Eduardo Rivadavia (aka Ed Rivadavia) was born in São Paulo, Brazil, and by his late teens had already toured the world (and elsewhere), learning four languages on three continents. Having also accepted the holy gospel of rock & roll as his lord and savior, Eduardo became infatuated with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and all things heavy, crude, and obnoxious while living in Milan, Italy, during the mid-1980s. At this time, he also made his journalistic debut as sole writer, editor, publisher, and, some would claim, reader of his high school's heavy metal fanzine, earning the scorn of jocks and nerds alike, but uniting the small hardcore music-loving contingent into a frenzied mob that spent countless hours exchanging tapes, talking shop, and getting beat up at concerts. Upon returning home to Brazil, Eduardo resumed a semi-normal existence, sporadically contributing music articles to local papers and magazines while earning his business degree. Finally, after years of obsessive musical fandom and at peace with his distinct lack of musical talent, Eduardo decided the time had come to infiltrate the music industry by the fire escape. He quit his boring corporate job, relocated to America, earned his master's degree while suffering the iniquities of interning for free (anything for rock & roll!), and eventually began working for various record labels, accumulating mountains of records and (seemingly) useless rock trivia in the process. This eventually led him back to writing, and he has regularly contributed articles to multiple websites since 1999, working with many different rock genres but specializing, as always, in his personal hobby: hard rock and heavy metal. To quote from the insightful 'This Is Spinal Tap': "People should be jealous of me...I'm jealous of me...." Eduardo currently resides in Austin, TX, with his wife, two daughters, and far more records, CDs and MP3s than he'll ever have time to listen to.
Eduardo Rivadavia
40 Years Ago: Dio Starts Over as Band Leader on ‘Holy Diver’
At the ripe age of 41, the former Black Sabbath frontman was finally ready for his close-up.
Ranking the Opening Song on Every Iron Maiden Album
So many great ones. This was tough!
45 Years Ago: Aerosmith Release Their First Album
When Aerosmith’s eponymous debut slipped unassumingly onto record stores in January 1973, most critics could barely tell them apart from fellow longhaired upstarts the New York Dolls.
How Rush Looked Back at a Rise to Stardom on ‘Exit … Stage Left’
This live LP arrived on the heels of their best-selling and arguably definitive studio album, 'Moving Pictures.'
Why the Black Crowes Started Over on ‘Three Snakes and One Charm’
Sessions were held during a period of intense internal acrimony, particularly between brothers Chris and Rich Robinson.
When Foreigner Reached for Perfection on ‘4’
They'd join a short and distinguished list of superstar bands whose fourth albums became their signature albums.
When Ozzy Osbourne Bit Off the Heads of Two Doves
An event intended to promote goodwill with his label went horribly wrong.
When Whitesnake Played Their First Concert
Collapse of David Coverdale's former band Deep Purple had been one of the most spectacular of the '70s.
How ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ Turned Comedy Up to 11
The film began as an earnest attempt to chronicle the legendary band’s triumphant comeback tour of America.
When Steely Dan Got Twisted on ‘Pretzel Logic’
It may sound absurd today, but there was actually a point when their career longevity seemed anything but guaranteed.
How AC/DC Finally Soared to Platinum Success on ‘Highway to Hell’
Subtle new contributions helped make this a commercial breakthrough, including a brightening of their familiar sound.
How Queen Reached a Turning Point With ‘The Game’
After rampaging through the ‘70s, Queen were bona fide British rock royalty. All of that would begin to change with this album.
How Stevie Ray Vaughan Addressed Addiction on ‘In Step’
A sense of not-quite-finished business made his tragic death a few years later even more difficult to accept.
When Led Zeppelin Began Recording ‘In Through the Out Door’
They'd been sidelined for years by personal issues, including the death of singer Robert Plant's son.
How Happenstance Originally Brought Brian Johnson to AC/DC
The seeds for his arrival had been planted years earlier – and under most serendipitous circumstances.
How Led Zeppelin’s First Album Became a Hard Rock Paradigm
This eponymous debut was an album full of firsts, beyond the ‘I’ frequently tacked onto its title nowadays.