Yngwie Malmsteen

Yngwie Malmsteen

Yngwie J. Malmsteen [ ɪŋveɪ ] (* thirtieth June 1963 as Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck in Stockholm ) is a Swedish guitarist . Malmsteen is considered to be groundbreaking for the use of elements of classical music ( serious music ) in heavy metal and hard rock .

Life

Malmsteen grew up in a family of plumbers and came into contact with classical music at an early age . He started playing the electric guitar at the age of seven after, like Joe Satriani , watching a television report about Jimi Hendrix 's excessive shows on the day Jimi Hendrix died . As a teenager, he began imitating Ritchie Blackmore , playing his solos note by note. The Deep Purple albums Burn and Fireball had a major impact on him and Malmsteen called Blackmore in interviews his greatest role model.

When he was able to replay Deep Purple, Rainbow and Scorpions albums, Malmsteen developed an interest in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and Niccolò Paganini , his greatest classical influences alongside Ludwig van Beethoven . By playing the works of Bach and Paganini, especially the twenty-four Capricci , Malmsteen developed his own playing elements from long scale runs in the Phrygian mode and in altered scale , which was unusual at the time and was otherwise only used in fusion jazz by Allan Holdsworth . In addition to combining Blackmore's bluesy style with the fast arpeggios and scales of the Baroque, Malmsteen developed his playing speed. In addition to Blackmore and Hendrix, Malmsteen also names Uli Jon Roth , Allan Holdsworth, Rush and Genesis as his main musical influences, which are evident in his album Inspiration from 1996.

In 1982 Malmsteen moved to the United States after Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records heard the young Swede through a demo . In the following years he played in various bands, including Steeler on their album of the same name (1983) and Alcatrazz , on their debut No Parole from Rock'n'Roll and on Live Sentence , a live album. In 1984 he left Alcatrazz and made way for Steve Vai . After that, Malmsteen began his solo career. Malmsteen's first solo album, Rising Force , was nominated for a Grammy in 1984 for Best Rock Instrumental and peaked at # 60 on the Billboard album chart. Its successor Marching Out in 1985 was equally successful . Jeff Scott Soto sang on both albums . His third album Trilogy was released in 1986, the singer was Mark Boals . Malmsteen's style was called Neoclassical in the mid-1980s , and his success paved the way for other artists, including Paul Gilbert , Tony MacAlpine, and Vinnie Moore . As a shredding virtuoso, he was one of the pioneers.

In 1987 the former Rainbow singer Joe Lynn Turner joined them, and together with him Malmsteen released his fourth and to date most successful, but also more commercial album, Odyssey , from which the single Heaven Tonight was decoupled. The recordings for this album were interrupted by a serious car accident in which Malmsteen drove his Jaguar XK-E into a tree and fell into a coma for three weeks . During the tour, also called Odyssey , several concerts were recorded in the Soviet Union and released in 1989 under the name Trial by Fire . Malmsteen is one of the most successful western artists in Russia : he played the biggest concert in Leningrad that a western artist had ever had during the Iron Curtain era and sold over 27 million records in Russia alone. At the end of 1988, the American guitar company Fender built a Stratocaster electric guitar model for Malmsteen , making him the second guitarist after Eric Clapton for whom Fender made a custom instrument. The third revised version has been available since 2007.

In the 1990s, Malmsteen released the albums Eclipse (1990), The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection (1991), Fire and Ice (1992) and The Seventh Sign (1994), but they were not well received in the United States. Malmsteen switched to the Japanese record label Pony Canyon and played the albums Magnum Opus (1995), Inspiration (1996), Facing the Animal (1997), LIVE! (1998), Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra E flat Minor, Opus 1 (1998) and Alchemy (1999). They were only released by the American record company Spitfire in 2000 . Malmsteen was always more successful in Europe and Japan, so his album Fire and Ice with singer Göran Edman rose to number 1 in the Japanese charts in 1992.

In 2000 Malmsteen released the album War to End All Wars ; shortly afterwards the singer Mark Boals left the band and was replaced by the former singer from Ark , Jørn Lande . He left the band shortly before the release of the next album, Attack . He was in turn replaced by Doogie White (ex-Rainbow). In 2003 Malmsteen played with Steve Vai and Joe Satriani in the all-star guitarist project G3 and went on tour with them. In 2005 Malmsteen released Unleash the Fury . In the same year, the radioactive album Taken , on which Malmsteen had worked, was released. In February 2008, Tim "Ripper" Owens (ex- Judas-Priest , ex- Iced-Earth ) was introduced as the new singer. He replaced Doogie White, who left the band after almost seven years.

style

Malmsteen's musical style influenced many guitarists in the heavy rock genre in the 1980s - especially his playing technique, which was inspired by classical music (e.g. Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach) and which had already begun with Uli Jon before he was active Roth and Ritchie Blackmore was heard as novel. It is mainly characterized by the so-called sweep picking and legato technique, which he often uses for classical arpeggios, as well as by classical scales .

