Never Die — A Conversation with Yngwie J. Malmsteen

Yngwie J. Malmsteen is a legend. A trendsetter whose unique neo-classical guitar style marked the beginning of an era — the birth of shred! Throughout the years, Yngwie has released critically acclaimed albums, has been nominated and has won numerous music awards, has influenced the style of an army of guitar players, has played for hundreds of thousands of people, and has pretty much conquered the world. His Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar And Orchestra is nothing short of brilliant and it shows a different side of The Maestro's immense talents.

Now, as he embarks on his biggest U.S. tour (with Dio and Doro Pesch) in years, things are really looking up for Yngwie. He has signed a deal with Spitfire Records to not only release his latest CD, War To End All Wars, but to also release his previously unavailable back catalogue. He has a fresh new singer in Jorn Lande (Vagabond/Millenium), and he is set to conquer the one market that has eluded him throughout the years: the U.S.

As I receive warm greetings from an upbeat Yngwie, our conversation begins...

HoS: Great to talk to you Yngwie! How are you?
YJM: Great! Busy, busy... You're my fourth interview today.

HoS: Wow! You must be going nuts.
YJM: Yeah, Spitfire's working me hard.

HoS: Well that's good, I've seen a lot of press coverage on you lately.
YJM: Yeah...

HoS: What happened with Mark Boals?
YJM: Ahhhh... Stuff like that happens, you know? Everybody has different opinions about things and if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out, it's no big deal.

HoS: Were you happy with his performance on War to End All Wars?
YJM: Yeah. I think he's a great singer. We just had some differences and it's not a big deal. Things happen.(Laughs)

HoS: Was Jorn Lande your first choice to replace him?
YJM: Yes.

HoS: On your new tour, will the set be more instrumental or more vocal?
YJM: The first few shows will be instrumental, but once the album is out, we'll be doing a lot from the new album, I don't like to start playing too much from the new album before it's out. It'll be out in a couple of weeks. (It was released on 11/21/2000 -Editor)

HoS: I've actually heard it, it's great! I really like "Crucify."
YJM: Oh, thank you. I think that's the single, I'm not sure.

HoS: It's different.
YJM: It's very different! Yeah, I like that, it's got a groovy edge and at the same time it stops and things happen. It's like a little journey. In the first few shows I'm going to concentrate a little more on the older material and then gradually keep building more new. Because we've been in rehearsals for over a week and I've taught the band a bunch of songs so we can swap and change each night.

HoS: Excellent! How long of a set is your band doing?
YJM: About an hour.

HoS: Any chance of you getting up and doing a song with Ronnie Dio?
YJM: Well, I haven't talked to him yet. We've known each other for a long time and I have played with him on stage before. And if he's up for it then, you know, I'll do it, no problem. We'll see...

HoS: Did you consider re-hiring Mats Leven? From what I've read he seems to be very popular with your fans.
YJM: He is?

HoS: Yeah...
YJM: I didn't know that. (Laughs)

HoS: Well from what I've read in fan newsboards and websites, people really liked him. Personally, I liked him a lot, I mean Facing The Animal, I thought, was brilliant.
YJM: Thank You.

HoS: You didn't consider hiring him again?
YJM: No... Actually, he never even came to mind.

HoS: Wow. 'Cause I can really hear him doing some of the songs on War To End All Wars.
YJM: Yeah.

HoS: Let's talk Facing The Animal. How do you feel about that record?
YJM: I think it's a good record. Obviously, the drumming's great, it's got the God of drumming (the late Cozy Powell), I mean he's my biggest drum hero since I was 10 years old or something, so that was an honor first of all. But, I think the album is a good album, but I think it's a little confused. It sounds just a little bit confused. It doesn't have a focus direction, because one minute it's very, very heavy and the next minute it's very, very light. And it's good to vary on one album, sure, I always want to do that, I still do that, but I think... I mean, I'm not saying it's a bad album at all, it's just that it felt a little fake.

