Was Randy Rhoads ACTUALLY That Good?

Comments · 720

• DK

  @DKStanford · 5 months ago

  I attended Randy's final concert on March 18th 1982. It was a Thursday night and I only went because a friend gave me a free ticket and insisted. I didn't like Metal at all. I was big into Fripp, Belew, Talking Heads, Eno - you get the idea. When I saw Randy I had no idea who he was. But I was immediately struck by his playing which was so passionate and joyful. Even after 44 years I still remember exactly what ran through my head--"this guy has to be better than Hendrix, I can't imagine anyone can play better than this guy." Next morning I got up to go to school and saw on the news that he had died after the show. I'm still not a fan of Metal, but Randy taught me an important lesson about being open-minded and just finding joy in music. I'm so thankful for that.

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• HE

  @hesch-tag · 5 months ago

  Randy had a classical background but he was far from done studying and that was what he wanted to do after the tour in 1982. Such a shame he never got the chance.

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• DO

  @douglassloan6831 · 4 months ago

  As a former student of Randy Rhoads, I feel compelled to weigh in on a few of the topics broached in this video. I am in my sixties and took lessons from Randy at his mother's music conservatory for 3 years. His lessons, if I remember correctly were $25 for a session and, for me, worth exponentially more than that paltry amoun, even by 1977 standards. To understand Randy truly, you really had to had to have  known his mother Dolores. She is always portrayed as this sweet, shy woman who seems kind of like a church mouse in all the videos of her after his passing. The truth, at least for me, was that Mrs. Rhoads was a woman who was singularly focused and fiercely dedicated to the success and work habits of her students. If you didn't practice one week, she let you know about it. If you were goofing around in your lesson, she let her disapproval be known. (Randy and I did goof around a bit, He was VERY funny and I was a bit of a class clown so getting him to laugh was a side mission in every lesson) That being said, Randy had the life of a music student 24/7. He lived with his mom and spent most days at Musonia, her school. As far as writing things down, I think there was a method to that for him. If he felt like you would remember it, knowing your abilities as his student, he would show you. If he felt it was going to be something you would struggle to retain, he wrote it down. I remember one particular progression of complicated Jazz chords that he took the time to write out for me that I still have to this day. Randy was incredibly adept at conforming his lessons to every individual student. His foundatoinal pilosophy was to find a way to ignite that student's passion for the guitar, in whatever way worked for that guitarist. I recently published a book about my life and more specifically my experiences as one of the original producers of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and in it, I name Randy as one of the best two teachers I had in my life. And I've had many. He was just that special. As for Dee, that was never intended to be a profound classcial composition. It was a love letter to his mother, a way of showing her that he had taken her classical teachings seriously, but at the same time was forging his own way. The recording of it was done basically in a country house where they recorded the Blizzard of Ozz albums. And in regards to the quality, I feel, to this day, that neither of those records actually captured Randy's genius in terms of his tone. That was something you really needed to see in person. I was lucky enough to experience it in a 200 square ft room through an old Vox amp and his Distortion plus. And it was magnificent. Randy was always aware that he had much studying to do to become a true classical guitarist. He constantly spoke of going to school to perfect that skill if the whole rock star thing didn't work out. And this was when he was slogging through the swamp that was the late 70's music scene with Quiet Riot. Anyway, I've droned on WAY too long and I apologize for that. I just feel as though there was so much behind the curtain in terms of his life and teachings that has never been clarified. Beyond anything he did with his guitar, Randy was a great son, a great brother and an incredible teacher. I think of him every day, even all these years after his passing.

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• HE

  @HEAR_Instrumentals · 5 months ago (edited)

  Dee was one of the first "classical" pieces I learned on guitar. RIP Randy!

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• KE

  @Kenneth-nVA · 5 months ago (edited)

  Before I even watch…the answer is that he was underrated… he was better than we thought

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• WA

  @WalkingCrowFire · 5 months ago

  I was very privileged to have seen him in concert with Ozzy.  Randy was taken from us far too soon.  He was a beautiful human being.  🥲

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• BM

  @bmac5085 · 5 months ago

  Randy was the reason why I started playing guitar in the early 80s.<br>Some people have different guitar heroes as there has been many amazing guitarists over the years<br>But Randy has always been my guitar hero.

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• NI

  @nilshagerklint091 · 5 months ago

  Such a shame Randy is gone☹️

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• CK

  @ckrawisz2912 · 5 months ago

  That pulloff exercise was sounding like Welcome to the Jungle to me

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• CR

  @crispernaki · 5 months ago

  I do admire how you jump into these reaction things as cold and unaware as possible. it&apos;s refreshing.

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• JO

  @johnmclaughlin763 · 4 months ago

  Wow. I just listened to you playing on a YouTube short. Absolutely phenomenal. Beautiful.

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• CH

  @charlesmerfeld2988 · 5 months ago

  Thanks for the insight