Randy Rhoads vs. Eddie Van Halen

[thenine]

huge fan of both. Hard to choose. RR for the metal and EVH for everything else. EVH had better tone but I remember thinking holy shit when I first heard RR and to this day he still freaks me out when I hear his stuff. Wish we had more of it.

 

[Anonymous]

EVH. Not really 100% fair because I heard EVH a few years before I heard RR on the first Ozzy album. Still, I was more inspired to play hearing EVH for the first time. I love Randys stuff too. Doesn't matter to me who is a technically better player. It's the person that inspired me to want to play. Same goes for Ace Frehley before I ever heard VH.

What would it take to get you to retire your avatar and never use anything similar again?

Steve

One Henning Cherry Bomb.

I'm actually considering it...

Steve

 

[Shawn Lutz]

I never thought it was a far comparison between the two. There are certain elements to each players style that are the same but its not a fair comparison in my opinion. I like both players.

Randy Rhoads for me. Kinda long winded but nonetheless here's why;

Initially it was Eddie because he broke out first. I didn't even play guitar then even though I had a couple acoustic guitars around the house. I could figure out bits and pieces of stuff and basic 5 chords but had little to no interest because it wasn't electric. Hearing Eruption really made me want to get an electric. The first time I heard Eruption on the radio I wanted to do that as it was so unique and different than what I heard before but still didn't have an electric.

When Randy came out I was even more intrigued because I already was a huge Black Sabbath fan. I didn't think it would be any good but when I heard Randy on the radio, "I don't know" the descending muted chromatic run was really cool to my untrained ear. I loved VH I album but Blizzard's songs was more my vein as there was some darker, mysterious sounding stuff as opposed to straight head party rockin of VH. I was an immediate Randy fan from that point on. I finally got an electric when I was a senior in high school. I had Eruption down within my first year of playing and a bunch of Rhoads licks. Remember those Star Licks and Rock Performance Guitar Method tapes that had the note for note solos on tape? I transcribed them to tab (painful process) and learned all I could. Studying Randy and reading his interviews and mentioning Classical music I began to get into Baroque era of classical music. I learned through Randy that I love Classical music. That is my primary reasoning for preferring Randy over Eddie as I like classically influenced playing more so than rock/blues based playing.

I still love Eddie too and cannot go without playing EVH when I pickup a guitar tuned to Eb

To this day I can go months just listening to classical music and violin music. I can't listen to 3 Blues songs without getting tired quickly and being able to predict the next note played. I can play the blues but really grown to hate it with a passion.

 

[metalmaniac93]

Both were actually are huge influences on my playing and I was around during that time period. I actually heard VH1 when I was about 10-11. As stated before RR will always be my favorite guitarist, but they both kicked ass back in the day. I moved on from EVH being one of my top faves around 1984/86 and on to others like Lynch, Takasaki, Vai, Campbell, LeTekro, Sykes, Malmsteen, Lee, etc!!!

 

[Shark Diver]

Where would Randy have gone with his music if he didn't die? He wasn't anywhere near fully developed as a player yet. He was just beginning. We all know where Ed went.

I thought about that, but there are no guarantees that he would have done anything more impressive. Part of the "wow" factor is the newness of what he was doing. After a few years it would just be the same ol' RR. Not that that wouldn't be incredible, but the way the public is they would just want something more. How many bands/guitarist are revered by their later work as compared to their early? Would his Metal fans accept him if he went the way of Yngwie? Maybe, but chances are we wouldn't be talking about him the same way if he was here, in his 50s, and dealing with addictions and band squabbles. Everyone would talk about the old days and how his best work was with Ozzy, etc.

 

[metalmaniac93]

I never thought it was a far comparison between the two. There are certain elements to each players style that are the same but its not a fair comparison in my opinion. I like both players.

Randy Rhoads for me. Kinda long winded but nonetheless here's why;

Initially it was Eddie because he broke out first. I didn't even play guitar then even though I had a couple acoustic guitars around the house. I could figure out bits and pieces of stuff and basic 5 chords but had little to no interest because it wasn't electric. Hearing Eruption really made me want to get an electric. The first time I heard Eruption on the radio I wanted to do that as it was so unique and different than what I heard before but still didn't have an electric.

When Randy came out I was even more intrigued because I already was a huge Black Sabbath fan. I didn't think it would be any good but when I heard Randy on the radio, "I don't know" the descending muted chromatic run was really cool to my untrained ear. I loved VH I album but Blizzard's songs was more my vein as there was some darker, mysterious sounding stuff as opposed to straight head party rockin of VH. I was an immediate Randy fan from that point on. I finally got an electric when I was a senior in high school. I had Eruption down within my first year of playing and a bunch of Rhoads licks. Remember those Star Licks and Rock Performance Guitar Method tapes that had the note for note solos on tape? I transcribed them to tab (painful process) and learned all I could. Studying Randy and reading his interviews and mentioning Classical music I began to get into Baroque era of classical music. I learned through Randy that I love Classical music. That is my primary reasoning for preferring Randy over Eddie as I like classically influenced playing more so than rock/blues based playing.

