Eddie Van Halen, the late and arguably greatest guitarist of all time, owed a great deal to several outstanding guitarists who influenced him and helped him develop his unique style. He claimed, however, that no matter how hard he tried, he would never be able to equal two players.
That’s correct—even the greatest guitarists are well aware of their limitations. Ironically, considering how much Van Halen influenced guitar playing in all its relevant forms, this was especially true for him. Despite having called Jimi Hendrix “sloppy” in the past, he made it plain throughout his life that the two masters he could never imitate were Hendrix and Jeff Beck.
Eddie Van Halen acknowledged that he was unable to replicate Hendrix’s distinctive sound in a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone. The “Jump” hero distinguished himself from the late psychedelic pioneer when asked about his experience recording at the legendary Electric Lady Studios, where Hendrix recorded some of his most well-known songs. Then he went on to say that he found it difficult to imitate Beck.
Yes, Van Halen replied, “It was great.” “But because Purple Haze was a hit song in the mainstream, I never learned any other Hendrix song. I had no idea how to capture his sound. It is what put me off. Jeff Beck is the same way. I turned my amp all the way up after plugging it in and I liked the sound. Because he was so direct, Clapton was everything to me.
Van Halen explained that a large portion of Hendrix’s problems stemmed from his reliance on equipment, which he simply couldn’t afford, in an interview with Howard Stern in 2006. In response to questions about whether he believed the “Purple Haze” star to be a “hack,” he insisted, “No, no.” He took some wild liberties. I dunno, I couldn’t afford the fuzzbox, wah-wah pedals, and all that stuff. I kind of went my own way.
Van Halen discussed what made Jeff Beck such a special guitar hero in a 2011 Rolling Stone return to the publication. “It wasn’t until ‘Blow By Blow‘ that I got into him,” he remembered. The mere fact that it is instrumental. Additionally, “Wired” (1976). Some interesting stuff inside. I suppose all I enjoyed about it was the experimentation.
He continued, speaking of the Londoner’s distinct dynamism, saying, “Jeff Beck is a standalone.” You can never be sure of what the devil will do. Twenty years ago, Jeff Beck was performing while my brother and I were in France. He was rockabilly it up. And we thought, “What in the world is this?” With him, you never know what to anticipate.
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Try Roy Bucannon