Top 10 Guitarists that should retire
Anyone who reads GuitarOne magazine will get a kick out of the latest issue's brutal Top 10 list.
I wont give their insight, but their #1 is no other than Eddie Van Halen.
Definitely worth a read/laugh
I wont give their insight, but their #1 is no other than Eddie Van Halen.
Definitely worth a read/laugh
Comments
I was just curious how you think his playing has changed? Anyone one else can respond as well.
thanks,
If you're debating stylistic changes over the years - I'm not sure that's fair to the artist. They will strive to excel regardless of the style/genre they work within. They make lotsa money doing it too (so I allow them a LOT of latitude when having any kind of opinion).
If you're talkin' age (and the guitarist should hang it up just 'cause they can't play well due to age-related ailments)... then I can understand. BB King is gettin' there (sadly)... John Lee Hooker could barely hold a guitar in some of the last footage I watched... but he loved what he did.
Even Yngwie (whom I use to be crazy about)... nowdays I can't listen to him for more than 10 or 15 minutes - as the classical shred just gets old quickly now. He is as fast as ever (watch the G3 DVD for proof) - but stylistically, he's \"tired\" to me. But I would tell him to keep on rockin' as long as he has a chop to chop and a guitar to flip. 8)
Hrm - am I making sense???
He stills plays better than 90 percent of the guitarist out there today.
OK it used to be 100 but thats still amazing in my book.
so many bands today just skip the freekin guitar solo in there songs i love linkin park and alot of the newer guys but comon man dont just stick to the rythm thats what singer guys like me are for haha...I wish the radio stuff these days had more clever melodic grooven cool rythm and lead work that eddie did so well. up for breakfast was a great song on there last G hits and he shredded it live...ok i will stop as you can see I am a huge VH fan. I did notice he was a bit sloppier though but compared others he can still hold his own. Its a bit easier for Joe perry to keep his chops than if you are a technic kinda guitarsist you have to practise those tricks 24/7 to keepem polished. Unfortunaley eddie did not woodshed all the signiture stuff he plays as well as he did in othere shows ...and it showed some
maybe he was pissed (not that thats an excuse), but he absolutely sucked donkey. he was playing the same old crap as hes played for 20-30 years, but it was sloppy. the solo was the killer, he just rolled around on the ground, played 20 seconds of something like eruption (time to move on Ed?), screwed up, then just went into wammy bar dive bomb mode and sounded more like a michael anthony solo. meanwhile all these idiots beside me who have never played a guitar are all saying \"oohh isnt he so great\". oh yes and he smoking the whole time after \"recovering\" from cancer. i realized my childhood hero was actually an idiot.
if he retired 10 years ago he would eventually be remembered in much higher regard than he will be now.
edit: this is not to offend anyone or to take away from what ed did, which was revolutionary.
Believe me I know...
I still think it's the fire and desire has a lot to do with it.. Herb Ellis is at least in his late 70's and I guarantee his chops to this day scare the hell out of me..
In an earlier post I said I saw Segovia play. Hea had to have been in his late 70's or early 80's at the time of the performance and believe me he had chops that would scare the bejuesus out of you....
Didn't know Eddie had cancer.. Hopefully he's conquered it...A little physical set back but give him time... He'll be shredding with the best in just a little while..
I saw Winters before, during, and after his heroin addiction.. Everyone said he was washed up while he was battling Heroin.. Kicks the stuff, rededicates his self and out comes one of the most bodacious kick but blues albums of all time \"Still Alive and Well\"..
See Ya,
Tal
(Hmm.... maybe my brain never developed then.
I also saw them on the last tour and his playing was good but nowhere near what it used to be. Like Smegolas said, he can't really do Eruption anymore which truly is sad.
He conquered cancer but not the habit that gave it to him, smoking. Although he says he's clean from alcohol, I don't believe it, he sounded like a drunk to me in an interview I heard a month ago. I wish he would conquer all his bad habits and just start playing guitar like he used to.
If he does'nt, hang it up Ed........ oh ya......and can I have a couple of those Wolfgangs that you won't be needing?
If Eddie still has a substance abuse problem I hope he finds a way to overcome the issue. SRV bottomed out and went through a recovery program, and found his awsome creativity had not died, but had become clouded. I saw SRV in Dallas, about 6 months before Alpine Valley, and he floored me. And he spoke of how good and fresh he felt again.
I hope Eddie can find his creativity again.
I guess the picture says it all.
[img][/img]
I've been putting some thought into this GuitarOne poll. :?
What a conceited bunch of purple elephants to even print such an article. :x
What's the old saying? \"Those that can do, DO. Those that can't TEACH!\"
I guarantee you EVH is a DOER by anyones standards and I'll bet these Yahoo's at GuitarOne MAY be qualified to teach. Probably not.. :twisted:
Endrg:
Post the other 9 guys who are supposed to retire because these yahoo's have decided that's best for their careers. That should be a lot of fun as well. While you're at it post the author? of this renowned article. Will search the net for his stuff afterwards.. Do you think he was the guitar player in the \"Final Countdown\"? :twisted:
And thanks Endrg for letting us know there are people out there printing this stuff.. 8)
See Ya,
Tal
Edz earned his spurs - he should be allowed to fall apart in public and we should all politely let him get on with it!
the things is = shred is so technical and so much hardwork and requires so much practice and attitude/energy to keep the skill level that high! - if he just sort of evolved into an old blues player he'd have a far easier time of it and the smokin and a drinkin and the sufferin would probably just earn hom some more spurs in a different arena.
i may be a bad person but i jinda like artists that AREN'T perfect y'know? i connect more with guys with issues than with jocks with godlike axe skills... godlike axe jocks bore the hell out of me. they're all so damn right wing
should feel sorry for ed not disgusted. no one here could have written that first VH album.
