Randy Rhoads "Not a Big Fan" of Black Sabbath

[Cpt Matt Sparrow]

I hear you. I've had this discussion before, too ... the other two shredders I love are Joe Satriaini and Eric Johnson. The latter, along with Randy, has an incredible sense of melody, and often elicits the same objection as you have offered. You can slow EJ's or Randy's lines down, and, like a Mandelbrot Set, more musical detail pops out, and it is fractal, going down into deeper levels of detail. Each line is tight and musical ... and fast. Satriani has the same quality, albeit in smaller degree, to my ears.

To me, calling someone a "shredder" just means that speed and technique are notable aspects of their style -- not the most prominent. Hell, when you think about it, Stevie Ray was a shredder of sorts; he shredded the blues.

I completely agree with you that guys like the above are head-and-shoulders above the herd that grazed the fields in the 1980s. Randy was unique in his melodic sensibility, and I think the only guitarist who doesn't agree with that might be Yngwie Malmsteen.

It's so cool your such a RR fan too!

I used to do something called the RR CD Project, at first I organised it on my own - and then my mate Mike came on board. On the two main RR Forums, Ultimaterhoads and Randy Rhoads tk, for a few years in a row, we invited fans and former students to submit tracks. All the profits we donated to the RR scholarship at UCLA.

We had contributions from former pupils Janet Robin, Frank Santa Cruz and Robert La Fond. Janet stayed with us (in London) for a week a few years back too. She agreed to do a seminar at the school I teach guitar and she also played at our guitar society and did an evening at my wife's school too. A very cool lady with lots of good stories about lessons with Randy. She actually remembers being a little girl and hearing outside the room Randy saying to her mum that she had worked really hard and was doing really well, bless her xx

Here is Delores with the RRCD

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

It's so cool your such a RR fan too!

My mom was a classical and gospel keyboardist, and we had the classical music around the house in my youth, especially Bach. I remember telling my mom when I was 12 or so that "if Bach were alive today, he'd be playing with rock and roll" -- so to me, what Randy did was so natural.

I used to do something called the RR CD Project, at first on my own and then my mate Mike came aboard. On the two main RR Forums Ultimaterhoads and Randy Rhoads tk, for a few years in a row, we invited fans and former students to submit tracks. All the profits we donated to the RR scholarship at UCLA.

We had contributions from former pupils Janet Robin, Frank Santa Cruz and Robert La Fond. Janet stayed with us (in London) for a week a few years back too. She agreed to do a seminar at the school I teach guitar and she also played at our guitar society and did an evening at my wife's school too. A very cool lady with lots of good stories about lessons with Randy. She actually remembers being a little girl and hearing outside the room Randy saying to her mum that she had worked really hard and was doing really well, bless her xx

Here is Delores with the RRCD

Hell yeah.

 

[X–Ray]

This was pretty much common knowledge back then, I thought. My friends and I had all heard the story, and we weren't connected to the LA scene at all.

true...

no secret among us who knew him

although, i don't remember that many who did like BS anyway – kind of a mote point, other than the irony

 

[X–Ray]

the story left out the major part. Delores talked him into going down for the audition. it's in her interview in the docu "3o years after the blizzard" & countless other personal interviews you can find on youtube.

for those of us who knew Mrs Rhoads back in the day, she was a force of nature – one did not say "no" to her "suggestions"

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

true...

no secret among us who knew him

although, i don't remember that many who did like BS anyway – kind of a mote point, other than the irony

Yeah, I was just another kid in Central California when he died, but I remember reading the story about his audition, including the mention of his distaste for Sabbath, in Creem or Circus or HP, it was one of those rags.

And yeah, I was one of only three kids in Paso Robles who was into Sabbath.

 

[X–Ray]

<snip>

I was/am a HUGE Rhoads fan, but I didn't like his tone.

<snip>

from the first time i heard him in the Rhoads' living room (he was around 14 or 15) to the last time at the Starwood, Rhoads' tone was terrible, imo &#8211; harsh, brittle, searingly bright

regardless of the amp or guitar, over the years, his "tone" was the same

i thought once he got an LP it would take the harshness off &#8211; but it didn't

funny thing, he mostly practiced on a classical guitar which would suggest a more organic tone electrically but it didn't &#8211; to each their own

proof one can play well but not necessarily sound it? again, imo

remember the first time i heard Rhoads on record, and thought to myself, yep, sounds just like him...

after all is said and done, RIP to a young man who happened to play guitar

 

[Penny Dreadful]

Its the Altec Lancing speakers he used, they were brutal

Great info coldsteal! It's so cool to have guys here who know this stuff.

