Charvel vs. ESP - Levin vs. Lynch

[SausageofPower]

Keep in mind that on "That Metal Show" he couldn't play licensed music, so perhaps that accounts for the aborted "Tooth and Nail" attempt. ;p

As for the rest, I love George to death, but even I can admit that he isn't playing as well as he did in yesteryear. Whether it's physical, mental, whatever. Pull up vintage footage of him in his mid-30's, compare it to today...there's just no comparison. He's still one hell of a guitarist who contributed a lot to music that inspires me to play, he's just past his prime. It happens to us all. At least he's not a wet-brain wreck like Eddie, no?

As for his steroid abuse and the possible effects thereof...he stated it was the result of a bad divorce and a desire to reinvent himself. And really, what man can't relate to that (unless you've never had a bad breakup, you freakshows :P)?

I do admit that, in a morbidly curious way, I look forward to this new album of his. I expect nothing that'll blow me away, but still...I'm a glutton for punishment.

[atomic charvel guy]

I love all kinds of music too, Tommy. But I think you should be able to play your own stuff properly and not regress and call it returning to your roots. Zeppelin was a different era, and a lot of those 80s metal guys slammed Page on chops - we saw that here a lot a few years back. But Zeppelin was a real product of their times and wrote a lot of great songs. Nothing that Dokken or Lynch Mob ever wrote was AS classic a song as probably 50 Led Zeppelin songs are. After the shred thing started becoming more of a niche, and guys like Lynch realized they couldn't really push themselves to the level of the Vais and Yngwies and Gilberts, they decided to "return to their roots" instead - except that they really DIDN"T have roots in the blues. Guys like Lynch and Jake just weren't as authentic in the bluesy mode - it was totally forced compared to the bands of 10 years prior.

That's just my view as someone who started playing and listening to rock in 1972 and has seen it cycle MANY times. The Cali bluesy metal phase of the second half of the 80s was just fake as hell to me. If you dug it because you were younger, well that is understandable. You want to listen to some real hard bluesy rock, listen to Warren Haynes in his different bands, or Derek Trucks.
That shit is real.

i like older music of the 70's better than the 80's. as far as songs go , it's not even close who the better writers are, for my ears at least. but, as cool as making a guitar spit out notes like an AK47 is, it gets old, and it's not listenable for me after a while, it's about the songs, and believe me, in the late 80's, the songwriting had regressed. george lynch is probably playing the guitar the way he wants to these days and that's all. he doesn;t need to compete with anyone, he's already made his mark, has or had his fans, and that's a lucky and great thing to have pulled off. i'd rather hear him write a cool tune than have him get "back in shape" so to speak and start play millionth notes splattered all over the place. if john levin wants to play his licks that's great too. he certainly has proven himself capable. i even posted up that dokken christmas carol and i thought it was lynch playing, that's how good levin is at playing lynch, but in the end, i'd still rather be the guy being copied. that's just me. look, with the lack of good music out there right now, i;'m tune starved. hungry for good new tunes, and for me that doesn't have to be arpeggios all day, in fact, i hate it after a while. and in regards to warren haynes, he's great, but i'll go with Duane in the end everytime.

[Jack Napalm]

george lynch is probably playing the guitar the way he wants to these days and that's all. he doesn;t need to compete with anyone, he's already made his mark, has or had his fans, and that's a lucky and great thing to have pulled off. i'd rather hear him write a cool tune than have him get "back in shape" so to speak and start play millionth notes splattered all over the place.

Bingo! In my direct conversation with George I think he has moved on. He appreciates what he did and understands his fans still want that but that is not who he is today. He likes doing different things and his interest is elsewhere. He is having a lot of fun doing other things and he doesn't have the interest in being who he was.

[Torment Leaves Scars]

Bingo! In my direct conversation with George I think he has moved on. He appreciates what he did and understands his fans still want that but that is not who he is today. He likes doing different things and his interest is elsewhere. He is having a lot of fun doing other things and he doesn't have the interest in being who he was.

Well, whatever the case, I like the majority of music George has played. Some of his songs left me with great memories of "the times that were," and for that, I'm grateful.

While I can't lay claim to being a huge George Lynch fan, he has a highly distinctive sound, and you know his music when you hear it. For him too be able to say, "Nobody sounds like me," it's a huge accomplishment in itself.

FWIW, I think back in the 80s, I liked his "skull" guitar more than his playing itself, but what 12 or 13 year old kid didn't? I still think that's one Hell of a cool guitar.

[atomic charvel guy]

for my money, as far as catchy and cool, i like warren De martini better overall between the two.
warren is a tasty motherfucker with some slippery fingers that fly too.

[SausageofPower]

i'd rather hear him write a cool tune than have him get "back in shape" so to speak and start play millionth notes splattered all over the place.

