What Happened To Yngwie?

How did it all go pear shaped for Yngwie? Why did he go into such a decline? That's what I'm discussing today. I'm a big Yngwie J Malmsteen fan, but I can't listen to his new albums, which is a shame. But today I discuss how it came to this, and also how I think it was inevitable.
Enjoy!
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[@MrPolevaulter]

Check out HOW Yngwie became so good: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHeVpnmZqL-oac0si=VCf8WAM3ri1rIUES

[@tommyibanez3958]

Live In Leningrad is the ultimate for me- Yngwie at his peak and Joe Lynn Turner

[@pyratoothNL]

Unfortunately it was also why Jens Johanssen left because of all the oveerdubs.

[@rekdinhopoetico]

Great album, but almost everything was changed in the studio, lots of overdubbing.

[@joeylodes]

That was post car crash and his playing wasn’t as insane as it was on the marching out and trilogy tours. Simply wasn’t

[@eden6605]

Joe Lynn Turner co-wrpte his most and best selling album ever! Without a super talented Icon, like JLT, he could never ever repeat such success on his own. What's a shame is that he is forever ungrateful to people who elevated him and helped him on his path! Egotistical narcissist.

[@kazkylheku1221]

Speaking of which, that was riddled with overdubs. Yngwie admitted that himself in some interviews --- and at the time he didn't like that.

[@raelik777]

I think this is honestly spot on, but also, I get the distinct impression that there's also something else happening here. There is a clear decline in the quality of the albums when Yngwie started producing them all himself, and really, I'm talking about the tonal quality. Ignore him doing the vocals and using a shitty drum machine. Even before he started doing that, the mixes become more and more compressed, with a lot of weird harmonics popping out (typically in the higher frequencies). There's only one explanation I can think for this: he's losing his hearing. That shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, he's been performing in front of a whole damn wall of dimed Marshalls for decades. Even if he's wearing plugs (which I've never seen him do), it has to have wrecked his cochlea. I'm sure he hears perfectly well enough to carry conversations and hear what he thinks his music sounds like. But that high-frequency stuff is the first to go, especially when you've got constant tinnitus that you might not even be aware of.

[@jibicusmaximus4827]

yes, as a musician i have observed this many times..

[@neillalchin1595]

A very valid point and strong possibility my friend, you seem to see and feel it all like myself but I have proposed something a little different but equally as terminal in my comment (NA1974), this is mentioned after an accurate assessment and overview of what I know to be facts, strikingly similar to yours my friend, which I appreciate you sharing. You have helped to pave way for understanding about someone and something I, sadly struggle to this day to understand and even come to terms with. I'd be interested to know your thoughts mate, in the meantime take good care, thanks again. NA1974🇬🇧.

[@hrburrell7587]

He still makes albums and is very happy. Watch his interview with Rick Beato. He says he's blessed, loves America and is doing what he loves, sounds like success to me.

[@babaali4410]

Yes! You speak the truth Yngwie Malmsteen is thriving and all the haters trolls are just jealous of his 40 plus year success!

[@RaymondHegnes]

Big Malmsteen fan from Steeler to Alchemy, after that more and more downhill albums. He should really swallow his pride and have a Rising Force reunion with the Odyssey lineup before he and the others gets to old. Joe Lynn Turner on vocals 👌🏻

[@MeTuLHeD]

There is no way he could EVER swallow that much pride.

[@kackdackel9170]

he cant even let his touring band have more than 5% of the stage, i dont think his ego would allow sharing the stage with other accomplished musicians.

[@LeonLandgren-qt9pg]

He has shared the stage with Vai

[@tonytg9099]

Odyssey is imo one of the best rock albums of all time...

[@eden6605]

Yes! Spot on! Joe Lynn Turner was the best thing ever happened to YM. Unfortunately, YM is so ungrateful and insecure about it. Shame... YM could never repeat such success on his own.

[@irmasil3]

Yngwie is the definition of a person who ended up thinking he is more that what he really is. He says it himself.."I see myself as an artist, as a painter, that does everything by himself.."...Yes, but NOPE. He is an exceptional guitar player, a top 5 of all times easily. But thats it. He is no singer, no producer, no engineer, no drummer....And also he has no personal filter to his own work. And that is why, his latest efforts suck. Because there re no proficient musicians in the other "instruments" to elevate the music, and there is no outer filter with an unbiased honest opinion to say: "This sucks.."

[@jasonrichardson8531]

He can't jam with people without blowing his load all over the other artists and that was something that I don't respect. Alow the probability of jamming with appreciation for other music and musicians 😢

[@Folkpunkemojunk]

I'm sure he really cares about your opinion while he's driving his Ferrari to his mansion in Miami.

[@irmasil3]

@@Folkpunkemojunk Im sure he doesn't. However, this does not affect AT ALL the integrity of my opinion, the points being made and the contribution of it to the progression or disintegration of knowledge through discussion around the world. As all opinions do to whatever extend. Similar to YOUR opinion about MY opinion above. Now, go fuck yourself. That's another opinion as well.

[@trevorgwelch7412]

Genius and insanity are two sides of the same coin .

[@burger2229]

@@Folkpunkemojunk lol meat rider

[@alwhitaker1925]

This is an honest video of a genuine Yngwie fan. You said it yourself: without the YM of today we wouldn’t have had the one in the 80. But I think this life pattern is quite common in people with clear genius. It can happen also with other categories. I used to follow a philosopher and his books from the 60s till the 2000s were amazing. From 2000s he jumped to almost unacceptable conclusions. Being original and coherent for a life long time is basically impossibile in people’s career. Aging is so incredibly difficult and problematic. Singers loose the voice. Guitarist loose muscle agility. Philosophers get detached from reality. At high level the candle is burning much faster even in you are a genius.

