Customer Reviews

The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This CD has some great music, but it's hard to compile "Greatest Hits" for Malmsteen because he's not really a "hits" composer. The first two tracks, from his first album are incredible, but then The Collection launches into an overview of his more pop oriented compositions with vocals. All the songs are platforms for his exceptional solos, of course. Without the incredible soloing, however, most of the compositions with vocals are merely adequate.

I think a new fan would be better off buying the first album and then proceeding more or less chronologically or buying the EXCELLENT "Double Live" album. The later is a better overview of the Malmsteen experience.

I'd like to add a note in response to reviewers who bring up Malmsteens infamous "ego" issues. Yeah, Malmsteen is an over the top personality who is known to be hard to work with. So what? I can't see how that really affects the listener. He still gives a thrilling live performance. There is very little subtlety with Malmsteen. Every album is completely full on shred. That's what he does best and that's the music he chooses to perform. To dismiss this as "mindless wanking" is also to miss some of the subtle humor in his work. Malmsteen does not take himself quite as seriously as many think he does. He may not be the most well rounded guitar player there is, but he cannot be so easily written off either.

THE BAND: Yngwie Malmsteen (electric/acoustic guitars, bass, moog & Taurus bass pedals, backing vocals) and many bandmates over the decades. Most notably - Jeff Scott Soto (vocals), Mark Boals (vocals), Joe Lynn Turner (vocals), Goran Edman (vocals), Marcel Jacob (bass), Bob Daisley (bass), Barry Dunaway (bass), Jens Johansson (keyboards), Mats Olausson (keyboards), Barriemore Barlow (drums), Anders Johansson (drums - and brother of keyboardist Jens), Michael Von Knorring (drums).

THE DISC: (1991) 14 tracks clocking in at approximately 73 minutes. Included with the disc is a 6-page booklet containing song titles/times/credits, musicians, and 4-pages of insight on Malmsteen presented by Guitar World's Joe Lalaina. This compilation follows his career from 1984-90. All songs written by Malmsteen except "Spanish Castle Music" by Jimi Hendrix. Label - Polydor Records.

ALBUM REPRESENTATION: Rising Force (2 songs), Marching Out (1), Trilogy (3), Odyssey (3), Trial By Fire - Live in Leningrad (2), Eclipse (3). Sadly, this release contains nothing after '91..."Fire And Ice" (1992), and "The Seventh Sign" (1994) are both brilliant albums. Perhaps one day soon, the listening fans will be treated to a career spanning double-disc compilation (including his early stints with Steeler and Alcatrazz).

COMMENTS: Malmsteen claims his inspiration came from Hendrix ("Yngwie picked up a guitar the day Hendrix died"), but I also hear a lot of Ritchie Blackmore and Brian May in his playing. The young viking chief is the king of neoclassical guitar... and Malmsteen can shred like no other. Some claim his ego gets in the way (and his solos way to self indulgent), but when's he creating inspired music, who cares. Surrounded by some very nice talent over the years (Barriemore Barlow - famed drummer from Jethro Tull in the 1970's, Joe Lynn Turner - Rainbow and Deep Purple, Jens Johansson - Stratovarius, Bob Daisley - Ozzy and Uriah Heep, Marcel Jacob - Talisman and Europe), Malmsteen continues to release album after album (20+ albums that he's been a part of as of 2006)... of which, this "Collection" is just a small sampling. The songs here are great even though most lean toward the commercial side of his catalog... I truly feel you need the whole album experience (or pick up one of his 'live' albums). A great early slow instrumental opener with "Black Star", leading into a quicker instrumental "Far Beyond The Sun" (with nice guitar work and matched keyboards). Small hits for Yngwie are also here - "Heaven Tonight", "You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget", and "Hold On". "Collection" also features two live tracks - the 10-minute "Guitar Solo" and the Hendrix cover "Spanish Castle Magic" (at times, singer Joe Lynn Turner sounds freakishly like Hendrix). First and foremost, this is a guitar album. Up and down, rock/blues/classical shredding...all lightning fast riffs by the legend himself. Looking for a single studio album - try "Rising Force (1984), Trilogy (1986), or "Fire And Ice (1992). Those not familiar with Malmsteen... this is a perfect place to start (4.5 stars).

As a young musician and song writer I look for good guitar and ground shaking lyrics. Some of the lyrics in this album are yet to be desired but the scales and riffs that Yngwie plays are amazing. As a guitarist he is one of the best...ever. If you purchase this CD I promise you will not be dissapointed cause your money will be well spent. This is a very fast, no holds barred, make you wanna buy all of Yngwie's songs CD. All and all it is very acceptable.

