Eddie Van Halen's Early "Guitar Player" Interviews in HD Audio

mentoneman said:
your interview of EVH was instrumental to my understanding of one of my biggest influences, unraveling the genesis of his style and what made his brain tick. the roy clark cover issue was his first GP interview if i’m not mistaken…?

i posted this humble offering many moons ago in honour of the work you did bringing our hero Eddie to life on those pages as well as the many other great interviews you wrote:



🙏🙏🙏🤙🏽
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This was a great way to start my day! Thank you, mentoneman!
 
thenine said:
Hard for people to understand now, but back when we had no internet these mags were all we had.
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This is so cool. Guitar player magazine set the standard for guitar based publications. From the 70s to the mid 80’s or so, the content really seemed geared toward “serious” musicians like studio players and covered so many different styles, with only occasional focus on well known rock players. Lots of emphasis on music theory. The last issue I thumbed through at a grocery store just a few years ago seemed like a glorified gear catalog.
 
thegame said:
This is so cool. Guitar player magazine set the standard for guitar based publications. From the 70s to the mid 80’s or so, the content really seemed geared toward “serious” musicians like studio players and covered so many different styles, with only occasional focus on well known rock players. Lots of emphasis on music theory. The last issue I thumbed through at a grocery store just a few years ago seemed like a glorified gear catalog.
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That was a great time. I've written an article about what life was like at Guitar Player during this time. You can read it here: The "Golden Era" of Guitar Player Magazine. Surprisingly, it's been the most-read post at my online magazine.
 
eric johnson, yngwie malmsteen, and shawn lane were other massively important interviews you did too! did you also do the allan holdsworth cover story? that was the other biggie!

there was an early pre-tones ej interview in gp i remember reading where he stated he played the solo in christopher cross’s “minstrel gigolo” and realized my sister had that album.
i was blown away by his playing and became an instant fan, frothing by the time tones was released.
 
mentoneman said:
eric johnson, yngwie malmsteen, and shawn lane were other massively important interviews you did too! did you also do the allan holdsworth cover story? that was the other biggie!

there was an early pre-tones ej interview in gp i remember reading where he stated he played the solo in christopher cross’s “minstrel gigolo” and realized my sister had that album.
i was blown away by his playing and became an instant fan, frothing by the time tones was released.
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Of all the people I've met in the music business, Eric Johnson is my favorite. He is a wonderful human being.

The December 1982 issue of Guitar Player had that pre-Tones Eric Johnson article you mentioned, as well as my "Van Halen on Diver Down" interview and the Allan Holdsworth cover story by Tom Mulhern. How that's for an array of talent? Allan's solo in U.K.'s "In the Dead of Night," imho, is one of the best of the 1980s.
 
mentoneman said:
eric johnson, yngwie malmsteen, and shawn lane were other massively important interviews you did too! did you also do the allan holdsworth cover story? that was the other biggie!
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Looking forward to listening to all of these!…and Steve Morse. Listening to that one now, he totally goes thru his FrankenTele.
 
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thenine said:
Wow pure gold. Thanks so much. I remember your name from so long ago. Hard for people to understand now, but back when we had no internet these mags were all we had.
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I actually still prefer magazines over reading on the net .
 
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