[@riddarhyttan]

It was such an epiphany hearing him for the first time; the tone, the phrasing, the vibrato - he has a unique voice far beyond the speed, something that many shredders in his wake missed (myself included). I think you're right though, the clear vision he once had has turned into bloody-minded stubbornness which simply doesn't work when he's also stuck creatively. If he got rid of the idea of the lone genius and drew inspiration from making music with all the gifted people he *could* be working with, I'm hopeful we could see him return to form.

[@sinane.y]

"when he's also stuck creatively" maybe he should check out other harmonic scales.

[@garconuncafecalva5992]

I agree 100%. I saw him live in 92 on the Fire & Ice tour. He was so good at the time. Then in 95. He was drinking on stage, overweight, basically a wreck, though the playing was still great. Even when he didn't give a shit ! Saw him also in 98 on the Facing the Animal tour with Mats on keyboards. Great show, and he was in much better shape. Alchemy was a good album too, but after that... Nevertheless, he's a legend. I'm 50 and I'm still having goosebumps when I listen to young Yngwie unleash the fury ! (Serenade, Too Young to Die..., Little Savage, Soldier Without Faith, You Don't Remember..., Dreaming, Bedroom Eyes, Final Curtain, Hair Trigger... etc.)

[@lasyngwieeeiiilarsen7510]

❤😊👍👍👍☝️

[@ggmobi5817]

Let's just be grateful for that.

Man, Fire&Ice was peak Yngwie!

[@dorianponcela9680]

One of the great things about Yngwie is that he was very prolific composing great songs. He wasn't only a virtuoso guitar player, but an amazing composer. That's what really makes him a legend...

[@outofsense]

This could have been written by me. I'm also 50 and still have the goosebumps when listening to his early stuff. For me Facing the Animal was the last great album.

[@DrBuffaloBalls]

The saddest part of listening to newer Yngwie albums is watching fan covers that are played better than the actual track. If old Yngwie was in the studio with young Yngwie, the young Yngwie would tear him a new one for tolerating such sloppy playing.

[@brendanoneil3489]

except many yt guitar channels are multitake record and mime no one ever makes mistakes now!

[@SteveMavronis]

Totally agree with everything you said. I was a mega fan even joined the original fan club, helped moderate his original forum, ran a tribute website Yngwie Malmsteen 100% and Facebook group. Then I had to quit. His early stuff was fantastic. Enjoyed everything up to UTF also. He and the music was always better when he had a full band. Now it’s just the case of the emperor has new clothes and no one makes him see the truth. Go back to your basics pretend you’re a struggling musician and give credit where due. That being said in his last video interview with Rick Beato he was surprisingly humble but he still needs a long look in the mirror to reflect on what made him a success in his heyday and get back to that reality. Yngwie’s music is something I want to love again. Now however, since I play guitar as a hobby for enjoyment, I’m back to my heavy blues rock roots instead of neoclassical non-stop.

[@mikhaelbenjamin7467]

He was humble and thankful for the crowd and really gave us a show . Seen him few months back . Full band small but packed house. Attitude was nice and still for fans sake foes his thing .. 20000 picks thrown at crowd and band mates ..his roadie is the hardest working person at the show .

[@Freawulf]

Really spot on, Steve! 👍

[@chrisdekock8550]

I think you hit the nail on the head. The psychopathology that made him such a force of nature when he arrived on the scene is the very same that has unravelled his legacy in the past twenty odd years. For me the last listenable album he made was facing the animal. Its really a tragedy worthy of Shakespeare and a lesson to us all. I love Yngwie and have done for thirty odd years but now more in a way that one loved Star Trek. Nostalgia and youth. Thanks for your bravery attacking the elephant in the room.

[@jurekwiater]

I do totally agree. Last albums are drenched in echo and too many notes. Please, Fire and Ice, come back ...

[@IbanezFan550]

I'm a HUGE Yngwie fan and have been for 20+ years. I can play loads of his songs, have learned countless solos note for note and honestly rate him as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. My playing is hugely influenced by Yngwie. In his prime he had it all - godly vibrato, tone, phrasing, speed, songwriting and creativity. I would consider his prime as up to and including Facing The Animal/Concerto. After that he seems to have decided to alienate basically everyone he has come into contact with and let his ego run wild. I recently went to see him in London and it is one of the only gigs I have ever walked out of, and I have been to hundreds. It was ridiculous, just utterly ridiculous. Playing as fast as possible with no letup, his band shoved into the corner of the stage. His chops are still there for sure but I simply wasn't able to endure the entire set. Sad

[@Scott__C]

The band shoved in the corner is so odd. Jeff Beck, Santana, hell, even Blackmore doesn't do that because they know the musicians interacting is where it's at.

[@martyndunn6337]

@@Scott__CHis whole band will be performing behind his Marshall stacks in the near future.

[@Scott__C]

@@martyndunn6337 LOL!

[@fadlyhans82]

Suspect a backing track with the latest MacBook Air will be his next band mate. That’s what guitarist like buckethead does. But it still works. Btw, buckethead is also next level. Damn, we have so many guitar heroes still. I’m glad to be alive and make known to these greats!

[@MrClassicmetal]

_Facing the Animal_ is a great album indeed, with the great Cozy Powell on drums. Alchemy has some cool songs, but it doesn't really do it for me. And anything after that is forgettable.

[@DMDvideo10]

I saw Yngwie live in the 90s. He's a beast with the guitar in his hands for sure. But unless you're into his thing it gets old and repetitious fast. Same runs and sweeps start to stick out. He's a one trick pony but it is a hell of a trick!

[@davidepannone6021]

The main issue is that as you said, nobody challenges him. He got in his own bubbled ecosystem and that's how he became a parody of himself. I love yngwie, i picked up the guitar as my main hobby thanks to yngwie (or better, that's when i decided to get my shit together). But seeing how he devolved these past 20 years really saddens me to no end. For me the last listenable album is perpetual burn, that coincidentally is the last album yngwie actually had a singer and a band (altho to be fair, his albums started to sound like shit from the alchemy era and onwards, his last great sounding album is imo facing the animal, which is such an underrated album imo). Then the whole striking down people on youtube debacle happened, and i honestly think yngwie himself has nothing to do with it (you can tell yngwie struggles with technology as the few lives he did on Instagram he didn't even understand how scrolling works lmao and had to have someone from his team there with him helping) and the only one to blame is April (which manages him 360 degrees). All in all, it's a shame really. He truly is the embodiment of the phrase "you are your worst enemy".