They've got some good songs on here, but some of them aren't exactly what I would consider his best. After all, this is supposed to be his *greatest* songs. I can't complain about their choices from Rising Force, but Evil Eye and Icarus' Dream Suite Opus 4 should have been included, IMHO. And what's up with having only one song from Marching Out? I'll See the Light Tonight is a great choice, but Don't Let it End and Soldier Without Faith should be on there too. Good songs from Trilogy, but again, why not more? By all means, I would sacrifice two songs if necessary to include Trilogy Suite Opus 5. Good choices for the representative songs of Odyssey, but where's Riot in the Dungeons? I won't comment on the choices from Trial By Fire and Eclipse, because I don't own those records. I like the songs from Eclipse, though, and also the long solo from Trial By Fire. If you don't already own any Yngwie albums and are thinking about making this your first, I won't discourage you from it, but maybe Rising Force would be a better choice....

Malmsteen emerged from Sweden as the next big thing on electric guitar back in the early 80's. He had a reputation for lightning fast riffs and a huge ego. I always liked some of the things that I heard from Yngwie, but never picked up any of his studio albums. In 2002 I went to see Dio in concert and Yngwie opened for them. I was impressed enough with his performance to pick up this compilation. For fans of Malmsteen this will probably be a rather uninspired collection, but if you are just looking for an overview of the guy's career this one is pretty good. The material here only goes up through the 1990 album "Eclipse" and Malmsteen has recorded numerous albums since that time so this collection is far from complete. The material here is a mix of Malmsteen's neo classical progressive rock guitar instrumentals and vocal singles that recall the glory days of 80's hair metal. Malmsteen's band mates on the albums are practically an all star lineup including Jeff Scott Soto (recently of Journey), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple), Barrymore Barlow (Jethro Tull), Jimmy Bain (Rainbow), Jens Johansson (Stradivarius, Mastermind), and several other noted players. Of course Yngwie's playing is amazing for the most part with plenty of lightning fast solos to sooth any guitar lovers cravings. Some of the vocal tracks are a bit on the cheesy side and how much you can tolerate 80's hair metal will determine how much you like this disc. Overall though, it is a decent collection and a good introduction to Malmsteen's stuff.

A straight cash in job by Polydor trying to squeeze more dollars out of Malmsteen after they dropped him this disc is not, however, without it's merits. Yngwie seemingly had bugger all input regarding this release though the label has sources liner notes from Joe Lalaina of Guitar World magazine to give a bit of a history lesson.

For the newcomer this is probably a darn fine album to buy. They will find out what the fuss is all about and get a feel for the mans music. They can then decide whether to explore further or not and their decision will be helped greatly by two things. Number one is that this album is in chronological order. Secondly that the booklet has full credits in terms of musicians involved AND more importatnly what album each track come from. So if you dig one tune you know what release should be next on your shopping list (or in your shopping car should I say!).

For long time fans this iss less useful after all you probably own everything here but the extended guitar solo version of Making Love. But you may get some use out of the fact that it's a handy collection to have lying around for the car or whatever as it is a good collection of the mans better tracks up to 1991.

Yngwie Malmsteen is consider by many to be one of the greatest guitarist ever. This collection shows that it's true. This has all of his hits, and instrumentals. "I'll See The Light Tonight" is an excellent song. There are many vocalists present including Jeff Scott Soto and Joe Lynn Turner, who are two of the finest vocalist of all time. Fans of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and John Petrucci of Dream Theater will enjoy Yngwie's mind boggling guitar playing.

Yngwie is indisputably one of the world's greatest guitarists and this is a really good collage of his music. Whether it serves as a introduction to his music for someone who knows very little about him or a greatest hits kind of thing for the Yngwie fan to carry around with them when they don't want to carry around all of his albums, this is a good one to buy. I own just about every CD that Yngwie has released, even those from Steeler and Alcatrazz and although a few of my favorites are not on this album, it is an array of songs that gives the listener a real feel for what Yngwie is all about.

Most of the ,Rising Force, cd is in this "Collection," cd. The price is an added bonus. If you refer to the 04/03 issue of, Guitar World, they have Yngwie #3 of the top ten virtuosos. If you've never heard of Yngwie Malmsteen(like me) I Highly Recommend this cd. My very favorite cut is #10, Guitar Solo, (10:20). Hey! The lyrics, the vocals. the percussion, the driving bass and the most excellence in virtuoso rock guitar is kickung all the kool beans on every cut. So, don't hesitate to buy this cd---today! 41/2 stars!

A friend of mine turned me on to this musician and I am so glad I got this CD! Yngwie is one of the best guitar players ever! I highly recommend this CD and love listening to it.