The guitarists Eddie Van Halen said “turned me on”
Eddie Van Halen was always one of the most exciting guitarists in the world. Ritchie Blackmore had a real appreciation for him, not just because he was a good guitarist but also because he had this outstanding technical ability that didn’t get in the way of his songwriting.
“Eddie Van Halen was a brilliant guitarist who started a technique of guitar playing which was emulated by a whole generation of guitarists,” he said, “He was one of the nicest musicians I ever met in the music business. Very shy and not all conceited about his ability as a guitar player.”
A common problem for many guitarists is that while they may be exceptional musicians, they can’t turn that talent into a good song. They may have skill, but transferring that skill into a track that showcases their talent and is something that people are excited about listening to proves to be very difficult.
Jeff Beck had this problem once when he was working with George Martin. Martin had to rummage through all of the complicated guitar music that Beck was writing in a bid to extract what people would deem listenable. This might not be what Jeff Beck liked the most, but the guitarist had to appreciate that your average listeners don’t have the same ear for guitar music that Jeff Beck has.
“He saw through the mist and said there might be something there […] He showed interest at a point where I was really wondering whether I should continue in the business,” said Beck, “I was looking to George sort of as a parental figure: someone to help me present some of my more outrageous vision in a way that would be acceptable to the general public.”
When you think about the struggle that so many guitarists have, you can see how Eddie Van Halen’s talent is put into perspective. He was famed for his tapping technique, which was very innovative and new to the music industry at the time. He could play at speed in a way that previous guitarists could only dream of. However, he didn’t just play quickly; he was famed for being able to write songs around this style of guitar playing and keep the melody close to his chest, even when he was playing at rapid speeds. This combination of technical proficiency and great songwriting is what made him great.
There was a huge amount of talent on display with Eddie Van Halen, but it wasn’t just that which made him so good. He was a massive admirer of his contemporaries and always used them as influences when putting his songs together. There were a number of guitarists that he was a big fan of, but he once outlined a specific selection of favourites who turned him on.
“Who wants to sit at the piano! I want to go crazy. Everybody turned me on. I grew up on a lot of early Beatles, DC5, Cream, Clapton, Page, Beck and Hendrix,” Eddie Van Halen said. It has to be said that you can certainly hear all of these influences when Eddie Van Halen performs.
