Robbie Krieger from The Doors on Eddie Van Halen

February 16, 2011 45 Comments

During the 2011 Grammys at The Staples Center in Los Angeles, Foster and Bob The Blade ask Robbie Krieger from The Doors about his favorite guitarists and favorite guitar solos. Ed talk starts at 1:10.

Robbie Krieger: “I love ["Eruption"]. I think Van Halen in underrated. He came up with a whole new thing and a lot of people copy him and he was the originator.”

And here’s what Robbie Krieger had to say about Eddie Van Halen from the book, Van Halen 101, by Abel Sanchez:

“I definitely believe that EVH is a musical genius. He invented a new way to play guitar that many have tried to emulate, but few have succeeded in doing so. I know because I’ve tried myself. The trick to playing his tapping style is to get the proper sound. You’ve got to have the proper amounts of feedback, echo, chorus, and a few other things in the right proportions. That’s the easy part. Then you have to learn how to use your right hand all over again. This innovative style is only part of the package. He is also a great arranger, producer and writer.

Filed Under: Eddie Van Halen

Tommy Boy

Nice..”Break on Through to the VH Side” and Stanley Jordan IS fantastic, loved his playing for years. If you haven’t yet…check ‘em out.
Johnny the Boy

Krieger is bad ass and also underrated. Glad to see he digs VH. VH and The Doors; my favorite bands. Good to see a tie in.
Roth_Leaps_83

Nice to see Edward getting the praise he deserves from his peers. And to think some snobby assholes like Clapton used to look down their noses at the young gunslinger and call him a flash in the pan — RUBBISH!

Also like the fact Robbie admitted that drugs probably helped him write good music. We’ve become such a politically-correct society that we’re afraid to admit stuff like that anymore, even from our rock stars. Kudos for his brutal honesty. You’d have to be pretty ignorant to deny that Schlitz Malt Liquor had a big impact on the classic VH sound.
Panama Red

When The Music’s Over is one of the greatest Doors songs. I love that song, what an amazing timeless band. I never new that about how the solo came into fruition by the engineer accidentally playing the two takes together at the same time. Cool.
I like –
“And here you are today, probably a very happy man”
“Yeah, still Psychedelicized.”
Slim

Tommy Boy: Just checked out S. Jordan…UNREAL!!!!! Robbie Krieger saying Eddie is underrated is awesome! I feel the same way. So many feel just the opposite because you hear Ed’s name so often and he supposedly spawned so many lame copy-cat axe-slingers in the 80s with stupid hair etc. (FAV Doors guitar song: LA WOMAN)
Ben

The Doors kick ass!
Nice to hear Robbie talk so cool about Ed.
karloff

The Doors Ruleeeeeeeeeee
Steve

Always thought Robby Krieger was an underrated guitarist. Pretty cool to hear him giving Eddie Van Halen recognition and Stanley Jordan as well another great guitar player. Those three have definitely left their mark with some great guitar playing and music.
DiamondDean

Hes a damn good judge , good on him , its all about respect
=VH=OZ MAN

This is awesome! Robbie Krieger is just as underrated on the guitar. His work in The Doors is timeless & progressive for its time! Have a listen to ‘The Ghost Song’ & hear Robbie’s rhythm playing durning the course of the song most notably durning the keyboard solo. It is the most tasteful & sweet sounding I’ve heard!!
It is really nice to hear some of the generation before Van Halen appreciate, acknowledge & respect Eddie Van Halen’s work. Unlike most of Eddie’s peers who would always play it safe by naming Jimi Hendrix as a major influence, when in fact they sound nothing like Hendrix instead sound, look & blatantly ripped off EVH! That has always pissed me off that EVH always gets the rough end of the stick, but I think its starting to change. I was shocked when I saw Joe Perry on VH1 acknowledge Eddie’s work on Beat It & recently here on VHND he paid tribute to Eddie for reinventing the guitar. Plus Joey Kramer stated when promoting Aerosmith’s guitar hero game that Eddie Van Halen & Van Halen in general was is favourite! As the die hard Van Halen fans would say, ITS ABOUT TIME
RobCT

The Doors contribution to rock and music in general is undeniable! So many tasty pieces of music from that band and the playing is just solid all around! I really got into them after joining my first band and we would play Roadhouse Blues, LA Woman and The End.

Most players around the time EVH popped up were just jealous of the new kid. He was fresh and new and kicking everyone’s butt just by being himself. THAT is can be very threatening to a seasoned player who won’t embrace a new form of music or style.