[@jasonrichardson8531]

Yes I would say look ingwie get to the trim spa and show him a picture of Elvis Presley. I don't want little savage going out like that ..... Manager get your act together were in the rock and roll hand book does XXL leathers fit in?😢 It's only going to take 6 to 9 months and he will look great thank me later....

[@EmmanueldAuteuil]

Nitpicking: Perpetual Flame is the album you were referring to. Perpetual Burn is one from Jason Becker.

[@MaTtRoSiTy]

The great musicians Yngwie surrounded himself with on the early albums were the cherry on top and I cant imagine Trilogy or Odyssey without Mark Boals or JLT and the Johannsen brothers etc

[@robertanderson1043]

I think part of the problem is that Yngwie never expanded his musicianship. He's playing out of the very same narrow framework he used 30 years ago. And he just did everything you can do in that. Repeatedly jumping up for a bend at the 21st fret, followed by dimished arpeggios followed by a blitz straight down harmonic minor just sounds stale now.

[@martyndunn6337]

Good point. But can’t that be said about most musicians? Once they peaked they all tend to repeat themselves in some kind of way.

[@robertanderson1043]

@@martyndunn6337 Probably. EVH was doing pretty much the same solo spot in the 2010's that he did in 1986 on Live Without A Net.

[@johncruz9357]

You’re writing about YM likes his the only one in that boat!!!!! That’s pretty much every musician out there. The only reason you’re calling out YM is because his still pretty popular.

[@buckbreaker5185]

​@@martyndunn6337not really, no.

[@buckbreaker5185]

​@@johncruz9357no, not really. Allan Holdsworth. Learn.

[@gravelordkyle]

I've heard Yngwie's entire discography several times over and I was in his top 0.01% listeners on Spotify last year I believe, and I pretty much agree with you. I think there's something that's true of just about every artist which is: your end-of-career material will never be as good as your breakthrough material. This is simply because the breakthrough material was revolutionary at its time and everything that follows it will be compared to it and will reference it in one way or another. If you take a band like Megadeth, for example, their latest album "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead" would be considered one of the greatest metal albums of all time if it came out between 1986 and 1991. But it didn't, instead they released "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" and "Rust In Peace" in that time period, both of which ARE considered some of the greatest metal albums of all time. So it's not necessarily that their newer albums are worse, it's just that they're new things assembled with the same old pieces, like when you take apart a LEGO toy after building it for the first time and use the pieces to make something else. This is also true of Yngwie and, much like Megadeth, I believe he did go through good efforts to reinvent himself in the 90s. You have albums that are more symphonic like "Fire & Ice", albums that are more power metal like "Alchemy" and "War To End All Wars", and even some grungier elements in albums like "Facing The Animal" (not to mention the masterpiece that is his concerto). But the 2000s marked the start of an era where these artists from the 80s were living off of veteran fans and none of their new work was getting much attention as it was overshadowed by the rise of metalcore and other new metal genres (you can argue this started in the 90s with grunge, but there were still a lot of people back then who didn't like grunge and continued to listen to the older bands, especially in Europe and Japan). Megadeth also make a lot of questionable albums in the 2000s and 2010s, but they had occasional returns to form with albums such as "United Abominations" and "Endgame", until they convincingly bounced back with their two albums after Kiko Loureiro joined. This is where Yngwie failed: as a purely solo artist who has been distancing himself more and more from other artists, producers or anyone who can give him feedback, he has had zero motivation to reinvent himself in any way. I believe he still enjoys playing, otherwise he wouldn't tour as intensively still, but I wonder if he's lost his passion for composition. Us Yngwie fans know how talented a composer he can be, even if the shredding is what gets your attention first. I can definitely enjoy at least two songs from any of his albums but, much like you, nothing past "Unleash The Fury" is worth listening cover to cover for me, I only do it every now and then to remember the songs. I hope he'll have a change of heart and bless us with at least one more great record before hanging up the axe, with a real vocalist, drummer and producer. But I don't have high hopes.

[@u-kan-laylee6326]

Great balanced video. Very interesting. Elmo, many thanks, I find your words and attitude and playing very inspirational!

[@MrPolevaulter]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@guitarman1016]

When he first hit the scene, he HAD to have a record label and a producer. Because he didn’t have the resources to do it himself. And at the time, you couldn’t do it yourself. No internet. No affordable home recording equipment. So his tenacity was balanced, as you said, by people who knew how to make a record sound good. His mentality is the same as before but now, he CAN do it at home, unfortunately. Well, everything up until 2007 or so is incredible to me and I will always have it to listen to. So I am grateful. What if there had been no Yngwie? I’m so happy to have that music. He has no apologies to make. But I don’t like the new stuff either :) By the way I saw him on the Odyssey tour with JLT in Irvine CA. I have never seen a better show to this day

[@Scott__C]

To me that was the best album.

[@bozeeke]

The biggest problem I have with Yngwie's newer material is that the songs are consisting too much of only classical compositions in the form of long solos that seem to go on and on and on forever. When he's got a song that's based on a great hard rock or metal riff, then adds fast classical fills on top and a regular two minute solo later on, which was his formula on the earlier records, that's when I feel he was at his best.

[@jasonrogers7318]

Wonderful analysis my friend. I miss the early albums as well. Cheers 🍻

[@RickMichaelis63]

Very interesting video Elmo… thank you for sharing.🙏✌️❤️🎶🎵🎼

[@TomShreds]

Love your work Elmo!

