The rampant ego of Yngwie J Malmsteen

axisus

ThePrettyDamned said:

Some of what he says about pitch and accuracy I'd agree with, but I don't find that especially important all the time. For example, I'd not want another lead player in Metallica... Kirk is an essential part of that band, whether you like it or not.

For one thing, I think that Rock n Roll works really well built on a loose vibe, and slightly out of time guitar playing seems to create a great feel at times. I remember seeing Slash play live on TV once, he was so close to being way off, but it worked brilliantly.

I used to buy a fair bit of music from session players back in the 90s, jazz fusion etc, and I ultimately decided that it was all too clinical and perfect. Perfect playing can just end up pretty sterile.

Philly_Q

It's funny, when there are debates on here about whether so-and-so's music is great or... not, someone always comes up with the "go on then, show us what you've done that's better" comment (usually closely followed by "you're all just jealous"). 

And I'd always strongly argue that you don't have to be able to "do better" before you're entitled to express an opinion. 

But this is a bit different, he's commenting from the position of someone in their peer group so perhaps it is fair to compare with his own music.  And he's standing on shaky ground there... although less so in 1994 when he said this stuff.

SidNewton

Comedy gold and even dismisses Sir George Martin as tone deaf when listening to the Beck track.

warhead

I just simply LOVE this guy!!
He is a special kind of breed for sure and coming more from the classical music background and less rock n'roll. Perfect pitch is a basic requirement in those circles, we can take it any way we want and justify not having it anyway we want too, but it ireally is what it is.
He is(was) a maestro guitar player, and that is why mags like Guitar World were asking for his opinion, they weren't asking him to comment on "the quality of the song", but on the guitar player.
He isn't always in the right, but he always gave props where props are due, saying this and that player are usually great, but this exact song is dubious.
We all look into certain things too seriously sometimes, I will still listen to a bit of Pantera with pleasure from time to time, while have no interest in Dream Theater after their 2nd album, no matter what YJM might think of it.
A lot of people diss YJM for how he plays right now, but bro, if you want to compare him to the guys from the article in question, than compare YJM in his prime, as all music from the article was when the players were at the top of their game, it would be the only fair thing, no?
And yeah, I'm an YJM fanboi  :-)

proggy

Perhaps they should have interviewed him while he was sober.

Jetsam1

I have a second hand Strat that came with a set of his Seymour Duncan sig pick ups installed. I am even more inclined to take them out now. Can't stand him at the best of times. The Srat is ok actually, but......

Offset

What I find incredible is that he couldn't tell it was Jeff Beck playing.  Surely an extremely distinctive technique.  And he didn't know Jessica by The Allmans?!  Had his head been stuck up his arse for all those years?

Philly_Q

Offset said:

What I find incredible is that he couldn't tell it was Jeff Beck playing.  Surely an extremely distinctive technique.  And he didn't know Jessica by The Allmans?!  Had his head been stuck up his arse for all those years?

To be fair he probably spent a lot more time playing guitar, from an early age, than listening to a wide range of other players.

If I'd done the same I might be a much better player now... although I probably wouldn't look like Hellboy in a wig and leather trousers.

Offset

Philly_Q said:

Offset said:

What I find incredible is that he couldn't tell it was Jeff Beck playing.  Surely an extremely distinctive technique.  And he didn't know Jessica by The Allmans?!  Had his head been stuck up his arse for all those years?

To be fair he probably spent a lot more time playing guitar, from an early age, than listening to a wide range of other players.

If I'd done the same I might be a much better player now... although I probably wouldn't look like Hellboy in a wig and leather trousers.

You're being way to kind to him and too hard on yourself!  The only reason most of us pick up a guitar in the first place is because we're inspired by our heroes.  And we like to absorb influences so we listen to as broad a range of players as possible to whittle it down to what we like.  I also think you're doing Hellboy a disservice :-)

darthed1981

adamino said:

Most bands like Oasis,Blur, etc are even bigger twats and tossers too.

By all accounts Graham Coxon is a lovely guy?

DrCornelius

darthed1981 said:

adamino said:

Most bands like Oasis,Blur, etc are even bigger twats and tossers too.

By all accounts Graham Coxon is a lovely guy?

Yep , that’s the reason him and Damon don’t get on (allegedly)

EricTheWeary

I saw him at a show years ago. That playing style as a force of nature really came across, quite exciting, but he just seemed angry the whole time and I was waiting for him to storm off ( he didn't). He still seems very much defined by how he was in the 80s and you'd think as a creative person he would want to move on in some way but he doesn't seem to. 

earwighoney

darthed1981 said:

adamino said:

Most bands like Oasis,Blur, etc are even bigger twats and tossers too.

By all accounts Graham Coxon is a lovely guy?

At the height of the Britpop era around the time Song 2 came out, a kid at my school who was huge Blur fan bumped into Coxon in Camden market and even though he was starstruck and his English wasn't the best (just emigrated from abroad) said Coxon spoke to him for a few minutes and made an effort to have some kind of conversation about buying jeans in the market or something.

Maybe not representative of everything but after hearing that I imagine Coxon is a pretty good guy.

funhouse

I'd much rather listen to Coxon's guitar playing. But each to their own.

CoffeeAndTV

Yngwie blows me away, but I want to dance to Coxon.

I wouldn’t be surprised if YJM has changed a little since, I think he was really into his booze and (allegedly) substances.  I think the magazine knew he’d chat shit.  Downbeat did this too, but the jazzers were much more polite. 

fastonebaz

Lol I think he's tremendous.  I pretty much agree with everything he said.  YJM ftw

hollywoodrox

Yngwie is cool  love his stuff got a few albums etc , talented guy 

kossofffan

Only seen him play live at that 2012 Marshall amps gig at Wembley Arena, that was enough for me,

Kilgore

The thread title would make a good album title. 

Bidley

Sounds like he posts on here.