Sammy Era Guitar Work

**belikemike** · 11.03.06, 09:25 PM

Does anybody here know, or ever heard anybody explain why the band didn't have Hagar playing guitar more often? It seems to me that was a dimension not really explored after 5150 -- at least live. I never really understood it.
I remember Al commenting soon after Hagar joined how much Hagar's guitar playing complimented Ed's. I really expected them to explore that much, much more than they ever did.

**vhrocker** · 11.03.06, 09:29 PM

Eddie wanted ALL the guitar spotlight on him. And it should be that way.

**dgarc88** · 11.03.06, 11:34 PM

I've read a few reasons over the years...

mainly that Ed's writing style had always been based on one guitar as that's what he was used to from the very beginning. He had difficulty (or was reluctant?) to write for 2 guitars.

Sammy and Ed also realized/agreed that Ed should be the focus for guitar and Sammy should be the focus for vocals. They would jam with two guitars and certain songs in concert would feature both of them (usually Hagar solo songs and FWYS) but that was about it.

**artimusbill** · 11.04.06, 01:38 AM

You would think that as much multi-part guitar songs Ed writes that having Sam pick up some of the guitar work would be a logical thing (yeah, I know....). I think with Ed playing almost everything kind of irons out any magic you may get with band interaction. It may rock, but I think one person doing too much kind of becomes too perfect (not bagging Ed here, just the idea in general).

**scs5150** · 11.04.06, 08:32 AM

Sammy is a pretty damn good player himself, but let's face it, back in the day....................nobody could touch Ed! Now, I'm not so sure.

**Geeper** · 11.04.06, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by artimusbill

You would think that as much multi-part guitar songs Ed writes that having Sam pick up some of the guitar work would be a logical thing (yeah, I know....). I think with Ed playing almost everything kind of irons out any magic you may get with band interaction. It may rock, but I think one person doing too much kind of becomes too perfect (not bagging Ed here, just the idea in general).

I think this is exactly why the earlier albums had so much more vibe and feel. There were very few overdubs or even editing. As the years went on there was more and more editing, and overdubbing and that live party atmosphere just wasn't there anymore. It still sounded fun but was definitely different.

I always thought Sam should have played at least SOME on the albums to add his own vibe, but I just guessed it was an ego thing that only Eddie was playing.

AT · 11.04.06, 02:59 PM

Am I correct in saying that the only VH tracks Sammy ever played guitar on were "Finish What Ya Started" and "A Apolitical Blues"? He and Ed wrote FWYS on acoustic guitars together, and AAB was just a live jam in 5150 (with some overdubs).

They could have done more stuff with Sam playing a rhtyhm acoustic track or something, but when EVH is your guitar player you pretty much just let it happen.

**Foamfoot** · 11.04.06, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by AndrewThomas.net

Am I correct in saying that the only VH tracks Sammy ever played guitar on were "Finish What Ya Started" and "A Apolitical Blues"?

Those are the only 2 I know of.

AT · 11.04.06, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by spanked55

Those are the only 2 I know of.

And so that was why the credits were less descriptive in the OU812 cover; all we got was "All songs written and performed by Eddie, Alex, Sammy, Mike." I figure they probably thought fans wouldn't like the idea of Sammy playing guitar on a VH record, so they kind of "masked" the credit.

**ScottyBHarris** · 11.06.06, 09:03 AM

I remember Sammy saying in an interview that he didn't want to play guitar on an album because he didn't want to change the dynamic of the VH sound. Besides that, Sammy is nowhere nea the guitar player Eddie is, but then again nobody is...

**Dr5115** · 11.06.06, 09:44 AM

I always thought that Poundcake sounded very thin during the guitar solo when played live. It was such a prominent backing guitar during the solo on the record that live I thought it sounded flat...................

**belikemike** · 11.06.06, 11:29 AM

I remember Sam playing guitar live on the 5150 tour with Ed on keys. Both Love Walks in and the Why Can't This Be Love. On the OU812 tour, then went to prerecorded keys.
I remember Can't Stop Loving You from the Balance tour and it didn't sound good at all, I never understood why Sam didn't go ahead and play the part at the beginning with Ed that's overlayed on the record. Took a lot away from the song, IMO.
I understand the focus should've been on Ed as it relates to guitar, and I understand not wanting to mess with the sound much and obviously Sam is no Ed. But they certainly could've utilized him to make the music stronger, I think.

AT · 11.06.06, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by belikemike

I remember Sam playing guitar live on the 5150 tour with Ed on keys. Both Love Walks in and the Why Can't This Be Love. On the OU812 tour, then went to prerecorded keys.
I remember Can't Stop Loving You from the Balance tour and it didn't sound good at all, I never understood why Sam didn't go ahead and play the part at the beginning with Ed that's overlayed on the record. Took a lot away from the song, IMO.
I understand the focus should've been on Ed as it relates to guitar, and I understand not wanting to mess with the sound much and obviously Sam is no Ed. But they certainly could've utilized him to make the music stronger, I think.

Yeah, I wondered the same thing. But that's for them to know and us to never know.

**box_of_sorrows** · 11.07.06, 12:46 AM

Originally Posted by belikemike

I remember Sam playing guitar live on the 5150 tour with Ed on keys. Both Love Walks in and the Why Can't This Be Love. On the OU812 tour, then went to prerecorded keys.
I remember Can't Stop Loving You from the Balance tour and it didn't sound good at all, I never understood why Sam didn't go ahead and play the part at the beginning with Ed that's overlayed on the record. Took a lot away from the song, IMO.
I understand the focus should've been on Ed as it relates to guitar, and I understand not wanting to mess with the sound much and obviously Sam is no Ed. But they certainly could've utilized him to make the music stronger, I think.

AFAIK Sam played guitar on both those tracks on the album, listen to the solo's, if that's not Sam then it's certainly very much his style of playing.

AT · 11.07.06, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by box_of_sorrows

AFAIK Sam played guitar on both those tracks on the album, listen to the solo's, if that's not Sam then it's certainly very much his style of playing.

Um... what? Does this post make any sense? What two songs are you talking about?