[@luisvillarreal5262]

You’re right. His 80’s material was so much better. I saw Yngwie Malmsteen and Rising Force in concert in the early 80’s when they were touring with Talas on their debut album. I got to meet them and got their autographs. R.I.P. Marcel Jacob.(bass player) 🎸🤘🏼👍

[@MrClassicmetal]

Man, I still watch that footage of the Rising Force concert in Japan. That live version of _I'll See the Light Tonight_ is just epic! When you watch and listen to it, it makes you think, "Whoa, Rising Force is one of the best rock bands in the world!"

[@NlCKELODEON]

What in the 80s didn't kick ass! am I right? Music was felt, not just heard!

[@ajnanyc]

@@MrClassicmetal That video was my first introduction to YJM and surged the inspiration to want to play guitar. Unfortunately a lot of that video was overdubbed and had the most annoying visual effects placed during key moments. Nevertheless, a classic.

[@metalhead_1996]

I still put Fire and Ice album on repeat to this day, his early works are such an inspiration, I believe every musician peaks at some point, and then mellows out over time though.

[@ElevatedLevetator]

Eclipse and the album after is INCREDIBLE

[@ElevatedLevetator]

Well the second half of eclipse👍

[@ElevatedLevetator]

Fire and ice is the second

[@juancasas4821]

It was about time someone made a video about this. Completely agree with your vision Elmo!

[@sotiristsallis]

Yesterday i attented an Uli Jon Roth live performance. Best concert i ever watched. ULI re-invented him self a few times. for me he is the best thing ever happened to electric guitar . A true Mystic of Sound. But he evolves. He never stays the same. Most guitarists i know stay the same. Yngwie thinks he is still 25 years old, thats why he becomes a caricature of him self. And i really like Yngwie a lot ..as Blackmore once said, i anticipate something great from him in the next years...well ...i guess we all are...anyway he proved him self and he belongs in the pantheon with the all time greats. He inspired as many as Eddie did..thats a great think to acomplish.

[@2216sammy]

Not even close to inspiring as many as Eddie did .

[@vacantseaofplanets]

Uli is one of the most underrated players in that people don't seem to talk about him enough. Even Yngwie doesn't want to talk about his influence. Not surprising since Yngwie thinks he invented everything lol. Anyway I'd love to see documentaries about Uli. I wish someone could get him to do more interviews, lessons, etc.

[@jackmacdonald1680]

@@vacantseaofplanetsUli Jon Roth is “your favorite guitarist’s favorite guitarist.”

[@Edenwaith17]

I love Uli so much, as a musician, artist, philosopher, and spirit of peace. It's interesting to consider that by the time Yngwie was coming on to the scene, Uli was taking a wide detour with his music with the album Beyond the Astral Skies, which took his guitar playing and style to a much different level.

[@SB-pk6ul]

His album sound production is horrible for more than 15 years.

[@jonasaberg]

Really liked the note you ended on! Very uplifting in this day and age👍🏻

[@elegantwarrior6]

Yes! Been feeling this way for a long time. Last great album was Facing the animal…. His acoustic sounds terrible Ever since he abandoned full body acoustics. He doesn’t Let phrasing Breathe and be dynamic anymore. Full throttle all the time is not appealing to the ear. Listen to his phrasing on everything early on is genious! He will always be my favorite and why I play guitar was because of him, but before facing the animal…

[@Anonymous-si6py]

Elmo, you gave a pretty good summary of Yngwie's past and present. I am also disappointed, yes shocked, at Yngwie's recent releases. The recent recordings are no more than bad demo tapes. He doesn't need all that equipment in his studio if he uses a cheap drum machine. Get a Tascam Porta 04 or a 60's 4-track reel-to-reel. No point having a digital studio if you want your music to sound crap.

[@babaali4410]

I would like to see ELMO's billboard hit LOL

[@Fret-knot]

I saw him back in the day, with Rising Force and Joe Lynn Turner on vocals... Showing my age... 😆

[@guitarman1016]

Me too lol.. in Irvine CA. The Odyssey tour :)

[@CVGuitar]

Cool discussion and video dude 🤘

[@rocknrollrebel]

Right on. Totally agree with everything you've said. I just subscribed and happy to make your channel grow.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Thanks 😊

[@rhgw907]

It´s always so awesome looking at the Alcatrazz live from -84, seeing that guy owning the stage, knowing he hasn´t even turned 21 there…😎

[@espenstoro]

After decades of bridge burning, it's no surprise he's become a has-been. The biography (not the one he put out himself as a response, the other one with over 50 interviewees, former band members, exes and others) paints a pretty clear picture. He made this happen singlehandedly.

[@4GuitarTrance]

Maybe he's getting older and trying to reinvent himself. He should just stick to the formula he's always excelled at... he can't beat that. Also, Yngwie has played near wide-open 100 w Marshall's for so long, maybe his hearing has suffered as a result and he doesn't realize it. Time does strange things to people when aging starts setting in... tends to change one's perspective in ways many don't realize. Yngwie Malmsteen... one of the best guitarists ever! What can one say against that? I hate time, and what happens to many people when they start aging. We can never go back to our 20's and 30's... yet many people want just that and are never able to shake it and change with the inevitable. Life is very sad, even tragic at times. It is the universe in which we live! Aging pretty much sucks... in so MANY ways!

[@davidpapendorf6764]

One of the greatest talents of all time gone to the dogs. A massive fall from grace. So disappointing! After reading the story of his life " As above so below" I am not surprised that he now does everything alone. A narcissist and a bully who treated most of his band members terribly over the years. Arrogant and appalling. He cannot take criticism and cannot work with others. It is hard to believe that someone so musically gifted can accept the rubbish he puts out now. Bad songs with embarrassingly bad mixes and productions. A bit of maturity and self reflection may have got him back on track a few years ago but that isn't going to happen now. What a shame!

[@ThisOldGuy3]

I think you hit the nail on the head. I prefer to remember Yngwie as he was in his prime and not for what he is and does now.🤘😎🎸

[@corybarnes2341]

He still plays great, but no hits. Eddie vanHalen played great and had hits....