I still love Eddie too and cannot go without playing EVH when I pickup a guitar tuned to Eb

To this day I can go months just listening to classical music and violin music. I can't listen to 3 Blues songs without getting tired quickly and being able to predict the next note played. I can play the blues but really grown to hate it with a passion.

I agree!!! I took classical for a few years back in the early 80's because of Randy. I also had those Star Licks tapes and booklets. I actually still have them somewhere.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

Neither was an influence, I can tell you that.

Randy's solos were worked out and basically repeated verbatim live, even the Sabbath covers.
EVH improvised more but his G-string dive bombs while thinking of what to play next was grating.

Both awesome in their own right, I'd rather listen to Richie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Hendrix, etc

Randy never played a Sabbath solo note for note. HE improvised his own solos on those songs live.

 

[gtr31]

Without VH there would be no Poison.

without Kiss there would be no poison..

I agree with that statement though EVH pioneered a lot of that LA music scene .with the tapping busy rythms in the verse .and I think its safe to say that most hard rock players have "borrowed" a lick from VH at a time or 2

 

[ejecta]

Where would Randy have gone with his music if he didn't die? He wasn't anywhere near fully developed as a player yet. He was just beginning. We all know where Ed went.

He'd be trying to figure out Unchained and Lay it Down.

Exactly.

 

[loudgtr]

Neither was an influence, I can tell you that.

Randy's solos were worked out and basically repeated verbatim live, even the Sabbath covers.
EVH improvised more but his G-string dive bombs while thinking of what to play next was grating.

Both awesome in their own right, I'd rather listen to Richie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Hendrix, etc

Randy never played a Sabbath solo note for note. HE improvised his own solos on those songs live.

Big time!

 

[carlygtr]

Neither was an influence, I can tell you that.

Randy's solos were worked out and basically repeated verbatim live, even the Sabbath covers.
EVH improvised more but his G-string dive bombs while thinking of what to play next was grating.

Both awesome in their own right, I'd rather listen to Richie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Hendrix, etc

Randy never played a Sabbath solo note for note. HE improvised his own solos on those songs live.

Never said he played Iommi's solos note for note, did I? I said he played the same worked out solos in the Sabbath covers.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

Neither was an influence, I can tell you that.

Randy's solos were worked out and basically repeated verbatim live, even the Sabbath covers.
EVH improvised more but his G-string dive bombs while thinking of what to play next was grating.

Both awesome in their own right, I'd rather listen to Richie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Hendrix, etc

Randy never played a Sabbath solo note for note. HE improvised his own solos on those songs live.

Never said he played Iommi's solos note for note, did I? I said he played the same worked out solos in the Sabbath covers.

Well based on what you said by playing even Sabbath verbatime live certainly implies such.

Also im a huge Randy fan and live he didn't even play a lot of his own solos live the same way as recorded or the same way he did the night before.

I think the Pre-planned, thought out solo card is weak. It may have sounded like that but Randy had a good theory and went for it and remained inside whereas Eddie's if it sounds good, it's good approach led him to play outside a little more but Randy did as well.

 

[carlygtr]

Neither was an influence, I can tell you that.

Randy's solos were worked out and basically repeated verbatim live, even the Sabbath covers.
EVH improvised more but his G-string dive bombs while thinking of what to play next was grating.

Both awesome in their own right, I'd rather listen to Richie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Hendrix, etc

Randy never played a Sabbath solo note for note. HE improvised his own solos on those songs live.

Never said he played Iommi's solos note for note, did I? I said he played the same worked out solos in the Sabbath covers.

Well based on what you said by playing even Sabbath verbatime live certainly implies such.

Also im a huge Randy fan and live he didn't even play a lot of his own solos live the same way as recorded or the same way he did the night before.

I think the Pre-planned, thought out solo card is weak. It may have sounded like that but Randy had a good theory and went for it and remained inside whereas Eddie's if it sounds good, it's good approach led him to play outside a little more but Randy did as well.

Not playing any card. I got enough Randy/ Ozzy live shows to form an opinion and my opinion is RR stuck to the script. The stuff was worked out, including solos, and he didn't stray far from that. That includes the Sabbath material. I quickly checked YT and 3 live versions of Paranoid, he plays basically the same shit.

