Ultimate Rhoads

In 1981, I was 14 years old and like everyone else, I was into Van Halen, Zep, AC/DC and such. I remember hearing that Ozzy was coming into town on New Years Eve at the Sports Arena. My cousin and I use to listen to Bizzard on the way to Huntington Beach and thought Ozzy was cool. My cousin and I had been to a lot of concerts (my first being Kiss in 1979) and we wanted to get tickets for Ozzy. My mom wouldn't let me go because it was New Years Eve (I still never let my mom forget it) and then 2 and half months later Randy was gone. I really didn't know much about Randy when he had died and I didn't learn to appreciate him until after his death. I remember my cousin telling me he had heard a live broadcast of Ozzy on the radio in 1981 and he said his solo blew Eddie Van Halen away. I couldn't believe it and years later when I heard the Tribute album I knew what he meant. I've read all these discussions about Randy vs EVH, but the truth is they are both world class guitarists. People will prefer one over the other but let's face it, EVH was King back then. I remember, I was there. I remember hearing Eruption and having my mind literally blown away. It was like being teleported to the future. All my friends worshipped Eddie. If Randy had lived, Randy/Ozzy would of released a live album (better that Tribute) in 1982 and Randy probably would of recorded one more studio album with Ozzy and Randy most likely would of dethroned Eddie. Even Eddie said himself that he probably would not have won all those guitar awards in the 80's had Randy lived. EVH was king and he changed guitar playing forever but Randy probably would of passed him up. He was on the way. We all know that. But, Randy "was" influenced by Eddie. Remember Randy was a music teacher and he even said that he improved the most during the time that he was teaching because he learned from other players. He took knowledge and made himself better because he was a true musician. I love Randy's playing over Eddie's because I love the classical style and I love melody and there is this mystique about Randy, I think because of his death and because we will never know what he would of done. With all that said, there is just something about Randy's music that always gets me off no matter how many times I listen to it. Well, that is my two cents.

words well spoken!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cableguyxx wrote:I'm right there with you dude. Eruption was friggin' unreal the first time I heard it. Aside from that though, I never really wanted to play VH songs. From the minute I heard Randy, something clicked, and it's not changed to this day. No other guitarist has had that affect on me. There is something really timeless about the music he wrote. VH's stuff was great and all, but always seemded like party music. Randy's playing with Ozzy just seems so mature when you compare the two. That's not taking anything away from Ed, I just prefer Randy. The song Tonight is a perfect example. So much depth and soul in his playing on that song. Just unreal

I love that song as well.

Moving on... I know what you all mean. I may be a generation younger than most people on here, but what you say makes sense. I heard of Randy and his guitar playing long before I ever heard "Eruption". I must say, even the solo to Crazy Train has to blow eruption completely out of the water.

Honestly, I was disappointed when I first heard "Eruption". I had heard all the hype, but said to myself, "He's good, but he's no Randy Rhoads"

All said and done...VH's 1st album was a new polished style in music. They supported Black Sabbath in 1978 and they made Sabbath look like a bunch of wannadies.So to say that RR was better etc is very questionable because Randy never became fully recognised for his talent until he was gone.Before everyone tells me different Randy wasn't the main man in Ozzy's band. Everyone who went to see Ozzy in 1980 went to see Ozzy and no one really knew who Randy was unless you knew who Quiet Riot were..how many people sung RR playing while he was in QR.But in all honesty how many people got more recognition after they died Dimebag, Phil Lynott,Cliff Burton,Rory Gallagher etc...

I always thought Eruption was one huge wankfest or a "hey look how friggin' good I am!" kind of moment. Sorry, but it's just how I felt.
Hey, you can play fast and you know some cool tricks. Write a good song.
Never been a big VH fan if you couldn't tell.

What made Randy different was that he was just so GOOD all around. He could play the blues, he could do that neoclassical bit, he could do the fingerpicking/classical, the squels...everything. Not a one trick pony by any means. Randy had the look too. For someone who was only like 5'5 or 5'6 and barely over 100 lbs, he looked larger than life up onstage. He really embodied rock n roll charisma. I like the fact that all his guitar solos are memorable and stand alone. I can hum all of them. I can't do that EVH.

But I don't want to make this into a EVH vs. RR thread...because EVH is great at what he does and has the fans to prove it. But man...Randy is the guy for me at the end of the day.

