DAVID CROSBY DRAWS IRE WITH HIS TWEET ABOUT EDDIE VAN HALEN’S PASSING
Singer, songwriter and guitarist, David Crosby (Crosby, Stills & Nash) has created a stir on Twitter, after what many viewed as a rebuff of Eddie Van Halen, who passed away on October 6th.
After a Twitter follower asked Crosby for his opinion of Van Halen, Crosby replied simply: “Meh ….” His terse response received criticism including Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick, who tweeted back, “I appreciate @thedavidcrosby too much for this to get in the way, but a much better answer would have been: ‘I know he meant a lot to so many but his sound & style just weren’t my thing.'” He then pointed out that singer-songwriter Patti Smith, who has never appeared to be much of a Van Halen fan either, still managed to post a polite note following the iconic guitarist’s passing. L.A. Guns’ Tracii Guns concurred, firing back at Crosby, “Wrong answer as f–k and rude as f–k!!! There are better ways to say you don’t care for someone’s music. That was very disrespectful. And yes straight out f–k you and your smug answer.”
The following day, Crosby tweeted,. “[Jimi] Hendrix changed the world of guitar. Nobody else really,” he wrote. “[L]ook I get it ..many of you loved Van Halen ….and the one time I met [him] he was nice ….and he was talented …meh to me means I don’t care that much ….and I don’t …doesn’t mean he wasn’t good , he was but not for me.”
 has created a stir on Twitter, after what many viewed as a rebuff of Eddie Van Halen, who passed away on October 6th. After ... )
David Crosby also wants you crazy kids to get off his lawn – NOW!
Man totally classless.
I don’t know a lot about David Crosby to be honest; but what I have heard suggests a little self-importance maybe?
Dana you mentioned about the gear that Eddie worked on and released to the world, well in a post regarding a documentary about the Flying V a few weeks back, I stated that I wanted to try an EVH Wolfgang.
Well I did…. and it wasn’t for me. So I arranged to send it back and the night before it was due to be picked up Eddie left us. They are a nice guitar; I certainly won’t tell others not to buy one if they fancy it; I just couldn’t get a feel for it.
As Ace Frehley said when he tried playing that hideous Washburn lighting bolt guitar back in the late 80’s: “Give me my Les Paul!”
Eddie Van Halen – Without doubt the last Guitar hero; as they say back in his Dutch homeland: “Rust In Vrede”. (R.I.P)
DJH,
I wasn’t even necessarily referring to his commercial gear, I just meant the way he tore apart his own gear, and specialized it to his own needs, without the use of a professional luthier or a gear head (I know he could not afford those at the time, but when he could, he still wanted to do everything himself). He as just this mad tech scientist on top of being a unique player.
As for his actual EVH gear, I am sorry you did not like the feel. Guitars are not one size fits all, what feels good in one hand, maybe cumbersome to someone else.
My fiancee ordered his EVH Frakenstein red, black and white version, months ago, and it arrived the day Eddie passed. He loves it, and wrote “it’s like a souped up rock n’ roll race car. Neck feels great, plays effortlessly. It feels really good in the hands – the fretboard edges are nicely rolled so it feels nicely broken in. The body also feels really good as well. The paint job is a matte finish so it feels smooth and not tacky like many gloss finishes can especially when brand new. I really like the D-Tuna too.”
So, to each their own, but regardless, whether one liked Van Halen, Eddie’s playing, etc. to deny his importance to the rock and guitar world, is not only disingenuous, but completely shortsighted. Crosby sounds like an embittered old fool, who thinks he is too cool for the room, but in reality, offers very little in the way of substance.
Not all hippies are like Crosby, I know several that absolutely love Van Halen! Most would agree, EVH has influenced (and always will) just as many, if not more guitarists than Hendrix, and that’s not a knock at all on Jimi, that’s just a fact.
Dana
The point you made in your reply to me about Eddie doing his own thing with his gear went totally over my head when I first read your original post. (It’s been a long day!)
But you’re right; he certainly was like a mad scientist when it came to making things up and experimenting with his ideas.
Glad your fiancé loves his ‘Frankie’. The Wolfgang I bought actually had the same print pattern as the guitar that you’ve pictured Eddie with at the top of this post.
DJH,
No worries, perhaps the way I wrote it was a bit nebulous?
Really, the one in the picture? Cool, too bad it didn’t work for you 🙁 So. perhaps that money is meant for a different guitar?