Eddie Van Halen “ruined the musical landscape” of the 1980s according to his son, Wolfgang
Wolfgang Van Halen recently declared that his father Eddie Van Halen “ruined the musical landscape” of ‘80s rock.
Often hailed as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Eddie’s innovative techniques like two-handed tapping, revolutionised the genre, turning rock guitar into a jaw-dropping spectacle. But according to Wolfgang, his late father’s genius had an unintended consequence: a flood of imitators who turned the ’80s rock scene into a sea of Eddie-wannabes.
READ MORE: Joe Satriani says he’s got nothing to do with “issues” in Van Halen camp: “I’m here to celebrate and respect Eddie’s legacy as best I can do”
Speaking on the WTF with Marc Maron Podcast, Wolfgang says [via Exclaim!], “In a way, Dad kind of ruined the musical landscape, because instead of everybody wanting to find out who they are, they wanted to be that.”
He adds that those who try to emulate the “flashy” aspects of his father’s style are missing the forest for the trees: “People focus on the guitar playing, but, overall, it was the fact that dad is a great songwriter,” he says. “And that’s what I shoot for, too. It’s not about flashy stuff.”
That said, Wolfgang concedes that there are still guitarists who’ve carved their own unique paths in the wake of Eddie’s influence. He names Paul Gilbert of the bands Mr. Big and Racer X as one of his favourite post-Eddie guitarists, for one.
“He’s one of the shredder guys from the ’80s. He was one of those guys that came a little bit after dad that I think took it in an interesting direction.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Wolfgang reflects on the abuse he suffered when he joined Van Halen in 2006, replacing longtime bass player Michael Anthony.
“I was just having a good time enjoying my newly sober dad, and jamming with my family and having a wonderful time,” says the musician, who was just 15 at the time. “And it was just this wonderful, happy, joyous thing. Until it went public, and then it was, like, ‘Yeah, I can see why people would want to hate me.”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
