The EVH bashing thread

[Tone Slinger]

Maybe we can isolate the posts of the 'Non' fans here ?

All I can say (and I'm a big fan) is that I havent been very pleased with the writing and direction from 1985 to 2008.

[NY Chief]

Oh boy, TS. You're opening the flood gates with that one!

[Tone Slinger]

I know , but I think its a great idea to 'isolate' any unfavorable EVH ideas or opinions. I am a huge EVH fan, but realize that others arent. The two EVH threads are AWESOME for the A+/positive forward info's and posts. This thread should be able to allow those who dislike his style or status to FORTHRIGHT say so, without offending.

So, to keep this civil,I think it would be great to only post negative stuff here (within reason) and positive stuff in the other 2 topics. In other words, THIS IS A PLACE TO VENT,NOT DEFEND.

Moderators, if this is a bad idea, please delete, I understand

[yngwie308]

There is so much great non-VH music and guitar playing going on that when I think of VH it's all from the past.
yngwie308

[Rich_D]

Oh boy, TS. You're opening the flood gates with that one!

Chief you'll probably want to bookmark this thread and subscribe.

[awangotango]

I loathe the new 5150III tone. It has a cardboard quality to it. Jake e lee is using it live these days and gets a better tone but still not great. He probably sold off all his good marshalls. The first 2 badlands albums have absolutely killer early VH inspired marshall tone. right on the edge of blowing up. the 5150III sounds like it's running very cool. I did recently play through a 60w combo of the early 5150 and got some killer tone when I ran it through an old celestion cab. That amp is going to be sought after in years to come imo. I may buy one soon and tweek it back towards the old marshall sound even more.

[NY Chief]

Oh boy, TS. You're opening the flood gates with that one!

Chief you'll probably want to bookmark this thread and subscribe.

nahhh, it's no fun now.....

[Maverick]

Eddie is now officially one of the greatest Business men in the music industry!

[Strat78]

Guess it's a 'bumping old threads' kind of day. Am I a true VH fan if I could care less for any material of theirs past 1982?

[garbeaj]

I go against the grain in that I think everything was great up to and including 0U812...essentially I feel that everything sucked from all angles starting when he ditched the 5150 guitar and the Marshall amps-including the "magic" Marshall and otherwise. The downfall of the tone, the playing, the band, Mike and Sammy's voices...everything BAD started to go on from F.U.C.K. onwards...as in the period when the signature guitars and the Soldano and signature amps began...plus the dreaded introduction of the humbucking neck pickup and the wah-wah (I'll never forgive Jerry Cantrell for turning Ed onto the humbucking neck pickup and wah-wah sounds!)

[chrisom]

I agree with garbeaj- except I started bummin' on them after Fair Warning. But I have to say, some of the post-modern MTV stuff I hated when it came outback in the early eighties is now great for nostalgia ('I Ran' by Flock of Seagulls for one example).

Since I no longer had a choice in the matter, I found 2 songs per Van Halen LP after Fair Warning (Hang 'Em High, The Full Bug, Panama, Hot For Teacher, 5150 (the song) that qualify for classic-style VH. Hated 'Black and Blue' when it came out, love it now (minus the lyrics). And I loved the "For Unlawful..." LP (hated the neck pickup/wah sound though). 'Me Wise Magic' showed me they could still do it if they wanted to...

Since Mike's not comin' back, I'd settle for an LP recorded with the old Marshall Plexi and just enough Eventide to match what was used on Fair Warning. They don't have to rock as hard, but they do have to sound as good tone-wise as they used to...

[Capt Vemo]

Im gonna take it one step farther and say EVH sucks and is the most over rated guitar player ever. LOL I would rather listen to Ace Frehley that part is true. But no never thought he sucked had great tone back in the day and I was a fan. But I had guys that I liked a lot more like Michael Schenker back in the UFO days thought he had great tone and a more soulful player. I know my man tone slinger is a fan to. Funny that Jake E Lee was mentioned as far as getting a better tone then Ed lately. But Jakes tone was no where near what it used to be with the Marshalls back int he Badlands days. Ive seen some recent footage of Jake and it appears hes back to Marshalls though. Back to EVH I liked his stuff up to FW after that lost interest. Hated everything with Sammy in the group I really like the new album and his tone isnt bad on it. But its still not what it used to be.

[Tone Slinger]

I hear ya Vemo I have to say that vintage Frehley, regardless of what he' s NOT doing, is SOOO Rock and Roll I mean, his tone and attitude was just great. Plus, he constructed his solo's VERY well ( at least up to maybe ' Dynasty' ?). Damn drugs did a number on 'ol boy huh . Still, from '74 to '79 or so, he played very good, catchy leads. Still today, if he (Frehley) is playing in a LIVE context, he still has 'it' to some degree, but by himself, acapella, he is horrid imo. He 'feels' it live in CONTEXT though imo.

Schenker, imo, was very similar to Frehley. He used rock cliche licks (ala Chuck Berry ) but had a slight different direction concerning melody ( strong classical influence). Plus, Schenker was able to bloom and grow a bit more than Frehley managed to. He (Schenker) managed to steer clear from the real hard drugs. His brain wasnt as permanantly altered as early on I guess (I truly realize how bad drugs are nowadays....believe me ).
Ed had a slightly different thing going on with his playing and his BAND. DLR was a big factor in the sum. If you take Ed's tapping away, it certainly takes damn near a foot off of his stature imo.

[Capt Vemo]

Have you heard Aces new album since hes been clean and sober for 8 years? Sounds fantastic and playing very well.

[NY Chief]

I Ed had a slightly different thing going on with his playing and his BAND. DLR was a big factor in the sum. If you take Ed's tapping away, it certainly takes damn near a foot off of his stature imo.

I agree and think that "broke" them but at the same time pigeon holed Ed into always playing like he was in glorified high school band. He wasn't allowed to or didn't want to or couldn't mature as a writer / player like a Page, Townsend, Clapton Blackmore, Beck etc. If you listen to those guys first albums and later compostions you can see that they all grew and matured in different ways. I don't see and VH songs holding a candle to best of Zep, Who, Stones, Purple, Beck etc.