@Roth_Leaps83….I agree! Schlitz Malt Liquor was definitely a main ingredient in the brown sound!
Dooley

And without diminishing DLR’s contribution to VH…
What a great front man Robbie Kreiger had the pleasure of working with…Jim Morrison. Too bad we lost him so soon.
shawn

eddie van halen underrated?

has anyone ever counted how many magazine covers he’s been on?

if anything, he gets too much press and adulation. not that he doesn’t deserve it, but goddamn… the guy has his own line of fucking sneakers.

robbie however, is certainly underrated as a player, although the doors have gotten plenty of accolades thru the decades.
Panama Red

@ Dooley – I completely agree with you about Jim Morrison. The dude was unbelievably cool and awesome. His voice, his lyrics, attitude. Perfect legendary crazy bad ass.

@RobCT – Roadhouse Blues, LA Woman and The End play regularly on my ipod as does When The Music’s Over and several other Doors songs.
But Roadhouse Blues has some of my all time favorite lyrics to sing :
“Well, I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer,
The future’s uncertain and the end is always near…”
The entire song is awesome and brilliant, even the gibberish
SCAR

Nothing like catching a buzz during a wicked thunderstorm, passing the bong back and forth with good friends on my covered back porch deck, listening to Riders on the Storm!!! I fucking love rock n roll!!! Here, take a hit and listen………………….
Dooley

Panama Red:

Little bit of triva…Alice Cooper was pals with Jim Morrison back in the day. “Woke up this morning and I got myself a beer” is Alice’s line, his idea to use it.
Also, it’s no coincidence that Alice sounds like Jim Morrison on parts “Desparado” (not to be confused with the Eagles same named song). It was deliberate and a tribute written soon after Jim’s death.
Tommy Boy

SCAR: ‘here dude….’
RobCT

@Panama Red…Same here and I agree! The Doors are classic!
@SCAR…Yes, That is a goodtime! Love that tune!
bartbb75

So glad to see that I’m not the only one who thinks that Eddie and VH are underrated, from my post on the 9th on the most iconic guitar article. To Mr. Kreiger speak that way of Eddie shows how humble of a player Robbie is and how influientual of a player Eddie has been. Robbie is no slouch either, he too is such a underrated player.
No Mas Tony

SCAR SAYS: “Nothing like catching a buzz during a wicked thunderstorm, passing the bong back and forth with good friends on my covered back porch deck, listening to Riders on the Storm!!! I fucking love rock n roll!!! Here, take a hit and listen…………………”

Man, thems some good highschool days right there! Great post, man. Rock the fuck on!
Panama Red

Cool Dooley, I was unaware about those connections between Alice Cooper and the Doors. This is one of the cool things about coming to VHND, sometimes you learn something new.
Thanks, dude.
Def B Loud

Eddie has always given other guitarists their props…I had never even heard of Alan Holdsworth til I read in an interview where Ed had stated that in his opinion Holdsworth was #1.
LRC

The thing for me with EVH is it wasn’t just the Eruption two handed tapping thing.It was the rhyhtms and feel, playing rhythm patterns in verses of songs that were not straight rock power chords but moving rythms which just sit in the groove so effortlessly. Try to work out the full songs rythms and getting the feel is as challenging or possibly even more so than the solos..and his licks in between lines are effortless also. Then add his tone and guitar/amp mods and the guitar world changed forever and was reborn after the disco phase.
The thing is that everyone says how many imitators there are/were etc of EVH, but I haven’t heard anyone that could sit in the pocket like he could. Vito Bratta probably got ti better than anyone really.
Tom

If you dont have the book Van Halen 101 you should get it….alot of great players have given Ed kudos,even David Gilmour,Jeff Beck,Jimmy Page,Allan Holdsworth,Steve Vai,and Joe Satriani to name a few.Players like Joe Perry and Eric Clapton were going thru addiction problems and watching their career dissolve just as Van Halen were making it big,so they obviously wouldnt admit then how good he or the band was.They knew they were about to be pushed aside for the new guy on the block.Ed has said the first time he met Joe Perry he went to shake his hand and Perry walked away.And Perry admitted that his band was falling apart,that and being as messed up on drugs as he was,he could’nt face Ed because he knew that Van Halen was going to take Aerosmith’s spot as America’s band.And they did lol.But they have spoken since and both speak highly of each other in interviews.I always like to read my favorite guitarists give each other praise rather than talk shit simply because one knows he cannot do what the other can
ersan5150

Van Halen might be underrated in the ivory towers of rock music where popular culture counts more than musical talent. In that realm, 60s pop-cult icons are rated, revered, and posed as modern day poets. The Doors guitarist is one of them. I think, Mr Krieger himself is quite overrated with regard to his music, I don’t know about his modern poetry.
Darth Hater