I agree, but keep in mind (to me at least) George was never a Malmsteen-esque "shred just to shred" kind of guy. His self-description is a "blues influenced guitarist with some shred tendancies." He always had that perfect blend of rhythm and lead to me. Take a song like "In My Dreams," since it's the song in this thread. A nice rhythm section, not overly complicated, and when the solo hits it isn't mindless shred either. It says just enough, both in terms of technical proficiency and musical emotion, while combining his trademarks that scream "Lynch." I could say the same of a lot of Dokken/Lynch Mob songs though, I don't think there is any particular song I can think of where I find myself sitting there going, "Okay George, we get it. You can play fast passages."

for my money, as far as catchy and cool, i like warren De martini better overall between the two.
warren is a tasty motherfucker with some slippery fingers that fly too.

Warren is a great guitarist. I like George better honestly, but Warren is no slouch. And he can still play his stuff to a T. I think pairing him with Carlos Cavazo was a great move, I just hope RATT is able to get their shit together and release another album like Infestation sometime in the not too distant future.

[Torment Leaves Scars]

for my money, as far as catchy and cool, i like warren De martini better overall between the two.
warren is a tasty motherfucker with some slippery fingers that fly too.

Then check out Ratt's latest album. I think it just came out in late 2010. IMO, it's Ratt at their best.

[atomic charvel guy]

i think Warren's best tone was on Invasion, but his best solos for me by far was on their worst selling album Detonator, go figure.
His solos on that album are so god damn good, they are perfect.

[Endrik]

Lynch Mob sounded better than Dokken because the whole band functioned better, it's all about the band. Dokken had great guitar parts but take 'em away and you got mediocre 80's pop music with melodic pop vocals. The players in Dokken were great but you would never know it by listening to Dokken, the rhythm section was incredibly restricted by Don, there was not much groove at all. Outside Dokken both Mick and Jeff grooved like crazy.
Lynch Mob had hell of a groove, the whole band was rhythmic and locked together and the powerful rock vocals just fit right in.

As far as George's chops go, he started to go downhill in the mid 90's, his most technical playing was on his first solo album Sacred Groove made in 1993.
But seriously how many late 70's/80's players really made some hyper progress later on? How many of them (not counting session aces) can improvise over moving harmonies? I know Greg Howe can but he was alway into Holdsworth and whatnot, Vai can because he played with Zappa as a teenager... let's see Kotzen played with Stanley Clarke. And I guess the biggest process was made by T-Mac who plays with Planet X, I can't name any other 80's neo-classical player who plays over complex moving harmonies and polyrhythms besides him. The others are all about the same old modal wankfest, same ascending and descending lines over and over again.

[atomic charvel guy]

endy knows what he's talking about

[horns666]

endy knows what he's talking about

Oh yes..yes he does Tommy! But, instead of sitting here writing a book. I decided to take a xanax and have a nice, long, relaxing, post pasta dinner (w/ sausage and meatballs) poop.

But I had some Vicodins..so wish me luck on my poop. Because that stuff really slows shit down...literally!

I love you..Tommy, Rich..Endy..Hellbro...Gary..all you dicks!!

BillZ

[atomic charvel guy]

and dicks we are William. You are correct on the slow down dude, when i was leading the opiate battle cry, and a much stronger version of it,
you almost don't poop, and when you do it's almost clean, you don't need much toilet paper either, weirdest thing in the world.

[lerxstcat]

Yes, I noticed you mentioned the cerebral aspect of roid abuse. However, I found that theory to be so gormless and ill-informed, I didn't find it worthy of debate. FYI, the only psychological effect steroids (especially highly androgenic compounds) have is extreme irritability; kinda like the irritability I'm experiencing from reading your half-baked misconceptions regarding steroid use. Unless you've had personal experience cycling with these drugs, I suggest you keep your feckless opining to yourself and stick to the subject of tapping and sweeping. Perhaps it is YOU who should read-between-the-lines...

Who was the wrestler who killed his wife and kid, then himself, because he was whacked on steroids? Chris Benoit? A bit more than just irritability, I think.

But let's go with irritability. It inhibits your ability to concentrate and focus. If you are trying to practice some techniques you've gotten rusty on and you are jacked on 'roids, might you not get irritated that you can't play stuff you are used to doing with little effort? You might stop trying it, it irritates you so much, and that's the end of that. Seems plausible, at least.

[horns666]

Who was the wrestler who killed his wife and kid, then himself, because he was whacked on steroids? Chris Benoit? A bit more than just irritability, I think.

But let's go with irritability. It inhibits your ability to concentrate and focus. If you are trying to practice some techniques you've gotten rusty on and you are jacked on 'roids, might you not get irritated that you can't play stuff you are used to doing with little effort? You might stop trying it, it irritates you so much, and that's the end of that. Seems plausible, at least.

Rich, you don't need roids for any is that shit...just ask any of my therapists.

But my son does alot of body building/weight traing and takes creatine and other shit. Let me tell you, we are buttin' heads like a mo-fo..and YES it is THAT shit he's taking. I'm about to kill the muthafugga!!

Love,

ZBubz

...@ Tommmy..Yes, harldy any TP required when shitting a cement plug! But I wipe good because...well, that's what your momma always told ya when you were a lil' baby!

[Hellbat]

More than three wipes and you're just playin' with it. Wait that isn't quite right is it?!?