EVH, I don't get it...

[petethorn]

It was the combination of things- not any one technique or whatever.

He was the first supercharged superstrat playing killer rhythm writing two hand tapping supersaturated-but-dynamic-tone-wielding guitar hero. And no one else ever came close really, in the genre. Van Halen (the guitarist and he band) was peerless.

There was two game changers in rock guitar- Hendrix and Van Halen. Lots of other great guitarists but none that turned the world upside down like those two.

 

[Gainfreak]

It was the combination of things- not any one technique or whatever.

He was the first supercharged superstrat playing killer rhythm writing two hand tapping supersaturated-but-dynamic-tone-wielding guitar hero. And no one else ever came close really, in the genre. Van Halen (the guitarist and he band) was peerless.

There was two game changers in rock guitar- Hendrix and Van Halen. Lots of other great guitarists but none that turned the world upside down like those two.

^
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This

 

[stephen sawall]

I see in here several times Ed being a innovator ???
I can not think of anything Ed did that others did not do before Ed.
Can anyone name anything Ed did that someone before him did not do ? Anything ?

Perhaps you should investigate the meaning of innovation:

"Innovation comes from the Latin innovationem, noun of action from innovare. The Etymology Dictionary further explains innovare as dating back to 1540 and stemming from the Latin innovatus, pp. of innovare "to renew or change," from in- "into" + novus "new".

Innovation can therefore be seen as the process that renews or improves something that exists and not, as is commonly assumed, the introduction of something better...

The central meaning of innovation thus relates to renewal or improvement. Novelty is just a consequence of improvement."

By this definition, he was certainly an innovator.

Steve

Best answer ....

I do not disagree with any of the rest of you. I was a big fan of VH up to about the time 1984 came out. Strange enough that album has my favorite VH songs ~ Panama and I'll Wait.

Personally I would never put Ed in the same group with Hendrix .... but I know many would. The reason being I do not think Ed is much of a song writer and feel a lot of Ed's playing does not have a lot of emotion. As far as I am concerned expressing emotion is the only thing that matters at all when it comes to any art.YMMV

Lets put it this way ~ if I was asked if EVH was a better guitar player than Pete Townshend ? I would say yes EVH is. But I do not think EVH is near as good a musician(artist) as Pete. As Pete's music is filled with emotion. This is my perspective .... and I really do not expect other to see the same.

I guess I should have asked did Ed do anything that someone else did not do before him ? I am not aware of anything myself.

I have heard the bulk of Ed's work and listening to any of it again is not going to make me a believer..... I am a much bigger fan of bands like the Cure and KISS, etc.

 

[mixohoytian]

^^^
with the lights out, were contagious, here we are now, entertain us...

 

[jharpersj]

try and play some of it correctly ! then you will get it

 

[stephen sawall]

^^^
with the lights out, were contagious, here we are now, entertain us...

Exactly .... even if he did steal the riff from Tom Scholz.

 

[mixohoytian]

Edward Scissor Hands > The Cure

 

[stephen sawall]

Edward Scissor Hands > The Cure

Look up VH and Cure on Billboard ..... Cure wins hands down, no competition.

 

[rupe]

Edward Scissor Hands > The Cure

Look up VH and Cure on Billboard ..... Cure wins hands down, no competition.

I think that was a hairstyle reference, not a true band comparison

 

[mixohoytian]

Edward Scissor Hands > The Cure

Look up VH and Cure on Billboard ..... Cure wins hands down, no competition.

jump back, what's that sound?

 

[MisterBulbous]

^^^
with the lights out, were contagious, here we are now, entertain us...

Exactly .... even if he did steal the riff from Tom Scholz.

Confused. Kurt Cobain stole a riff from Tom Scholz?

 

[mixohoytian]

^^^
with the lights out, were contagious, here we are now, entertain us...

Exactly .... even if he did steal the riff from Tom Scholz.

Confused. Kurt Cobain stole a riff from Tom Scholz?

Yes, but don't get crazy and start thinking all the 90s was just watered down 70s....

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Going around in circles are we,..................................?

It's really simple. Eddie mastered lots of different techniques and influences, rolled them all together and threw the rules out of the window. He, yes he, single handedly made guitarist want to do more than just be a back line player. He made you want to find your own thing and run with it, no holding back, just face to the wind, full speed ahead. And he made it more accessible because he did it from a "blues" on steroids based frame of mind with lots of melody and feel that nobody had seen before. Without Eddie, you wouldn't have YJM, Satriani, Vai, etc because Eddie opened the door for those next level players to come out.

 

[MisterBulbous]

^^^
with the lights out, were contagious, here we are now, entertain us...

Exactly .... even if he did steal the riff from Tom Scholz.

Confused. Kurt Cobain stole a riff from Tom Scholz?

Yes, but don't get crazy and start thinking all the 90s was just watered down 70s....

No craziness here. But the '90's were just a watered down version of The Melvins.

 

[mixohoytian]

^^^
with the lights out, were contagious, here we are now, entertain us...

Exactly .... even if he did steal the riff from Tom Scholz.

Confused. Kurt Cobain stole a riff from Tom Scholz?

Yes, but don't get crazy and start thinking all the 90s was just watered down 70s....

No craziness here. But the '90's were just a watered down version of The Melvins.

I guess we can blame Tom Scholz for chicks wearing flannel and not showering in the 90s

 

[stephen sawall]

^^^
with the lights out, were contagious, here we are now, entertain us...

Exactly .... even if he did steal the riff from Tom Scholz.

Confused. Kurt Cobain stole a riff from Tom Scholz?

More Than A Feeling and Teen Spirit.

 

[MisterBulbous]

^^^
with the lights out, were contagious, here we are now, entertain us...

Exactly .... even if he did steal the riff from Tom Scholz.

Confused. Kurt Cobain stole a riff from Tom Scholz?

Yes, but don't get crazy and start thinking all the 90s was just watered down 70s....

No craziness here. But the '90's were just a watered down version of The Melvins.

I guess we can blame Tom Scholz for chicks wearing flannel and not showering in the 90s

But seriously, I seem to recall a major spat when Scholz actually tried to play eruption during a live show. Can't recall all the drama at this time.

 

[Rushtallica]

I see in here several times Ed being a innovator ???
I can not think of anything Ed did that others did not do before Ed.
Can anyone name anything Ed did that someone before him did not do ? Anything ?

He put a lot of things from various influences together that weren't already put together by other rock musicians into one kickass package, and IMO that was innovative. Some of his influences don't do anything for me, but the way he put his music together was, for me at least, awesome.

 

[JakeAC5253]

^^^
with the lights out, were contagious, here we are now, entertain us...

Exactly .... even if he did steal the riff from Tom Scholz.

Confused. Kurt Cobain stole a riff from Tom Scholz?

More Than A Feeling and Teen Spirit.

These songs sound nothing alike?

 

[Digital Jams]

Man just get behind a good plexi with some filtering changes, a proper working man's superstrat loaded with an EVH type low output pup, run your fingers across the knobs diming them all and it will all make sense.