Guarantee that if you asked the majority of kids today who Robbie Krieger or Eddie Van Halen is, they wouldn’t know. But almost all of them know who Slash is…Sad joke. :/
The Doors and VH > GnR
shawn

again, i don’t see how it’s possible that eddie van halen of all people could be underrated.

a line of guitar picks. cameos on the highest rated sitcoms on tv, rock in rock hall of fame induction…

i really don’t see how there’s any way that he’s somehow not “getting the credit” he deserves.
freddiegirl

A lot of people who wonder how Ed could be considered ‘underrated’ forget how different Ed was when he came out. I remember boyfriends of my older sister and friends of my pops sneering at me and asking when I played them my VH records, (I and II to be exact), “How can you like that s***? Eddie is all style and no substance and plays too many notes, so tacky!” I am not kidding. Ed’s playing was so imitated (mostly badly) and now he’s such an icon that people forget how kinda ‘scary’ VH were when they first came out. Guys like Joe Perry were right to be afraid, I’d read that story about Perry and it was nice to see he could be humble now and admit that he and many others felt very threatened. I love that he can give props to EVH now and that they get along but I was kinda surprised to hear Clapton’s dig, even if it was a long time ago. Kinda thought he had more class than that. It’s only in the last few years since Ed’s cleaned up his act that VH are getting the props they deserve. Guitar players always gave Ed his due but it’s only now that VH seem to be taken seriously at all for their contributions to music. I remember having to defend them a lot when I said they were in the same stratosphere as as bands like The Who and yes, even Zeppelin. I always thought they were the best American band ever, much more innovative and original than Aerosmith, at least in my own opinion. So no, I don’t think Ed’s overrated at all…I did think he was underrated for a very long time with the general non-guitar playing public though. A long, long time.
And yes, agree with the poster that his playing encompasses so much more than his leads or his tapping. His rythm playing is so awesome and just unique as are the ideas that come out of him. Just when you think you know where’s going with his playing he’ll do something completely different that you couldn’t have even thought of.
http://none 12beerstogo

VH-OZman-Thanks for having the balls to say that about the Hendrix influence.Way to many bastards say Hendrix is cool when they play nothing like him.I don’t like Eric clapton to this day because he dissed Eddie and showed no class.It shows you have to be careful as a star in what you say.It could cost you fans.
Foot

At least Slash is staying relevant and playing in front of crowds, turning out new music, and keeping VR on the horizon.

Man that singing by Fergie was awful at the Super Bowl. She made Axl look like Aaron Neville on a bad night…

No shortage of shitty music today…although the new Shinedown is interesting.
Tommy Boy

Wow freddiegirl…I think that’s the longest post I’ve ever seen from you! Nice! Well said…
RR

Slash is an icon, just like EVH.
matt king

The Doors and VH.
How great would it be for VH to cover a Door’s song (Lee Roth would be great on Door’s vocals and EVH would sound awesome covering the great Krieger).
A very cool, respectful collaboration that would celebrate the two greatest, American rock bands of all time. (Not to mention the fact that both bands represented the LA/California rock sound better then anyone else in their respectful era!)
The mutual respect is clearly there.
Perhaps the perfect opportunity to put an exclamation point on the new album VH is currently working on.
They always included a classic cover on the “Lee Roth era” albums.
Let’s do this. Further the legacies of these two Mammoth bands and celebrate the 40th Anniversary of The Door’s great LA Woman album and the very long awaited follow up album to VH’s 1984.
It would be a great story. It is great music, after all.
phillster

Dave did a version of “Soul Kitchen” on his last solo album.
Outstanding!!!
Bocephus

Ed is arguably the Greatest guitarist of the modern era. He was in 1980. And he still is today. Period.
pete

there isnt nothing wrong with slash…GnR died the day he left that band.
http://vhnd.com nxxbigthing

Great to hear good words from other musicians after reading some blogs on Clapton diss on Eddie is wacked where can I read this . Eddie grew up on Cream tunes also I heard Neal Schon had talked shit about Ed till one time time 2006 backstage at Journey show I asked em. In his words he said Eddie was a genius and he even went out and bought a peavy evh wolfgang. I got it on video and gotta get it on you tube to show ed some love from other musicians as for Eric don’t let me find you somewhere I’m gonna drill your ass for you no love til then
KTC5150

… says to SCAR= Puff,puff, pass… I gotcha man…
Roth_Leaps_83

I think most kids today would know who Eddie Van Halen is…..but most of them would probably think Van Halen’s only singer was Sammy Hagar…..and that is the really sad part.
=VH=OZ MAN