I think Keith Richards may be the only one who belongs on the list and I'm not sure he's even a guitarist?
10. Dave Navarro
9. Eric Clapton
8. Mike Mushok
7. Carlos Santana
6. Keith Richards
5. Ted Nugent
4. Dick Dale
3. Dickey Betts
2. Jimmy Page
1. EVH
Archon, man this time I kinda have to disagree with you. I personaly do not wish to see him fall apart publicly: he has too much talent and it's a sad thing to see. To me it is like seeing a washed up heavyweight boxer get pounded by an up and coming newbie. Like Ali and Larry Holmes. I would rather see the hero retire instead of crash and burn in public. Smegalos, touched on that when he said he realized his childhood hero was now an idiot. Instead of buring out I hope EVH can pull a phoenix on us and rise up.
Peace on earth
On another note, I've never, ever, met a retired guitarist. You play until it stops giving you joy, or when your 6 ft. under.
it's his life, i got no right to tell him how to live it - i just hope he know's someone real to have a quiet word in his ear - i agree with you that that i hope this is a transition thing that will cause him to create something great in the future - any human being worth their salt goes through dark periods though dont they? no one's perfect - \"let him without sin cast the first stone\" and all that.
most of the artists that have inspired most of the people here are LESS than perfect - (the blues genre isnt exactly full of well behaved god fearing christians giving up their free time to help out at the soup kitchen = know what i mean??).
but i think you're right - theyve basically selected all the 'still' living godfathers of rock guitar and slagged them off to get people talking about the article and buying the magazine...shoulda laid off page though i tell thee!! grrrrrrr
:twisted:
A lot of these guys on this list are not my favorite guitarists by any stretch of the imagination. But I have heard recordings of every one of them. I do respect their dedication to the guitar which is a lot more than I can say of any of these so called experts at GuitarOne.. :x
EVH is not one of my favorite guitarists, but I do respect his chops, and his dedication. Some of the other guys don't make my list as guys I could spend weeks listening to either buy that by no means diminishes their stature as guitarists... 8)
Two truisims told to me by very wise men through the years..
1) Just because you haven't heard of the player does not make him any less famous.
2) If you hear something and think it sucks, try playing it. If you can't, it probably doesn't suck.. 8)
#2 especially holds true for all 10 of the so called retirees. Would love to see a jam with those 10 old has beens vs. the author of this so-called literature. I believe we would see who smokes who. My moneys on the 10 old has beens with Mr. Page, Mr. Betts, Mr Clapton, Mr. Dale, and Mr. Santana smoking the author so bad they'll have to call in the fire department to put him out.. :twisted:
See Ya,
Tal
How true! There's ( from a listeners point of view ) subjective sucking and objective sucking. Suck is as Suck does....And if you attempt a certain lick or riff and suck, you either give up or master it. There's allot of licks from Eddie that have been taken (From some on that list) and adapted to HIS own style. Sure he's re-hashed his stuff and there's allot of familiar type licks from the fist album to the last. BUT that's what makes Eddie one of the most recognized guitar players out there.
We as guitarists use music as an outlet to our (dare I say?) emotions! Everything in our lives can affect how and what we play. Hey look at me.....I'm in pain or I'm suffering this or that. I'm in love and I want to tell the world......I hate you, you purple elephant! All emotional expressions that we can and do put to music.
If and when Eddie gets thru all his \"stuff\"....I hope he keeps \"IT\" comming. Because in my book he dosen't suck. It's just a lull that we all go thru at various times in our life!
Rock On Eddie!
Woo hoo!! Yup she was hot in her days but I haven't seen her lately.
By the way, we're way off topic here?
\"#2 especially holds true for all 10 of the so called retirees. Would love to see a jam with those 10 old has beens vs. the author of this so-called literature. I believe we would see who smokes who. My moneys on the 10 old has beens with Mr. Page, Mr. Betts, Mr Clapton, Mr. Dale, and Mr. Santana smoking the author so bad they'll have to call in the fire department to put him out.. \"
Right on, Tal. You said it all right there.
Who is that peedunk paparazzi magazine monkey to even DARE to say any of those guys should give it up? He's talking about some of the trailblazers who made guitar music what it is today. That dude wouldn't even HAVE a publication if not for those guys. Guitar One Magaxzine should project more respect and less ignorance.
Rained On
I do that alot, then I say... \"Wait that sounds good!\" so I hit the record button and I suck again.
I think you sound good when your enjoying it, and you hear it when someones not. Those moments don't get recorded or put on video, but you can't do anything about it live.
I've never hear Steve Vai sound like crap.
TY
Shando
Alot of times the mags \"Fall outta the bottom\" ';^P
So I glance through them before I put them back in. Alot of times they've already \"Fallen through the bottom\" before me.
Yup, those guitar mags wrapped in plastic are great. They have great articles in them, screw the guitar pictures.
I disagree with this statement. Just because something is difficult to play for someone doesnt mean it probably does not suck.
Anyone can come up with something that is technically difficult to play. That doesnt make it good music.
Lots of good music is easy to play.