HoS: What do you think hurt you in the U.S? 'Cause I mean, when I heard that album I said "Wow, here he comes again..."
YJM: Yeah, but it didn't happen did it? (Laughs)

HoS: Well, I blame the record label, they weren't doing anything. What do you think?
YJM: I agree. Look at what Spitfire's doing now...

HoS: How does War To End All Wars stand up when compared to your classic material?
YJM: Well I personally think it's the best one. I think that what's really good about this album is that it's powerful sounding. It's very bombastic, you know? Which is really what my music's all about. Plus the guitar playing, you know... (Makes shredding guitar sounds) (Laughs)

HoS: (Laughs)
YJM: So I think it's a very good representation of what I'm all about, really. And lyrically, I'm very happy too, I mean I wrote all the lyrics.

HoS: Speaking of the lyrics, I'm a father and...
YJM: Well then you know what I'm talking about.

HoS: I do. I was very moved by "Miracle Of Life" when I first heard it. Has Antonio and parenthood changed your life?
YJM: Yeah, you know how that is. You feel sort of the same, but yet you're not. Now there's something else in your life and you can never go away from it. It's impossible to describe it, I think you know what I mean.

HoS: I know exactly what you mean. How is Antonio?
YJM: He's great!

HoS: Is he shredding yet?
YJM: Yeah (Laughs). He's got the guitars, he's got a Marshall Stack. Expect two tunes in about eight months.

HoS: (Laughs) Wow. He looks exactly like you.
YJM: Yeah I know...

HoS: It's like a miniature Yngwie...
YJM: Even more now than on the pictures on the net. Now he's grown up a little more, he's a boy, he's not a baby. It's amazing.

HoS: Yeah it is! I've always found your music to be very honest and somewhat of a reflection on the current events in your life. Am I correct in making that assessment?
YJM: I think that in some albums maybe more than others. This new album is a very personal album, you know. Lyrically and all, there's a lot of personal things on this. On some of the other albums it doesn't really, because I wasn't really involved with the lyrics that much. To me, even though the lyrics were as important as the music to me, the lyrics in those albums are obviously not so close to my heart. But the ones that I do write the lyrics to, they always mean a little more.

HoS: Do you have a favorite song?
YJM: On the new album?

HoS: Overall, throughout your career...
YJM: Oh right (Laughs), it's hard to tell, I can't just pick them out like that...

HoS: The Concerto...
YJM: Yes!

HoS: It just came out in the U.S., are you going to pursue promoting that?
YJM: Yes, what I'm going to do is I have 3 concerts in Tokyo that are booked for that one. The thing is that to book for the orchestras is very hard, since they take so long, you know? But I would love to see if we can get some airplay on it, 'cause out of all the albums, that is one that stands on its own...

HoS: It's brilliant.
YJM: Oh, Thank you. It's a different thing, I deliberately went out on a limb on that one. And I have been composing some more material like that.

HoS: Really?
YJM: Yeah

HoS: So we may look forward to other Concertos?
YJM: Of course...

HoS: Great! I heard rumors of a Live DVD of the Japan Concerto tour with you and the Orchestra, is that going to happen?
YJM: Yeah! I'm gonna make sure it does happen.

HoS: You put out the Video Collection on DVD in Japan...
YJM: In Japan, yes, the Pony Canyon Videos...

HoS: Is that going to come out in the U.S.?
YJM: I don't know. I'll see... They're actually not very good videos, that's the problem.

HoS: Yeah, but I think all your fans would want to see your videos on DVD, even though you may think they're cheesy or what not, they're a part of your history...
YJM: I'll have a word with Spitfire and see what they say about it.

HoS: As a fan, the videos take you back to a certain time of your life, fond memories for most.
YJM: Yeah, it's just that I never liked any of my videos, I think they all came out cheesy. That's where the weakest link is you know, I never had a good video. (Laughs)

HoS: (Laughs) Ok.
YJM: Maybe "Heaven Tonight" is pretty good. That's about it though. All the other ones are like, duh...(Laughs)

HoS: (Laughs) How was that era? How was working with Joe Lynn Turner?
YJM: It was alright. It was kind of turbulent, you know? We're both very intense people, and at the time we were crazy, and there was a lot of shit involved, but it was cool.

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