@ 12beerstogo. I never knew that Clapton dissed EVH. I know the story of EVH’s first meeting with Clapton and that he was so nervous he drank himself drunk & totally made a goof of himself. In EVH’s defence I think EVH is not the the first person that has had the opportunity to met their idol and gotten nervous. I remember when I met VH & shook Alex, Eddie & Mike’s hand, I just went numb!! I couldn’t muster any words to say to them. But they were all class, they asked me what my name was & what I did.
But as far as all these ‘johnny come lately’ guitarist of the 80′, 90′ & even today, it seems they have to name Hendrix as an influence so they can get credibility (look cool!) in the biz. Yet they sound nothing like Hendrix & more like EVH!! Yet when they try to do a Hendrix vibe its so bad that it destroy’s they comeback plans & career in one shot!! I think the tide is turning. Not from EVH’s peers, its the generation before EVH. The generation before EVH have given him the respects that his peers haven’t because they’ve seen how Hendrix, Page, Beck, Blackmore, Clapton & the rest have changed the guitar and lived long enough to see what was the impossible become possible of when EVH revolutionised the guitar. When Hendrix died it took under 10 years for that someone (EVH!!!!) to change how the guitar is played. Yet its going 30+ years since EVH revolutionised the guitar!! I can’t see anyone else surpassing KING EDWARD VAN HALEN, not today or the future. They might play faster, longer or more clinical but they will never write something like Eruption (the whole 1st album!!), Dance The Night Away, Spanish Fly, Loss Of Control, Mean Street, Unchained, Cathedral, Little Guitars, The Full Bug, Jump, Hot For Teacher, Drop Dead Legs, Top Jimmy, Panama (ahh fuck it the whole 1984 album!!), 5150, Get Up, Poundcake, Judgement Day, Top Of The World, Amsterdam, Without You, Me Wise Magic & whats coming new that EVH is about to unleash!!! LONG LIVE THE KING!!!

KING EDWARD VAN HALEN!!!

P.S. I know there are many more other classic musical moments of EVH that I mentioned. Feel free to write up another list, there’s so many gems!!
Tater Salad

Roth Leaps 83: you’re wrong there. I think more people at my school know Roth era stuff (ie Jump) than Sammy. But sadly people are more into emo and scream metal than good old straight up rock and roll.

Ed is an underrated RHYTHM guitarist. Most of the people I talk to about guitar stuff say when I tell them Ed is my favorite guitarist “Oh, Eruption is an awesome solo, he’s the one who does that crazy two handed tapping stuff”. His solos are AWESOME, but what really makes the songs is his rhythm playing. Panama, Jamies Cryin, Feel Your Love Tonight, Beautiful Girls, Mean Street, Hear About It Later, all awesome songs with GREAT rhythm playing!
JACK N SAM

I think when some people, especially musicians, say that Ed is underrated I think they are probably talking about the whole picture. He is famous and impressive, but I think some people don’t give Ed the credit he deserves for being so innovative – he made is own guitar and customized it and his amp and came up with all these interesting different riffs, all in the name of having his own sound. On top of that he is a great writer (Vai – I can play anything Ed comes up with, but how does he come up with it?), performer, good looking, cool, humble, etc. He is definitely the whole package, but many still only look at certain aspects – the tapping, or the painted guitar or whatever, but not the whole picture. Maybe it’s partially becuase he played in a “hard rock” band that had a rep for being a “party” band, but we all know they worked very hard to look and sound and perform the way they did. Making it look easy is just part of show biz. Ed said I look at the video and it looks like I’m not doing nothing, but I’m battling it the whole time.

Also, a lot of guitar players when he came out only saw the surface – the fast fingers, etc., and didn’t see the substance. I had a guitar teacher at the time say, “oh it’s just tricks”. No, it’s technique – there is a difference. Just by using his pinky he ended up sounding different from everyone else – hardly anyone ever used their pinky – then everyone started doing it. And players like Clapton and Perry (did I just name those two in the same sentence?) were more traditional and turned their nose up at someone who played fast and flashy – it was considered by many guitar players to be immature.

I do remember back then Neil Schon going out of his way in interviews to mention how great he thought Ed was.

Sorry this was so long…
pushtoshove

Just listened to coconut grove’….Roth is Talented and a great showman to boot….I firmly believe that
=VH=OZ MAN

@ Tater Salad. Agreed!!! I particularly love EVH’s rhythm playing on 1984′s DROP DEAD LEGS (the end solo fade out!) & my personal favourite HOUSE OF PAIN!!! Man when they move into overdrive at the double time solo it just smokes!!! EVH’s rhythm playing is out of this world on that song!!
Sean

As much as I love eruption I think my favorite solo is the one from Hot for Teacher.