Here’s how Genesis’ ‘The Musical Box’ gave rise to Eddie Van Halen

[custom55]

taken from http://somethingelse...tt-musical-box/

 

 

Steve Hackett joined Genesis in time to make some influential contributions on Nursery Cryme, released in November 1971 as Genesis’ first project with the classic five-piece lineup. The album would reach the Top 40 in England and shoot into the Top 5 elsewhere on the strength of standout tracks like “The Musical Box.”

 

“When I joined the band, the song ‘The Musical Box’ was already written,” Hackett tells us, in an exclusive Something Else! Sitdown. “They were performing it live. They said to me: ‘As soon as you join the band, we’ll share all of the writing.’ So, I came up with guitar parts on top of what they had written.”

Guitar parts that would alter the course of electric guitar history in the person of Eddie Van Halen.

 

Originally an instrumental by the newly departed Anthony Phillips, “The Musical Box” eventually emerged as a band collaboration with lyrics based on a Victorian fairy tale courtesy of Peter Gabriel and a eye-popping turn by Steve Hackett. Aiming to impress his new bandmates, the guitarist fashioned a completely new sound through the use of a new fretboard technique — now simply known as “tapping” — that later reached a broad audience through Van Halen’s fiery soloing.

“I was trying to come up with something suitable,” Hackett adds. “I thought: ‘I wonder if it is possible to use both hands on the fretboard?’ You could play extremely fast on one string. I quickly realized that the sky’s the limit for anyone who wants to use that technique. Eddie [Van Halen] has, of course, acknowledged the influence. I came up with the technique, and he gave it a name.”

 

 

As seen here at 3:40, I think. OH... Nothing post Peter Gabriel Genesis even comes close to this fine piece of music.

 

 

Edited December 1, 2015 by custom55

[Ancient Ways]

Don't know who invented it or why Eddie started doing it but here is a guy in 1956 tapping.

[ReRushed]

To Eddie Van Halen's credit he never took credit for "inventing" tapping.

[goose]

To Eddie Van Halen's credit he never took credit for "inventing" tapping.

Unlike Steve Hackett. Kind of douche thing to say, really. "I pioneered the technique in 70's rock..." would be an OK thing to say.

[bathory]

[RUSHHEAD666]

[canadianice]

Great album, great band--------man that takes me back :smoke:

[treeduck]

steve Hackett is a master. I plan on seeing him in april, he'll be doing some classic genesis. not mama or whodunit. ������������

 

I saw him this year. AMAZING!

I've just bought the latest Wolflight album!