It sounds cliche but I miss guitar solos in music. Of course there is a ton of talent that goes into making electronic music and there are still loads of talented guitarists and drummers and singers making new music every day. But the age of the Guitar God is a bygone era, at least in the mainstream. The reverb of greats like Eddie Van Halen echo into today, but few have built upon the chords they laid down thirty plus years ago, and even fewer have cracked the Hot 100 lists.
It’s a shame. Because there is something truly special about watching the fingers of a master guitarist dance nimbly across the fretboard. The master guitarist doesn’t press a button and let a computer do the job. Every note is earned. And watching Eddie Van Halen strain to create his sound, sweat pouring onto the guitar, hands falling into place impossibly fast, mouth and eyes gaping like a wizard stunned by the magic he had manifested, was a hell of an experience.
Legendary guitarist Eddie Van Halen died on October 6 at the age of 65 after a long battle with cancer. And the internet remembered the magic the Guitar God had dazzled us with. A magic still enjoyed by many, but a magic that is ultimately a shadow of its former power, waiting for the day a new Guitar God will pull the axe from the stone and restore rock music to the glory of its heyday.
Until then we wait and we remember. RIP Eddie.
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