EVH Billboard Interview/Cover Story...

[Leotis]

I will be seriously surprised if this article doesn't put the final nail in the VH coffin once and for all. I'm sure the new DLR/EVH relationship has been tenuous at best, given all the years of animosity between the two. I can easily see this pissing away whatever goodwill still exists between the two of them.

[matttornado]

I will be seriously surprised if this article doesn't put the final nail in the VH coffin once and for all. I'm sure the new DLR/EVH relationship has been tenuous at best, given all the years of animosity between the two. I can easily see this pissing away whatever goodwill still exists between the two of them.

Yep. I agree

[johnnybgoood]

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

There are two interviews with Eddie Van Halen out right now.
Just like two sides to a coin, it shows who EVH really is...A flawed human being.

I loved reading the Popular Mechanics article.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technol ... -a-guitar/
It shows pictures of Eddie in his workshop talking about his old man and his Les Paul Goldtop and Marshall amps. That's the Eddie that we all embrace. As least I do. He's the tinkering musical prodigy. Love this Ed!

The Ed that the Billboard article presents seems like someone entirely different although that's not the case. That side of Eddie prevents me from ever going to see a Van Halen show ever again. He comes off as the self-absorbed rock star with a sports car in his garage, a chip on his shoulder and talking out of his ass. I blew a fuse when he said "You make music for people. Otherwise, just play in your closet. And how do you reach the most people? By giving them the band that they know. To do it any other way would be selfish.” What? ED by your own definition YOU ARE SELFISH! Michael Anthony is in the VH band that I know. Eddie shit on the fans when he couldn't reconcile the problems he had with Anthony. The sparse bass lines gave Eddie a canvas for his fills and licks. Also, Anthony's voice is absolutely an integral part of the harmonies that made Van Halen shine as a band.

Thanks to Wolfgang for being that stabilizing factor and pulling his dad away from the cliff's edge. If it wasn't for Wolfgang, we probably wouldn't have Ed right now. It was Wolfgang who starting pulling old tape and finding the value in old recordings. He'd be a great manager for the band.

I'm glad Sammy Hagar defended Anthony in Rolling Stone and stated a fact that everyone knows despite what Ed says in interviews.

Eddie if you are here on the internet, know this one fact. Fans love Van Halen! Make ammends with Micheal Anthony and give us "the band (we) know."

[chrisom]

Not that we aren't all addicts of some type, but titling the article "Surviving Addiction..." while showing Ed with a huge nicotine vape in his mouth seemed a bit weird...

Having said that, I've always considered EVH (and Les Paul) the 'Thomas Edison of Guitar' (and guitar playing). If only he could take a couple charm school lessons...

[Leotis]

It's partially the author too, I'd imagine. It's awfully dismissive to say that he's "conquered cancer, drugs, and booze...but his biggest challenge is going out on tour with DLR"? C'mon... That's kind of a pretty big "fuck you" to people in recovery and cancer survivors.

[bman5150]

What a shocker that article was. Honestly, it harkened back to when he was out of his mind and high as a kite. He comes off as a total D-bag. Maybe he is a D-bag. I seriously wonder if he had a relapse and that's why he spoke so oddly, basically eliminating all positive vibes he had going on with him and the band in one stupid interview. He even brought up the "picks caused my cancer" deal! That, and he managed to shit on all sorts of people around him-even a current member of his own band!

Someone already said it but...this is probably EXACTLY why DLR and many others in his past controlled him and monitored his public image and comments. Much harder to do in today's world. And EVHs and DLRs comments about making music completely contridict each other. I'm inclined to believe DLR at this point.

Suddenly I'm not that upset about not being able to see them this year. The man is a musical genius but that's about it apparently.

[mightymike]

It's hard to not respond to trash talk. Tabloids like Billbored are useless. Ed should have taken the high road and ignored Sammy. It just gives him publicity. There is absolutely nothing to gain by bad mouthing him back, and especially from bad mouthing MA. (Even if true)...

It sucks that MA is not back in the line up.. But I get it. Wolfgang is doing a great job. He's keeping his dad alive, and Eddie is playing really good as of late.

I enjoyed the Smithsonian interview and the Popular Mechanics article, and I'm intereted in the new amp he's developing to get classic VH tone. The recent Dirty Movie clip had great tone. I couldn't care less about the soap opera.

[GilmourD]

Seriously. What a shit article, the whole thing seemed tabloid-ish.

That's what my wife said.