[@dragan4658]

Very good and valid points you made about Yngwei not willing to compromise which made him but is also brings his decline, however its time for a change in order to continue being an icon that he is.

[@lousu5966]

Good video, I really loved the live clips that he did with Alcatraz … I missed the young Yngwie.

[@unbeardless]

I remember the exact first heard Yngwie. My Gma won a Tele signed by Mellencamp off of the radio and mailed it to me when I was 13. We were on a family trip to the beach, and my dad put in the Odyssey cassette and we listened to the whole thing, both sides. I had never been in such awe or had so many shivers. Truly an experiance & inspiration I'll never forget!

[@dragan4658]

"pffft.....nooo" lol. Love when you said that about Yngwei singing his own songs. Classic! Cheers!

[@MrNSFC]

Have been a fan since Jeff Scott Soto, Joe Lynn Turner, Mark Boals, Mats Leven, Mike Vescera and Goran Edman days. Really loved every single track of his. Hell, even watched him twice in concert and once one on one during a fan meet up. He is coming again to my country, Singapore in May. But sadly, I won't be going!! Yngvie is now a wash up with no proper band. I am very sad indeed.

[@daniellarson3068]

Do I sense a certain feeling of lost nostalgia in this rant? I'm no musician, but have seen that many musicians change with time. Some for the better and some for the worse. This reminds me of a song they played when I was young. The singer has died some years ago now. I didn't understand the lyrics as a kid. Somewhere I read an interview about the song. The singer was tired of putting on concerts and the fans just wanting his old stuff. So he put this one line in the lyrics of this song: But if memories were all I sang I'd rather drive a truck The only thing truly permanent is change. Thanks Elmo.

[@mortencarlsson2719]

I actually read an interview, where he described how unhappy he was with the production on the album "War to end all wars", and maybe that's where he came to think about doing the production himself. I was a huge Yngwie fan, but Attack was the last album I bought. Really nice video man. Loved your thoughts on the topic.

[@tasteapiana]

This is one of the most refreshing videos I have seen on KZbin in a very long time. Honestly, it doesn't surprise me that it was you who made it, as you seem very NOT bought in to the commercial guitar script that so many other presenters here subscribe to (ie hawking products and too scared of controversy which might unsettle viewers). That said, you are spot on about Yngwie sliding down the same slope that has taken many guitar heroes from artistic visionaries to blind Napoleonic despots of weirdness. My personal take on him is he began to realize that he, himself, has become the instrument... a thing to be used to construct something by another. That freaked him out and so he has been struggling to keep ''control'' over it artistically. If he did have 100% faith in his abilities he could easily shop the vision aspects out to someone like Lee Ritenour, who could literally restart his career in all the ways that he claims he wants it to restart; with a live sound and a large enough stylistic landscape which he could then fill with his wildest ever explorations. That, I feel, is the only thing that can save him. Ritenour might seem like a random choice but look closer at what he has to offer - from the perspective of bringing in drummers, keys, horns, strings, rhythm sections from all around the world, engineers (some of THE very best ever), and his ability to produce lead and/or backing vocals in any style. Plus, I'm sure Lee is a fan, at a level few of us can truly appreciate, who wouldn't run the risk of letting Yngwie's audience down or Yngwie himself.

[@nigelp5054]

Great channel Elmo, I think you are bang on the money, no producer means that there is no one "external" to him holding him to account and challenging his approach and output. Yngwie clearly has always had his direction and his focus, it is not serving him well these days - shredding is not appreciated or desired as it once was and there is a massive market of metal music out there with excellent guitar work and vocals. Sure he can rip it up on a guitar, but if that is all layered over a basic drum machine, rudimentary bass and more miss than hit vocals, then it is never going to do the song justice. I mean, we all get it, he is a highly proficient guitarist and has inspired many a guitarist, hugely influential, and has written some truly incredible music. No one disputes what he has done and what he has contributed to music in the past, he just lacks the polish of the final product with his new release. Yngwie has always seemed somewhat "high maintenance" and I imagine that has an effect on the aspect of other artist collaborations maybe even session musicians and he has ended up surrounded, or I guess the better word is isolated, by "yes men" types or decisions.

[@michaelkarlsson5966]

I agree! I think that his playing is great and I don't think that shred or other high level musicianship is gone in the world, it has it's place (plays ;) ) and it's audience. The challenge for Yngwie, in my opinion, is to break out of his comfort zone and surround himself with great players and producers again. He can still make his demo recordings at home... then go to a real studio, play with real musicians AND hopefully start to make proper songs again.

[@corybarnes2341]

I worked with a guy named Steve Thompson who had worked with Guns and Roses, Metallica and many others. He did an Yngwie album and said he was the worst artist he had worked with in terms of interpersonal stuff. He had worked with Jeff Beck as well and considered him one of the greatest he had ever worked with.

[@iceWaterProductions1]

Call Ander, Jens, Jeff, and get Jeff Glixman to produce.

[@DaveWestGuitar]

Very fair truthful stuff. Not many people see it as clearly as you do Elmo. 👍

[@MrPolevaulter]

Cheers!

[@babaali4410]

jealous / Troll ELMO who can only make a video about Yngwie Malmsteen's name to get views LOL

[@michaelgarcia2050]

"no producer" - that's the problem. Nobody to tell him when it's sh*t.

[@Bowietrope]

Elmo the mighty!! Yngwie has always been a great guitarist, who obviously has incredible discipline and challenged himself at an early age to play with excellence. Where I feel he hasn't challenged himself is with his songwriting, his brand of neo classical rock became tedious for me after a while and even though he's done some great blues, the music I've heard always seems to be in a minor key to justify that harmonic minor scale on too many of his songs. When I first read interviews of him I remember him boasting that he didn't use pentatonic licks like so many other rock players did, the effect it had on me was to leave me starving for him to play pentatonic and blues licks just to get the music to sound like rock again, plus I knew he would play them amazingly well! I've always been much more impressed with Eddie Van Halen, his ability to write truly memorable songs and incorporate so many different and unexpected sounds into his playing.