In fact, relistening to the RR shit gives me a better appreciation for VH cause EVH wasn't afraid to go for it, take chances, change up certain solos, improvise, etc.

Neither guy is my thing so I'll leave the petty nit picking to others. I could give a shit about either player

 

[Badronald]

Randy was great but I prefer Balckmore, Uli Roth and Michael Schenker for that style. Their tones were also MUCH better.
Eddie was completely unique. The greatest for me. That swing in his playing is incredible.

 

[rupe]

Loving some of the replies. A lot of people have mentioned that its an unfair comparison, to which I have two comments. First, nobody was asked to compare them, simply discuss who they liked more. Secondly, IF it was a comparison, how the hell can anybody say its not a fair one? Two extremely influential hard rock guitarists who were the same age, played on the same scene at the same time, used many similar techniques,etc, etc. Yeah, they each had unique stylistic traits and songwriting styles but if that makes them incomparable then you really couldn't compare any two guitarists beyond one who tries to clone another (say Hendrix and Randy Hansen).

Bottom line, I can't think of any other hard rock guitarists who are more appropriate to compare than these two icons.

FWIW, Randy is it for me. I love EVH, but Randy sent me to the woodshed. Ironically, my own playing probably has more in common with Eddie as I tend to be more blues influenced than classically influenced and less structured/more improv based in my soloing.

 

[glpg80]

One was killed in a plane crash, the other survived cancer.

I mean really why does it matter?

 

[rupe]

One was killed in a plane crash, the other survived cancer.

I mean really why does it matter?

I give up...why?

 

[Shawn Lutz]

well Bill every thread ever on RR and VH on guitar/gear forum always pulls comparisons. I do agree both profound impact on guitar playing, style wise they were quit different. Since they come from the same basic era they tend get lumped together. I know when I think in terms of top influential player its Jimi, EVH/RR and Yngwie even its really 4

 

[Shawn Lutz]

Neither was an influence, I can tell you that.

Randy's solos were worked out and basically repeated verbatim live, even the Sabbath covers.
EVH improvised more but his G-string dive bombs while thinking of what to play next was grating.

Both awesome in their own right, I'd rather listen to Richie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Hendrix, etc

Randy never played a Sabbath solo note for note. HE improvised his own solos on those songs live.

Never said he played Iommi's solos note for note, did I? I said he played the same worked out solos in the Sabbath covers.

Well based on what you said by playing even Sabbath verbatime live certainly implies such.

Also im a huge Randy fan and live he didn't even play a lot of his own solos live the same way as recorded or the same way he did the night before.

I think the Pre-planned, thought out solo card is weak. It may have sounded like that but Randy had a good theory and went for it and remained inside whereas Eddie's if it sounds good, it's good approach led him to play outside a little more but Randy did as well.

Not playing any card. I got enough Randy/ Ozzy live shows to form an opinion and my opinion is RR stuck to the script. The stuff was worked out, including solos, and he didn't stray far from that. That includes the Sabbath material. I quickly checked YT and 3 live versions of Paranoid, he plays basically the same shit.

In fact, relistening to the RR shit gives me a better appreciation for VH cause EVH wasn't afraid to go for it, take chances, change up certain solos, improvise, etc.

Neither guy is my thing so I'll leave the petty nit picking to others. I could give a shit about either player

that's cool...like who you like, no one here was asking otherwise...

 

[bubbastain]

Loving some of the replies. A lot of people have mentioned that its an unfair comparison, to which I have two comments. First, nobody was asked to compare them, simply discuss who they liked more. Secondly, IF it was a comparison, how the hell can anybody say its not a fair one? Two extremely influential hard rock guitarists who were the same age, played on the same scene at the same time, used many similar techniques,etc, etc. Yeah, they each had unique stylistic traits and songwriting styles but if that makes them incomparable then you really couldn't compare any two guitarists beyond one who tries to clone another (say Hendrix and Randy Hansen).

Bottom line, I can't think of any other hard rock guitarists who are more appropriate to compare than these two icons.

FWIW, Randy is it for me. I love EVH, but Randy sent me to the woodshed. Ironically, my own playing probably has more in common with Eddie as I tend to be more blues influenced than classically influenced and less structured/more improv based in my soloing.

When I wrote this,
"EVH. Not really 100% fair because I heard EVH a few years before I heard RR on the first Ozzy album. Still, I was more inspired to play hearing EVH for the first time. I love Randys stuff too. Doesn't matter to me who is a technically better player. It's the person that inspired me to want to play. Same goes for Ace Frehley before I ever heard VH."

I wasn't comparing the two players really. More so I was comparing my reaction to hearing them the first time. I imagined if I had heard both of them for the first time at the same time, Who would I like better? The answer would still be EVH.