Well, VH opening night clips are hitting the web

  • Thread starter Thread starter tweed
  • Start date Start date
sah5150":1b6fc said:
STEEL KAGE":1b6fc said:
I agree with you big time... especially on the solo spot which I agree should be retired. Thats a hard thing to do because lets face it, its EVH and its kind of expected that he does something but maybe it should be a somewhat worked out medley of his solo pieces as opposed to just noodling off the cuff.
Click to expand...

I hate to tell you fellers this, but EVH is not playing that solo piece for us guitar players. He is playing for the legion of screaming, thrilled, amazed non-guitar-playing fans who expect that guitar solo and respond as if what he is doing is the second coming of the messiah, regardless of whether he's drunkenly rolling around on his back with the sustainer feeding back in '04 or playing at the absolute top of his off-the-cuff amazing game in '82...

I don't see why he should change anything to please a bunch of guitar players... its working for the audience as near as I can tell...

Steve
Click to expand...
Ignorance is bliss eh?
 
STEEL KAGE":0db27 said:
Shiny_Surface":0db27 said:
I don't think getting older is an automatic excuse for not playing well. There's plenty of players who continue to get better well into their advanced years :)
Click to expand...

amen Tom!!! Robin Trower at almost 63 hasnt lost a step, Frank Marino at 57 might be at his best, Ronnie james Dio at 65 is a freak of nature... the list goes on and on... From what Ive heard of the recent EVH stuff, There are glimpses of the fire that made Eddie a star, I really hope that he can rediscover that..
Click to expand...

Perhaps Ed has had some neurological damage from drugs/alcohol. Perhaps he's got arthritis or some other hand problems that have developed over time. Ed never had the most appropriate technique either and he plays hard with both the left and right hands! Certainly that may have had effect. Not everyone ages the same or has the same physiology. Some athletes are competitive into their 40s and some are done in their late 20s. Let's face it, highly technical, fast guitar playing is a sport and years of it will take its toll on some people's hands, especially if they don't play with proper technique. It doesn't surprise me that some guitarists lose some of their technique while others don't... Ed has lost a bit and that is all there is to it. He still sounds pretty damn good to me when playing in the context of the songs and judging by the crowd, his core non-guitar-playing audience is rapturous, so what the fuck... Things seem to be going well...

Steve
 
STEEL KAGE":45b89 said:
sah5150":45b89 said:
STEEL KAGE":45b89 said:
I agree with you big time... especially on the solo spot which I agree should be retired. Thats a hard thing to do because lets face it, its EVH and its kind of expected that he does something but maybe it should be a somewhat worked out medley of his solo pieces as opposed to just noodling off the cuff.
Click to expand...

I hate to tell you fellers this, but EVH is not playing that solo piece for us guitar players. He is playing for the legion of screaming, thrilled, amazed non-guitar-playing fans who expect that guitar solo and respond as if what he is doing is the second coming of the messiah, regardless of whether he's drunkenly rolling around on his back with the sustainer feeding back in '04 or playing at the absolute top of his off-the-cuff amazing game in '82...

I don't see why he should change anything to please a bunch of guitar players... its working for the audience as near as I can tell...

Steve
Click to expand...
Ignorance is bliss eh?
Click to expand...

It isn't ignorance. Just a different perspective is all...

Steve
 
I call that vid bs. Sounds like a wah during the solo and he isn't near his pedals.
 
sah5150":99335 said:
STEEL KAGE":99335 said:
I agree with you big time... especially on the solo spot which I agree should be retired. Thats a hard thing to do because lets face it, its EVH and its kind of expected that he does something but maybe it should be a somewhat worked out medley of his solo pieces as opposed to just noodling off the cuff.
Click to expand...

I hate to tell you fellers this, but EVH is not playing that solo piece for us guitar players. He is playing for the legion of screaming, thrilled, amazed non-guitar-playing fans who expect that guitar solo and respond as if what he is doing is the second coming of the messiah, regardless of whether he's drunkenly rolling around on his back with the sustainer feeding back in '04 or playing at the absolute top of his off-the-cuff amazing game in '82...

