Ever wonder what the members of Chickenfoot think of Van Halen? Here’s what Joe Satriani and Chad Smith have said about them:
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“The power and virtuosity that Eddie displays on every record is staggering. His timing and his tone make him so much fun to listen to. The first time I heard VH on the radio I stood up and cheered, because I felt that Eddie was doing what so many of my generation were trying to do. He was bringing rock guitar to a new, exciting level, and doing it with musical integrity.”
—Joe Satriani,
from the upcoming book, Eddie Van Halen, by Neil Zlozower
“Eddie’s got the best right hand in the business, drop dead timing and tone for days. He’s a master guitarist and a great songwriter. He dropped by the studio back in ’92 when I was recording The Extremist, hung out for a bit and commented on what we were up to. Man was he wired! It was 11:00 am and he was chain smoking and knocking back beers and talking a mile a minute. Standing next to him you could tell he was special, a real star with the goods to back it all up. I will always be a big fan of his extraordinary playing.”
—Joe Satriani,
from the book, Van Halen 101, by Abel Sanchez
“Van Halen is the pure embodiment of American Rock: original, outrageous, and you knew when you went to see them live you were gonna have a great time.
“As a kid growing up in Detroit, I saw Van Halen many times. I first saw them as the opening act on a three-band bill with Montrose (with Sammy Hagar singing) and a new version of Journey, which had some high-voiced guy named Steve Perry. I thought at the time the other bands were okay, but I was really there to see the wildmen of California. I weaseled my way to the backstage, traded a bag of weed for a pass, and was in rock heaven watching them tear up the place with their sound.
“The next time was on the second album tour and they were headlining. They had so much power, and were just having so much goddamn fun. I loved it.
“Then the infamous Cobo Hall, Detroit, opening for a tired Black Sabbath. They come on stage and played the first song like it was the encore. After what felt like a five-minute ending, the place went absolutely crazy. David soaks this in and struts to the front of the stage just looking out and smiling, shaking his head, loving it. What seems like another five minutes, he finally steps to the mic and in a slow growl goes, “Fuckin’-A Deeetroit!!!” The place goes completely nuts!
“I thought it would be cool to be in a rock band up until then, but after that, I had no choice. I had been to the church of Van Halen and was a card-carrying converted member. It was pure original outrageousness. Pure American Rock.”
—Chad Smith,
from the book, Van Halen – A Visual History 1978-1984, by Neil Zlozower