How can anybody here, claim that Eddie Van Halen can no longer play?

[cwsmith17]

This is the most ridiculous thing that anyone could think. Eddie changed the way people played the guitar. He is a living legend. I think that Eddie is a complete asshole, but that aside I believe he is just as good now as he was back then, if not better. What the hell do you think?

[Roth kills Sam]

As usual, your lame ass is starting some homo thread that is utterly ridiculous. Everyone except you and your mom knows Eddie hasn't played a note worth spit since 1985. He has been entertaining to everyone that loved VH much in the way the "fat" Elvis was entertaining to the people that loved the young Elvis. He is a damn comic of himself and he is completely without integrity. If you can't hear the lifelessness in Ed's playing now, go f*** a cow.


Oh yeah: eat me

[Terry]

Take a good listen to Fair Warning.

Then listen to the Van Hagar catalog.

Outside, of Humans Being and 5150 the song, Ed has wasted away his talent. By the time OU812 came around, Ed was no longer even special anymore, and Van Hagar were pretty much indistinguishable from all the other hair bands that were inspired by classic Van Halen in the first place.

Ed peaked in 1981. Couple of neat things on Diver Down and 1984.

Ed's pinched harmonic horse whinny vibrato arm dives, natural harmonic whammy bar antics, low E tremolo growls and such permeating every solo......it's like he's become a parody of what he used to be.

Face it: Eddie started phoning it in about 20 years ago, and got away with being lazy because he could. And it might not have been such a waste of a great soloist if Ed had been churning out great songs.

With Van Hagar, I hear neither great songs nor great guitar work. Tough to say Eddie is still just as good as he ever was when he fails to move me to anything other than boredom. Wasn't always that way, either. I still get off on the shit he did when Roth was in the band to this day. And I won't preclude myself from digging what Eddie does just because Roth isn't there, either, if he manages to come up with some stuff worth listening to.

[ashstralia]

nailed it, terry.

[Roth kills Sam]

Dude Terry: You pretty much nailed it. Although I don't COMPLETELY agree with you, your assessment is dead-on and insightful. Ed was clearly already in "repeat often" mode with regard to his main, standard licks even with Dave. It seemed he was more into finding funny sounds rather than keeping his edge and pushing himself to stay on top of his own skills. By the time 5150 came squirting out of hell's anus, there is NO WAY Ed could pull off even his own solos from the early years. No way. Anyone who thinks so is nuts. Did you see him live on 5150? What a clown boy. I digress.... Anyhow, Ed is just a really good guitar player now, but just a shell of himself

[Panamark]

Great Post Terry ! I couldnt agree more.

[POJO_Risin]

The LyingDutchman1...

I can't really say any more that's been said already...other than to say what's done is done...and Ed is and has been done for years...

Human's Being a great Ed Tune? Did I miss something? Did he play something on there that I, nor anyone else that plays CAN'T play?

c'mon man...that's just not a tune worth mentioning guitarwise...

as far as his virtuosity...well...again...there isn't really much to say as far as creativity goes once you get past the last Roth album...he overplayed his solo....and quite honestly....got by on his leap into stardom after that point.

Oh, I know, we'll have some idiots come one here and say that's blasphemous...but wake up and smell the lack of creative effort...

[Lou]

I hate Humans Being. I think the lyrics are stupid and the whole middle section is a rip-off of Panama. I never understood why even Roth fans like this song.

[POJO_Risin]

It just goes to show you how pussified Eddie the fucking liar has become...

in the day...that would have been B side shit that would have shown up somewhere in Japan...

Now it's considered good because it's got a heavy side to it...even though my dog could play it with her legs all cut off...

ridiculous...just ridiculous...

[madraoul]

Ed ran out of shit after Fair Warning. Dave was the only thing keeping the band interesting. Why else would a guitar hero take up keyboards? By the way, what's up with Ed's "Chopsticks" approach to the keyboards? Keith Emerson must be really impressed.

[TMR]

Originally posted by cwsmith17
This is the most ridiculous thing that anyone could think. Eddie changed the way people played the guitar. He is a living legend. I think that Eddie is a complete asshole, but that aside I believe he is just as good now as he was back then, if not better. What the hell do you think?

I think you are a loser! Hopefully, you can get out of the 70's and come back to reality.

[Brett]

Pojo, I'm interested in hearing you do the "Humans Being" leads. Make me a recording. I gotta hear this. If anyone can do them, it shouldn't take you but a few minutes bro.

[pardo]

Yeah, I agree with Terry's post too. Especially the part about Elvis!

One thing that I can point out - Edward isn't nearly as good with a pick as he was back in the day. He used to have a really really articulate style where he'd make certain notes jump out (not with pinch harmonics). He could pick runs like a mofo and did a lot of cool stuff.

Post '85, he tended to pick the first note of a phrase and slur the rest. Which can be cool - but he turned his back on a really cool aspect of his playing which is too bad. The whammy'd harmonics and stuff ain't enough substance for me. Especially considering how dominant he once was.

Here's the short answer. Watch Edwards solo at '82 Largo. Then watch "316" on RHRN.

[Panamark]

An old friend of mine, (an impartial observer) summed it up nicely. (After watching that fucking Van Hagar clip where Ed has short hair and a goatee)

"Well you can see that its Eddie, but he's just playing the guitar, he
isnt being Eddie anymore."

I like that analogy. Ed used to rip in the real Van Halen. Then he slacked off bigtime in Van Hagar.

Brenty Brents. I think Pojo is referring to the basic riff in Humans Being. I agree with him, its easy to play. But you know what sucks most about that song ?

Shine on Shine on...

The crappy Hagar Factor...

The only song that Van Hagar has recorded that promised a thin sliver of some testicular fortitude, and then Spammy does that Shine on shit.. Instantly fucked up Hagar tune...

[Wayne L.]

I think Eddie Van Halen is one of the last great important & influential rock guitarist in the history of rock & roll joining other great legendary rock guitarists before him like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck & Jimmy Page. I know Eddie can still kick ass after all these years with his guitar virtuosity which will never be surpassed but I'm not expectingthe EVH of 78/79/80 unless you're an idiot.