Is Taylor Swift The Next Eddie Van Halen?

[CCTelander]

Now for some non-political "fun" controversy. This is actually from 2016 but I just ran across it again the other day and thought it would make an interesting discussion topic. Here's the original article from Guitar World Magazine:

https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/...ddie-van-halen

I didn't bother to copypasta because the article is very short and the content plus a lot more is fully covered in the video below:



Now, I played guitar from 1974 until my stroke in 2011 with a few periods of neglect in there. Actually earned my living as a hard rock/heavy metal guitarist for quite a few years in there. After my stroke I was unable to play for a while, but I've been picking it up again lately. Progress has been agonizingly slow considering I was VERY WELL accomplished before, but it looks like I'll be able to re-learn everything and then some as long as I stick with it.

Anyway, given my knowledge and experience I can't say I agree totally with McKnight's take on this one. I think I fall more in line with this guy:



I agree completely with his thoughts regarding inspiration vs mere popularity. When Van Halen's first LP was released in February of 1978, I'd been playing around with guitar for about 4 years. I could play some songs and do some stuff, but I really hadn't been all that serious to that date. After I heard that first Van Halen album I got SERIOUS. I literally locked myself in the woodshed and started practicing 8-12 hrs a day every single day, rain or shine, sick or well. Eddie was a true inspiration.

Now, personally, I'm not a big fan of modern music. I find it wimpy and uninteresting. That being said, I don't mean to be dumping on Taylor Swift, but at the same time I can't see her providing anything near the kind of inspiration that Eddie did back in the day. A lot of young women may well be picking up the guitar because they like her, but I can't really see what she's doing inspiring anyone to put in the blood, sweat and tears it takes to actually get really good like Eddie did for so many. I guess time will tell if those young women wind up sticking with it and actually doing the work it takes to master the instrument, but my money's on most of them not, lacking some truly inspiring examples to follow. Here are a few possibilities along those lines:



I think it sucks that there is such a dearth of truly good and inspiring rock n' roll these days. It seems like all the good music is being played on the "classic" or "oldies" stations. Or maybe I'm just old.

[CCTelander]

Bump

[Origanalist]

Taylor Swift is only inspiring vapid pop music, I see no comparison. The best that can be said about her is she's not Miley Cyrus.

[Anti Globalist]

Taylor Swift is only inspiring vapid pop music, I see no comparison. The best that can be said about her is she's not Miley Cyrus.

Plus the fact that she doesn't like to talk about politics since she doesn't want to alienate her fan base.

[dannno]

Ya, no.

[Danke]

She is better looking. And LGBTQHB/AF. friendly.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

I recently heard an interview clip with Axl Rose. He talked about looking for a guitar player in southern California for five years. He said everyone who auditioned was trying to be the next Eddie Van Halen. It took five years before Slash joined the group.

I once saw Taylor Swift in an interview. She actually sounded thoughtful, but not sure if that was just an anomaly. She almost sounded embarrassed about her success.

It reminds me how I had a choice between seeing Lee Ann Womack versus Kathy Mattea. I like both for different reasons, but spent my money on Kathy Mattea. I suppose the whole girl power thing has a business marketing appeal to high school girls. It is what it is, I guess.



******


Anyhow, Orianthi mixes it up with Steve Vai:

[Brian4Liberty]

Is Taylor Swift The Next Eddie Van Halen?

[TheTexan]

Carly Rae Jepsen isn't as mainstream but has been tremendously influential on the modern rock & roll genre. If anyone is the new "Eddie Van Halen", it's her.

[dannno]

Carly Rae Jepsen isn't as mainstream but has been tremendously influential on the modern rock & roll genre. If anyone is the new "Eddie Van Halen", it's her.

Epic synths..

[Brian4Liberty]

Epic synths..

This is epic synths...

[Anti Federalist]

I think it sucks that there is such a dearth of truly good and inspiring rock n' roll these days. It seems like all the good music is being played on the "classic" or "oldies" stations. Or maybe I'm just old.

Nope, it's not you...today's music really does suck.

Here's why, and why Swift is NOT the next Eddie VanHalen.

(Not relevant to the topic, but who are some of the bands/people you played with?)

[Anti Federalist]

Now, personally, I'm not a big fan of modern music. I find it wimpy and uninteresting. That being said, I don't mean to be dumping on Taylor Swift, but at the same time I can't see her providing anything near the kind of inspiration that Eddie did back in the day. A lot of young women may well be picking up the guitar because they like her, but I can't really see what she's doing inspiring anyone to put in the blood, sweat and tears it takes to actually get really good like Eddie did for so many. I guess time will tell if those young women wind up sticking with it and actually doing the work it takes to master the instrument, but my money's on most of them not, lacking some truly inspiring examples to follow.

They may pick it up for a while.

But the problem lies not with them but with young men doing the same.

Let's face it: 99 percent of young men used to pick up a guitar and practice for one reason: to get laid.

Now, with young men so addlepated by misandry, drugs and cultural poison, they make no effort to put in that work because they have no interest.

The ones who do have an interest in mastering a skill are not fingering a fretboard but finger $#@!ing a game controller.

So all that talent is lost.

[Anti Globalist]

Only a male has the potential of becoming the next Eddie Val Halen. Had he have been a female instead, then you can make the case for Swift.

[sparebulb]

If I want me some chik bending some strings, I'll go with Nancy Wilson or Charo.

[Brian4Liberty]

If I want me some chik bending some strings, I'll go with Nancy Wilson or Charo.

Wow. I am truly impressed. Had no idea should could play flamenco like that.

[Brian4Liberty]

Now for some non-political "fun" controversy. This is actually from 2016 but I just ran across it again the other day and thought it would make an interesting discussion topic. Here's the original article from Guitar World Magazine:

https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/...ddie-van-halen

“We started asking the students, and eight out of 10 of the students attributed Taylor Swift to the reason why they’re playing the music,” Phillip says. “Really, she’s doing the same thing Eddie Van Halen did in the early Eighties—she’s causing all the young players to want to take up an instrument and play.”

Well, that is stretching it. Kids will emulate their favorite celebrities in many ways. Clothes, style, playing an instrument, etc. but that is as far as it goes with comparing Taylor Swift to Van Halen.

Eddie Van Halen was not simply a great or creative guitar player. There are plenty of those. Eddie was one of the few major innovators, popularizing a new way of playing, taking rock guitar playing to a new level, to a new style that hardly existed before. And he was widely emulated. He changed guitar playing. He belongs to a very small group of guitar players that did that. Jimi Hendrix and Yngwie Malmsteen are the other two.

[sparebulb]

Wow. I am truly impressed. Had no idea should could play flamenco like that.

Charo is the real deal with the guitar.

Plus, she appeared on The Love Boat eight times.

Taylor Swift has no cuchi-cuchi.

She would be a real downer on a cruise, whining about mean people and such.

[Anti Federalist]

Roy's got Charo beat...

[Brian4Liberty]

Roy's got Charo beat...
...

I’m gonna have to go with Charo between those. Roy is speed strumming on a twelve (steel) string with a pick. As long as you have developed speed, what he did was not terribly difficult. The kind of thing someone who plays electric lead guitar might do for a change. Charo’s flamenco was more complex with finger picking, and sonically more pleasing, IMHO. Your mileage will vary.

[dannno]

Skrillex was, 10 years ago.