Did Ed feel threatened by Yngwie?

[DLRdelight!]

i doubt he was afraid of the guy. but i do recall ed saying somehitng about how there is no need to play really fast because it just takes away from the feel or some shit

[dave_is_vh]

Originally posted by Eddie's Booze
Both Eddie Van Halen and Yngwie Malmsteen are true innovators of "THE INSTRUMENT"......

Eddie and Yngwie have influenced as many guitar players as Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Ritchie Blackmore did.

Joe Satriani and Steve Vai aren't even good enough to roadie for Eddie and Yngwie.

I could not have said it any better myself.

I was watching some old DLR live videos and Vai really butchers a lot of Ed's guitar parts. I am surprised Vai has so many fans.

[crsantin]

I don't think Eddie is interested in meeting or hanging with anybody period. Never has been and never will be.

[chi-town324]

Originally posted by crsantin
I don't think Eddie is interested in meeting or hanging with anybody period. Never has been and never will be.

i agree with that

[dave_is_vh]

So is Ed basically an alcoholic loner?

[Terry]

Seem to recall in the late 1980's Ed saying something in an interview along the lines of the guitar players who came on the scene after him...well, something along the lines of the gunslinger analogy; fastest gun in the West and all that kinda thing, and that wasn't a mindset Ed even wanted to deal with, because he just played whatever he FELT like playing (as opposed to playing fast for the sake of it).

Shit, when I first heard Yngwie doing Hot On Your Heels on the Steeler album, my mind was fucking blown, but then I was in my teens and back then a large part of who me and my buds thought were bitchin' guitar players was about who could play the fastest.

Few years down the line, came to the conclusion that in most cases there's no need to even bother comparing - Yngwie and Ed have different styles, and I get different things out of their music when I listen to each of them.

By the mid-to-late 1980s, I just got plain tired of the whole 'guitar hero' thing. When people like Paul Gilbert, Vai and Satriani broke out big time in terms of popularity, it was obvious they could play and had phenominal technical ability (far more than I'll ever have), but for the long haul none of it means that much to me today.

Songs are the key. For me, Ed had songwriting ability in spades - much of his music still resonates with me today in a way that Vai, Satriani, Gilbert and (to a degree) Malmsteen just plain don't.

Would also agree that Ed's status as a guitarist by 1984 was already locked in based on the accomplishments of the 6-pack; Holdsworth or anyone else 'smoking' Ed onstage (like playing the instrument is some kind of competition or something) at that point wasn't gonna diminish that. Shit, if all that swill Ed did with Hagar and Cherone hasn't diminished the impact of the 6-pack for me, doubt ANYTHING will.

Peace.

[jharp84]

There is part of an interview with ed, I believe from the 5150 "era" where he states something like - a lot of guitarists nowadays can play good technically and a lot can play with speed, but most of them don't play with this and points to his heart! I will look for it as I should have it in my "vaults" somewhere! Then get it posted to youtube on this thread!!

[jharp84]

And what I believe he meant by that was they were just trying to "out-speed" the next guy back then and there was not a lot of "pure music" goin down or whatever you want to call it!!

[lafours]

I have to disagree..as a total musician Vai shits all over EVH and Yngwie..

he just doesnt have a real good hard rock - song feel like Ed has...

EVH is way better in a rock band..but the stuff Vai does on his own, with Zappa, or with an orchestra is top notch and much more sophisticated than anything Ed has ever attempted.

Plus Vai's playing on the Eat em and smile album was perfect for the time...


put on any of the instrumental work that Ed has attempted ( porn sound tracks, Wild Life, I thinbk her did one with Van Hagar) and put on a song like For the Love of God or Alien Love secrets and you'll here a huge difference in songwriting and ability in that arena

Ed was overall more innovative and has that from the gut feel that hardly any player has

[Nickdfresh]

Originally posted by dave_is_vh
No. But anyone who does not think Yngwie is a musical genius is on crack - or extraordinarily closed minded.

"Genius?" Naw, geniuses are interesting...

Yngwie is another wankoholic...

He's a good, even great, musician. But I've heard his songs. He ain't no genius. And I'd rather listen to Neil Schon any day...

[dave_is_vh]

Neil Schon is very underrated and a melodic genius. But as far as being innovative no one comes close to Jimi, EVH, and Yngwie.

[ELVIS]

I remember reading in at least two, maybe three Yngwie articles around the time of Dave leaving to after 5150 came out, where Yngwie said he met Edward and asked him to jam but Edward never returned any of his or his manager's calls...

Something like that...

I think Edward was intimidated, I sure would have been but I would have answered the phone...

I remember Yngwie saying in an interview that when the first Van Halen album came out, he wanted to throw his guitar away, and that he was totally blown away and he quickly learned both VH and VHII...

Yngwie was 15 when the first album came out, so that makes sense...

Yngwie is a big van halen fan...

Listen to his version of Light Up The Sky with Billy Sheehan and Doug Pinnick from the 2000 Van Halen Tribute...

[dave_is_vh]

If you listen to some of his live stuff Yngwie even steals some of Ed's licks sometimes!

[ELVIS]

Yep exactly...

I just read the first post in this thread and I remember that interview...

Maybe the two never did meet. That's sad because Yngwie may have had the ability to rekindle some fire under Edwards ass and we may not have had to suffer with so much cheese...

I met Yngwie and although i'm sure he can be an egotistical dickhead, he was very cool and had a few seconds to chat...

[Matt White]

EVH was/is intimidated by Yngwie...and George Lynch...and Randy Rhoads.....

And remember people...DAVE asked Yngwie to join his post-VH project before he asked Steve Vai........

food for thought