Question: George lynch vs. Edward Van Halen vs. Randy Rhodes

In a fight? Randy loses. :embarrassed:

They're obviously all great players, I think I listen to EVH and Randy way more than George Lynch though..because of the bands/songs mostly. I like Dokken (really didn't enjoy Lynch Mob) but they're not Van Halen or Blizzard of Ozz when it comes to consistently excellent songs.

In terms of their impact on the guitar or guitar culture in general, EVH was the "next big thing" after Hendrix. Randy's importance was certainly great, and may have been greater (who knows what he might have done?), but was also magnified by his dying after such a relatively short career. Sometimes I am more in the mood for Randy's classical melodic style (and totally understand people might always prefer that style) but overall, EVH does it for me. Every new album from I to 1984 contained some guitar that made me go "WTF??!!"

George Lynch doesn't really figure at that level for me, great as he is.
 
You order hit my preference from a playing perspective. I never really cared for Randy's playing or writing. George is a monster player with a unique voice. That said, I'd probably only listen to Van Halen were I to listen to any of these guys at all.
 
I don't have many thoughts on the subject.

I like them all in their own "unique" ways, but really don't want to play like any of them.
 
I'd probably vote Lynch or Rhoads depending on my mood, but I really don't find myself wanting to listen to any of these guys. :shrug:
 
Wow, I was a HUGE fan of all three when I was a young whippersnapper.
Ok, let me try to reason my way through this...
Dokken's catalog hasn't aged particularly well (and I never got into Lynch Mob either). There are a few songs that I still enjoy from time to time, but overall, it doesn't really do it for me anymore.
Randy's soloing, while brilliant for the time, strikes me as somehow unrefined nowadays. If he had lived, I'm sure he would have continued to grow as a player, but the guys who came after took the things he was doing and went far beyond (IMHO).
OTOH, I love everything about EVH--the playing and the songs. You could put on any tune, from I to, probably, OU812, and I would love it just as much now as the first time I heard it. That goes for the songs, as well as the solos.
All that said, I'm still a fan of all three. And all three did things that completely blew me away at the time. And I still stumble on stuff from all three that I just have to try and learn. Ed just has the edge for me.
 
micwalt said:
Wow, I was a HUGE fan of all three when I was a young whippersnapper.
Ok, let me try to reason my way through this...
Dokken's catalog hasn't aged particularly well (and I never got into Lynch Mob either). There are a few songs that I still enjoy from time to time, but overall, it doesn't really do it for me anymore.
Randy's soloing, while brilliant for the time, strikes me as somehow unrefined nowadays. If he had lived, I'm sure he would have continued to grow as a player, but the guys who came after took the things he was doing and went far beyond (IMHO).
OTOH, I love everything about EVH--the playing and the songs. You could put on any tune, from I to, probably, OU812, and I would love it just as much now as the first time I heard it. That goes for the songs, as well as the solos.
All that said, I'm still a fan of all three. And all three did things that completely blew me away at the time. And I still stumble on stuff from all three that I just have to try and learn. Ed just has the edge for me.
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Agreed :AOK: I have always enjoyed Ed's playin it was more than brilliant to me, it was fun. I enjoy all the albums but i always really enjoyed F.U.C.K.
 
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All great players! As far as impact on guitar playing Ed by a long shot. Like Hendrix he will always be remembered as one of the guitar players to have a huge impact on what can be done with the instrument.
 
thecornman said:
All great players! As far as impact on guitar playing Ed by a long shot. Like Hendrix he will always be remembered as one of the guitar players to have a huge impact on what can be done with the instrument.
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I definitely agree with that
 
mosiddiqi said:
In a fight? Randy loses. :embarrassed:

They're obviously all great players, I think I listen to EVH and Randy way more than George Lynch though..because of the bands/songs mostly. I like Dokken (really didn't enjoy Lynch Mob) but they're not Van Halen or Blizzard of Ozz when it comes to consistently excellent songs.

In terms of their impact on the guitar or guitar culture in general, EVH was the "next big thing" after Hendrix. Randy's importance was certainly great, and may have been greater (who knows what he might have done?), but was also magnified by his dying after such a relatively short career. Sometimes I am more in the mood for Randy's classical melodic style (and totally understand people might always prefer that style) but overall, EVH does it for me. Every new album from I to 1984 contained some guitar that made me go "WTF??!!"

George Lynch doesn't really figure at that level for me, great as he is.
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Edward has made me go WTF several times
 
As of right now, Lynch wins on overall health :embarrassed:.

From a playing standpoint, Rhoads was phenomenal, but may have had the worst tone ever. Lynch is a great player, but his music has done zero for me.

EVH, however, is a riff monster, has the chops, and can be inventive when motivated. His music has done the most for me out of the three, so there's my answer.
 
From a playing standpoint, Rhoads was phenomenal, but may have had the worst tone ever.[/QUOTE]

I never really understood why people say that, is that the general thinking here?
 
halsam00 said:
From a playing standpoint, Rhoads was phenomenal, but may have had the worst tone ever.
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I never really understood why people say that, is that the general thinking here?[/QUOTE]

Not my view. I think Randys tone was perfect for those songs.

Sent from my blissfully peaceful garden.
 
EVH for me by a wide margin. I have never really liked Ozzie's voice so TBH I have not listened to a lot of Rhodes stuff, but have been impressed a lot with what I heave heard . And would agree with the poor tone on the Ozzie records based on the songs I have heard. Lynch is a monster player who never really hooked up with a great band. Dokken had it moments and had a few killer tunes and George was the main reason, but nothing that approached the lasting impact of the other two. EVH is one of the most influential rock guitar players ever. One of the handful that changed rock history.
 
I enjoy Rhodes playing more than EVH or Lynch. A lot of the Van Halen stuff always hit me as super cheesy, especially the Diamond Dave stuff.
 
Without a doubt it's Edward, just his influence on guitar single handedly changed guitar forever.
 
If I'm looking for a fun and enjoyable listen, I'd take the Ozzy/Rhoads albums over all of Van Halen.

But EVH goes home with all the trophies if it's Guitar Hero Awards season; impact, innovation, personality...

The Terminator could murder George Lynch's teenage mother and I wouldn't miss a thing.
 
Randy. Revelation (Mother Earth) and Diary of a Madman alone are better than the output of the other two.


Sent from my iPhone at a Tijuana donkey show.
 
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