# Eddie Van Halen laughs at his critics



## Kenmac (Jan 24, 2007)

First, the small piece: http://www.spinner.ca/2009/06/11/eddie-van-halen-laughs-at-his-critics/

Main Interview here: 
http://www.spinner.ca/2009/06/11/eddie-van-halen-thanks-god-for-sobriety-and-guitar-riffs/


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Of course he laughs--because he can.
He's made money, he has fame, etc, etc.

And even if he was just a guy in a bar band/weekend band/jamming non gigging band, etc--he would probably still have that attitude.

Musicians needs to play for themselves first.

I've never been a huge Van Halen fan--but I think you can tell which songs they believed in more than others.

I like musicians that sound honest in their playing/singing.
They sound like they mean it.

I don't know if I could apply tha to all VH songs--but it does apply to many of them.


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## Stonesy (Oct 7, 2008)

Like it or not VH will be regarded as one of the greatest rock guitarists of all tme. Up there with Hendrix, Beck, Page, Richards, Berry as one who has changed the way the guitar is played, sounds and looks. If he laughs at his detractors it is because he can. These people are not his peers.


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

Thats the first interview that Ed actually doesn't sound like a jerk? 
Referencing God, and AC/DC!
Maybe, his new wife/publicist is what exactly what Eddie needs.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I've been a closet VH fan since the beginning. Sure, they've produced some crapola, but they represent a certain vibe, a certain time and place for lots of folks. It might have been cool if they'd gone the prog rock direction with a keyboard player, or returned to their roots, but they are what they are. 

Peace, Mooh.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

I find it hard to believe that Jump is their only No 1. It's so far down on my list of fav VH songs..


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## danbo (Nov 27, 2006)

His critics are just envious, un-talented, no-names. :sport-smiley-002:
EVH = :bow: kksjur :rockon2:


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## Kenmac (Jan 24, 2007)

ne1roc said:


> Thats the first interview that Ed actually doesn't sound like a jerk?
> Referencing God, and AC/DC!
> Maybe, his new wife/publicist is what exactly what Eddie needs.


Yep, that's one of the reasons why I posted the link to that interview. I've read lots of EVH interviews over the years but this is definitely one of the better ones. From what he says in that one, he seems like he's mellowing out a bit and becoming a little more humble.


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2009)

That man's playing defined eighties rock guitar, period. When VH1 came out we couldn't put it down. I'm still listening to 1984. Granted he's full of it when it comes to talking about his gear but his contribution to rock guitar is indisputable.:bow:


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## Rick31797 (Apr 20, 2007)

*Vh*

A better interview than the crap Billy Bob thorton yapped about.
Rick


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Starbuck said:


> I find it hard to believe that Jump is their only No 1. It's so far down on my list of fav VH songs..


Often times a band's biggest seller is one that doesn't fit the normal image of their usual style--it reaches beyond their normal audience--but still includes at least a part of that audience.

Not always--but often.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Starbuck said:


> I find it hard to believe that Jump is their only No 1. It's so far down on my list of fav VH songs..


I really dislike that song. Not as much as McCartney's 'Silly Love Songs', but never-the-less, it likely unfairly coloured my opinion of EVH, especially DLR. I always wanted to flip the channel when that vacuous video came on, but my daughter, around 3 at the time, loved it and would freak out if I tried.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

*Jump* has one problem, not that the defining riff wasn't played on guitar (though that would have been very cool), but that it wasn't played on a Hammond B3. The cheesy tone doesn't work, imho. A B3 would have shown some class, some bloodlines, and some balls.

Really, if *Jump* had started with a drum and bass riff a la Zeppelin, then a B3 riff like Deep Purple, then doubled by guitar, it would have avoided the nasty crap it has generated because it's an otherwise decent rocker. A B3 and guitar trading solos would have been even better...screw radio play time limits.

They should have toured with a B3/piano player, much like The Stones.

(Fwiw, their killer romp through *Ice Cream Man* would have benefited from either some blues harp or B3.)

Peace, Mooh.


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## WarrenG (Feb 3, 2006)

It's nice to know I'm not alone in thinking Powerage is AC/DC's best album...


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

This blog entry captures my thoughts on Jump:

http://addictedtovinyl.com/blog/2009/05/13/the-worst-single-of-all-time/#more-619


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

bagpipe said:


> This blog entry captures my thoughts on Jump:
> 
> http://addictedtovinyl.com/blog/2009/05/13/the-worst-single-of-all-time/#more-619


Heh Heh, good one, but For me I think I'd pick "walking on Sunshine" makes me cring... ick! LOL!