Malmsteen plays a Stratocaster model that has been adapted to his style of play with a so-called "scalloped fretboard" - a fingerboard that is filed concave between the frets so that fingers and strings have no contact with the wood when playing. Malmsteen described this playing feeling as ideal for him personally. Also, John McLaughlin used in the 1970s guitars with sophisticated fingerboard, does Ritchie Blackmore remains so today. Uli Jon Roth's Sky Guitar also has a sophisticated fingerboard.

Discography

With Steeler

• 1983: Steeler
• 2005: Metal Generation - The Anthology

With Alcatrazz

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)	Remarks
		US
1983	No Parole from Rock 'n' Roll	US128 (18 weeks) US
1985	Disturbing the Peace	US145 (16 weeks) US
1984	Live Sentence	US133 (10 weeks) US

More albums

• 1984: Metallic Live '84 - VHS
• 1998: The Best of Alcatrazz
• 2010: Live '83

With G3

• 2014: G3: Rockin 'in the Free World

Solo albums

Studio recordings

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)					Remarks
		DE	CH	UK	US	SE
1984	Rising Force	-	-	-	US60 (43 weeks) US	SE14 (5 weeks) SE
1985	Marching out	-	-	-	US54 (28 weeks) US	SE9 (4 weeks) SE
1986	Trilogy	-	-	-	US44 (23 weeks) US	SE18 (3 weeks) SE
1988	Odyssey	-	CH17 (3 weeks) CH	UK27 (7 weeks) UK	US40 (18 weeks) US	SE7 (7 weeks) SE
1990	Eclipse	DE31 (10 weeks) DE	CH15 (7 weeks) CH	UK43 (2 weeks) UK	US112 (6 weeks) US	SE12 (4 weeks) SE
1992	Fire & Ice	-	CH30 (3 weeks) CH	UK57 (1 week) UK	US121 (5 weeks) US	SE11 (4 weeks) SE
1994	The Seventh Sign	-	CH47 (1 week) CH	-	-	SE11 (4 weeks) SE
1995	Magnum Opus	-	-	-	-	SE17 (2 weeks) SE
1996	inspiration	-	-	-	-	SE35 (2 weeks) SE	Cover album
1997	Facing the Animal	-	-	-	-	SE39 (2 weeks) SE
1998	Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra	-	-	-	-	-
1998	Alchemy	-	-	-	-	-
2000	War to End All Wars	-	-	-	-	-
2002	Attack !!	-	-	-	-	SE37 (1 week) SE
2005	Unleash the Fury	-	-	-	-	-
2008	Perpetual Flame	-	-	-	-	SE52 (1 week) SE
2008	Angels of Love	-	-	-	-	-
2010	Relentless	-	-	-	-	-
2012	Spellbound	-	-	-	-	-
2016	World on Fire	-	-	-	-	-
2019	Blue lightning	-	CH35 (2 weeks) CH	-	-	-

more publishments

• 1978: Powerhouse (demo)
• 1981: 1981 Demo (Demo)
• 1994: I Can't Wait (EP)
• 1998: Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in E Flat Minor, Opus 1 - classical version
• 1998: Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in E Flat Minor, Opus 1 - rock version
• 1999: Alchemy
• 2000: War to End All Wars
• 2002: Birth of the Sun
• 2002: The Genesis
• 2002: Attack !!
• 2005: Unleash the Fury
• 2009: Angels of Love (instrumental album)
• 2010: Relentless
• 2012: Spellbound
• 2016: World on Fire

Live albums / compilations / video albums

year	title	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes)					Remarks
		DE	CH	UK	US	SE
1989	Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad	-	-	UK65 (1 week) UK	US128 (8 weeks) US	SE31 (2 weeks) SE
1998	Double Live	-	-	-	-	-
2002	The Genesis	-	-	-	-	-