When you are real old skool (like me) you hear Randy in a more futuristic way. In the early sixties electric guitar was making it's mark as the main interest in most songs. It was the lead guitar in Louie Louie, by the Kingsman, that made everyone want to play electric solos with guitar. The Ventures also made us young players want to learn how to play and perform.
The Ventures even released "albums" to teach electric guitar. They were called "Play Guitar With The Ventures". These albums even had paper charts inside of the album sleeve to show you what notes to play.

Than came Eric Clapton (with Cream) and Jeff Beck. It made the earlier stuff old fashioned fast. The Yardbirds even had Jimmy Page with them for awhile in the 60s. Now this next paragraph explains why Randy shocked us old timers into the future.

Enter: Jimi Hendrix. When this man first launched, every guitarist [including humble me] were totally blown away. We thought this man went to the moon and back with his cosmic music message. His songs were just as good, or better, than his incredible guitar playing. We all thought this was the end of the line for guitar evolution.

Early Black Sabbath turned some heads with Tony Iommi playing a deep drone guitar that sounded more "heavy" than Hendrix. Yet, this thick feeling could not sustain the same shock of Hendrix and his endless magic. The awe of greatness heard from a musical guitar seemed to be over for sure.

Enter: Randy Rhoads. The Blizzard studio albums had great songs and a guitar sound that was (and is) very imaginative. Most old skool types liked it, but did not explore other Randy recordings.

MP3 recordings of Randy Rhoads, performing live in concert, expand on what a trememdous thrust into the future his guitar was leading us. Hendrix, as a guitarist, was caught at last. And we (who saw Hendrix as the future) got to hear even further into the endless expansion of guitar music through the able mind and hands of Randy Rhoads.

Well......the last thing I wanted to do was to start another Randy vs Eddie thread. I was just telling it like I see/saw it. I love Randy but I was giving them both their due honor and respect. This was just my memory from the early 80's.

I wish my mom had let me go to that Ozzy show on New Year's Eve but it wasn't meant to be. I did see Ozzy with Metallica in 1986 but he sounded like crap and the Randy songs didn't sound the same. Funny, you can copy Randy's licks note for note but it will never sound like Randy.

I remember a billboard on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood in 1987 that was basically the whole cover to the Tribute album. My friend and I parked the car, got out and just stared at that billboard. It was sort of like taking your hat off for the National Anthem. We paid our respects. Too bad I didn't bring my camera.....

Skully wrote:I always thought Eruption was one huge wankfest or a "hey look how friggin' good I am!" kind of moment.

And it was Ted Templeman's idea to put it on the record, not Ed's. Eddie was practicing his solo spot for a show that night. Randy had a pretty long "wankfest" during Quiet Riot gigs, too. That was just a part of rock shows back in the day.

The real difference between Randy and Eddie is that Randy was better looking, and Ed was jealous of that

I'm sorry I mentioned Eddie's name

Paul Wolfe wrote:

Skully wrote:I always thought Eruption was one huge wankfest or a "hey look how friggin' good I am!" kind of moment.

And it was Ted Templeman's idea to put it on the record, not Ed's. Eddie was practicing his solo spot for a show that night. Randy had a pretty long "wankfest" during Quiet Riot gigs, too. That was just a part of rock shows back in the day.

The real difference between Randy and Eddie is that Randy was better looking, and Ed was jealous of that

Well, that was during a show. It's not like Randy recording the thing and made a track out of it.

Skully wrote:Well, that was during a show. It's not like Randy recording the thing and made a track out of it.

But if Warner Bros. had signed Quiet Riot right after they signed Van Halen, there's a good possibility that Randy wouldv'e been asked to do the same sort of thing.

Record execs aren't the most imaginative people... they just jump on whatever sells and ride it into the ground. There were a lot of "solo songs" in the '80's. Remember Battle Axe and Mr. Scary?

Let's face it, Eddie Van Halen is the best there was, the best there is and the best there ever will be and the sooner that Randy Rhoads fans come to terms with the fact that Randy was just a pretender to the throne, the sooner all will be right in the world.











































I was joking, by the way... I'd love to have seen the look on some of your faces, though

you pulled my chain.........there is one thing more interesting than music:


















humor

I knew you were joking once you used the word "best." You're not one to throw that word around lightly!

HAHA Paul! Nice one. When I read that to my daughter, her eyes got real big. Then I added the last bit and she said "Not funny, Mom, really not funny."