Some reasons why Eddie Van Halen is the best rock guitar player, ever

[ChrisL]

Eddie Van Halen is a good guitar player, but I would not qualify him as the best.

Just like I would never claim that David Lee Roth was a good singer..

He wasn't a "good" singer, but I don't think that means a lot when it comes to a lot of rock and roll bands. I like to think about them trying out for American Idol or something. How many of the "greats" would be denied the chance to go to Hollywood do you think?

 

[ChrisL]

 

[CrusaderFrank]

"I think I shouldn't be rated as a guitarist! Rating guitarists is a stupid hobby. I'm a composer, and my instrument is the guitar. If you like the composition, fine. My technique as a guitar player is fair. There are plenty of people who play faster than I do, never hit a wrong note, and have a lovely sound. If you want to rate guitar players, go for them. But there isn't anybody else who'll take the chances that I will take with a composition onstage in front of an audience, and just go out there and have the nerve, the ultimate audacity to say, 'Okay, I don't know what I'm going to play, and you don't know what I'm going to play, and that makes us equal. So let's go-we'll have an adventure here.' That's what I do. There's no way to rate that. You either like that kind of entertainment or you don't. I'd rather have the ups and downs than the assuredness that I was going to go out there and amaze everybody with technique. I want to hear some music, and the challenge for me is writing an instant composition while I'm playing. That's what I do. I Must say, in all fairness, that without being rated, I know there are people out there who love what I do on guitar." -- FZ

He released 5 whole CD's of these spontaneous composition called guitar solos.

5 CD's

 

[Harry Dresden]

I'm older than most of you so I remember the guitar greats of old, most none of you have ever heard of. A few have video on youtube though. Jerry Reed is an unsung guitar master as an example....

Haven't listened to that for years! Thanks!

one guitar player of the 80's,i cant remember who,said that Maphis was the first "shredder"....

 

[ChrisL]

 

[ChrisL]

I remember a radio station played one of VH songs without the music and just Dave singing. So funny. I think it was Running With The Devil.

 

[westwall]

That's my favorite VH song.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

As a band - Van Halen is one of the sell outs.
Their first album in 78 was outstanding. Van Halen II...not quite as good. After that...crap bubble gum rock for the MTV teenie crowd.
Exactly like Journey

 

[ChrisL]

As a band - Van Halen is one of the sell outs.
Their first album in 78 was outstanding. Van Halen II...not quite as good. After that...crap bubble gum rock for the MTV teenie crowd.
Exactly like Journey

I like Journey and Van Halen (pre Sammy Hagar).

 

[Darkwind]

Two words...


David Gilmore.


/thread

 

[iamwhatiseem]

As a band - Van Halen is one of the sell outs.
Their first album in 78 was outstanding. Van Halen II...not quite as good. After that...crap bubble gum rock for the MTV teenie crowd.
Exactly like Journey

I like Journey and Van Halen (pre Sammy Hagar).

Chick bands..
And by the way, I mispoke...I don't know why I said Journey. I meant to say REO Speedwagon.
REO and Van Halen both started out as heavy rock bands, then came MTV pushing ballads and bubble gum rock - and they both switched to ballads and "Pop Rock" rather than the heavy rock sound of their roots.
I don't like when a band switches music as well as the way they dress - everything - to sell more records.
Journey did that also. They always had ballads, but they pioneered "Arena Rock" also known as Anthem Rock.

 

[ChrisL]

As a band - Van Halen is one of the sell outs.
Their first album in 78 was outstanding. Van Halen II...not quite as good. After that...crap bubble gum rock for the MTV teenie crowd.
Exactly like Journey

I like Journey and Van Halen (pre Sammy Hagar).

Chick bands..
And by the way, I mispoke...I don't know why I said Journey. I meant to say REO Speedwagon.
REO and Van Halen both started out as heavy rock bands, then came MTV pushing ballads and bubble gum rock - and they both switched to ballads and "Pop Rock" rather than the heavy rock sound of their roots.
I don't like when a band switches music as well as the way they dress - everything - to sell more records.
Journey did that also. They always had ballads, but they pioneered "Arena Rock" also known as Anthem Rock.

Speaking of the way they dress, notice his super tight pants.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Speaking of the way they dress, notice his super tight pants.

Oh heavens yes.
Oh how I hated the 80's...look at this sh*t..made me vomit.

"Hey guys let's try and look as tough as possible while wearing make up, hair like teenage girls and dress in a confusing feminine yet somehow masculine'ish cross dressing thing!!!
YEAH!!!

 

[ChrisL]

Speaking of the way they dress, notice his super tight pants.

Oh heavens yes.
Oh how I hated the 80's...look at this sh*t..made me vomit.

"Hey guys let's try and look as tough as possible while wearing make up, hair like teenage girls and dress in a confusing feminine yet somehow masculine'ish cross dressing thing!!!
YEAH!!!

They all have women's hair styles and eye makeup!

 

[Harry Dresden]

Two words...


David Gilmore.


/thread

saw him live during the Dark Side tour....dude was good thats for sure...

 

[Billo_Really]

So true. There is so much history from the early rock and roll era that these youngun's have no idea about.

Do you remember the Mugwumps?

 

[Billo_Really]

This guy has the chops to hang everyone mentioned in this thread....





...praise Eddie
(it is his thread and all)

 

[Harry Dresden]

This guy has the chops to hang everyone mentioned in this thread....





...praise Eddie
(it is his thread and all)

another one of my favorites.....fucker was good....wish he would have done more with Thin Lizzy.....

 

[Darkwind]

Two words...


David Gilmore.


/thread

saw him live during the Dark Side tour....dude was good thats for sure...

There is no one that can make a Strat sing like Gilmore.

 

[Darkwind]

Speaking of the way they dress, notice his super tight pants.

Oh heavens yes.
Oh how I hated the 80's...look at this sh*t..made me vomit.

"Hey guys let's try and look as tough as possible while wearing make up, hair like teenage girls and dress in a confusing feminine yet somehow masculine'ish cross dressing thing!!!
YEAH!!!

But, but....dogtags!!!