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

Worst single of the eighties? Hmmmm......"Safety Dance" and "99 Luftballoons" come to mind sooner than "Jump". Oh, but "Jump" sucks plenty all right.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

Rugburn said:


> Worst single of the eighties? Hmmmm......"Safety Dance" and "99 Luftballoons" come to mind sooner than "Jump". Oh, but "Jump" sucks plenty all right.



there doesn't seem to be a bullseye smile, but if there was i would have posted it in response to the above. 

i remember when my buddy came running in the door with v/h1 hot off the presses so to speak. do i remember correctly that they thanked gene simmons on the back cover somewhere?


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

ummmm.......I liked Jump....



I also liked a whole pile of the later Hagar era VH 


ok - now excuse me while I try to dodge the arrows being slung my way


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

lbrown1 said:


> ummmm.......I liked Jump....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ok....now that someone had the courage to admit it.......I liked Jump too.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

lbrown1 said:


> ummmm.......I liked Jump....
> 
> ok - now excuse me while I try to dodge the arrows being slung my way





ne1roc said:


> Ok....now that someone had the courage to admit it.......I liked Jump too.


You guys should form a Support Group:


"My name is ne1roc, and I like Jump by Van Halen ...... "

"Hello, ne1roc!" :banana:


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

bagpipe said:


> You guys should form a Support Group:
> 
> 
> "My name is ne1roc, and I like Jump by Van Halen ...... "
> ...



Currently accepting brave new members.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

lbrown1 said:


> ummmm.......I liked Jump....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Not from me. I've been saying for years, that although the Van Hagar era arguably represented EVH's worst playing, it also had his best, most mature, songwriting.

Like him or hate him, he's a legend....and he knows it.
but it seems everything he does now, is based on nostalgia. The creative well has dried up.


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## danbo (Nov 27, 2006)

Yo Devil..how many albums of yers went Platinum? :wave:


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Thing about Jump..it,s actually the Tune that brought Van Halen to mainstream unfortunaly. Then all hell broke loose. Dave and Eddie got greedy, and it fell appart. 

Small note, most hits in the haggard era were written by Sammy...


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## danbo (Nov 27, 2006)

I liked Panama! You Really got me! :rockon2:


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I never liked Jump much either--but when I taught I had one band where the students loved the song--and since we had keyboards in the band it was a good choice.

They did a great job with it winning their category at an annual festival competing against student bands from other Alberta cities & towns.

(They also finished second with a Hendrix medley in the instrumental category. One of the other teachers paid me the only compliment I ever heard him give me on the Hendrix medley--I arranged it--but the kids played it very well.)


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

Hey may be a guitar god, but he's still a greedy pr#$k.

http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/16/so-shoe-me-van-halen-takes-nike-to-court/


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

Starbuck said:


> Hey may be a guitar god, but he's still a greedy pr#$k.
> 
> http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/16/so-shoe-me-van-halen-takes-nike-to-court/


Honestly, I'm with Eddie on this one. As jerky as Ed has been, I think he has a case.

If Eddie put a Nike symbol on his shoes (which he sells online) Nike would be all over him!

https://secure.feamerch.com/stores/evhshoes/


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Starbuck said:


> Hey may be a guitar god, but he's still a greedy pr#$k.
> 
> http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/16/so-shoe-me-van-halen-takes-nike-to-court/


Yup, he lost the common touch with a R'n'R attitude long ago.

Nike deserves a cease and desist order (or whatever it's called), but it's a little over the top to demand "monetary retribution" and "the impoundment and destruction of all footwear", though I always have to remind myself of what a litigation-happy society it is down there. A simple licensing fee would be more appropriate...or, slap a VH crest on them, send a portion of the profits to a charity, and you've got free publicity of the kinder gentler kind. 

Besides, doesn't Eddie usually wear sneakers himself? Maybe he wishes he'd thought of it first.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

ne1roc said:


> Honestly, I'm with Eddie on this one. As jerky as Ed has been, I think he has a case.
> 
> If Eddie put a Nike symbol on his shoes (which he sells online) Nike would be all over him!
> 
> https://secure.feamerch.com/stores/evhshoes/


I don't necessarily agree, (imagine that!) If Nike made some thing that looks like the cons, then sure, What's next? is he going to give the white stripes crap for using his colors?

http://www.whitestripes.com/news/newsExtra.html


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

Starbuck said:


> I don't necessarily agree, (imagine that!) If Nike made some thing that looks like the cons, then sure, What's next? is he going to give the white stripes crap for using his colors?
> 
> http://www.whitestripes.com/news/newsExtra.html


The White Stripes may use the same colours but it looks nothing like the EVH pattern. The first thing I saw when I saw the Nike shoes is they look they the EVH pattern. If Nike made the stripes in vertical or horizontal pattern with the same colours, I don't think Ed would have a problem with it? 

