Paint It Purple
Active Member
For music historians and fans of EVH and Rock. https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/08/how-eddie-van-halen-changed-the-world-of-music-forever/
Eddie Van Halen has died....
- Thread starter Jet Set Frog
- Start date
Hemingway
Active Member
Nickelback has 1or 2 good song. But you’ve gone to far with the One Eye Blind comment. They had their good moments.
Frog-in-law1995
Active Member
One Eye Blind wasn’t even a band and they were still better than Nickelback.
Hemingway
Active Member
Lol. I just realized he called them the wrong name but I still got it and quoted the name incorrectly back.
Not surprising at all. Van Halen hasn't had a relevant album in 25 years, that's 11 years before 8th graders were born, much less into music. If you could ask today's 50-year olds if they knew who Chuck Berry was when they were 14 you'd probably get all no's too. Isn't that kind of the same thing?
I mean, Van Halen was big in their heyday, but their legacy is nothing like some other bands.
Frog-in-law1995
Active Member
Well, except for the Johnny B. Goode scene at the school dance in Back to the Future, with the “Marvin Berry calling his cousin Chuck to hear the new sound” joke. Today’s 50 year olds were 14 when that movie came out and every last one of them saw it and most got the reference. I was 11 and certainly did.
but I get your point.
Mean Purple
Active Member
you disrespectful jackwagons are not derailing this thread. Eddie Van Halen was one of the most influential and transformational rock guitarist in history.
In the big survey a handful of years back of the Top 100 of all time, EVH was ranked #1.
In the big survey a handful of years back of the Top 100 of all time, EVH was ranked #1.
Mean Purple
Active Member
EVH's guitar has its own wiki ... and following.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstrat
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstrat
tcudoc
Full Member
Hoosierfrog
Tier 1
Even with two fewer eyes...
tcudoc
Full Member
Name a band or a musician who is more influential than EVH. There may be a few equals, but the list is very short. The Beatles changed music in a huge way. So did Elvis. The British Invasion with bands like The Stones, the Who, and the Beatles were huge. Jimi Hendrix changed the way the guitar was viewed as an instrument. EVH came along and built upon what others had started but revolutionized the instrument and influenced all other rock guitarists who would follow in the next 3-4 decades. To minimize his impact on music as we know it today is to admit a lack of basic understanding of rock and roll music for the past 40 years. I do not think it is hyperbole to state that he has has been the single biggest influencer of rock guitarists in the past 4 decades. Those who did not lift ideas from him or imitate him most certainly respected his innovation and abilities.
You're bouncing back and forth between individual musicians and the band. No argument on EVH being a very influential guitarist, but that doesn't make someone a household name for generations like the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stone, etc. Van Halen wasn't even remotely close to those bands.
tcudoc
Full Member
EVH was why VH was so popular (He essentially WAS the band in most people’s minds), so i treat them the same. Just like I would Mick Jagger and the Stones.
FrogCop19
Active Member
If this was Strawberry Alarm Clock or 3 Dog Night I would understand, but we are talking about one of the greatest rock bands of all time. When people talk about rock guitarists, you have EVH and everyone else. Unless you actually know something about the genre, no one says, "You shredded that like Yngve Malmsten!" or "Joe Satriani ain't got nothin' on you, bro!"
Mean Purple
Active Member
When a guitar great like Steve Wariner pays tribut to EVH's influence, shows the weight he carried.
Mean Purple
Active Member
I will take this as you focusing your statement and in no way underselling the impact of Keith Richards' head outliving 3 bodies.
FrogCop19
Active Member
I honestly have no idea how he even plays anymore. Have you seen a closeup of his fingers? He looks like he has walnuts for knuckles.I will take this as you focusing your statement and in no way underselling the impact of Keith Richards' head outliving 3 bodies.
Well, ok, but David Lee Roth says hi. I think he had a least some part in their popularity. In fact, it's almost universal opinion that the band wasn't anything like they were before once he left. Nothing to get all worked up over, EVH is great and influential, I said that. Somehow not calling him the greatest guitarist and biggest bad ass in the history of rock and roll translates to I think he sucked or something.
I still don't think it's shocking or an affront to society that today's 8th graders don't know who he is.
tcudoc
Full Member
No harm intended on my part. I agree with you about the 8th grader issue. They would not likely know the names John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, or Jimmy Page either. The only reason they would know who Elton John is would be because of the Lion King or the recent movie about his life.
I understand your point about DLR. I am a huge fan of his and agree that VH's best stuff was when he fronted the band. I think the difference is that the band could go on without him. It cannot go on without Eddie. Not sure I know how to explain it, but I really do believe that to be the case. The only argument against that would be the entire Van Halen III album, but that is outside the scope of this conversation. Up until his death was announced, many of us still held out hope that we might see some new Van Halen material. That hope is gone now. The rest of VH can still go do other stuff, but it will never be VH again.
Obviously, people have strong opinions about this, but I believe any guitarist worth their salt will express that EVH influenced them at some point as they were learning their craft. The list of people who fit that category can be counted on one hand.
