RIP Eddie Van Halen

[CTListener]

And I would add Mark Knopfler and a few others to that list.

Richard Thompson among them. His genre is niche -- British folk-rock -- but he is a brilliant guitarist, acoustic and electric.

 

[boombox4]

Why is it mean to say I didn't think much of his 'music'? We all critique various people's talents, both living and dead. The fact that he could finger a guitar faster than the next guy does not make him better. What was his contribution to guitar music compared to Les Paul?

If Les Paul were alive, you could ask him. He and Eddie talked guitar and talked shop a lot and had a lot in common.

As for Eddie's contributions to guitar music, he was the guitarist who popularized tapping, where you add notes by tapping behind the frets on the fingerboard. For at least a decade after the first Van Halen album came out, guitarists were all trying to sound like him -- just like during the 60's and 70's they were all trying to sound like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, or Jimi Hendrix.

Eddie also was the first popular rock guitarist who literally built his own guitar. Before Eddie Van Halen, guitarists had modified guitars, but Eddie built his -- from parts, for about $80 total. And made hit recordings with it. He played that guitar for about 20 years, in concerts, and on record.

Now the idea of building your own electric guitar from parts is more common. Before 1978 it was almost unheard of. The only major guitarist I'd heard of, before Eddie Van Halen became popular, who did such a thing was Les Paul.

 

[TheBigA]

If Les Paul were alive, you could ask him. He and Eddie talked guitar and talked shop a lot and had a lot in common.

In fact some of those conversations were recorded and the videos are on YouTube. Here's an article on them from Rolling Stone:

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/who-were-eddie-van-halen-influences-1071780/

In this, Eddie puts Les Paul on top of the list of his influences because Les was an innovator.

 

[vchimpanzee]

So here's an idea. On Facebook someone who went to my church when we were teenagers says Sammy should play guitar and Dave should sing.