Rhoads vs Van Halen - Guitars101

crowley · 03-09-2005, 04:43 PM

The Fact is back in 1981 Randy Rhoads was named best guitarist over Everyone including Eddie!!! So my question is would eddie be as famous today if Randy didnt die, would Eddie still be considered the best. (this isnt taking anything away from guys like vai, satriani, petrucci, who i think smoke him now) But would there be so much hipe for him.

I would like your opinions

[color=Red] this thread was kinda stupid but they are my two favorite guitarists and i was just asking what would of happened if Randy RIP didnt die. would eddie be the man he is today. again no harm intended there is no competion that wasnt my intention. You who are offended and think im making this out to be a competion i apologize and all i can do is ask for forgivness.

**jimihendrix** · 03-09-2005, 05:17 PM

yes..eddie would still be as famous today...there's room enough on this planet for all guitarists...(maybe not guitarists egos)...but..yes...evh would still be as famous...he's an incredible talent in his own right..he stands alone...

strat78 · 03-09-2005, 05:29 PM

Is it just me but, why are those Ozzy/Rhodes songs slightly tedious. Maybe its Ozzy's fault. I was lucky to see Randy play twice back in 81 and prefer to just keep that memory sacred, without ruining it by listening to those records today. Its too bad that Randy did not get the chance to play and write music with different vocalist. Ozzy is great but...

...I should not have taken the bait on this one.

crowley · 03-09-2005, 05:30 PM

what do u mean by egos

**F1 Junkie** · 03-09-2005, 05:48 PM

Who named Randy the best? Some guitar rag poll? The same people that determine Grammy winners or Rock Hall inductees?

The only thing that matters is what you think. I think Randy was one of the best there has been. Ed also is on that list of mine. Some people may even have Dave Matthews on their list.

This is kinda like the Ford vs Chevy vs Mopar thing.

DannyBoy · 03-09-2005, 05:58 PM

I just read some old Randy interview in Total Guitar magazine / interview was from like .. 81' ... he seemed cool enough , at first i felt like Randy was copying Eddie . then i see Randy say Eddie was copying him ... i dont really care either way . but i know Eddie impresses me more . I have always respected Eddie ... never been a huge fan ... but i saw some video of him a while ago and he impressed me big time to be honest , to put it plainly .. i can see why so many dudes rate him so highly . Eddie innovated the guitar and is recognized by almost all guitarists as having done so . Even the arrogant Swede himself Mr Yngwie Malmsteen has said EVH is a great great player and great innovator . i agree with him and i agree that EVH would still have been just as famous because he is a true talent and made a true impact for the force of good on a rock industry that was tiring at the time . he gave it life again .... which is why its so sad to see him play these days ... just aint the same is it .

Beka4MikE · 03-09-2005, 06:16 PM

Oh I think that no matter what with the talent that both of those guys have/had that it would not have mattered at all. If Randy was still alive he would be drunk and on stage playing whatever he felt like, same as EVH.

I personally think that the ozzy/rhandy songs stand up just fine today. I mean what makes you think they are boring? They are good songs with some excellent guitar work. Just like the EVH songs have excellent guitar work and are never boring.

My 2 cents

SuckaInA3Piece · 03-09-2005, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strat78

Is it just me but why don't those Ozzy/Rhodes song hold up today. They are kinda boring. Just like Nirvana: BORING. I was lucky to see Randy play twice back in 81 and prefer to just keep that memory sacred, without ruining it by listening to that music today. Its too bad that Randy did not get the chance to play and write music with different vocalist. Ozzy is great but...

I think alot of that has to do with those songs sounding watered down. Atleast the studio versions are. Personally, I can't really stand any of the album versions that Randy did with Ozzy. When I wanna hear Randy rip it up, I'll throw on the live Tribute cd, and that's where I get my fix. Randy live is just so raw, ballsy, but still has that classical feel, and is very flowing and clean. The studio shit bores me too, and whenver I hear it I usually turn it off.

As for the topic of this thread..I just can't choose. At the end of the day it's EVH that has made the most impact of any other artist/musician in my life. But I won't say that Ed was better then Randy, or Randy was copying Ed, because I just have too much respect and love for both of those guys.

strat78 · 03-09-2005, 07:14 PM

That is what I meant Sucka. I have some live studio videos of Randy with Ozzy and they are thrilling. Randy is just this little kid completely in command and best of all, he always has a big smile on his face! If Randy were alive I'm sure he would still be workin' hard.

wahwah · 03-09-2005, 09:03 PM

Both great talents. Choose both. If Ed had continued coming out with such innovative stuff like the beginning of 'Mean Streets', God knows where we'd be...but he took up a songwriting vibe over that.

As for Randy...who knows? Pat Travers was an amazing guitarist (still is) but he doesn't get as much kudos these days. Early death creates legends for the most part. Jimi, Randy, SRV...but they have to have had something memorable to leave behind in the first place.

mab8485 · 03-09-2005, 09:51 PM

Diary of a madman (song, not album) has to be the coolest thing Randy ever pulled off. Awesome song

**Jeffery Bravo** · 03-09-2005, 10:27 PM

who knows? one can only speculate. Randy did cop alot of stuff from halen, but i think brached off on his own, and would continue to grow (i think as a songwriter and guitar player). But i will say he put alot of emotion in his playing. Those 2 really were gr8. Eddie though also copied-clapton, beck, and you can hear alot of billy gibbon's phrasing and "pinched harmonic" stuff from eddie. So Eddie being the arrogant drunkard prick he is would probably say randy stole from him. I agree that DLR had way too big of an ego, but so did eddie, that's why they had THREE singers. Eddie is a gr8 player (or was) but personally he's a coccky little prick, the only one in VH who wouldn't sign autographs.

SuckaInA3Piece · 03-10-2005, 04:51 AM

Ed's a prick because he wouldn't give you an autograph?

And as for his thoughts on Randy, I've never seen him say one bad thing about Randy.

strat78 · 03-10-2005, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wahwah

Both great talents. Choose both. If Ed had continued coming out with such innovative stuff like the beginning of 'Mean Streets', God knows where we'd be...but he took up a songwriting vibe over that.

As for Randy...who knows? Pat Travers was an amazing guitarist (still is) but he doesn't get as much kudos these days. Early death creates legends for the most part. Jimi, Randy, SRV...but they have to have had something memorable to leave behind in the first place.

You always bring things back to reality! Thanks Wahwah.

Lets not forget Michael Shanker. This brilliant guy, despite his huge contribution to guitar, remains in the shadows. Or Brad Gillis. He was a very musical guitarist too...completely FORGOTTEN! In a way is it possible that Randy (dying so young) has artificially eclipsed some other really great guitar players?

ziggysmalls · 03-10-2005, 07:57 AM

Eddie and Randy are my two favorite guitarists with everybody else a distant third.

Hearing the solo to Over the Mountain made me want to play guitar. Soon after I discovered Eddie.

My thoughts is that Eddie still would have been secure as the guitarist of the 80's. The reason is because VH's music was more accessible than Ozzy. Ozzy still was viewed as a Satanist up till about 87 or so and was not played on a variety of stations.

However I think that Rhoads would have lessened the impact of Malmsteen and all the other Neo-Classical guitarists. Hearing the jam that he did during his solo piece sounds pretty much what Yngwie was doing 4 years later. I don't think Yngwie would have made much of an impact if Rhoads had the chance to do 2 more albums.

Who is better is up for debate and can never be answered. However my opinion is Eddie was more innovative and ground breaking while Rhoads was more technical. I also think that as time went on, Randy would have continued getting better while Eddie reached his peak on 1984.