I wasn't going to do this, but I was on another music site that had the argument that Eddie Van Halen was jealous of Neal Schon. This argument stems from the fact that Neal's new band Soul Sirkus was going to open for VH last year, during the two nights that they were in the bay area. Eddie nixed the plan, saying that he had already promised to let Silvertide be the opening act during that part of the tour. This is when the rumors of Eddie being jealous and afraid to let Neal play as the opening act because Eddie wasn't playing well, and Neal had been out and touring while Eddie wasn't up to the challenge of letting Neal show him up.

So I ask the music fans here, who do you think is better? Eddie or Neal?

Uhhh, the man who revolutionized guitar in the late 70's in the same way that
Jimi Hendrix had over ten years earlier would be....


EDDIE VAN HALEN.


I remember in 1978 when it was MANDATORY to learn how to play "Eruption."
It was the mind-blowingest instrumental of its time, and it was only a minute and a half long. And if you were lucky to see Van Halen open up for Black Sabbath that fall, you were in for a treat. :cool:

uh duh! Eddie of course! Eddie's the man and always will be!

Edidie is one of the greatest guitarists in rock history. Van Halen is one of the very few bands that has continued to produce great music after 25 + years of doing so. Though Eddie's personality leaves much to be desired. The greatness of Van Halen has more to do then with just Eddie. Alex is one of the great rock drummers, Michael Anthony is one heck of a bass player and the band has has two great frontmen in Dave Roth and Sammy Hagar (we'll pretend that the album with Gary Cherone was just a nightmare that we have all woken up from).

I have to agree, I love Neal Schon's playing in Journey, but Eddie is among the top 5 when it comes to great guitarists.

Eddie "I am a bad ass on the guitar" Van Halen!!

:guitar:

As far as I understand Eddie Van Halen from what I've read, he is not the kind of person who gets intimdated by another guitarist's talent. In an interview some years ago (in the height of the shred-metal era), when asked if any guitar player "makes him sweat even just a little," he replied that no one makes him sweat. He just doesn't feel this competitiveness going on. He acknowledges that he's not the best, he knows there are others better than him. His secret is that he has a knack with noodling at home on guitar, there is such a fluidity to what he does. He says people try to imitate him, but they can't cop his FEEL. People have intellectualized their playing, they're playing from their heads rather than their hearts. He said that they shouldn't have to think so much.

No one is saying Neil Schon is a bad guitar player. Van Halen even opened for them in the 70's, but Journey, like many other bands such as Black Sabbath, were very intimidated by them. Their showmanship and talent were so topnotch. I am not sure what Eddie means by being "jealous" of Neil Schon, but who knows, maybe Neil can do things on his guitar that Eddie wishes he could do. Every guitar player is different, they have their strengths and weaknesses.

As far as I understand Eddie Van Halen from what I've read, he is not the kind of person who gets intimdated by another guitarist's talent. In an interview some years ago (in the height of the shred-metal era), when asked if any guitar player "makes him sweat even just a little," he replied that no one makes him sweat. He just doesn't feel this competitiveness going on. He acknowledges that he's not the best, he knows there are others better than him. His secret is that he has a knack with noodling at home on guitar, there is such a fluidity to what he does. He says people try to imitate him, but they can't cop his FEEL. People have intellectualized their playing, they're playing from their heads rather than their hearts. He said that they shouldn't have to think so much.

No one is saying Neil Schon is a bad guitar player. Van Halen even opened for them in the 70's, but Journey, like many other bands such as Black Sabbath, were very intimidated by them. Their showmanship and talent were so topnotch. I am not sure what Eddie means by being "jealous" of Neil Schon, but who knows, maybe Neil can do things on his guitar that Eddie wishes he could do. Every guitar player is different, they have their strengths and weaknesses.

Captain I agree with you! I knew you would sort this out. Thanks! Oh its not Eddie saying he is jealous of Neal, it is others who are saying it. I really feel that Eddie wanted to give a new band an opportunity, and this is his way of paving the way for an up and coming band. In my opinion, with the talent in Soul Sirkus they don't need to latch on to Van Halen to sell their new music, just Neal being a part of it should be enough. I have to agree with Eddie about guitar players being too techincal, which is what others have said about Neal being better, because Neal plays a spectrum of different things from blues to rock and roll. I feel Eddie hit the nail on the head when he said you have to play with feeling on the guitar, and not just playing the guitar. I hope that makes sense. :wave:

Captain I agree with you! I knew you would sort this out. Thanks! Oh its not Eddie saying he is jealous of Neal, it is others who are saying it. I really feel that Eddie wanted to give a new band an opportunity, and this is his way of paving the way for an up and coming band. In my opinion, with the talent in Soul Sirkus they don't need to latch on to Van Halen to sell their new music, just Neal being a part of it should be enough. I have to agree with Eddie about guitar players being too techincal, which is what others have said about Neal being better, because Neal plays a spectrum of different things from blues to rock and roll. I feel Eddie hit the nail on the head when he said you have to play with feeling on the guitar, and not just playing the guitar. I hope that makes sense. :wave:That makes a lot of sense! :D

i'm a fan of both bands, journey has that songs that touch your soul, and van halen is the type of band that gets you all jumping up with a good mood as a guitar player i have to pick eddie, because he is one of the best in history of music................

Eddie Van Halen

I'm a minority of one here so far LOL! I don't have an argument from a technical point of view, since I am not a musician myself. But I do find it interesting that Eddie has spoken of "playing from your heart"--he is obviously not a cold-blooded, mechanical technician, but I don't find his playing particularly touching. Maybe that is cuz so many of their songs are about partying rather than relationships?

Anyway...I have always liked Journey better than Van Halen, cuz I am a very emotional person--I agree with journey1978 that their songs touch your soul. Neal's playing has alot to do with that for me.

I love them both, but I think Neal Schon is a much more WELL ROUNDED guitar player than Eddie. Neal joined Santana when he was 15 years old, for crying out loud! And when Sammy Hagar played with Neal in HSAS (about 1983), he wouldn't even pick up a guitar around Neal because he said he felt inadequate. I remember his quote was that when Neal plays, "it sounds like a goddammed orchestra!"

the band has has two great frontmen in Dave Roth and Sammy Hagar (we'll pretend that the album with Gary Cherone was just a nightmare that we have all woken up from).

Ah, Gary Cherone, God bless him. I've been a huge fan of Gary's since 1991. I've had the privilege(and I do mean privilege) of meeting him quite a few times and I'm not exaggerating when I say he is one of the most incredible human beings I have ever met. He always remembered me & my sister and was always kind-hearted and genuine. But we Gary fans try to put his stint with VH out of our minds, too!!! :eek:

Back on topic, I love Neal's playing, but I have to go with Eddie, too.

Eddie by a wide margin