IMO, the problem with "Eruption" is that every guitarist started to copy Eddie's style and lots of 80's shredders based their most impressive stuff in the tapping technique until the style became nauseous, but the worst part is that many of them used it for hiding their lack of speed picking proficiency. But back in 1978 everything was different. I was eleven and I remember when I saw the first VH LP in the stores. I didn't know anything about them, but I decided to give the record a listening at the store because the band's logo was attractive to me. Besides, the first person listed in the back cover on the acknowledgments' list was GENE SIMMONS, and I was a HUGE Kiss fan at the time. The band sounded cool to me, so I bought the record with the money that my parents gave for eating at school after a week of saving it. When I got home, I gave the LP a closer listening and "Eruption" shocked me. I didn't know anything about music at the time, but I had listened plenty of rock guitarists (I remember hearing lots of times among my classmates that "Ted Nugent was declared the best guitarist in the world") and "Eruption" was something definitely new to my ears.
Another problem is: If a guitar player wants to play the final tapping part of "Eruption", put it in context! Make it flow! I highly criticized my band's guitarist after an exhaustive tour of... 2 concerts
at the university last year because he wanted to play a solo and he did Joe Satriani's "Midnight". After playing the piece, he made his guitar "scream" and played the Eruption part. Give me a break! It doesn't work like that.
Anyway, I studied that part on bass and wanted to show it to my students, not because the "impressive qualities" of the piece or something like that. I wanted to do it because it's a great exercise on stamina! I will never forget that nasty blood blister I got in my right middle fingertip because of that. And playing this stuff fast is a very physical thing. Your best friend for getting this thing right: YOUR METRONOME.
BTW, here are two sloppy takes of the part (one slower than the other) just recorded with my new EBMM Bongo (it's 4:54 A.M. What a fever!). Enjoy!
Link:
http://s45.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1...V375BHWI747NIZ
P.S.: I notice that the whole "fight" about Eruption was deleted. Please take into account that it's not my intention to relive it. Just wanted to share my thoughts on the subject.
