Edward Van Halen

Love him or hate him, none can deny the significant contributions of Edward Van Halen. Late 70s rock guitar had become stagnant and Disco beats were running strong. The old blues tricks that had been at the fore-front of rock since the 60s were waining and the time was right for some new energy. We have Edward Van Halen to thank for it!

Armed with his famous custom built "Frankenstrat" and a large bag of ax tricks, EVH changed history. If one thing had to be said about his playing everyone knows that it would have to be his two-handed tapping; However, His impact on the world of rock guitar stemmed beyond the introduction of this famous legato technique. The lead breaks and melodies recorded on the first Van Halen record opened the door to 80s rock guitar. Anyone who listened to the speed, fluidity and style would definately think that this record was recorded in 198X or 199X rather than 1978. The new world of rock didn't end with this one album, no, Eddie continued to assult us with new tricks that spawned an entire decade of copy-cat guitar players.

More recently, Edward has overcome a battle with cancer, lets hope he can get back on track, literally! I'm sure he has more to offer the world of music!

More on VH on my artist page!