You will never be as good as Eddie Van Halen...

[Heritage Softail]

I saw him a few months ago.

Still plays great and just has the mojo playing the style he invented, the one that changed guitar playing forever.

And he does not let cancer, divorce, and that annoying spider monkey twat DLR get a brother down....

 

[guitarmike]

Maybe other guys are more technical or whatever, but none of them have ever written songs as badass as Eddie has. Sinners swing, unchained, girl gone bad, the list goes on and on...Eddie's ability as a guitarist never would have gotten as much recognition without those songs man.

Quoted for TRUTH!

Steve

Double quoted for truth!

 

[Mr. Willy]

I mean, yeah, the guy is legend but thankfully not everyone is trying to be the next EVH. There are plenty of guys that have surpassed what he has done on a technical level. You should have said "you will never be as good as EVH if you're trying to emulate him".

Same goes for anyone else, good or not. You can't play exactly like someone because you're not them. There will never be another Gilmour, Page, etc...

Perhaps you are being a bit too literal about this obviously light-hearted post?

Steve

Ok, I guess I took it too literally.

Maybe other guys are more technical or whatever, but none of them have ever written songs as badass as Eddie has. Sinners swing, unchained, girl gone bad, the list goes on and on...Eddie's ability as a guitarist never would have gotten as much recognition without those songs man.

Sorry, but this I definitely disagree with. I always felt that VH's songs were nothing special. Kind of light party rock and not much more than the vehicle for Ed's badass licks. Those songs you listed have some cool-as-shit riffs, but the songs themselves never moved me. Probably a LOT to do with the "party" rock attitude and DLR, who I'm not a fan of. It's the guitar playing that changed music forever. My opinion, of course.

Either way, Eddie was phenomenal and a badass, and it goes without saying that Eddie had quite an influence on my playing. I just wish he would have been in a different band.

Even so, songs like jump, right now, etc. where pretty big pop hits for the band. That party rock attitude and vibe is what a lot of people (non musicians) like about the band. Sometimes life is heavy enough without having to listen to "serious" music all the time. I'm just reluctant to say any band who has been as successful as van halen has wrote songs that were "nothing special" when I have never written a chart topping song. Seems like a very arrogant thing to do. This is, of course, my humble opinion.

 

[MisterBulbous]

Yay Eddie!

Bought the magazine in my sig when I was about 13 (1980/81). Read it about 5,000 times and got a guitar shortly thereafter. At the time, I couldn't believe they had actual magazines about guitarists. He was/is so cool.

 

[Anonymous]

Eh, he's ok. There are guys on this forum that are above him on a technical level, I'm not one of them for the record Do they look as cool as him? That I cannot answer...

I'm sure there are guys here who can play things EVH can't, but there would be things EVH can play that those same guys would not be able to play. Technically they just have different skills.

Steve

That's almost exactly what I said in my first post, possibly a tad less directly.

Not really.

Steve

Yes, really. I was making the point that everyone should have their own style and not try to directly emulate. That's very clear in my post...what I meant when I said You can't play exactly like someone because you're not them

Anyway, this is getting ridiculous. Let's all just get along. Go build a Cherry Bomb or something.

That isn't what I was saying. Anyway, I don't understand why this is bothering you, regardless.

Steve

 

[Motorpud]

I'm just reluctant to say any band who has been as successful as van halen has wrote songs that were "nothing special" when I have never written a chart topping song. Seems like a very arrogant thing to do. This is, of course, my humble opinion.

I never understood this point of view, nor do i think it's relevant. You don't have to have a "chart topping song" to love or hate a band or musician. If that were the case, then you couldn't enjoy a burger unless you work at burger king or new car unless you work at Ford. There would be very few people who would be allowed to like or dislike anything.

It seems like a defense mechanism that fan boys use to stop people from saying anything negative or not sharing enthusiasm when it comes to their heroes.

 

[ibenhad]

Eddies a hack... Seriously. This argument is like thongs vs. commando. Who cares? Besides this MOFO is 10 times more badass and gets no credibility in most circles because he is mad eccentric.

https://youtu.be/x_2tSGxGnJQ?t=3m27s (go to 3:29)

And this just because he makes it look easy.

https://youtu.be/905Um7hqBkQ?hd=1&t=2m9s (2:09)

 

[overthemountain]

Eddies a hack... Seriously. This argument is like thongs vs. commando. Who cares? Besides this MOFO is 10 times more badass and gets no credibility in most circles because he is mad eccentric.

https://youtu.be/x_2tSGxGnJQ?t=3m27s (go to 3:29)

And this just because he makes it look easy.

https://youtu.be/905Um7hqBkQ?hd=1&t=2m9s (2:09)

Ummmm.... Paul Gilbert is TOTALLY bad ass, but you use him covering an EVH TUNE to demonstrate that Eddie's a hack???

 

[ibenhad]

It was a joke. Although I don't worship his sound like most others. I also think Paul Gilberts tone is usually shit but my point was do you think he practices Spanish Fly everday? NO! Yet he effortlessly rips it out. Just sayin. Man am I at HCAF?

 

[ibenhad]

So I bet if Prince had a cigarette in his mouth while playing his solo he would dethrone the great EVH? Why does no one ever mention the project Eddie did with Brian May? Now that (Starfleet Project) crap rocks. Eddie kills on that.

 

[MKibanez]

Home made guitar and an old plexi, SMOKES ALL OUR ASSES!!!
I really have to rethink wasting so much money on gear..............

