Paul Gilbert fans: Lets talk about this live performance, and the spirit behind the song.

DanTravis62

Well-known member


So, I've never paid much attention to this song. I've always thought Paul Gilbert was a monster player, no doubt; and a really nice dude to boot after 1996 or so.

But his music has always struck me as ultra goofy since Racer X. Sorry, i'm a metal dude. And racer x kills.

anyways, this song and performance fucking suck if hes really doing it as a tribute to the maestro, because it doesn't have ANYTHING of what makes yngwie great except for the speed. Some of you who don't understand how this works will say "well thats all it is," hurr durr. But you'd be wrong. Because yngwies slick rhythmic choices, fluid legato notes interspersed with his shred runs, weepy, baroque vibrato, and endless creative variations on diminished and harmonic minor make him him.

but if you take all the stuff away that makes yngwie yngwie, you get this paul gilbert song.


yes. Paul is a monster technical player. And he has tons of hits and great tunes in his own right. But listen to him "pay tribute" to yngwie, and the robotic vibrato, the stilted meter changes, and the lack of diversity of his timbre will shock you. Imagine yngwie, earthy and baroque like a candlebra in a dungeon, compared to the robotic, ultra precise fretcraft of paul, and you will appreciate yngwie more.


You will see its true, in THIS video performance. Unless you suck and have no taste, in which case I cannot help you.
 
Sounds like one of Yngwie's clones doing their thing with his influence. And I love Paul including his solo singer/songwriter stuff.
 
Did any of you actually listen to the intro, where he says he's trying to play the parts yngwie would play in the song? 🤣
 
The fact that even Paul Gilbert can't really do a good yngwie should be a sobering reminder to everyone that were all at our best trying to be ourselves.

Because even if you're Paul Gilbert, you sound like shit trying to do yngwies vibrato and slinky phrasing.
 
Why do you feel the need to shit on a guitarist that is the head of GIT and instilled fear in yngwie back in the day for playing him like a flute at his own game?

Out of all of my years on this forum you are literally the only person to say Paul Gilbert sounds like shit. You’re in the minority and anyone who loves an album by an artist doesn’t follow it up with they sound like shit regardless of what they’re playing.

Quit babbling nonsense. Half the time yngwie can’t even sound like yngwie live. At least Paul sounds like Paul regardless of whether he’s playing live or on an album.
 
Why do you feel the need to shit on a guitarist that is the head of GIT and instilled fear in yngwie back in the day for playing him like a flute at his own game?

Out of all of my years on this forum you are literally the only person to say Paul Gilbert sounds like shit. You’re in the minority and anyone who loves an album by an artist doesn’t follow it up with they sound like shit regardless of what they’re playing.

Quit babbling nonsense. Half the time yngwie can’t even sound like yngwie live. At least Paul sounds like Paul regardless of whether he’s playing live or on an album.

I'm not shitting on Paul

I'm saying he sucks at playing like yngwie and that it's a lesson we all should heed

His vibrato and phrasing literally sound nothing like yngwie on his song - when he is specifically trying to sound like yngwie which he says in the intro

It sounds like the same ultra precise robotic Paul Gilbert shred, which is fine but if you were expecting him to do a rousing yngwie it has no nuance.
 
Did any of you actually listen to the intro, where he says he's trying to play the parts yngwie would play in the song? 🤣
He sounds like Paul with a strong Yngwie vibe. With more direct intention, closer gear and an extreme desire to mimic......I bet Paul could even surprise himself one way or the the other.
 
endless creative variations on diminished and harmonic minor

If by endless you mean "endlessly repetitive for the past 20 years" then yes.

Can't tell if you're being a troll or not tbh, even PG says he's doing his best impression of Yngwie and also himself, so I'm not sure why you've taken to bashing this amazing guitar performance just because it doesn't sound enough like Yngwie when that's not even the point anyway.
 
Where did he say it was a tribute to Yngwie?
Sounded like PG at a guitar clinic to me and more like a Racer X tune than anything.
 
Paul has always been, and always will be a fan of YJM and certainly gives him his due from early on with “YRO”(Yngwie Rip Off) on the the first RacerX album. Honestly I can’t think of a harder thing to try and cop than someone’s unique vibrato, and YJMs is unique. Haven’t heard anyone else really nail it. Same goes for Gary Moore. Both of them have a ‘fierce’ vibrato imo. You can always tell those two by their vibrato. Same with Paul; but it’s very different from the previously mentioned and much more smooth. Vibrato is such a personal thing and very player specific that I think it’s easily the hardest thing to ‘change’ if you are really trying to mimic someone.
 
Paul has always been, and always will be a fan of YJM and certainly gives him his due from early on with “YRO”(Yngwie Rip Off) on the the first RacerX album. Honestly I can’t think of a harder thing to try and cop than someone’s unique vibrato, and YJMs is unique. Haven’t heard anyone else really nail it. Same goes for Gary Moore. Both of them have a ‘fierce’ vibrato imo. You can always tell those two by their vibrato. Same with Paul; but it’s very different from the previously mentioned and much more smooth. Vibrato is such a personal thing and very player specific that I think it’s easily the hardest thing to ‘change’ if you are really trying to mimic someone.

Yep, 100% agree. Gary Moore also, has a very distinctive vibrato style.
He sounds like Paul with a strong Yngwie vibe. With more direct intention, closer gear and an extreme desire to mimic......I bet Paul could even surprise himself one way or the the other.
He sounds like Paul playing yngwie esque scales with none of the nuance, yes.

If even Paul can't cop it, it's got to be incredibly difficult for us mere mortals.
 
anyways, this song and performance fucking suck if hes really doing it as a tribute to the maestro, because it doesn't have ANYTHING of what makes yngwie great except for the speed.

You didn't listen to anything he said in the intro. Gilbert is tongue in cheek.
 
He said he wrote a song to try to get YJM and him to play together, but YJM didn’t have time or something. I’m still trying to find where it’s a tribute or copy or anything like that?
 
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