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re: EVH overrated or top 10 like they say?
Posted on 3/31/25 at 9:16 pm to redneck hippie
Posted on 3/31/25 at 9:16 pm to redneck hippie
quote:
According to the Grateful Dead guitarist, Van Halen’s music wasn’t “played with enough deliberateness” because it lacked “a certain rhythmic elegance that I like music to have”. Although some of it is the “kind of music which I understand on one level,” its evident lack of syncopation “isn’t attractive to me” because “the notes aren’t saying much. They’re like little clusters”.
That quote reminds me of the scene in the movie Amadeus where Emperor Joseph dismissed Mozart’s music because “there are too many notes.”
This post was edited on 3/31/25 at 9:17 pm
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Posted on 3/31/25 at 9:23 pm to bleedsgarnet
Obviously talented, but he never did it for me. His contemporary, Mark Knopfler, was my guy.
Posted on 3/31/25 at 9:39 pm to FightinTigersDammit
Absolutely! There has been some great guitarist(and EVH is one) and ….. then there was mark knopfler
Posted on 3/31/25 at 9:50 pm to redneck hippie
shite. If Van Halen had only released their debut album Eddie would be one of the greatest ever. Innovator, trailblazer, call it whatever you want. Dude was an originator to another level.
Posted on 3/31/25 at 10:51 pm to Saint Alfonzo
quote:
….the best would be Eddie or Randy
My man, there are untold session cats from the 80’s that were just as good as both if not better. And that’s coming from someone who admires the playing of both the guys you mentioned.
Neither of those cats ever played a lick that Steve Lukather couldn’t.
This post was edited on 3/31/25 at 10:52 pm
Posted on 4/1/25 at 2:34 am to bleedsgarnet
quote:
EVH overrated or top 10 like they say?
IMO, the GOAT. Jimi changed the game too but wasn't the musician EVH was.
My thoughts:
- Others could play what EVH wrote; they couldn't write what he played.
- When VH burst on to the scene, getting a new VH album from say Leisure Landing or New Generation or BeBop Records, and to listen to it for the first time was a magical musical experience. Remember, most of which you were hearing for the very first time.
- Eruption was the biggest, most influential game changer in the history of rock guitar.
- IMO, Eddie was on the threshold of creating a new guitar role by so commingling lead & rhythm. I've heard Alex mention this (will have to track down the source) along the lines of nobody can imitate him because of this.
- Eddie saw guitar sounds unlike anyone before him.
Some quotes from Alex from 1/25:
quote:
But the fact was when Ed played, he made that instrument sing. It was unbelievable. Uncle Ed, you're playing guitar. I want drums. Besides, Dave Clark Five was my idol, and he was the drummer. So - but again, on a serious note, when Ed played the guitar, he made it sing.
quote:
He played guitar from the moment he woke up to the moment he went to sleep, and it was just his way of either communicating or finding peace with himself on the Earth. I don't know. And I'm certainly not going to stop him while he's getting better and better every day. The problem with Ed was he could play anything. So the most difficult thing for him was to find his own voice, and he spent a lot of time doing it. Then when he finally found it, that was it - big smile.
NPR Interview 1/2/25
Posted on 4/1/25 at 6:29 am to AlwysATgr
quote:
Leisure Landing or New Generation
Spent way too many hours in these places when I should have been in class.
Eddie was magical, just amazing. Would encourage anyone to go to Youtube and delve into his isolated guitar tracks. The technical ability, the rhythm, the composition, everything, it’s off the charts.
This is otherworldly, and written in his early 20’s.
Posted on 4/1/25 at 9:15 am to geauxbrown
quote:
Neither of those cats ever played a lick that Steve Lukather couldn’t.
You should ask Steve Lukather who he thought was the greatest guitar player ever.
His answer would be Eddie Van Halen, and he would scream at anyone who suggested he was Eddie's equal.
They were great friends and Steve played guitar on Beat It and brought Eddie in to do the solo.
Posted on 4/1/25 at 9:39 am to Bjorn Cyborg
If my life depended on it I couldn't play a harmonica, a kazoo, a ukulele. I just have no musical abilities, but I know when I like something in music that's all that matters for me. That's why I like early Guns N Roses with Slash just shredding his guitar. His solos in Sweet Child O Mine just leave me in awe.
Heard people say Slash is sloppy, not technically a good player. Don't know if he is or isn't just know what I like.
Heard people say Slash is sloppy, not technically a good player. Don't know if he is or isn't just know what I like.
