Last week, RollingStone.com got Sammy Hagar on the phone to talk about his new cookbook and his upcoming plans for Chickenfoot and the Circle. They also got into the endless Van Halen saga, yet again. An excerpt from the interview follows:

RS: Van Halen's summer tour has been soft in some markets. It sort of feels like people are losing interesting in seeing this lineup.

Hagar: “I can only speculate on what I've seen on YouTube, things people send me now and then. My buddies are always saying, "Hey, check this out." And you turn it on and say, "Oh, fuck, not this again." I don't go looking for none of that stuff. You know, of course, I heard some of the live album. There's just no chemistry up there. They don't like each other. I mean, it's obvious. It's like a backup band with a guy out there in front.

“I bet they don't say five words to each other offstage. What I saw was just so chemistry-less. Van Halen was always about chemistry in the early days. Early, Dave, that band was all about fucking chemistry, man. They were on fire. When I joined the band, they had great musical chemistry. We were friends, and we were on fire. We had so much fun, it should have been illegal. Now all that's gone.”

RS: Do you ever think you'll ever speak to Eddie again?

Hagar: “I would hope so. Because that would be really sad if any one of us — I'll put myself in the same category — took this to our graves. That is not where you take things. I would rather go to my grave with no enemies left. I just don't think that would feel right. But who knows. Whatever. It's not my decision because I was the one they pushed out and tried to fuck over. To me, it's up to them to come back and say they're sorry.

“I’m not sorry for anything. I didn't do anything. Matter of fact, I did everything for that band. It was 100 percent my heart and soul and the best I had to give. All I did was make Number One albums and a lot of money. That's all I ever did for the band. Anything that's been done has all been in anger towards myself and now Mikey too. To me, they need to come and say, "We're sorry." And then our job would be to say, "Great, you're forgiven." Boom. Not for a reunion or anything like that. That's over, to me. That's completely fucking over. I wouldn't want to be in a band like that right now.

“I’d feel like a hypocrite for joining that band. How about that? There's a good quote for you. If I joined Van Halen right now, I'd feel like the biggest hypocrite in the world. And I'm not a hypocrite.”

Read more at RollingStone.com.

For more than twenty years, Hagar - superstar rocker and New York Times bestselling author - has been a culinary fixture through his iconic Cabo Wabo Tequila and Sammy’s Beach Bar Rum brands and his legendary restaurant, but he has never shared the recipes or the stories behind his unique, self-made culinary journey. Until now.

In Are We Having Any Fun Yet?, Sammy brings you into the kitchen, behind the bar, and into the center of the party like never before, spilling his secrets from a lifetime of rock and roll entertaining and making kick ass food. Collecting his favorite recipes from home, the road, and his go-to vacation spots, Cabo and Maui, Sammy shows how you can bring a bit of rock and roll to every meal, and coming along for the ride are a bunch of crazy tales, celebrity chefs from around the globe, and a step by step approach to preparing his favorite recipes. Of course, nothing goes better with a great meal than a good drink. Here are Sammy’s greatest drink recipes accompanied by true stories of the wild nights that brought them to life.

Complete with even more rock stories from the road and his table, over fifty food and drink recipes, and Sammy’s tips for entertaining like a rock star, Are We Having Any Fun Yet? shows you how to eat, drink, and party like the Red Rocker himself.

Praise for Are We Having Any Fun Yet?:

“When a guy writes a hit song called ‘Mas Tequila,’ you know he can throw a serious party. And after touring all over the world for the last 30 years, my brutha Sammy Hagar has gained a serious appreciation for great food. So, there’s nobody better than the Red Rocker himself to bring you ‘The Best of Both Worlds’ and to show you that 'There's Only One Way To Rock Cook.'” - Guy Fieri

“The only thing I’m allergic to is bad music and bad food! So what I’m telling you is that Sammy’s cookbook is just what Dr. Feelgood ordered!! This book you’re holding has all the recipes for good food, good music, and one hell of a party!!” - Tommy Lee

“I'm so excited about this book I can't tell you. Yesterday I read half of it in one sitting – I couldn't put it down and I wrote it! Ha. It was so much fun thinking of all my favorite food I've eaten in my life going back to my grandparents' and my mom’s home cooking. I can't wait till all Redheads get your hands on this one - it really explains who I am and where I am at in my life today. It truly is a manual for my personal lifestyle which I'm not complaining about - ha!” - Sammy Hagar.