Halen there were moments, like in some of the ballads, I put my heart and soul into those records. Those lyrics when I sang 'em, I gave myself goosebumps.

I don't want to try to force anything, because I'm really happy with Chickenfoot; my new record with them is phenomenal.

I'm John Lee Hooker in the sense that he was a blues man and he played blues his whole life. I'm a rock guy and I'm going to play rock music my whole life.