As rock acts go, there are not many who have been or are as big and notorious as Van Halen, their reputation as the biggest party band of their era is now well defined and accepted. The new rock kings were no band of drunken slouches though, in Eddie Van Halen they had and still do have the most groundbreaking and electrifying guitar player since Jimi Hendrix.
There are definitely more technical proficient guitarists in the rock world, Satriani, Vai, Malmsteen to name but a few of the old boys, but none of these guys will ever be held in as high esteem as Eddie, he did it before them and no matter how fast any other guitar player can sweep pick or play exotic scales, they are not Edward Van Halen.
The Van Halen band has of course gone through changes since the original lineup, David Lee Roth was famously replaced by Sammy Hagar, the new lineup being tagged "Van Hagar" by many original fans of the band, because they did not like the new sound. More recently Dave has returned to the band and new material has been promised, but alas there is no Michael Anthony, he has been replaced by Wolfgang Van Halen, son of Ed.
Dave did not sit around when the band originally split, he went and got his own band with Steve Vai and Billy Sheehan, for anyone who saw this lineup it was a treat, Dave did Dave even bigger, and with huge personalities like the aforementioned virtuosos to compete with they were for a short while dubbed "the greatest show on earth" by many rock fans.
The band produced several classic rock tracks that really were special, I think he did top Van Halen for a short while until the band disintegrated, Dave still put out some decent solo albums but they were never quite as exciting as the first couple.
Eddie has for many years also supplemented his income by endorsing guitar equipment like amplifiers and guitars, his later models even being named after his son. The one great thing with all the gear he has put his name on, it has been well received and used by many pros, his amps really do kick butt and his guitars are really what he plays himself. His signature equipment can be seen in almost all genres of music, his influence being so huge on guitarists no matter what style they play.
More recently he has also put out replicas of his old effects pedals, as well as strings, picks and Wah Pedals, he has commissioned cheaper versions of his own guitar designs, so that everyone gets a chance to copy his famous "brown sound" even if they do not have a lot of money!
So, with the old band (almost) back together, the guys seem to be a lot more healthy than they have ever been, the future looks a lot better for the band and their fans. Whatever happens next, Eddie will always be the guitar king of his generation, and yes, every bar band player can play all his licks and ape him pretty well, but the electrifying force that blew the rock world to pieces is still a one off original, and his influence can be heard all over music everywhere.
John Osgood is a writer who specializes in many genres including Music and Musical Instruments.
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