Randy Rhoads vs. Eddie Van Halen

[mojotone]

Where would Randy have gone with his music if he didn't die? He wasn't anywhere near fully developed as a player yet. He was just beginning. We all know where Ed went.

I thought about that, but there are no guarantees that he would have done anything more impressive. Part of the "wow" factor is the newness of what he was doing. After a few years it would just be the same ol' RR. Not that that wouldn't be incredible, but the way the public is they would just want something more. How many bands/guitarist are revered by their later work as compared to their early? Would his Metal fans accept him if he went the way of Yngwie? Maybe, but chances are we wouldn't be talking about him the same way if he was here, in his 50s, and dealing with addictions and band squabbles. Everyone would talk about the old days and how his best work was with Ozzy, etc.

What if Vito Bratta died after the 3rd White Lion album?
What if Jake E Lee died after the 2nd Badlands album?
What if Zakk Wylde died after his first Ozzy album?
etc, etc, etc...

Even some of the more talented guitarists who became icons in the '80's like Steve Vai, Yngwie, Satriani, etc., have not necessarily advanced the instrument or their playing beyond what they became famous for...I kinda think that Randy had already peaked...

That was my point, exactly. It's real easy to imagine a "what if" situation.

 

[Mailman1971]

Oh this has been about PLAYING??
I thought it was going to be who would win in a fist fight.

 

[stephen sawall]

This last pic reminds me of "Beef" from the movie "Phantom Of The Paradise".

Love this movie .....

 

[Mailman1971]

Eric Johnson, wait what was the question?

Justin Bieber or Clay Aiken...who's your favorite?

Well thats just a silly question.














Bieber of course.

 

[MisterBulbous]

Where would Randy have gone with his music if he didn't die? He wasn't anywhere near fully developed as a player yet. He was just beginning. We all know where Ed went.

I thought about that, but there are no guarantees that he would have done anything more impressive. Part of the "wow" factor is the newness of what he was doing. After a few years it would just be the same ol' RR. Not that that wouldn't be incredible, but the way the public is they would just want something more. How many bands/guitarist are revered by their later work as compared to their early? Would his Metal fans accept him if he went the way of Yngwie? Maybe, but chances are we wouldn't be talking about him the same way if he was here, in his 50s, and dealing with addictions and band squabbles. Everyone would talk about the old days and how his best work was with Ozzy, etc.

What if Vito Bratta died after the 3rd White Lion album?
What if Jake E Lee died after the 2nd Badlands album?
What if Zakk Wylde died after his first Ozzy album?
etc, etc, etc...

Even some of the more talented guitarists who became icons in the '80's like Steve Vai, Yngwie, Satriani, etc., have not necessarily advanced the instrument or their playing beyond what they became famous for...I kinda think that Randy had already peaked...

That was my point, exactly. It's real easy to imagine a "what if" situation.

yeah. I'm agreeing with you. Maybe it didn't sound that way.

 

[Motorpud]

Why I keep coming back for more punishment is beyond me

This last pic reminds me of "Beef" from the movie "Phantom Of The Paradise".

Yes, I'm very aware that Pantera used to wear spandex. Have you ever heard those old Pantera albums though? They were pretty power metal oriented and not even close to what VH was doing.

Besides, I didn't say I didn't like 80's rock where guys wore spandex and dressed like chicks, I just said I think VH's riffs are boring and they suck

 

[stephen sawall]

I have never worn spandex....

 

[chunktone]

They were both huge influences on me, but I'd have to go with EVH. Purely from a playing standpoint, I think he was beyond RR. His loose improve feel, to me is just priceless!

 

[TrueTone500]

Why I keep coming back for more punishment is beyond me

This last pic reminds me of "Beef" from the movie "Phantom Of The Paradise".

Yes, I'm very aware that Pantera used to wear spandex. Have you ever heard those old Pantera albums though? They were pretty power metal oriented and not even close to what VH was doing.

Besides, I didn't say I didn't like 80's rock where guys wore spandex and dressed like chicks, I just said I think VH's riffs are boring and they suck

I was just fun'in with ya... I have never heard any songs by Pantera. Maybe I have, and didn't know it was them? I'm 49 now, so I grew-up on Nazareth, Frampton, early REO, Kansas, Deep Purple, Sweet, Pink Floyd, Frank Marino, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, UFO, Van Halen, Boston...etc.

IMO, bands like Motley Crue, Faster Pussycat, Ratt, White Lion...etc. were "next generation" bands. I had already established Michael Schenker, David Gilmour, and Ritchie Blackmore as my "idol" guitarists so-to-speak. I also liked the stylings of Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee (Badlands era), so I'm not a 80's rock hater. What's pathetic is that we have to live in the past... Where did all of the guitar heros go?

 

[Motorpud]

What's pathetic is that we have to live in the past... Where did all of the guitar heros go?

