I think you misunderstood me. It’s the thinking that 'I can play pentatonic licks, so I could do what B.B does 'that I find so irritating in certain guitar players. They look at music as finger acrobatics and thereby missing the point of what music/melody/phrasing/arrangement/rhythm/dynamics is actually about - imo. Anyway, it’s a pet peeve of mine.
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Nope. I think we’re on the same page. I guess I saw the videos as a massive reminder of that, but that it also highlighted my weaknesses with the guitar need to knuckle down and learn some music theory and the instrument itself.
I’ve been guilty of basically learning from tabs and memorising those tabs rather than understanding the music behind them. It’s put me in a weird but awful positon where my fingers can play lots of things but my ears, head and knowledge are way way behind. Even basics like all the notes on the fret board.
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I think his stuff with Van Halen the band was pretty good. He made guitaring look easy and accessible.
Something not very often seen with Van Halen but he did have this in him too. Yes, He influenced the newer style of shredders etc but he’s much more than them.
Awesome amount of talent on display here. Devin on vocals, Vai on guitars 
Yeah, until you tried to do it yourself. Eruption is still a heady milestone for many shred heads. He didi make things look easier than they actually are. The van Halen vid link you posted above, was interesting. Personally, I hoped that more of his stuff followed that kind of style, with a melody staying more in line with the original track. To often for my taste, he would go off on some epic blaze of notes and whammy bar pyrotechnics.
Haha, I agree with your last phrase.
But it’s what makes musicians what they are, I mean Steve Harris could compose songs in other chords than the Em family and talk about other issues than War. But that wouldn’t be the traditional Iron Maiden sound.
One more of Eddie’s under-rated gems, Imo - He’s one of the few top level guitar virtuousos (Post 80’s) who was able to tone down his natural instincts and still do justice to the songs.
No disagreement there. He was a phenomenon, no doubt. He was unique and a trend setter and still is to some degree.
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BB King was first to admit that he could not sing and play at the same time. Just the way he was.
I think it was Miles Davis that said - Sometimes its the notes that you dont play that are as important as the ones you do" BB King was a master of that.
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In my opinion speed on a guitar is almost a commodity. There are many very fast shredders. What makes Eddie great is his amazing tonality. He played fast, yes, but with amazing, innovative harmonics and tonality.
He’s also one of the great rhythm line writers in guitar history. Think of the licks. “Jamie’s Cryin” is a great example. “Beautiful Girls,” “Hear About it Later,” “Little Guitars,” and so many others. Songs that are great not because of the solos but because of the rhythm hooks played with tones no other guitarist could coax from the instrument. To me he’s one of the greatest rhythm players in rock history.
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Absolutely true. I remember an interview where he passed on the exact same message to Gary Moor
e (RIP)
Livvy , you´re my man. Never heard The Dead South before but loved it. My kind of music.
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Vai, Billy and Diamond David Lee Roth, best lineup in history
Well, until Mr Big formed.
Then my Nephew played Dragon Force Fire and Flames at me…
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I’d disown your nephew if it was upto me.
Utter Wankery imo…dragonforce that is
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Decent fretboard wankery though
Not a fan of that. Playing fast for the sake of playing fast. Yeah, Herman Li is pretty talented, but give me a Guthrie anytime
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Give me David Gilmour over all of them. He says more with one note than they all do with twenty.
I’m also a huge Gary Moore fan but he was massively guilty of piling too much into a passage, particularly in a live setting but as far as creating melodic guitar passages and solo’s I don’t think there’s many better.
Steve Rothery
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Aye. The problem wasn’t Eddie, it was those gazillions copycats that spread like a virus with their masturbatory finger exercises when you wished they would have just sat down and write at least one decent riff or learn how to keep at least a basic rhythm. 
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Didnt even Eddie copy this style from Yngwie? Who was influenced by Ritchie Blackmore.