Interview

Yngwie Malmsteen

Yngwie Malmsteen will be playing at Peabody's in Cleveland on March 27th with Lynch Mob opening. This will be a great show and one that you should not miss. The following is an interview conducted with Yngwie recently. Thanks to Jeff Kilgour for setting this up.

Amir: Hi Yngwie, how are you doing and what is going on with you?

Yngwie: I am actually in the studio recording a new album and will be heading out on a tour of the US soon in support of the “Attack” album that came out a few months ago. We just got signed to Sony/Epic but in the interim I don’t like to sit around so my drummer Patrick and myself are laying down tracks for another new album and it is going to be very groovy.

A: The Attack album came out a few months ago correct?

Y: Yes it came out in Japan and Europe and we have already toured those countries but since we just got picked up by Sony/Epic we will be heading out on a US tour. It will be a House Of Blues tour of mid-size to smaller venues.

A: You have always had a huge following in Japan whereas in the US your style of music or just heavy metal has been in a bit of a decline.

Y: Actually the metal scene is making a comeback for sure but ten years ago it was dark ages for music. I didnt like any of the stuff that was coming out. I always had a strong fan base and following in South America and Japan and Europe. Really everywhere but in the US the support was there and I was doing good. I mean in Japan if my albums don’t go platinum there is a problem and don’t get me wrong but in the US I have great fans but it is just that on the surface you can’t tell because it is not mainstream and the media does not support my style but now with bands like Evanescence coming out things are turning around. It is a beginning of things to come. People want to have good music.

A: Tell me who your early influences were?

Y: When I was 8 years old I got Deep Purple’s Fireball album as a birthday gift from my sister and from then on I was never the same.

A: At what age did you start playing guitar?

Y: I actually started playing the guitar at the age of 5.

A: Did you have a formal or classical training?

Y: Yes I did for the most part because I grew up in a family where my ants and uncles were opera singers and my brothers and sisters played violin and cello so classical just came naturally to me. Jazz is also a huge influence in Europe and Scandinavia where I grew up and as for formal training, I didnt have one.

A: You have always had a reputation of being difficult to work with. What do you have to say in defense of that?

Y: (Laughter) It is actually a case of being misunderstood. (Pauses) If you look at a painting by Leonardo Da Vinci, or Michaelangelo or Rembrandt they painted the foreground, the background, they painted the sky, clouds and you know everything and it was THEIR work. If you listen to Vivaldi or Bach or Tchaikovsky, they composed the cello parts, the violin, the bass parts, the alto, the choir parts and everything. In rock and roll however this is not a common practice but there is a dude that does that and I am that dude.

A: I like that answer.

Y: I mean in rock you have your Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards or Page/Plant or you have a guitar player who comes up with a riff and then the singer and adds his vocals and so on. I don’t work like that. I suppose in my youth I was a bit overbearing but now I am more stable.

A: Some of your critics say that your style of music has not evolved at all over the years and that the albums sound the same. How do you feel you have evolved?

Y: Well I think the song writing has matured tremendously and if you don’t hear that then you a musical idiot. The thing is that if you have a sound that is yours then god bless you and that is the hardest thing to come up with. Bands like ZZTOP, AC/DC, Queen you know who they are when you hear them. B.B. KING has been playing the same two notes for 50 years and I love him. I never understood when people would say oh this sounds like typical Maalmsteen. What the fuck else is it supposed to sound like? (Laughs) When people start to copy your style it is the ultimate confirmation that you have arrived and that you have done something right. Why fucking fix something that is not broken.

A: In the 80s guitar players always played solos on just about every song and since then it seems that no one wants to play a solo. What is your opinion on that?

Y: The guitar solo in not the most important part of a song. It is just supposed to take a song to a new place or make someone listening take notice and say “wow, listen to this fucking shit” but nowadays I think kids are not adamant about being good players and are instead more concerned with becoming famous. I often get asked for advice on how to get noticed in the business. I always ask, “do you want to be famous or do you want be good”. You can be famous without being good but if you want to be good there is no two ways about it. In order to be good you have to work at it. If you want to be famous then just play what is the trend of the day and you get your 15 minutes of fame and that is it. Look at artists like Neil Young, Bob Dylan or Zappa, these guys are the real deal and they play honest music. They don’t give a fuck about trends.

A: Well Yngwie, it was a pleasure talking to you and good luck with the upcoming tour and we will see you on the road.

Y: Thanks very much for the interview and check us out on the road.

4/7/2004