Yngwie Stories

[Jacksons Shred]

I remember Yngwie's first time in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), he was sweating a lot because of the summer. I don't know if it was annoying him, but during an autograph session made in a metal store, a fan (one of the store's employee) ask him to sign a big poster where he appeared in a short tiger jacket (I think it was Trylogy era). Really cool poster! But Yngwie refused to sign it because he hated those clothes and said he'd never use that again.
Another interesting stuff is that in the end of the line to get his autographs was a guy with a guitar in the case (there was a lot of kids that brought their guitars to YM to sign them, and a lot of piece of shit came out. And Yngwie looked like a little boring seeing those poor guitars). Then this kid's time had come and when he opened up the case he just pulled out a red 68' Fender Statocaster. Then Yngwie immediately stand up ad yelled : THAT'S a guitar!!! And he kept asking the kid if he wanted to sell the guitar to him.
Strange situation! I really doubt that Yngwie would buy that guitar in that circumstances, but at the same time, the poster kid saw yngwie smiling and ask him to sign the poster, one more time. Yngwie close his smile and said: I fucking said NO!

Cool story, something like this?

[Marc Snow]

Exactly the pic of Yngwie Malmsteen anthology!!!

[toxikdeth]

Lets not turn this into a Dime vs Yng topic, because that's not the point. There are some cool stories though!

Also, seriously, in terms of Technique/Lead playing, Yngwie destroys, in terms of Groove/Rhythm Dime destroys. Let it go, it's the truth.

Thats what I was saying yngwie more tech Dime= more feel

[jet66]

Yeah.. Yng definitely was better back then, he cared about phrasing a lot more and his sense of melody was awesome. I was watching a concert of him in 85 with JSS singing and he played so great, that era Yngwie inspires me so much..

I've never met him, but I've seen him live, twice. Late '85 was the first time, he was opening for AC/DC. I had been playing for about 2 years, could pay tons of songs, knew scale after scale and could put a melody together, but I had zero speed. (And I mean NONE, not a debatable amount of too much/not enough.) Two of my friends wanted to see AC/DC, so we loaded up, drove the hour+ trip to Lakeland, even though it was a sold-out show.

So we get there, get tickets from a scalper, go in, etc. I'm about two people away from the stage/security rail, right in front of where Yngwie's pedalboard is at. When he came out, it was like a religious experience. I lived in Shitville, so you never saw anything remotely like this, at the time. Watching him play after listening over and over to his album recordings, it was hard to believe anyone could actually play that fast. But it was like I had some sort of epiphany.

I got home late that night, plugged in my headphones, and speed just came to me. (Sloppy as hell at first, of course. ) It was like some sort of block had been lifted, actually seeing it done. I didn't follow him a whole lot after Trilogy came out, it didn't really affect me like Rising Force and Marching Out did, but Yngwie was definitely one of those guitar players who I have to say influenced me a lot.

I saw him again opening for Iron Maiden on the Somewhere On Tour tour, in later '87, I think, and he seemed to be far more about the show than the playing. I also recall at one point, a bunch of people nailed him with potatoes. A few got him and the singer (Mark Boals at the time?) pretty good, but one hit the guitar solid, and it was just this loud WAAAANNNGGG!!! They were both pretty pissed, as you may imagine. :ROTF:

At the time Yngwie first hit, there weren't a whole lot of people doing that sort of playing, so it's pointless to compare him with anyone else. It's like comparing EVH to Rhoads... Both have their places in rock guitar history. Love him or hate him, he was doing something pretty different at th time. He was one of many who have significantly raised the bar for rock players in the past 5 decades.