[@Stitsel]

This is why Blackmore is so great; he can do the Neo-Classical thing ( hell he pioneered it ) but he always tempered it with the blues and other ethnic influences. Nothing wrong with pentatonic if it's done tastefully and imaginatively. Also, if it's not the exclusive scale being employed. Plus still playing ROCK is important, good memorable riffs and simplicity, are what makes a great song, not some speed demon showing off how well they can shred the fretboard.

[@rogeralburn2450]

Agreed. And his appearances on Derek Sherinian's albums show how good YJM can be as a contributor with another artist. He really showcased Tim R. Owens' voice on Perpetual Flame. I haven't seen him live since the aughts, but he was a superb showman, too. I always wished he would go 'way outside the box and try jazz, or Wagner, or anything, really. He was the greatest.

[@possiblequest]

I'm not sure if my first listen was alcatraz or stealer in the early 80s(then 1st rising force melted my brain cells)i was in awe by his playing for about the first 10 years...long story short he should get back to his Family that is Soto or Turner & the Johanson bro's ...imao that reunion would be an Explosive Something Else,he owes that to all his fans who supported him over the many years and to those ex band mates, but I think his cement head would not accept that...im still hoping though and I believe he will sell way more than of what he is doing now.

[@micowikstrom7182]

Yngwie's productive saga was very short (1984-88) compared to his idol Blackmore's (1969-2000). Yet he's like Bach in his own mind. It's hard to be humble & heavy at the same time.

[@matsnilson7727]

I agree with pretty much everything you say here. His career choices in the last ten years or so (maybe longer - I haven't really been keeping track) have been quite hard to understand, but what you say is probably the truth. He's become a victim of himself. What elevated him to greatness in the first place is also what now brings him down, and people that could possibly challenge some of his modern day decisions are nowhere to be found, because he doesn't want anyone around for that. I'll always respect Yngwie for his fantastic early work - the albums, the playing, the tone - but these days I'm really not finding much in his music to keep my interest. It's probably not all Yngwies fault though. I don't find myself as interested in shred based music these days, no matter who's doing the shredding. I was waiting for him to try something drastically different all the way back in the early 90s, hoping to see him take some risks and apply his undeniable guitar talent to some totally unexpected projects, but in hindsight I was obviously incredibly naive to have such ideas. And, no, I don't consider that symphonic thing he did to be a big enough step away from his comfort zone. Maybe not a step away at all really.

[@markussigfridsson]

Great analysis. No album beats Fire & Ice I think, but that is also the first album I got. That whole album is so well arranged and produced.

[@PeteWylde-en7ew]

Great video man, honesty goes a long way. I first geared Yngwie after i was already introduced to Gary Moore in the early 80s. Yngwies playing blew me out the window, two completely different players but i loved them both. I don't think anyone can handle the task of being the main character of all roles that is needed for the creation of a good album. It's sad that Yngwie is doing vocals on his own, i heard him sing on demos from the 80s before his first solo album and he sounded like crap even back then. In the end i don't think anyone can make him change his mind and bring in pro musicians to record and tour with him, not even himself.

[@oldguyjammin9732]

He quit collaborating with “a band” - The days of Vescera, Sparks, Terrana RULED \m/ I do appreciate that he’s still doing what he loves rather than holed up, drunk and miserable.

[@The_Macaroon]

Your absolutely right after Odyssey it's been rubbish, or probably as I stopped listening. Still think hes fantastic and good luck to him he seems to be enjoying life. But creatively he's done. Still a legend

[@fadlyhans82]

I don’t know why but he is still one of my guitar heroes. My reference too. He did change the music industry with his songs and playing. Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting Mr Yngwie Johan Malmsteen!!!

[@babaali4410]

Love it man Yngwie Malmsteen is my number one Hero screw the haters.

[@friedrudibega6384]

He’s trying to save money with the drum machine and his singing. I still listen to Rising Force a couple times a month. It’s a perfect record.

[@marcdeschryver7687]

I think you’re absolutely right. He’s a great guitarist but, he’s become hos own biggest enemy. He’s always had a big ego. My cousin in Sweden was a neighbour for a while and told me that Yngwie could be a real jerk, arriving at his house, making a lot of noise, disturbing neighbours and being very rude to them. Having said that, I do love his older work up until and including Eclipse. After that, at least for me, it went downhill. I gave a few albums after Eclipse a chance but finally stop buying them as he had lost the spark. (Again…just my personal view) I did see a video some,time ago, here on KZbin where he was playing alone on a stage with the rest of the music being played back from a computer I guess. I thought how sad that someone that great would end up doing this. It felt like one of those once great artists (actor, comedian, magician,…) ending up performing in old peoples homes. So sad.

[@kazkylheku1221]

Yngwie was never the same after the car crash in 1987. By the time I started following Yngwie's music in around 1988, that had already happened. I knew about the guy from guitar magazines but never got hands on the material. I was at some drummer's house, who played Marching Out. I got my stuff on as much Yngwie stuff as I could get. I could see there was a difference in the Odyssey album in the way he picked notes, and eventually I learned about the car crash. I listened to Yngwie well into the nineties. I followed the album releases: Live in Leningrad, Eclipse, Seventh Sign, Magnum Opus, FTA, ... eventually I probably got Yngwie fatigue or something. Already that stuff was not the same like Marching out or Trilogy. As of today, I've not heard any new Yngwie stuff since around that time. Except in 2003 or so, I saw him with G3: Satriani, Vai. He was awesome. It was because of Yngwie that they were able to pull of the "Rockin' in The Free World" song. Yngwie held that tune together and knew how to solo over it intelligently, and sing.

