Rating: 
Summary: Diary of a Madman
Review: Although this book reads like the journal entries of an insane person (the prose and chronology are almost too incoherent to follow), it is not without its pleasures. Roth displays charm and honesty as he rambles off the story of his life, which of course includes a stint in one of the great hard rock bands of the last thirty years. He is also quite a traveler, and if I had to flag one of the book's biggest stumbling blocks, it would be the repetitious mentions of his wanderlust, as well as the less-than-thrilling descriptions of his many exotic adventures. Those looking for a behind-the-scenes account of the tumultuous Van Halen days will not be disappointed, though the other members of the band are rather thinly sketched, and even then, are smothered under Roth's megalomania (hey, it is his autobiography). If nothing else, Roth comes across as a genuinely likable, fun-loving character, who truly enjoys life. It is difficult to imagine such a person, especially a rock star, in these post-grunge days of target markets and heavy irony. David Lee Roth is one of a kind.
Rating: 
Summary: A Highly Entertaining Book
Review: Anyone who takes easy potshots at Dave and tries to convince us that VH with Sammy was better than VH with Dave should read this book. Anyone who believes that Dave has a bigger ego than the VH brothers should read this book. Dave could have ripped into them the way they've ripped into him repeatedly over the years. Instead, Dave talks about his life and shows his pride in his accomplishments. He was a HUGE part of Van Halen, and he doesn't get nearly enough credit for his role in that band. And as great a singer as Sammy is (I've even traveled to Cabo San Lucas to see him play at his Cabo Wabo Cantina), I lost respect for him after rejoining the band for a payday and to make his argument to be included with VH in the RnR Hall of Fame after swearing he'd never play with them again. Dave has always been upfront about wanting to tour with VH even though he doesn't care for the Ego Brothers. It's that kind of honesty that you'll find in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Fluctuates between great and extremely tedious
Review: As a big fan of classic Van Halen, I couldn't wait to dive into this read...however, I came away disappointed at times. I appreciate Dave's attempt to not re-hash what he thinks we all know (ie, backstage antics, making of the albums, stories behind the songs), but, as a fan, that's what I'm interested in. Not to say he doesn't touch on topics like the parties and his relationship with Van Halen, but he hardly gives them enough time. In fact, I believe Michael Anthony's name was only mentioned ONE time in the whole book! Sometimes his nonsensical verbiage and analogies caused me to speedily scan over whole pages. I think his travels and post-VH days are what interest him the most, so he gives these subjects more time than I, as a reader, would have preferred. Dave, if you're reading (and we know you are), relive the glory, give us the "tell-all" man! We're a nation of "The Enquirer" and "Hard Copy" - I got Machiavelli and Plato on my bookshelf when I want to read the heavy stuff. I must say, overall, the book is worth reading. We now have Dave's story; combine it with Eddie's and somewhere in the middle you will find the truth.
Rating:
Summary: A Little Ain't Nearly Enough
Review: As a big fan of rock biographies, I have to say that 'Crazy From the Heat' is less than comprehensive; there's very little about song/album creation from the respective VH albums, and even his own solo stuff is virtually unmentioned. Maybe this is a good thing, based on his most recent stuff.However, as over-the-top as it could have been, the book still remains a good read for any occasion, simply because of the flow of the narrative. There are some very interesting tidbits about the music industry in general, and the mud-slinging is (thankfully) kept to a minimum. The VH reunion chapter isn't particularly unbelievable; from what I've read in countless musician's interviews and editorials, the VH brothers and their management are pretty despicable human beings, regardless of talent or however media-savvy they may be. It is, like Diamond Dave himself, an original piece of work, and well worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Truth according to Dave
Review: As a fan of rock and roll stars' bios I found this one surprisingly bright and enlightening. I didn't expect that from Dave. I loathed him before reading this, now I have a certain degree of guarded respect for the dude. At least he knows what and who he is and makes no excuses for it. If you don't know Dave has an enormous ego by now then you shouldn't be going near this. So many of these "tell all" books are so badly written or one-sided that when one comes along like this one that makes you laugh or think a little it's refreshing. Yeah, he rambles off on tangents every once in a while but this ain't Oscar Wilde we're talking about here, either. Give him a break. Not as good as David Crosby's (a must read for this genre) but much more entertaining than say, Grace Slick's (skip it if you can).
Rating:
Summary: David Lee Roth's Crazy from the Heat is a Must Read
Review: Being a fan of Diamond Dave, I eagerly awaited the arrival of "Crazy from the Heat" from Amazon. The wait was very much worth it. In this whirlwind biography, Dave proves why he is considered the greatest showman in rock and roll. His stories of the road and his dedication to his craft are inspirational. How many other singers would take the time to scrub the floor of the stage before a concert tour? I would recommend "Crazy from the Heat" to anyone who is a rock music fan and especially those of us who admire Mr. Roth because it shows the human side of him that many of us have not seen. There is depth of character revealed in his interactions with ordinary people and in his travels as a "Jungle Stud." I think that it is a reflection of David's maturity that he has not taken the opportunity in his autobiography to make derogatory comments about Van Halen or any other of his business associates. If you want to read about the David Lee Roth band or the mudslinging with Van Halen, I can provide you with copies of articles on those subjects. But if you're wanting to learn more about the greatest front man in rock music, then "Crazy from the Heat" is a must-read.