Posted on 4/1/25 at 9:42 am to dblwall
quote:
Heard people say Slash is sloppy, not technically a good player.
People who say stuff like this are like people criticizing an NFL QB for not being a pro-bowler. Once you are at that level, you are already great. There are just shades of greatness.
Slash is a great guitar player. He's not at the level of EVH or some of the other greats, but that's just splitting hairs. He's still excellent.
Posted on 4/1/25 at 9:43 am to bleedsgarnet
It’s impossible to rank guitarists like this.
All I know is Derick trucks is in everyone’s top 10
All I know is Derick trucks is in everyone’s top 10
Posted on 4/1/25 at 2:17 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
quote:
You should ask Steve…..
I don’t doubt Steve loved EVH and his playing. However, Steve has always been a truly nice cat. Super respectful to everyone.
This constant attempt to rank musicians is total BS. There are too many different styles that all take a certain amount of proficiency to play. Are you telling me that EVH could play country as well as Glen Campbell or Roy Clark? That he could play jazz like George Benson? That he could walk into sessions and read charts for one take recordings on pop stuff?
I love EVH. His playing was innovative and ground breaking. Plus, Steve always loved rock and roll, real rock and roll like EVH played.
Finally, Steve didn’t “bring EVH in” to play the solo. He may have suggested to Q that EVH would do a great job, but make no doubt that the final decision was up to Q, who loved the fact of using EVH as a way of reaching more white listeners.
This post was edited on 4/1/25 at 2:17 pm
Posted on 4/1/25 at 2:50 pm to geauxbrown
quote:
My man, there are untold session cats from the 80’s that were just as good as both if not better. And that’s coming from someone who admires the playing of both the guys you mentioned.
Neither of those cats ever played a lick that Steve Lukather couldn’t.
And Toto never approached the success and notoriety of Van Halen and Ozzy.
Posted on 4/1/25 at 3:52 pm to geauxbrown
quote:
Glen Campbell
I think it's well known that EVH admired Glen. Alice Cooper organized a guitar lesson from Glen Campbell for EVH.
YT: Alice Cooper Interview
Posted on 4/1/25 at 4:00 pm to geauxbrown
quote:
Finally, Steve didn’t “bring EVH in” to play the solo. He may have suggested to Q that EVH would do a great job,
Steve and Eddie are great friends and he recommended him. You are arguing over semantics.
quote:
but make no doubt that the final decision was up to Q, who loved the fact of using EVH as a way of reaching more white listeners.
Eddie only agreed to do it if he was uncredited, so it was not done to "reach more white listeners" It only came out later that it was him
Posted on 4/1/25 at 7:59 pm to bleedsgarnet
I have EVH in my top 20, which is not bad. High marks for individual talent, but low marks for musical composition and creativity. Of course, he "shreds" with the best of them, but his music is purely a form of elevated pre-pubescent garage rock. That's going to piss some people off, but he could never put out the types of solo albums that Jeff Beck could, who was a real composer of guitar music, as opposed to just being really great at a style that millions of others used before him.
I can smell the down votes already....
I can smell the down votes already....
Posted on 4/2/25 at 7:03 am to nealnan8
quote:
I can smell the down votes already....
Deservedly so. A lack of creativity from Eddie Van Halen? Of all the EVH criticisms, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say he lacked creativity.
This post was edited on 4/2/25 at 7:15 am
Posted on 4/2/25 at 10:12 am to nealnan8
quote:
have EVH in my top 20, which is not bad. High marks for individual talent, but low marks for musical composition and creativity . . . garage rock. . . . Jeff Beck
Had you declared Jeff Beck better than EVH you wouldn't get much pushback. Beck was a great and influential guitarist.
But when you suggest EVH wasn't creative you forfeit a lot of credibility. Moreover, dismissing VH as garage rock is disingenuous. They were. But most of the British invasion (Beatles, Stones, Who, Purple, Yardbirds, Cream, Sabbath, Zep, etc) never left the drive way either.
Humor us. What are some of the other guitarists on your top-20 list?
Finally, EVH composed more memorable rock riffs 1 week in his garage than Beck did in his lifetime.
Posted on 4/2/25 at 12:41 pm to Bjorn Cyborg
Spot on.
Posted on 4/2/25 at 1:08 pm to Saint Alfonzo
quote:
And Toto never approached the success of EVH
So success now equates to talent?
You must adore Taylor Swift.
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