[@sole__doubt]

The worst part is that now hes a regular nice guy which really ruins the rockstar mystique he cultivated for decades. He went from being bigger than life to being a nice guy who can shred.

[@martyndunn6337]

It was an act. A hungry young guy from Sweden copying Blackmore‘s appearance, look, outfit and behavior.

[@franksamyn8962]

Like he said on the fire & ice album : I’m My Own Enemy

[@rev.leonidasw.smiley6300]

Great show Elmo, great topic, and I too am confused by Mr. Malmstein’s approach to production; I too think that he needs an expert producer.

[@jnixo9900]

love the channel mate. Whats the chances of doing a video on a solid state amp that is small enough for home but loud enough to gig with that you think sounds good. Could you also address how often tubes realistically need changing and servicing. Its the reason why I havent really bought a tube amp. The pressure is on....lol

[@OgamiItto70]

There are two answers to the question of tubes. Power tubes' service life is extremely dependent on how hard you run them, so it's kind of impossible to say how long they're going to last. If you're worried about it, buy a spare set and have them on hand. Preamp tubes, on the other hand, have service lives measured in tens of thousands of hours. So long as they were competently made and your amp isn't overheating them or otherwise eating them up somehow they should last for years and years. The only reason to change them beforetime would be for tonal purposes or because one or more have become microphonic.

[@jnixo9900]

@tto70 thnks for that. I was under the impression they always need servicing and if you change the tubes they have to be biased etc?

[@OgamiItto70]

@@jnixo9900 New power tubes should work as soon as you plug them in. Biasing is icing on the cake. You _should_ do it or get it done, it can extend the life of your tubes, but it's not necessary to get up and running.

[@TimHolman]

Very interesting to hear your thoughts on Malmsteen. I agree with you. I was an avid Yngwie listener and owe a lot of my guitar development to him and the style he spawned. I stopped listening when I just couldn't take the low production quality anymore.

[@twy6280]

Spot on analysis. I only really listen to the 1st 4 albums, but quite like Inspiration and Eclipse. Saw him live recently - the previous time was the Eclipse tour - and it was a good gig. I guess as long as he's happy with his current situation, that's the main thing.

[@MrPolevaulter]

Absolutely.

[@kamaboko1]

It comes down to dollars and cents. He just wants to make more money. If he has to pay a professional drummer, bass player, producer, engineer, etc., that’s just money out of his pocket. And in his mind, he thinks he can do all of those jobs better. That’s where he is wrong.

[@silvaanosvs8783]

Very well thought out, and I agree completely. It's a bit of a conundrum. I can quite get along with the last one - Parabellum - although it's no Eclipse. The drum sound is much better than it has been lately. It also sounds like he has played the drums on an electric kit and done studio magic to it later. It just sounds less programmed. I could be wrong, but I am usually fairly good at recognizing typical programmed drumming. Hits and rolls that you just do on a machine, sort of.

[@therealandrecorbin4050]

His band was great with the Johansen brothers. Rising Force is the best record I have heard from him still. God bless him for it.

About time someone said something. I pointed this out on his official Facebook and got blocked 🤣 I think Attack is his last good album.

[@Giomalmsteen]

Funny hearing Razor Eater live, it has a weird jazz feel to it, he played in on axes and anchors cruise. That album has good heavy tone though, he said it was mic placement

[@Scott__C]

His wife must just constantly look for stuff to block.

[@babaali4410]

Blaming his wife?!? Nah I think she probably has better things to do. Do you like women or men?@@Scott__C

[@patriksandahl4052]

I think everything upto and including "Inspiration" was great (or at least very good). After that something happened. I like the albums "Attack" and "Unleash the Fury" though.

[@grishyroy9271]

Elmo really knows how to deliver the goods. I think you nailed it all in your comments - the good and the bad.

[@williamsats9327]

I can talk for hours about Yngwie and his work but since I can only comment in few lines I'll tell you that I totally agree with you except the part of mentality. His mentality and his approach to music was way different back when he started and up until the late 90s early 00s. I believe he change the way he sees things just because he was trying to keep HIS reputation up instead of "Band's" reputation, even when he said "Rising Force" was and is MY band, this doesn't not separate him from a group of people called "Band" and so the result back then was collective and not individual and that collective thing was the reason he/they had better songs/albums than now. Of course he still is my No2 guitar player (thousands of miles behind Uli J. Roth, my No1) and one of the reason I became musician and guitar player and I truly respect him. BUT he has to take few steps back and he must think deeply and realize how he got here and what brought him here. He needs to understand that he can't throw away everything that made him. ...just for the sake of his loyal fans...

[@dominiko5780]

i have to agree that the new albums are not the best but on november i saw him live in milan and with the real drums and good singer (the keyboard player was singing the metal songs) it was a very unforgettable show and as an huge yngwie fan one of the best days of my life

[@babaali4410]

YES!!!! The BEST YNGWIE MALMSTEEN IS NUMBER ONE FOR ME Screw the HATERS!

[@richey_rock]

I just saw him in concert in my home town a few months ago. Great show. He's still got the chops.

[@Scott__C]

Except the band is so far in back, no drum riser, it's like he hates having them there, except only a small amount would come out for no band.

[@babaali4410]

He is a solo artist what is to you people go to see him not the band you want to see a band go watch a BAND Not a solo artist!@@Scott__C

[@Dami1rush]

Hi! Do you think you could do a video with the new Prs se ce standard satin next?! I'd like to know how does it sounds with extreme whammy bar effect. Maybe too much strident, not warm enough..

[@MrPolevaulter]

Haven't thought about it. Might do at some point, but not in the near future. Sorry.

[@daveromick1]

Love your take on this.

[@huntergatherer4223]

Yngwie has always been his own worst enemy.

[@danmar007]

The same that happened to me: he grew older. 😅

[@rhgw907]

He’s not talking about ageing. Yngwie’s been taking horrible decisions about his production for 20 years now. Age is still not a problem, ability is sharp.