I don't see why he should change anything to please a bunch of guitar players... its working for the audience as near as I can tell...

Steve
Click to expand...

So true. And not just of the guitar solo bit, but of the whole show in general. People will lap it up, no matter what. But that's kind of a separate issue from the fact that his playing has slipped.

I'm not convinced that he could ever return to '82 form. Sure, maybe Trower and Marino and other guys can maintain, but like you said, everybody's different. So if that's the case, I'd like to see him play to his current strengths, whatever they may be. The long solo doesn't seem to be one of them.
 

Perhaps Ed has had some neurological damage from drugs/alcohol. Perhaps he's got arthritis or some other hand problems that have developed over time. Ed never had the most appropriate technique either and he plays hard with both the left and right hands! Certainly that may have had effect. Not everyone ages the same or has the same physiology. Some athletes are competitive into their 40s and some are done in their late 20s. Let's face it, highly technical, fast guitar playing is a sport and years of it will take its toll on some people's hands, especially if they don't play with proper technique. It doesn't surprise me that some guitarists lose some of their technique while others don't... Ed has lost a bit and that is all there is to it. He still sounds pretty damn good to me when playing in the context of the songs and judging by the crowd, his core non-guitar-playing audience is rapturous, so what the fuck... Things seem to be going well...

Steve[/quote]

Very good point! And seriously this is the first show of the tour and even at that..... Ed is human. Can he not have a bad night?? Can he not have a few bad nights even on into the tour??? He not a damn robot that plays lick for lick the same as the records or does not lay some clams on the table. For crying out loud I say cut him some slack. Its nothing short of a miracle that this tour has even happened and Im just glad he seems sober, not dead, and is even out playing. If you would have told me this would be happening 6 months ago I would have thought you were on crack.
 
ejecta":62ee4 said:
Ed is human. Can he not have a bad night?? Can he not have a few bad nights even on into the tour???
Click to expand...

No, this is not allowable.
 
ratter":f5ede said:
I'm not convinced that he could ever return to '82 form.
Click to expand...

I'm actually pretty convinced he couldn't return to '82 form, however, since he seems to be bringing joy to himself, his son and arenas full of people, I say, what does it matter? Except to a buncha guitar players, many of whom aren't springing for tix anyway...

Steve
 
degenaro":ea4b0 said:
Uhem...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjx_GjyXCs4
Click to expand...

This is funny. I happened to catch VH twice on the 1984 tour and twice on the Monsters of Rock tour. I have never seen them play Jump without some huge problem. Even worse was when they would try to play that Van-Hagar song "why cant this be love"...Also sad because any mediocre bar band with music sampling equipment for keyboards can pull it off 1000 times better.
 
SQUAREHEAD":de0b8 said:
Gainfreak":de0b8 said:
Shiny_Surface":de0b8 said:
I don't think getting older is an automatic excuse for not playing well. There's plenty of players who continue to get better well into their advanced years :)
Click to expand...
Its actually a crock of shit until you reach a really old age But I didn't want to say so! The bottom line is that Eddie did not touch the guitar for a few years and its showing IMHO.
Tell Frank Gambale who is in his 50's that he is past his prime. the guy is sharper then ever IMHO.
Click to expand...

Yep!

Got to see Lynch recently!! The guy's on top of his game, better than ever!

Keith
Click to expand...

Yea, Lynch is 52 and as fast & accurate as he ever was!
 
Damn I love Eddie. Its so strange I went from thinking VH was cheesy 4 or 5 years ago to thinking they're one the greatest rock bands ever.

Im just excited to see them out playing. Only criticism I really have is I wish Wolfie would move around a bit more on stage like Michael used to.

If I was playing bass for VH Id be jumping around like a madman. Then again how can you not when you look over your shoulder and see THE MAN tearing it up. :yes:
 
Gotta remember Wolfgang is 16 and has never really played a show...never mind arenas. Give him some time to loosen up and soak all this in.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top