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Eddie Van Halen’s opinion on Black Sabbath
Eddie Van Halen changed the course of guitar playing in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal after the release of Van Halen's debut album in 1978. His incredible technique and style were replicated by countless artists, especially throughout the 1980s.
It was a fresh sound that even seemed futuristic, so much so that it was featured as "alien" music in the 1985 film Back to the Future. But what was his opinion on older bands, like Black Sabbath?
What was Eddie Van Halen's opinion on Black Sabbath
"There was nothing like it before them, Black Sabbath was like (makes astonished expression). They started the whole riff thing, you know. They came up with licks instead of just strumming the guitar, it wasn't your typical songs with a chorus. (...) I thought it was funny that they called Led Zeppelin Heavy Metal, (a lot of their) stuff was acoustic. Rock and Roll today wouldn't exist without them (Black Sabbath)," he told Biography channel in 2010 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).
Eddie Van Halen always loved Black Sabbath and Van Halen almost was named Rat Salad due to the classic instrumental song from "Paranoid" (1970). In the early days they used to cover many Sabbath songs when they were still playing in bars and Eddie even used to be the vocalist on some of those tracks.
“We played just about every Black Sabbath song. I used to sing lead on every Black Sabbath song we did. Things like ‘Into the Void,’ ‘Paranoid,” and ‘Lord of This World,’ Eddie Van Halen told Guitar World in 2013.
A few years later, he finally had the chance to meet the band when Van Halen became their opening act. "It was our first tour, it was 1978. We were doing anything and everything you ever read about," Eddie told Biography channel.
One of his favorite Black Sabbath songs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R5XnrZn47Q&pp=ygUQaW50byB0byB0aCBldm9pZA%3D%3D
It was after that tour that a friendship began with Black Sabbath’s guitarist, Tony Iommi. One of his favorite songs by the band was "Into The Void" from the 1971 album "Master of Reality". He mentioned the track in an interview with Billboard in 2015, saying it was one of his favorite guitar riffs of all time. “ (Good riffs are ) Just the power. It just engulfs you. You just feel it, you know? It makes you vibrate,” Eddie Van Halen said.
On one occasion when they saw each other, Eddie started playing the riff of that song. But Iommi told him he was playing it wrong. So the Sabbath guitarist showed him exactly how it was played, but didn’t ask Eddie to demonstrate one of his own songs, because he knew he wouldn’t be able to play it.
"He said, 'We used to play 'Into the Void.'' And we started playing 'Into the Void.' And I said 'No, you're playing it wrong.' (Laughs).
"And he said, 'I've been playing it like this all these years. And, of course, I showed him how to play it. I didn't ask him how he played any of his because I wouldn't be able to do it. (Laughs)," Tony Iommi said on Whitley Bay Film Festival back in 2018.
Eddie Van Halen co-wrote a Black Sabbath song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1AvTZJIFj4&list=RDi1AvTZJIFj4&start_radio=1&pp=ygUWYmxhY2sgc2FiYmF0aCBldmlsIGV5ZaAHAQ%3D%3D
Besides being Black Sabbath's original line-up opening act, Eddie Van Halen had the chance to co-write a song of the band. That happened 16 years later, in 1994, when the group was recording "Cross Purposes". When the Dutch guitarist was in England he went to visity Iommi in the studio and ended up helping the group to write "Evil Eye".
As Iommi told Rolling Stone in 2020, Eddie also recorded the guitar solo but his version was not used. "When we were doing Cross Purposes, they were playing in Birmingham. Obviously, I went to see him, and we were rehearsing. I said, 'You ought to come down to rehearsal if you want.' 'Oh, can I?' I said, 'I’ll pick you up from the hotel.' I said, 'Let’s go and get a guitar.' We went down to the music shop in Birmingham. I said, 'Can you lend us a guitar for Eddie?' And of course, they went, “Oh, oh, wha’?” (Laughs).
"So Eddie came in with me, and we got one of his guitars, his own model. And he came to rehearsal. We played some of the Sabbath stuff for him. One of his favorites was “Into the Void,” strangely enough. We played that and we went back to writing. I think it was “Evil Eye,” and I said, 'Go on. You play the solo on this.' He did and it was really great. When we recorded it, of course, I tried to duplicate that, but I couldn’t (laughs)," Tony Iommi said.
At the time Sabbath was formed by Iommi, Tony Martin (Vocals), Geezer Butler (Bass), Bobby Rondinelli (Drums) and Geoff Nichols (Keyboards). Eddie Van Halen remained a good friend of Iommi and even went to see them playing in Los Angeles during their final tour.The post Eddie Van Halen’s opinion on Black Sabbath appeared first on Rock and Roll Garage.
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