You are right, it proves that almost everything is in the hands! He is the master

 

[gibson5413]

I was obsessed with LWAN back when it came out. I was at the store (Sound Warehouse in Dallas, TX) when they unboxed it. It was so hard to come by any Van Halen live stuff that I was salivating for this. It didn't come out of my VCR for months.

This has always been my favorite band opener ever.

 

[Anonymous]

It was a joke. Although I don't worship his sound like most others. I also think Paul Gilberts tone is usually shit but my point was do you think he practices Spanish Fly everday? NO! Yet he effortlessly rips it out. Just sayin. Man am I at HCAF?

He practiced it a lot when he worshipped Ed growing up. Also, "effortlessly"??! Please - he was completely running out of gas on the end tapping part and said so. He's one of the best technical rock guitar players ever and he barely made it through that piece. Says a lot about Ed's abilities to me...

Steve

 

[Rogue]

I was obsessed with LWAN back when it came out. I was at the store (Sound Warehouse in Dallas, TX) when they unboxed it. It was so hard to come by any Van Halen live stuff that I was salivating for this. It didn't come out of my VCR for months.

This has always been my favorite band opener ever.

I never really cared for the song, but it opens the show kick ass and Eddie decorates it up.

 

[ibenhad]

Sah5150 it's OK fanboi I have seen your midriff. No need to get panties in a bunch like little school girls. Eddie is Eddie BFD. Played the same solo for the last 50 years and adds a volume swell here and there give me a break. I said I was kidding. As for Gilbert looked pretty effortless for a guy who didn't write it and probably never practices it off the cuff. Ever see Eddie play it like that? Doubt it and I saw him in 1980 and he didn't pull it off.

 

[Rogue]

Eddies a hack... Seriously.

I agree. He and Hendrix both were hacks. Just guys who took the guitar, looked at the first few pages of the rule book then threw it away, developed their voice and style on the instrument that was unlike anything at the time. Ironically, both transformed the world.

There is a great value to this.

 

[Rogue]

Sah5150 it's OK fanboi I have seen your midriff. No need to get panties in a bunch like little school girls. Eddie is Eddie BFD. Played the same solo for the last 50 years and adds a volume swell here and there give me a break. I said I was kidding. As for Gilbert looked pretty effortless for a guy who didn't write it and probably never practices it off the cuff. Ever see Eddie play it like that? Doubt it and I saw him in 1980 and he didn't pull it off.

Eddie has never been a scale practicing, solo composing, recreating perfectly kind of guy. He's a guy that brings it all together in the moment. Spontaneity, which is where the energy and feeling comes from.

A lot of guys see this as a weakness. They are also the same ones confused as to why the more technical players aren't as popular. Atropos_Project said it as simply as can be stated.

 

[luther910]

Just to buzzkill; In Sammy Hagar's book, he reveals that this entire concert was redone in the studio. Love VH though.

 

[Anonymous]

Sah5150 it's OK fanboi I have seen your midriff. No need to get panties in a bunch like little school girls. Eddie is Eddie BFD. Played the same solo for the last 50 years and adds a volume swell here and there give me a break. I said I was kidding. As for Gilbert looked pretty effortless for a guy who didn't write it and probably never practices it off the cuff. Ever see Eddie play it like that? Doubt it and I saw him in 1980 and he didn't pull it off.

Did you hear Gilbert say he was "running out of juice" in the second video? That means it was not effortless, nor did it look effortless to me as he was playing it - his face was looking a bit contorted at some points, indicating it was tough for him to play. I've never seen Eddie play it like that, I've only heard him play it like that on the album because he never played it on a nylon string live.

Another thing - I'm a fan of EVH's early playing in VH clearly, however, I've been as critical of EVH over the years as anyone. I've posted many times on here that I'd never give him another penny because of the drunken embarrassment I had to sit through at Staples in '04. I also agree he's been playing the same solo for a long time and hasn't innovated in forever as a guitarist. None of that makes me any less of a fan of what he did early in his career that had such a huge effect on a generation of guitar players and continues to influence many young players today. I wouldn't say I'm a blind fan or "fanboi" as you put it, because I see the good and bad in EVH's career. I certainly wasn't one of the guys chanting "EDDIE!!! EDDIE!!! EDDIE!!!" at the top of their lungs while EVH drunkenly rolled around on the floor making this horrendously hideous noise with feedback and his sustainer at the '04 show I mentioned (this was the "highlight" of his "solo" that night, BTW - I could have played a better EVH-style solo that night than he did, which is pretty sad).

Also - I'll never understand why some people feel the need to resort to confrontational and meaningless drivel about "fanbois" and "panties in a bunch" when they don't agree with something someone else is saying in a discussion. It adds nothing to the conversation and some people take offense.

Finally - I don't see what my tanned, rock hard, six-pack abs have to do with any of this. I guess haters gonna hate.

Steve

 

[gibson5413]

I was obsessed with LWAN back when it came out. I was at the store (Sound Warehouse in Dallas, TX) when they unboxed it. It was so hard to come by any Van Halen live stuff that I was salivating for this. It didn't come out of my VCR for months.

This has always been my favorite band opener ever.

I never really cared for the song, but it opens the show kick ass and Eddie decorates it up.

Exactly my feeling too. The original is pretty bland but this version is cool when they start headcutting. How can you not like Michael's banana suit and Sammy's coat of many colors.