I feel the same way really. It's like every time I turn on the radio I either have to listen to my one local rock station and the lackluster new rock it plays, OR I can switch to any other station and listen to some uneducated fool with a drum machine talk about smoking blunts and doing drive-bys

Even the guys that possess virtuoso abilities rarely showcase them in a creative or innovative way these days

 

[Mailman1971]

OR I can switch to any other station and listen to some uneducated fool with a drum machine talk about smoking blunts and doing drive-bys

Yo...Yo MY MAN!! I am a MUSICAL GENIUS! Dont you ever down play my rhymes again ya dig?

 

[Motorpud]

OR I can switch to any other station and listen to some uneducated fool with a drum machine talk about smoking blunts and doing drive-bys

Yo...Yo MY MAN!! I am a MUSICAL GENIUS! Dont you ever down play my rhymes again ya dig?

He my baby's mama cousins's cousin. Nah mean?

 

[Mailman1971]

OR I can switch to any other station and listen to some uneducated fool with a drum machine talk about smoking blunts and doing drive-bys

Yo...Yo MY MAN!! I am a MUSICAL GENIUS! Dont you ever down play my rhymes again ya dig?

He my baby's mama cousins's cousin. Nah mean?

Hell....why didnt you tell me? Fo' Shizzle......

 

[Motorpud]

Yaaaay-uuhh

 

[TrueTone500]

What's pathetic is that we have to live in the past... Where did all of the guitar heros go?

I feel the same way really. It's like every time I turn on the radio I either have to listen to my one local rock station and the lackluster new rock it plays, OR I can switch to any other station and listen to some uneducated fool with a drum machine talk about smoking blunts and doing drive-bys

Even the guys that possess virtuoso abilities rarely showcase them in a creative or innovative way these days

The USA has become a celebration of mediocrity. I actually heard a guy say to his buddy in Guitar Center... "Listen, that guy still plays leads..."

btw - After over 38 years of listening to Black Sabbath - I now just noticed that Tony Iommi is a left handed player!

 

[Ventura]

What's pathetic is that we have to live in the past... Where did all of the guitar heros go?

I feel the same way really. It's like every time I turn on the radio I either have to listen to my one local rock station and the lackluster new rock it plays, OR I can switch to any other station and listen to some uneducated fool with a drum machine talk about smoking blunts and doing drive-bys

Even the guys that possess virtuoso abilities rarely showcase them in a creative or innovative way these days

The USA has become a celebration of IGNORANCE. I actually heard a guy say to his buddy in Guitar Center... "Listen, that guy still plays leads..."

btw - After over 38 years of listening to Black Sabbath - I now just noticed that Tony Iommi is a left handed player!

fyp

 

[King Crimson]

btw - After over 38 years of listening to Black Sabbath - I now just noticed that Tony Iommi is a left handed player!

If you're that ignorant about one of the greatest (if not THEE GREATEST) heavy metal guitarist of all time, then you most certainly don't know that - Anthony Frank "Tony" Iommi - at the age of 17 on his last day of work in a sheet metal factory had lost the tips of his middle and ring finger to his right hand. Tony came up with constructing two thimbles to cover the tips of the injuries so he could fret.

Tony was going to try to play right handed (picking, Tony's naturally left handed) due to his injury or give up guitar altogether and take up the drums instead.

FYI - I've been playing "Black Sabbath" note-for-note (all their public studio material) longer than you've been listening to them!

 

[Heritage Softail]

Each great guitarist is a person first and player, musician, band member second. They deserve to evolve in tastes as we all have, at least those that choose to.

I'm glad bands change. I age right along with them. There are no good old days, just today and what we do with it.

The quickest way to be a has been in to focus on what has been.

Peace out bitchez....

 

[thiswaythatway]

A lot of Eddie's solo's he could do whatever and the crowd wouldn't care. I mean, a dive bomb, a harmonic squeel, a chromatic tap, followed by another dive bomb and squeel and that's was what plenty of his solo's consisted of. Smoke and Mirrors.

Hey daneyo, can you spell "imastoopid"?

Maybe your ears are broke. Explain the Unchained solo to me note for note.

 

[thiswaythatway]

There's really nothing wrong with that since most of Randy's solo's had a decent amount of melodic content. I think the crowd expected him to play the solo's as they were on the record since those solo's were pretty memorable.

A lot of Eddie's solo's he could do whatever and the crowd wouldn't care. I mean, a dive bomb, a harmonic squeel, a chromatic tap, followed by another dive bomb and squeel and that's was what plenty of his solo's consisted of. Smoke and Mirrors.

I disagree completely. The solos through even 1984 were very memorable to my ears and while I loved VH live I always wished Eddie had "stuck to the script" a bit more.

Your description of a dive bomb and squeal became true later on but that's if we're talking late 70's or early 80's then you're revising history.

Well not ALL his solo's were like that, but there's plenty. But not that I dislike that approach, sometimes I'm in the mood for it and sometimes I'm not. And when VH was often a version of ZZTop on 78 speed, what else would really fit anyway?