[@MikahEternal]

What happened to Yngwie? April. Period

[@RothBeyondTheGrave]

That doesn't have to change anything! Rock til you drop & if your neck hurts from headbanging, just remember to stretch next time!! 😂 Seriously, I know what you mean. I'm 42 now, but my stuff is always getting more refined, heavier, faster, more technical in a mature way, etc because I'll never stop pushing myself. You can keep going up! Just maybe more sleep in between it all!

[@danmar007]

@@rhgw907 Ah, I see. Thanks for clearing that up.

[@martyndunn6337]

@@MikahEternalThat’s the reason his tours are mainly in America. He hasn’t toured Germany for ages.

[@AceGibson1959]

Well good video. What made Yngwie so great is what also destroyed him. That is true of a lot of people. Sucess can be a double edged sword. What makes you so great, are the same things that will bring you down.

[@chrisyoung1807]

This is probably one of the most accurate analysis of Yngwie's playing on KZbin. I agree 100%, especially about the quality of his recent recordings. If he had an actual producer to tell him how awful they sound, and actually listen to him, we might hear something worth listening to. At least he has an entire catalog of material to pick from.

[@maxwellbowden9961]

Yeah, he can play. But what was the name of that last album again? I dont know either 😢

[@Giomalmsteen]

Blue Jean Blues is a cool song minus the lyrics and singing. He had some feeling in the playing , instead of the same legatos, decending chromatic, or string bend consisting of the same notes. Its way way better than Cherokee Warrior

[@babaali4410]

Last album for your education purpose Parabellum went straight to 87 on billboard charts.

[@bitdevice]

@@babaali4410 It's not, last album is Parabellum and is quite insane.

[@guitaratfourty]

Rick Beato interview clears alot about Yngwie.

[@maicburkhardt6548]

Not really. Rick never goes where it hurts.

[@sole__doubt]

I cant stand that interview. Yngwie being all polite and nice like a regular person is the complete opposite of what I want to see from a bigger than life rock star. Hes now just a regular guy who can really shred.

[@Scott__C]

@@maicburkhardt6548 Beato's all about Beato. Did he try to sell Yngwie his book?

[@Scott__C]

@@sole__doubt Most of his attitude interviews back in the day were just performative - acting like he'd never heard of Hendrix or Beck etc.

[@Lomni]

Him saying "I'm not sweeping" when he clearly is sweeping is just classic Yngwie. He's so full of shit and has built up this weird persona that makes no sense, which he is now compelled to maintain in order to have a degree of relevance.

[@Foxtrot1989]

I LOVE, and I stress LOVE your philosophic analysis! It is TRUE, like a devine contradiction, only thing is that it actually is what made him so distinct to begin with. The proverbial serpent eating it's own tail ( pardon the pun with the esoteric reference). I find this inspiring, especially in a era where people en masse capitulate so shamelessly at the price of their souls even! I do not miss your key lesson to learn from, man, and that is to find someone to challenge your ideas! And be appreciative for such counter-opinions when it best suffices.

[@xmoose9]

I'm 100% with you sir! Always loved Yngwie he was one of the biggest reasons I picked up a guitar to play and continued to get back to it and getting better. I still think he's the greatest e-guitarist ever overall and for me it's aswell his peak was 90s and I certainly loved the Attack!! album cause I heard it first out of everything YJM did, it was 2002 when it came out, and the last listenable and enjoyable for me is Unleash the Fury and very fast downwards from that moment on. That's sad but it's also amazing that we had all those amazing albums and beautiful music from him at that long period of time.

[@OgamiItto70]

"...And he became huge..." Yes, he did. (Hee-hee!) Your point about his mentality being why he became the iconic guitarist that he did also being why he's gone off the rails is...um...on point! (Actually, I hate that "on point" slang. I guess it's better than "leet" or "on fleek," though. Maybe.) This is something I've ruminated on: quite often one's strength is one's weakness. I personally noticed it in relation to talent. Musicians with talent would advance quickly, sometimes quite far, only to suddenly seemingly run into a wall while someone else with less talent who didn't get better as fast would surpass them. My mental nickname for it was "The Talent Trap." The talented individual would quickly reach great attainments and then get stymied for further advancement while the less-talented individual would pass them by because the less-talented was _required_ to deal with a more difficult problem than the more-talented, and had developed strategies to deal with it: self-discipline, scheduling, little practice and learning "hacks," etc., that the more-talented one never had to develop. Talent can take you far, but only _so_ far. I'll say this for Yngwie, though. All the bad-rapping about him that I've heard was from other musicians. On the other hand, all of the stories I've heard about him in relation to fans or the general public have been positive. Well, except for the "now you've unleashed the fury!" incident.

[@TheRichie213]

Trilogy is my favorite Malmsteen album.

[@iceWaterProductions1]

He’s band now we’re all tussled up from the neighborhood bar down the street from his liquor store. There’s a 3x3 box taped off on the stage where the bassist has to stay within.

[@Arnoldcardon]

I’ve heard him play the Blues a couple times and was shocked how good he sounded, with what everyone is saying here maybe that would be a change and boost in his career, he wouldn’t have to abandon his main forte but expand on his genre capabilities, kind of like Jeff Beck, we’ve all heard Beck play all the styles throughout the years, when you saw him, you saw Beck and whatever he was playing that night, no expectations of a particular playing style or genre, always something new and exciting happening live, I think we need a killer Blues album from Yngwie ( with a band)

[@larswillsen]

I'm definitely a great Yngwie fan .. Rising force as the most surprising and Odyssey the best .. you are right, there's something with the sound, but hey .. thats his call :-)

[@itsjohnnymillion]

I could not agree more on all points.

[@Lusth4u]

Hi Elmo i feel the same , been a fan of Yjm since th 80's. As a guitarist the album i think is the most challanged is War to end all wars. Still my favorit to get me going up n down the fretboard.

[@petriseppala8669]

I couldn´t agree you more about the overall sound of his newer records😔