more publishments

• 1985: Rising Force Live '85 (VHS)
• 1991: The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection (CD, VHS)
• 1993: Leo Fender Benefit Live (VHS)
• 1994: Live at Budokan (VHS)
• 1994: Instrumental Best Album (best of compilation)
• 1996: Inspiration (best of compilation)
• 1997: Facing the Animal Demos
• 1998: LIVE !! (CD, VHS, DVD)
• 1998: Live in Brazil 1998
• 2000: Anthology 1994-1999
• 2000: The Best of 1990-1999
• 2000: Concerto Suite Live
• 2000: Concerto Suite Live from Japan (DVD)
• 2000: Video clips (VHS, VCD)
• 2001: Archives (8-CD box)
• 2001: Double Live
• 2002: Rising Force - Birth of the Sun (best of compilation)
• 2002: The Genesis (best of compilation)
• 2002: Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in E Flat Minor Live With The New Japan Philharmonic (DVD, Japan only)
• 2002: The Young Person's Guide to the Classic 1
• 2002: The Young Person's Guide to the Classic 2
• 2005: Concerto Suite for Guitar and Orchestra (DVD)
• 2005: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Yngwie Malmsteen (best of compilation)
• 2006: Complete Box Polydor Years (box set, Japan only)
• 2006: Far Beyond the Sun (DVD)
• 2006: Arpeggio: The Ultimate Guitar (VCD)
• 2008: Far Beyond the Rising Sun (best of compilation)
• 2008: Play Loud
• 2009: High Impact (best of compilation)
• 2009: Live Animal (DVD)
• 2009: Live in Korea (DVD)
• 2010: Raw Live (DVD)
• 2014: Live in Tampa (CD & DVD)

Singles / EPs

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)					Remarks
		DE	CH	UK	US	SE
1988	Heaven Tonight	-	-	UK86 (5 weeks) UK	-	-	EP; contains the songs Heaven Tonight, Riot in the Dungeons, Rising Force & Trilogy Opus Suite 5
1994	I can't wait	-	-	-	-	-	EP

More singles

• 1985: I'll See the Light Tonight / Far Beyond the Sun / I'm a Viking (Rising Force Studio / Live '85) (maxi single)
• 1985: I'm a Viking / Don't Let It End
• 1986: Fire / Cryin ' (promo single)
• 1986: Save Your Love / Motherless Child
• 1990: Making Love (Single Edit) / Making Love (Extended Guitar Mix) / Eclipse
• 1992: Dragonfly (US promo single)
• 1992: Teaser (Single Version) (Promo-Single-CD)
• 1994: I Can't Wait / Aftermath / Rising Force (Live at Budokan '94) / Far Beyond the Sun (Live at Budokan '94) / Power and Glory (Takada's Theme) (EP, Japan only)
• 1994: Takada's Theme (complete) / Takada's Theme (stadium edit) / The Seventh Sign (EP: Power and Glory) (Japan only)
• 1994: Carry On Wayward Son (promo single CD, Japan only)

Instructional videos

• 1991: REH Master Series
• 1995: Play Loud - The Basics
• 2000: Full Shred [Play Loud Series]

Projects

• 2005: G3 Live in Denver with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai

Guest appearances (selection)

On the right are the songs in which he was involved.

• Hear 'n Aid (1986) stars
• Tone Norum (Swedish singer): This Time (1988) - Point of No Return
• Jeff Scott Soto : Human Clay (1996) - Jealousy
• Saxon : The Eagle Has Landed II (1996) - Denim and Leather (guitar solo)
• Carmine Appice & Others: Guitar Zeus (1996) - This Time Around
• Johansson : Sonic Winter (1997) - All Opposable Thumbs and Enigma Suite
• MVP : Windows (1999) - Say a Prayer
• Derek Sherinian : Black Utopia (2003)
• Radioactive : Taken (2005)
• Violent Storm: Violent Storm (2005)
• Derek Sherinian : Blood of the Snake (2006)

Compilations

• Bat Head Soup: A Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne - Mr. Crowley (2000)
• Black Night: Deep Purple Tribute - Burn
• Dragon Attack: A Tribute to Queen - Keep Yourself Alive (1997)
• Smoke on the Water: A Tribute to Deep Purple - Speed ​​King and Lazy (1994)
• Tribute to AC / DC - Back in Black
• Tribute To Aerosmith: Not The Same Old Song And Dance - Dream On (1999)
• A Tribute to Van Halen: 2000 - Light Up the Sky (2000)

computer game

• Guitar Moves (with music by Malmsteen)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Stefan Woldach: Two chairs, one opinion !? In: Zeitschrift Solo , 3/1998, pp. 8-10 - Yngwie Malmsteen versus Joe Satriani
2. ↑ Guitar , 02-1999 KDM, Verlag von Markus Setzer, pp. 82–85
3. ↑ ^{a b} Jeremy Sash, Markus Deml : Guitar World - Find Your Style , p. 43
4. ↑ Guitar & Bass , 01-1997, p. 44
5. ↑ Chart sources Alcatrazz: US
6. ↑ ^{a b c} chart sources solo artist: DE CH UK US SE

Web links

Commons : Yngwie Malmsteen  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Works by and about Yngwie Malmsteen in the catalog of the German National Library
• Yngwie Malmsteen in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Yngwie Malmsteen at Discogs (English)
• metal-archives.com
• Official website