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From: rlr@pyuxn.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: Steve Howe and Eddie van Halen
Message-ID: <225@pyuxn.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 22-Sep-83 11:02:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: pyuxn.225
Posted: Thu Sep 22 11:02:30 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 24-Sep-83 01:49:42 EDT
References: <602@ihuxl.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Piscataway
Lines: 38

Scientific proof that Steve Howe and Eddie van Halen are really the same
person:  1) Have you ever seen both of them together? 2) ...

Seriously, now.  I used the names of Steve Howe and Eddie van Halen PRECISELY
because they are so different in style yet have one major thing in common.
They are both worshipped as guitar hero idols by their fans because of their
fast, intricate playing.  My point was that, though people like Andy Summers
do not make careers out of playing to impress aspiring teenage guitarists,
they are nonetheless extremely good musicians.  The fact that Summers doesn't
choose to play at lightning speed 24 hours a day shows a little more maturity
and confidence than if he did.  This maturity and confidence is reflected in
his output with the Police.

By the way, you're talking to a die-hard Yes freak from way back when some of
you kids were too young to even turn on a radio (though, even if you could,
you wouldn't have heard much in the way of Yes music).  I could rattle off
more Yes trivia and lyrics and play more Yes songs than you could shake a
stick at.  My point is:  don't lecture me about the difference between Steve
Howe and Eddie van Halen, OK?  Despite their very different styles, they come
out of the same mold----guitar heroes out to impress their fans with their
virtuosity.  There's nothing wrong with impressing people with one's virtuosity
(in fact it's an important part of what metal music is all about) but there's
got to be something behind it all to back it up.  Summers' failure to fit that
mold (not engaging in simulated masturbation with his axe for its own sake)
diminishes him in the eyes of many of you out there, and that's a shame.
Then, there's the notion that some people have of Summers that "He's a punk,
so he stinks..."  I won't even dignify that comment with a response.

I'm not accusing all Yes music of being all flash (no pun intended---only
really serious progrock fans will even know what that means) and no substance.
(Close to the Edge isn't in my personal top five album list for nothing.)
I'm also not lumping Yes together with heavy metal.  So no flames, OK?  In
closing, I repeat what is perhaps the rock music quote of the century.
Attributed to Steve Howe, upon hearing that Yes will be reforming.  He has
decided to remain with his moderately successful group Asia rather than join
those greedy ex-Yes members who are only out to cash in on the Yes name.

"I'm not doing Asia for the money.  I'm just doing it to play in a good band."