I still maintain that if you try brand your own product with something remotely similar to the Nike logo and Nike will be all over you.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

ne1roc said:


> The White Stripes may use the same colours but it looks nothing like the EVH pattern. The first thing I saw when I saw the Nike shoes is they look they the EVH pattern. If Nike made the stripes in vertical or horizontal pattern with the same colours, I don't think Ed would have a problem with it?
> 
> I still maintain that if you try brand your own product with something remotely similar to the Nike logo and Nike will be all over you.


Sure it says VH to you, but they are likley marketing that to kids and alot of them wouldn't even have a clue who EVH is. It's such a silly thing to trademark, and if it actually looked more like his guitar I'd agree, but it just looks like some red & white stripes on a black background.


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

Starbuck said:


> Sure it says VH to you, but they are likley marketing that to kids and alot of them wouldn't even have a clue who EVH is. It's such a silly thing to trademark, and if it actually looked more like his guitar I'd agree, but it just looks like some red & white stripes on a black background.


I agree with you that Eddie is a greedy a$$hole, but that pattern in the picture is *exactly* like the Frankenstrat design he trademarked. Up to and including the # like symbol with the lone black stripe a top the white ones. He likely has a case. Not too Rock n' Roll of him though.

http://www.chucklevins.com/productimages/guitars/electric/evhfrankenstein.jpg

Shawn


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

Rugburn said:


> I agree with you that Eddie is a greedy a$$hole, but that pattern in the picture is *exactly* like the Frankenstrat design he trademarked. Up to and including the # like symbol with the lone black stripe a top the white ones. He likely has a case. Not too Rock n' Roll of him though.
> 
> http://www.chucklevins.com/productimages/guitars/electric/evhfrankenstein.jpg
> 
> Shawn


I think ypu may be looking at the pic I posted of the Official EVH shoes that Ed sells online. Below is the Nike shoe. Not exact but I get where Ed is coming from.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Problem is that Eddie had filled for patent on a TONE of items..even on the name Frankenstein, wich is as put a TM on his website, when in fact, he does'nt have it yet. Same goes for a LOAD of his gear. from what i was told by a lawyer who specialise in patent and TM, i'm not a lawyer so i'm putting it in my own words here, his Trade marks are'nt like defenitive patterns, he wants to PATENT any striped item using black, red and white, wich is totaly ridiculous, such as the Nike shows. 2 years ago, EVH Inc wanted to take to court Dodge for doing a Red and white stripped Viper!.claming it was the patern to his 5150 guitar!...i mean give me a break. Right now is TM and Patent are only legal in the US. The chiness have released very good copies of the Frankenstrat and 5150 guitar, not cheap knock-off, but very good instrument, selling for about 4500$ US each, they are selling like Hot Cake in Asia from what i read. unfortunaly, Ed as no right over there. 

Right now, i have no clue why, but it's almost like he's flat broke and going for every $$$ he can find. There is a few site online who sell complete kits to reproduce his guitars, with paint service, i know one of the owner, and they have been trying to shut him down for 2 years with no luck. the Cie is in California, and it seems the claims from EVH is not valide, from what the owner told me, it got settle outa court with him not having to stop his buisness, from what he told me...here is the reasoning...Does Eddie own the right to the body shape..no..neck shape...no, any of the hardware on the instrument, no, does he own the rights to the color, black, red and white, no, does he own the rights to a certain "pattern"...this is still in debate. by changing any tape size by just 1/16 ", you are changing the flow of the pattern used on his Frankenstrat basicaly, so technicaly, he does'nt. It was pointed out that Eddie made over 30 of these guitars in the span of his career, yet he chooses to only pattent only 2!...why is that!...


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

I think he should just let them make the shoes - the first thing that comes to mind is "hey - that's a VH shoe" - not "that's a nike shoe or whatever" it gets people thinking about VH - gets people maybe buying VH CD's or MP3's and maybe even going to a show....free advertising for his band - guess he didn't see it that way


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## MaxProphet (Nov 9, 2007)

to me EVH is like Jeff Beck, awesome guitarist who for some reason has a million terrible songs :smile:


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

MaxProphet said:


> to me EVH is like Jeff Beck, awesome guitarist who for some reason has a million terrible songs :smile:


But Beck has a million great songs too.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

danbo said:


> Yo Devil..how many albums of yers went Platinum? :wave:


only a few 9kkhhd

whats your point, that because EVH has sold a lot of cd's, that noone should be able to have an opinion of his work or his actions? I guess noone should say anything negative of Britney Spears or Michael Jackson either then.
And we wonder why some celebs have a god complex.


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