Rising Force?

Are you a fan of Yngwie Malmsteen? His guitar playing is unmatched - but I've always been on the fence about his music. Again, I appreciate his talent - but I've never really been drawn to any of his songs.

Actually, I find many of them quite boring.

It's possible I'll be seeing Malmsteen live - he and his band are rumored for the final day of Rocklahoma. Tim "Ripper" Owens is apparently signing for Malmsteen these days. I guess if this happens, I'll be excited. At least it would be a chance to see someone different - because I'm pretty sure I'd never deliberately buy a ticket to see Malmsteen live.

Is it me? Am I missing something? Remember: I am a huge fan of guitar heavy albums. I love just about everything from Van Halen to Avenged Sevenfold when it comes to complex riffs. With Malmsteen - I turn my nose.

Here are some videos featuring Malmsteen and his Rising Force. Maybe I'll learn to love it. Do you?

Here is "Heaven Tonight."

Here is "You Don't Remember."

I feel like I've just revealed a dirty secret: I don't really like Yngwie Malmsteen. Scandal!

Comments

[Joe]

I'm with you Allyson..Yngwie akways had this way about him that what he does hes out of the world and better than everyone else..Listen to alot of his solos theyre so fast they don't even go along with the music LOL..Give me Randy Rhoads, Mick Mars, George Lynch any day over Yngwie.

[Gene]

Never a fan..I was always about the song..and YM never had a song that caught my attention...

[aXe mAn]

He is a very very talented guitarist. But from what I've heard, he has a big ego to match.
I do however like the songs; Heaven Tonight, You Don't Remember, and some others...He's not one of my favorites though.

[Sean]

Couldn't agree more! I did like his work when he was in
"Alcatrazz". "Rising Force" is awful.

[Christine]

I'm another one who was never a fan of Yngwie. My brother played guitar growing up, so I was subject to listening to all kinds of 80's guitarists, and Yngwie never really caught my attention. His rumored dreadful ego and his guitar playing never impressed me. Sure, his fingers were faster than most and he could play some intricate things, but to me his playing always lacked soul. It always felt like he was trying too hard or overcompensating for something. I call him a "noodler" because that's all he can do...noodle on the guitar. I'm not saying he's not talented. I'm just saying he's not for me. I prefer the tasty licks of Nuno Bettencourt or Zakk Wyld. :)

[Pat]

I love the song "Deja Vu", but beyond that none of his work seems to do anything for me. Talented he may be, but I'd sooner listen to any of Vito Bratta's solos over Malmsteen.. Now there's a guitarist without a suffocating ego...

[christian]

Seriously, did anyone like yngwie ?

[Metal Mark]

I liked him with Alcatrazz and Steeler when he was playing for the good of the whole song instead of just wanking off a bunch of solos. Odyssey was the one solo album of his that I remember really liking, but it's been like 20 years since I heard it. It's actually Tim Owens.

[Rhodeislandrock, Heavy Metal Addiction]

Steeler was good, but Ron Keel was there to keep him in check.

Alcatrazz was excellent, but Graham Bonnett was there with a great voice. Graham always made excellent music with legendary/diffcult guitarists: Yngwie, Schenker, Blackmore, Vai.

Yngwie's solo career is spotty. I prefer the early eras with Jeff Scott Soto, Mark Boals, and Joe Lynn Turner.....ODYSSEY is tops of the catalog.

The thing about Yngwie is that he is at his best when he plays WITHIN the song. When he starts wanking and doing his guitar heroics all over the place, it takes away from the song/album. I don't think he's done a great album since FACING THE ANIMAL (1997).

Somehow, I have every Yngwie album.

Steve
Heavy Metal Addiction
http://hardrockheavymetal.wordpress.com/

[KixRules]

Never a bid fan...if he is at ROK...time to hit the vip ten for food and beer!

[dirty angel]

hahahah im a semi fan i got a great yngwie jerk story though XD

at the teacher at the guitar seminar i go to every summer told us yngwie guest taught there once and when some young kid asked "mr. malmsteen your wiked good and play really fast....what do you do to practice?" he looked at the kid and yelled "no practice full speed all the time! Next question!"

hahah i know random but i find it jillarious and its one other reason im not into him hes to stuck up a guy.

[Allyson B. Crawford]

Mark

Thanks for pointing out the typo.

Allyson

[Dick]

Okay, are these responses about the song or his playing? Let's say Mick Mars were the guitar player, would you all then think these are good songs... cause I notice that it's cool to like everything that is Motley Crue these days. And Crue only had a small handful of decent songs... the just looked cool! "Heaven Tonight" is a very well written song... it's melodic, has great hooks, gtray vocals by Joe Lynn Turner, and is well constructed. Ignore the solos, I admit Yngwie is a little overboard on shredding, it's mostly uncalled for.

[Kiki]

Just found your blog & love it! As for Yngwie, a funny old memory comes to mind: the time David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) from Spinal Tap mentioned him on TV & said "Actually, it's Yngwie J. Malmsteen..so as not to confuse him with all the other Yngwie Malmsteens out there."

That always summed it up for me, but I did go through an "Yngwie phase" in high school about the same time I discovered Fates Warning & Tony Macalpine.

But I'm with you guys–there has to be a "song."

Look forward to reading more!

[Gary]

Guy can abviously shred like hell, but there has to be a reason he's gone through like 700 bands and lead singers througout his career...Maybe him and Axl ought to hook up! That would probably last approx. 14 seconds before the proverbial chit hit the fan!!!!

[don]

yeah, he does too much that takes the focus off of the song. alcatrazz was good, heaven tonight is actually a good song but most of his stuff is guitar masturbation proving to the world how amazing he is. it gets lost in translation.

[Toni]

I have to agree with Dick. Specifically speaking of "Heaven Tonight"....JLT is 1 of the most amazing vocalists ever and the lyrics to the song tells a great story. Even though YM's guitar playing is a bit much, that song stands up. I'm not a musician, so it's just 1 music fan's opinion!

[Glenn]

Yngwie is an AMAZING talent but songwriting has never been that strong.
Heaven Tonight is probably his best"song" but the solo in "I'll See the Light Tonight" is one of the best ever recorded