Ed still a fan favorite

[ULTRAMAN VH]

Eddie Van Halen voted “Best Rock Guitarist of 2008″ by Guitar World readers
Thursday, 21 May 2009
The readers of the best selling guitar magazine in the world, Guitar World, recently voted Eddie Van Halen the “Best Rock Guitarist of 2008″ in the 15th Annual Guitar World Readers Poll. Eddie won by a landslide, receiving nearly seven times as many votes as the runner up, Angus Young.

We mention this poll because it’s not just another meaningless list written by some random music critic. Rather, this is a case where the people have spoken, voting Eddie Van Halen as their favorite guitarist for the umpteenth time. He remains hugely popular after 30 years. Quite impressive!

The poll was conducted at the end of 2008 and the results were printed in the April 2009 issue of Guitar World.

Congratulations, Eddie Van Halen! Best Rock Guitarist, indeed.

[ULTRAMAN VH]

Okay, Ed has on occasion displayed some selfish behavior and has downright embarrassed himself via drunken rants in public view. But ya gotta admit the guy still has some clout after 30 years on the music scene.

[Big Troubles]

Being an original' doesn't make you "good". personally I could care less if he was voted #1 or #100... He's #1 for me, for his style, his brand, his unique approach, his history and after 40 years- his passion for playing.

say what you will...the smoking..the cancer..the "hip", his chronic problems...He's the KING on the guitar and still makes me crank classic van halen!

[FORD]

Wasn't Eddie the winner of this poll pretty much the whole time Van HALEN was together, and then suddenly NOT, after 1986?

And now, he is again, now that Van HALEN is finally back together? Go figure

[Guitar Shark]

I'm pretty sure he won a few times during the Van Hagar era too, but I could be wrong.

[kwame k]

Being an original' doesn't make you "good". personally I could care less if he was voted #1 or #100... He's #1 for me, for his style, his brand, his unique approach, his history and after 40 years- his passion for playing.

say what you will...the smoking..the cancer..the "hip", his chronic problems...He's the KING on the guitar and still makes me crank classic van halen!

Exactly! If he never released anything but the 6-Pack he'd still be one of the greatest guitarists ever. Fuck Van Hagar, Fuck VHIII, and everything else he did without Roth, what he did in CVH will hold up and be rediscovered by anyone who loves kick ass R-n-R.

[ZahZoo]

Ed's won Guitar World's readers polls a bunch... quick search showed several post 1985.

He's always somewhere in the top 5 with Hendrix, Clapton, Page, and all the other usual suspects...

[Terry]

Meh.

Saw him in 2008, and the Eddie of 2008 definitely isn't the Eddie of 1984 (or even 1998, for that matter).

[Terry]

However, not a shock for GW to have named him as such for last year; Ed could shit in a sock and he'd win far as that mag is concerned.

[ZahZoo]

True Terry but it's the readers not the magazine staff that voted Ed in...

Agreed though GW has always loved Ed...

[78/84 guy]

The Ed slammin' is getting old from the last tour. I have a few (more than a few !!) older boot's from the 80's of Ed playing sloppy or with a shitty tone !! I'm guilty myself !! Ed can still play when he is into it or sober !! He should be into it every night he plays live, but like most guitarists there not alway's in the mood. The money they charge lately should be enough but it 's not !! Angus Young still can give it every night I can tell you that much !!

[Va Beach VH Fan]

Just imagine how good he would have sounded if the crew would have fixed the damn sound every night....

[kwame k]

Just imagine how good he would have sounded if the crew would have fixed the damn sound every night....

What was up with that? I know Ed was prototyping his new shit but the over all mix was just plain bad, for a big budget show like that.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

I hear ya, inexcusable...