Randy Rhoads vs. Eddie Van Halen

[carlygtr]

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!

Any clips of that? I remember you claiming to play Jeff Beck's catalog note for note as well

 

[TrueTone500]

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!

I've never been a fan of Ozzy era Black Sabbath - yet Randy era Ozzy material IMO solidified the return of HM music in the 1980's. I've never heard anything in Tony's playing that made my dick hard so-to-speak... When I do listen to Black Sabbath, I'm hearing to Geezer Butler - not Tony Iommi.

 

[stephen sawall]

I like Tony's stuff better than Randy or Ed's....
I guess we all have different taste...

 

[TrueTone500]

I have to admit that "Sweet Leaf" will amplify the effects of a "bong-swat" 20 fold!

 

[tripstan]

yeah well I heard Eddie's dad can beat up Randy's dad! so there

 

[p4vl]

It's pure speculation. Randy did 2 fantastic albums in spite of horrible tone (I read somewhere that Ozzy's inspiration for production on Blizzard/Diary was old ELO). Judging by what everyone that knew him says, Randy would have left rock and metal behind for classical.

Randy one of the few metal guys that could play fast and intricate, yet have every note mean something. That's a rare gift.

 

[TrueTone500]

I watched "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne" last night, and was so sickened when it reached the part about Randy's death. We drive past the property whenever we go out to downtown Mt. Dora to eat dinner. Randy was IMO the last true "guitar hero". Sure, others came along hoping to ride the lightning, but none of those guys had the magic IMO. I don't think there was a guy I knew that wasn't going to Rock Superbowl XIV. The word was that Ozzy was going to blow-up a goat on-stage!

I "connected" with the guitar after hearing UFO's "Obsession" album. I purchased my first guitar (LP Custom) in 1978, and then sold it in 1979 - giving it up to play the drums. One week after hearing "Blizzard Of Oz", I sold my drums and purchased a 1980 Les Paul Custom, and have been on guitar ever since. As much as I liked Van Halen 1, for some reason Ed's playing never motivated me into playing? It still doesn't. Randy - yes / Eddie - no.

 

[TrueTone500]

It's pure speculation. Randy did 2 fantastic albums in spite of horrible tone (I read somewhere that Ozzy's inspiration for production on Blizzard/Diary was old ELO). Judging by what everyone that knew him says, Randy would have left rock and metal behind for classical.

Randy one of the few metal guys that could play fast and intricate, yet have every note mean something. That's a rare gift.

What are you talking about - horrible tone? His tone was fucking genius! But wait - tone is in the hands...right? Oh fuck it...

 

[Motorpud]

Randy was IMO the last true "guitar hero"

See my avatar

Actually, I've had this same avatar for years and it might be time for a change Maybe since Dave is no longer with us I can use my Devo Dave avatar again

 

[mojotone]

It's pure speculation. Randy did 2 fantastic albums in spite of horrible tone (I read somewhere that Ozzy's inspiration for production on Blizzard/Diary was old ELO). Judging by what everyone that knew him says, Randy would have left rock and metal behind for classical.

Randy one of the few metal guys that could play fast and intricate, yet have every note mean something. That's a rare gift.

What are you talking about - horrible tone? His tone was fucking genius! But wait - tone is in the hands...right? Oh fuck it...

I think that production/engineering had much to do with Randy's tone. I have always thought that "Diary" sounded really bad(production wise) as compared to "Blizzard". Not just the guitar, but all the instruments. I think it was that hurry-up, follow-up approach by the record company to release an album before the sales lost momentum. Funny thing is that Van Halen II suffers from that same condition.

 

[TrueTone500]

I always wondered if they dropped the pitch 1/2 step on DOAM - or did they actually tune down for it? I know they went straight into the studio after the Blizzard tour, so maybe Ozzy's voice was a bit tattered?

I've only seen Van Halen one time, and that was back in 1981. They opened for The Rolling Stones at the Tangerine Bowl. It set some kind of record for Van Halen - though I don't recall what it was? The back picture on the Diver Down album was taken at that show!

I'm the guy just right of center in the MC5 t-shirt, smoking a cigarette...

 

[overthemountain]

Hard call for me as I love both, but I would say Randy really inspired me to play, practice and learn his stuff, more so than Ed. Ed inspired me to get drunk, listen to VH and try to get laid LOL. So call it a tie

 

[eddyrox]

EVH for his riffs, RR for his meticulously planned and perfectly executed solos.
That being said, EVH has some SERIOUS improv skills - and still does.

 

[primerib]

RR did more on two albums than EVH has ever done. oh snap!

 

[MYLILSS]

i gotta go with EVH, but thats mainly because i only have one picture hanging in my house and it is of him

 

[rupe]

Hard call for me as I love both, but I would say Randy really inspired me to play, practice and learn his stuff, more so than Ed. Ed inspired me to get drunk, listen to VH and try to get laid LOL. So call it a tie

 

[the rossness]

Randy never really did anything for me. He was always a player people talked about, and while I heard cool things from him, I never got into his playing. I think his best solo was Goodbye to Romance, but beyond that, he was just another player in the 80's and his work with Quiet Riot is just meh.

EVH on the other hand got me into guitar. He IS THE BEST Rhythm guitarist in rock music. His style has always been hard for me to copy as well. I love his early work, the last album and the Van Hagar album FUCK, where I feel he recorded some of his best work. Eddie easily wins.

I don't feel that Randy and EVH are a good comparison. If I had to pick, I'd go with option 3, George Lynch.

 

[mojotone]

AGAIN, the speculation factor within the replies. Compare this thread to: What if Bon Scott was still alive??? Where would AC/DC be now? Nobody really knows, do they?

 

[CaptainCrunch]

EVH. The control and intonation of his picking. Great feel

 

[Marshall Law]

Randy was twice the player Eddie was, even Randy use to say ed is all smoke and mirrors,have you people forgotten, just listen to the song, diary of a madman, and find anything technically close from van halen, it doesn't exist,