About KC Expertise What`s the Brown M&M`s story about? How in the world does Eddie play that!? What the heck is on the cover of "Fair Warning?" Does Alex really need three or four bass drums? Where did they dig up David Lee Roth, anyway? Ask away, and I`ll try to help you become one with all things Van Halen.
Experience 13,534 repeat listens of "Women and Children First." I think I'm starting to understand it now, but I might be wrong.
Question when I hear eddie's solos, I am left feeling flat. I guess my ear canals may lead to a different place than a lot of people's.when I hear other guitarists like STEVE VAI,JOE SATRIANI,FRANK MARINO,ZAKK WYLDE,KIM MITCHELL, to name a few, I feel energized,inspired.I would like to know how you would rate these musicians in comparison to eddie vanhalen.This statement above is not meant to be offensive in any way,just an opinion.I value yours as well.
Answer Howdy Allen Harvey -
No offense taken! Not to worry.
Allen, rating musicians is a fruitless endeavor. Everyone's ear is extremely different, as you've pointed out. I had a conversation with someone the other night who seriously thought Creed's contribution to modern music rivalled The Beatles'. Well...some people are just flat-out insane...let's not count them.
Anyhow, shall I compare Eddie Van Halen's work on Fair Warning to Van Halen III? No...his playing has changed so much over time, he might as well be a different person.
If I were you, I would be thankful (!) you've found guitarists who inspire you to do great things on the instrument...not everyone finds players who have this effect on them. That's great.
Age has something to do with this, too, sometimes. I have a slightly older friend who cannot see the historical signficance of Eddie's playing compared to Hendrix. We disagree a bit. The players you list? I like them all lots, but like my friend, I don't see their playing as being as original or inspired as what Eddie was doing in 1979. See? It's all perspective.
Most of the players you list are my age, by the way, and I think they'd agree that the day we all ran home, stuck the LP on the record player and heard "Eruption," we thought the world had changed. You may have felt the same way the first time you heard Vai's "The Attitude Song." Same difference.
