Speaking with Richard Bienstock.for Guitar World, guitar legend Yngwie Malmsteen paid tribute to Eddie Van Halen, who passed away on October 6th, 2020 following a long battle with cancer. Following is an excerpt.

Malmsteen: "There’s a song on the second (Van Halen) album, 'Outta Love Again'. Edward and Alex’s playing on that, it’s just one take, you can hear it. It’s sick. It’s ridiculous. It’s just so good. That spirit inspired me immensely. But my favorite song is probably 'Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love'. I used that sound as the yardstick for so many years. I would listen to that and go, 'If I can get a sound that good, I know I have a good sound.' And the riff is just fucking ridiculous. But overall it was the whole 'turn your fucking shit up and go for it' thing that really got to me about Eddie. The impact he had on me was unbelievable. On all of us. It’s just crazy."

Read Malmsteen's complete tribute to Eddie here.

Guitar World has published a collection of quotes from Eddie Van Halen starting in 1981 and ending with a 2016 Guitar World interview. He discusses everything from Debussy to David Lee Roth’s first solo outing, from "Eruption" to "Spanked", from college to Clapton, from his "Black Sabbath funk" to his beloved EVH guitars and amps.

Following is an excerpt from the feature.

College? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ College! (GW, November 1982)

Eddie: "On stage, it's different… that’s my world, my life. I don’t have to deal with being accepted by jocks or bikers or that in high school. The band is a family and I’m accepted in that family. That’s what made me get into guitar, because I felt like I had nothing to lose. If I couldn’t play guitar, I’d be pumping gas. I mean, I got a low IQ. When everybody graduated, all the rich guys going, 'Hey, which college are you going to?' and I’m going 'College?!? I just went straight back home, locked myself in my room, played guitar, wrote songs, and hoped to God I got somewhere.'"

...And a Song Called "Jump" (GW, January 1984)

Eddie: "I think this next one is going to be a hellified record. The majority of the solos will be overdubs. It just depends on how it feels right. There’s a fast boogie called 'Hot for Teacher'. There’s another one called 'Anytime, Anyplace' with a live solo in it. Lots of overdubs. My dad might play an intro for a song. There’s a song called 'Panama' with a live solo. And a song called 'Jump'."

Down on Diver Down (GW, February 1990)

Eddie: "The 'half cover tunes' (Diver Down) pisses me off, ’cause at the time I had enough music of my own. You know that Mini-Moog riff that opens 'Dancing in the Street'? I’d written that for my own song, but everybody wanted it for 'Dancing in the Street'. I said, 'What?' So that’s why I built my own studio. Put it this way: I’d rather bomb with my own songs than make it with someone else’s. I don’t buy the philosophy of 'If you redo a proven hit, you’re halfway there.' That way, you’re not there. I’ve played enough cover tunes."

Read the complete Guitar World feature here.