Rating:
Summary: THE BOOK IS WORTH THE EXPENSE
Review: David Lee Roth is a Man's Man's Man. He really speaks from the heart and is for the most part honest in this autobiography. Ironically, he almost comes out as the Anti-Simmons if you have read Gene Simmons yarns of half-truths. I never expected Roth to be as literate and witty as he is in this book, which was edited down from a manuscript that was thousands of pages. In this book, he tells us about his Jewish upbriging, his early adventures with Rock and Roll and other culture, his (mis)adventures with Van Halen, as well as a lot of other personal stuff. It almost reads like a beatnik "on the road" type book, with his flair for language, and his witty tales. I never knew that he was an experienced mountain climber, a poet, and also a once aspiring movie director. Basically David Lee Roth has a zest for LIFE and this makes the book one of the most inspiring I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: THE BOOK IS WORTH THE EXPENSE
Review: David Lee Roth is probably the most talented frontman I have ever seen in concert. His music with Van Halen was absolutely classic, and they were better live than the Rolling Stones when Dave was their singer. This book is good, but describes some elements of the rock-n-roll profession (and Dave's personality) that I would have preferred to not know. I would have preferred a simple autobiography. If Dave had simply told "his story" I would have been satisfied. Instead, a good amount of it is dedicated to mud-slinging toward the Van Halen brothers. It is also geared toward "self defense" because Dave is Jewish and believes the world is out to get him. I almost wish he hadn't pursued that line of reasoning as far as he did. I'm sure not an anti-semite, but the stories Dave tells almost make anti-semites look like they have some grounds for what they say. For instance, Dave describes how he planned to upstage Aerosmith when Van Halen was opening for them. They were going to basically trample Aerosmith's show when the boys in Van Halen opened the concert. It wasn't a gesture of sabotage, but was designed to be pretty offensive toward Aerosmith. If they had been better MUSICALLY, then I would have no problem with it. But no, this was different, pretty offensive. It turns out Aerosmith found out about Dave's plan before the show. They didn't stop what he intended to do (although I'm sure they could have), but basically reminded the audience who the headliner was. No problem, right? Well, Dave was furious. The way he describes it in the book, it sounds like he was saying "How dare they [Aerosmith] NOT let me rip them off?!" He even says he never spoke to any of the guys in Aerosmith after that show! HO-kay, Dave... His efforts at explaining his career reflect a similar line of reasoning. He describes how he monitored every element of merchandising involved in Van Halen. I'm talking EVERYTHING: T-shirts, posters, you name it. He says the "programs" on sale at the VH concerts were "works of art." Well, I can testify that they weren't. They were about as attractive as 2-week-old newspapers, and were way overpriced. The T-shirts were overpriced too, and of terrible quality. The fact that Dave was in charge of all of that makes him look pretty bad. He says he didn't do all this merchandising to make more money, but says that since he did it he DESERVED the money. Okay... How about making more music, Dave? How about shutting up and just singing the songs? In the book, how about talking about what inspired the great music Van Halen made? Instead Dave talks about how many women he simultaneously "got physical with." Later in the book Dave cries about one of his guitar players getting Lou Gherig's disease. It was clearly a charity note: Meaning, by saying the guitar player was a genius, and how sad he was about the poor guy getting ill, he tries to make himself look like a nice guy. Let's freeze the frame here: First, the guitar player wasn't very good to begin with (just listen to the LITTLE AIN'T ENOUGH album!); Second, Dave's explanation seems so fake that you will believe his only "sense of loss" was about the MONEY he might have lost. Dave's character starts to show itself, and in spite of his tremendous abilities as a frontman he is basically a slimy jerk. In a way that's all right, though; Mick Jagger is too...! Basically, if you're a fan of classic Van Halen then you might like the book. You don't have to LIKE Dave to like his abilities as a frontman! Classic Van Halen rocks, and has never been the same since he left!
Rating:
Summary: David Lee Roth... under-rated physical intellectualist.
Review: Diamond Dave wrote a book? You bet I wanted to read it... Being a fan of Get in the Van by Henry Rollins (documenting his life on the road with Black Flag), I figured this would be another series of road rash stories from one of the biggest stars of the 80s. Wouldn't you know I was both right and wrong? Right about great road stories, but about the wrong roads. The material about life on the road with Van Halen completely pales in comparison with DLR's experiences and travels while away from the band. Hearing his mountain climbing and Amazon river boat tales, you realize there's FAR more to this man than the music. He does have a brain and shows more insight into life than you might expect from a "rock star." A great and natural read that reminds one of Lenny Bruce and the aforementioned Rollins.
Rating:
Summary: Diamond Dave keeps on rockin'
Review: Diamond Dave' "Crazy from the Heat" keeps us laughin' with him and at him in this thoroughly enjoyable and insightful look at the world he inhabits. He shows us how truly enlightening it is to be a man as free as he is, through descibing his many adventures, both within rock and beyond. True to his style this is done in all its wild and wonderful mayhem. I have been a VH and DLR fan for 20 yrs, and this book painted the true picture of Dave, that I and so many others identify with. Basically, a life lived through his heart and soul and without regret. You certainly have to love the way that he calls it as he sees it,without any sense of malice. He is a true renaissance man. Dave keep on rockin' and laughin' well into the 21st century, and here's hopin' those DLR with VH rumours can come up with the goods.
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