 

[X–Ray]

<snip>

guys here who know this stuff

kind of a fyi:

keep your eyes pealed for an upcoming book by Kelly Garni &#8211; should prove a very interesting read... if not the definitive word

 

[6stringer]

Its the Altec Lancing speakers he used, they were brutal

Randy actually converted his cabs to Altecs in an attempt to tame things. He felt that the Celestions were a naturally dirty speaker anyway, and that adding massive amounts of gain made them sound terrible. Lots of gain and an extreme midrange boost were a staple of his sound.

 

[Lurko]

RR>Your favorite guitar player

 

[Skintaster]

I know some guys here agree with me on this one...

I was/am a HUGE Rhoads fan, but I didn't like his tone.
He had the chops like no one else, but it always sounded like his amplifier was
in a huge metal box.

Agreed. His studio sound is really shrill to my ears, but I love him as a player.

 

[coldsteal2]

Great info coldsteal! It's so cool to have guys here who know this stuff.

When we would watch them (Quiet Riot) at the Starwood
all the time, we would make sure we stood on the
left in front of the bassit instead in front of Randy
even better sitting upstairs looking down

nobody used master volumes in those days

 

[Cpt Matt Sparrow]

This is such a relief LOL, On the RR boards I am the black sheep re RR's tone. I love the tone on Tribute and the tone on Diary is good (but no where near Tribute) but the Blizzard of Ozz tone I have always found very poor and almost lifeless.

BTW, has anyone else got the Diary legacy with the live cd with it. A must have for a RR fan!

Matt

 

[Joeydego]

No doubt that tone wouldn't pass for much of anything today. Tribute sounded fantastic, but Blizzard was awful in regards to the guitar sound. Sounded like they took a line out of the head straight into the board

 

[blues_n_cues]

This is such a relief LOL, On the RR boards I am the black sheep re RR's tone. I love the tone on Tribute and the tone on Diary is good (but no where near Tribute) but the Blizzard of Ozz tone I have always found very poor and almost lifeless.

BTW, has anyone else got the Diary legacy with the live cd with it. A must have for a RR fan!

Matt

I remember you & the RRCD project when I was on the tk board.

I also have the legacy- it's great comparing it to tribute how he changed things up nightly even though I prefer the spotlight solo on tribute,probably because that's the one we all heard for years.

my personal tone is very close to the trubute tone but not quite as edgy-more like s.a.t.o. or believer. I personally like his live tone - it was RAW power and it fit better if you're watching him play as opposed to just a cd or even vinyl. it all sounds so much different on 30 yr old vinyl.

for Rhoads fans- Feb 21,1982 corpus christi,texas.

 

[ptate]

This was my favourite RR tone...After Hours...As Matt knows.....

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5IqDoHAens]Mr. Crowley (4-28-81) - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Se9cVOlft4&feature=related]CRAZY TRAIN - PERFECT QUALITY! - YouTube[/ame]

Still can't get my head around the 22 inch waist....

 

[ArrogantBastard]

I'm a fan of RR. Not a huge fan, but a fan. I give him his due respect, but the tone on "Crazy Train", posted above, sounds like sh*t. Sounds like a sh*t guitar, plugged through a sh*t blown ten watt amp. Thin, puny, crap. Granted, part of it may be audio technology, or the lack there of. Whatever the case, I watchedt his the other day and thought to myself, "this is disappointing"... Only now I can comment on it seeing how as someone has posted it and it has been brought forth.

 

[X–Ray]

<snip>

Only now I can comment on it seeing how as someone has posted it and it has been brought forth

it is regretful a guitarist of the stature of Rhoads is unable to be discussed without great apprehension by some

could be due to his beloved status among his fans and/or a huge talent was tragically and senselessly lost at such a young age

unfortunately, for many, Rhoads has become somewhat of a "Sacred Cow" imo

that is, instead of a musician worthy of in&#8211;depth analysis... one long on appreciation yet short on well&#8211;rounded analyses


"Sacred Cow"

a person or thing immune to criticism, critique or questioning

one that is immune from criticism or critique, often unreasonably so

an individual, organization, institution, etc., considered to be exempt from criticism, critique or questioning

figuratively, anything which is beyond criticism or critique

 

[coldsteal2]

The Starwood has a Facebook page that has allot of old Starwood
musicians on it, storied, photos and videos of the old days there.
Just type in Starwood Nightclub and it should pop up
Its really one of the coolest FB pages on FB.
There are four different ones so here is the right one https://www.facebook.com/#!/Starwood.Club
This is one site that the Timeline thing works great


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