Joe Satriani explains why is so difficult to play like Eddie Van Halen

Joe Satriani was the guitarist Alex Van Halen called a few years ago to invite to take part in a tribute show or tour for Eddie Van Halen. Although he felt he couldn’t replicate the late guitarist’s playing, he accepted the task, which eventually never came to fruition because, according to Alex, David Lee Roth refused to acknowledge Eddie at any point during the possible shows.

Satriani eventually teamed up with his longtime friend Sammy Hagar, Van Halen’s second lead vocalist, and toured extensively with him and Michael Anthony, performing many songs from the “Van Hagar” era of the band. In an interview with Talk Is Jericho, he explained why it is so difficult to play like the late legendary guitarist.

Joe Satriani explains why is so difficult to play like Eddie Van Halen

“When they called and invited me to take on the project, I heard myself saying ‘yes’, and then inside my head I heard, ‘Did you just say ‘yes’?’ Nobody can replace Ed Van Halen. So then I hung up the phone and I was, like, ‘Oh, I think I just said ‘yes’.’ But maybe two or three weeks afterwards, after really woodshedding, I remember calling them back and saying, ‘Hey guys, I can’t do this.”

“There’s no way.’ I cannot effectively imitate Ed. I’ve purposely tried not to sound like people for so long. I just can’t imitate him. And they’d say, ‘No, no. You’re the only guy who can do it.’ And I thought, ‘Well, I don’t know why, but okay.’ And then another month goes by. I call them up again: ‘It’s not gonna work.’ ‘Cause I’d be learning these songs and they’re just so awkward. That’s what I found.”

He continued:

“Talk about quirky. Besides being a virtuoso, Ed was quirky. He just did things the way nobody else did them, and to him it came naturally. And when you try to do those things, suddenly you go, ‘Well, that’s not my sensibility,’ so it comes out a little late or a little early, or it just doesn’t swing the right way, ’cause you don’t play that way. I spent a lot of time on YouTube watching about 1,000 guitar players from ages eight to 80 completely nail Eddie Van Halen parts.”

“And I thought, ‘Well, where have I been?’ I guess I’ve been busy being Joe. And meanwhile, the rest of the community out there had been just dissecting everything that he did. And now with amp modeling, they even had amp models of the brown sound, so he can nail the sound. And again, I thought, ‘Well, I’m not doing that.”

“There’s no way I’m doing that.’ And anyway, then the gig fell apart. I mean, three weeks away from actually doing a show in New York City, everything started to hit the fan. And I don’t know how to comment on that part of the Van Halen world, but it was just trouble. The volcano erupted again, and I was just on the outside looking in. So I was just, like, ‘Okay, forget it,’ that kind of thing,” he said (Transcribed by Blabbermouth).