Now, for her background, she has a masters in English and a masters in education, so her deal is understanding language and how it's used, including subtext.

She said the article seemed very oddly edited, as if it was trying to make Ed say things, and his quotes didn't flow naturally.

Now, I'm not saying that he didn't say these things, but rather that the quotes were edited together in such a way that they make him sound like a complete douche rather than the moderate douche we've always known him to be. LOL

It's kinda like when CNN edited a John Cena (WWE wrestler) interview so that it seemed like he admitted to using steroids. However, the complete video of the interview said the exact opposite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FXMxmNIhL8

[FL6]

Seriously. What a shit article, the whole thing seemed tabloid-ish.

That's what my wife said.

Now, for her background, she has a masters in English and a masters in education, so her deal is understanding language and how it's used, including subtext.

She said the article seemed very oddly edited, as if it was trying to make Ed say things, and his quotes didn't flow naturally.

Now, I'm not saying that he didn't say these things, but rather that the quotes were edited together in such a way that they make him sound like a complete douche rather than the moderate douche we've always known him to be. LOL

It's kinda like when CNN edited a John Cena (WWE wrestler) interview so that it seemed like he admitted to using steroids. However, the complete video of the interview said the exact opposite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FXMxmNIhL8

I think this is why everyone is so pissed, myself included, because it's like this huge hammer came down out of nowhere. Like someone else mentioned, this is exactly how he was a few years ago when he was high and drunk, essentially brain damaged but nothing like the most recent interviews. I think Ed got duped but he's an easy target.

Thanks for that CNN video.

[NY Chief]

EVH (and Les Paul) the 'Thomas Edison of Guitar' :

Nowhere near the same planet

[NY Chief]

This dude has been unstable for decades. It is just rising to the top now.He got damn lucky in 1978 cause there were plenty of good guitar players. When I first heard eruption I was like what the fuck is that a keyboard. They had damn good marketing and promotion ala Metallica. They sold laundry detergent.

Man, if I posted that..... Hi, fellers!!! Missed you guys!

[NY Chief]

Sammy " FUCK YOU, Eddie..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dnFzRxD_G8

[rgorke]

I suppose no one on this board has ever been interviewed even by a reputable news source. I have spent hours with reporters on the phone and in person only to read their article and say, " what the heck?!?!!? I went over this 20 times and they still got it wrong." Moreover, there is also a huge difference between what we actually see and hear come out of Ed's mouth...Smithsonian interview, Jas interview (tape), and Rosen interview (tape) and what reporters write down and we read. Have you ever wondered why?

They (Billboard reporter) probably had some things in their mind and looked for something that would fit into what they wanted to write. Even Sammy wrote in his book that Ed showed Mike the bass parts. Which is similar to Ed had to show Mike each and every night what the bass parts were...which is similar to Ed showed Mike how to play the bass. All could be construed from the same information depending on what Ed said, the reporter heard and then construed to make somewhat of an article to print.

And Motorhead, just go away. No one goes to your Lemmy forum (if one exists) and bashes him.

[chrisom]

chrisom wrote: EVH (and Les Paul) the 'Thomas Edison of Guitar'
by NY Chief » Tue Jun 30, 2015 11:08 am: Nowhere near the same planet...

Maybe I should've said: Ed was the 'McGyver' of guitar...

[fivecoyote]

I have been on both sides, still am, you are totally right. If the interviewer isn't super knowledgeable about the subject matter, multiply that by 1,000. Don't think I've ever read or heard a really good interviewer -- a pro with deep knowledge -- with Ed. A frickin' bummer, but I am a broken record -- which is that black round thing @ 33.333 rpm.

I suppose no one on this board has ever been interviewed even by a reputable news source. I have spent hours with reporters on the phone and in person only to read their article and say, " what the heck?!?!!? I went over this 20 times and they still got it wrong." Moreover, there is also a huge difference between what we actually see and hear come out of Ed's mouth...Smithsonian interview, Jas interview (tape), and Rosen interview (tape) and what reporters write down and we read. Have you ever wondered why?

They (Billboard reporter) probably had some things in their mind and looked for something that would fit into what they wanted to write. Even Sammy wrote in his book that Ed showed Mike the bass parts. Which is similar to Ed had to show Mike each and every night what the bass parts were...which is similar to Ed showed Mike how to play the bass. All could be construed from the same information depending on what Ed said, the reporter heard and then construed to make somewhat of an article to print.