David Gilmour, one of the best guitarists of his generation, has witnessed a lot of zeitgeists and axemen emerge. Gilmour has seen many legends establish their dominance, from the rise of psychedelic music to punk and grunge, and like the true greats, he has always had his finger on the pulse, soaking up these new sounds when he could.
Since his inception, Gilmour’s willingness to embrace new ideas has made him one of the most amiable figures in the rock world. He contributed several insightful critiques of the great players who followed in his footsteps. Eddie Van Halen, who made a stunning comeback in the 1970s by bringing attitude and lightning-fast technique together to revitalize the six-string for the modern era, is one man he has praised time and time again.
Eddie Van Halen is a talented musician, even though his music isn’t for everyone. Making his version of the double-handed string-tapping technique and heavily referencing Ritchie Blackmore’s viscous dive bombs, Van Halen was so successful that he set the standard for contemporary rock and metal performers. Thanks to his hits with “Van Halen” and the solo on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It,” he also broke through the mainstream.
David Gilmour’s flowing praise of Van Halen’s work speaks volumes about its importance, even though the two have very different styles when it comes to the guitar. The renowned Pink Floyd member once declared his desire to be able to play like the “Eruption” star. In 1985, he said to Guitar Classics, “I wish I could play like Eddie Van Halen, but I can’t.” I attempted a few of those ideas when I sat down, but I was unsuccessful. I doubt that I could ever figure any of that stuff out, though.
Years later, David Gilmour would find himself complimenting Eddie Van Halen’s work once more. Here, he described the world’s impact that the shredding hero had made. In a 2009 interview, he told Guitar Player that Van Halen was so significant because “he changed rock music.”
“I’ve had a few encounters with him. He seemed like a nice guy all the time. Eddie is great, but I have to admit that I don’t listen to Van Halen all that much,” he said. His moments of pure, unrestrained, joyous playing, like he did on the Michael Jackson song, are captivating. They make you want to stomp all over the dance floor. Wasn’t he a big influence on a lot of people? He transformed rock music. Many mediocre players were led to believe they were much better than they were by Eddie!
