Yngwie Shreeding on a 1959 Les Paul

studio289 said:
My biggest beef with Yngwie is that he never evolved.
The other musicians mentioned above took their gift and kept moving it forward.
Yngwie plateaued, and then rested on his laurels.

I had never heard anything like "Black Star". before
He changed my world the moment the needle hit that square plastic record - included in my Guitar Player issue.
I even still have two poets shirts in my closet from my wannabe days.

The phrasing on his first handful of albums was creative and well thought out.
But after the orchestra disc, he devolved into a parody of himself - mindlessly blowing his load on everything he plays.

Now his writing is boring, production is weak, and solos are predictable.

If you still dig the guy, great. The world is all about choice.
But I doubt you're going to change the minds of those of us who've moved on.

My $.02
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Solid disagree with this statement. Eddie came roaring out of the gates and his solos certainly went downhill after fair warning. More tapping than the out of control pentatonic and wide intervals that were so awesome on the early stuff! Yngwie certainly also peaked early but he's kept his technique up and in fact needs to slow down!
 
PDC said:
I’ll add to the debate. Full Disclosure, I discovered Yngwie during his Alcatrazz stint and then ordered Steeler on Vinyl before the original Rising Force album came out in ‘84. I lived and breathed Yngwie through the late 80s. And have cringed along with the other devoted disciples at his less impressive efforts of late. So I am biased. In ‘78 Ed literally changed the guitar landscape. That does not minimize or trivialize the blistering works of Frank Marino or Pat Travers or Gary Richrath etc. But Ed changed the game. Everything that came out between ‘78 and ‘84 was someone attempting to move (some successfully) the boundary that EVH established on the first VH album. The guitar landscaped changed again after the ’84 Rising Force album in the same way that the landscape changed after the first VH album in ‘78. Vinnie Moore, Tony Macalpine, Paul Gilbert, Marty Friedman, Jason Becker, Steve Vai, etc. In no way am I suggesting that these guys would not have been monster players had Yngwie never come along - but Yngwie’s whole ‘thing’ provided both artistic inspiration and a commercial ‘lane’ for what these guys did. Hendrix - Edward - Yngwie. These guys mark substantively different ‘eras’ of the then existing state of the art of electric guitar. That doesn’t minimize any other players’ contributions. But I think those 3 are fur sure Mt. Rushmore players.

Not everyone on this forum was into the scene back in ‘84, but watch this 5 minute clip - remember he was 19 or 20 when he played this - and ask yourself, was this more of the same of what was going on in 84, or was this just qualitatively different than anything and everything all those tapping in Ed’s wake were doing at the time:

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Such a guitar god.

I hear more Yngwie in today’s modern guitarists then EVH or Hendrix, etc. I’m one of them. I sat for hours upon hours learning all of the songs to the first 4 Van Halen albums. Once I heard Yngwie I was hooked. I still play some VH stuff, but I play way more Yngwie influenced stuff...

I wish Yngwie would lose that leather pants, boots and opened button down shirt look and just dress casual. That whole rock star look is dated.
 
psychodave said:
Such a guitar god.

I hear more Yngwie in today’s modern guitarists then EVH or Hendrix, etc. I’m one of them. I sat for hours upon hours learning all of the songs to the first 4 Van Halen albums. Once I heard Yngwie I was hooked. I still play some VH stuff, but I play way more Yngwie influenced stuff...

I wish Yngwie would lose that leather pants, boots and opened button down shirt look and just dress casual. That whole rock star look is dated.
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I find this interesting. Based on the various clips you’ve posted over the years, I’d have pegged you for a Lynch/DiMartini/Lee/Campbell guy. I’ve never heard anything that sounds like Yngwie (not saying you can’t do it, just interesting).

For some reason, while I think Yngwie is SUPER talented as a player, I CAN NOT get into his “songs” as most seem to be vehicles for him to solo over. His chops are undeniable, but he’s one of those guys that would have benefitted being forced to play in an actual band that he couldn’t run autocratically.
 
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paulyc said:
I CAN NOT get into his “songs” as most seem to be vehicles for him to solo over. His chops are undeniable, but he’s one of those guys that would have benefitted being forced to play in an actual band that he couldn’t run autocratically.
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Agreed. And case in point; he did a cover of "Mistreated" with Jeff Scott Soto IIRC, and during the first part of the solo, Yngwie plays not too fast and his phrasing is beautiful and tasteful. But then, ego kicks in, nitro kicks in and wooosh, natural minor arpeggio's in 64ths.
 
Speeddemon said:
Agreed. And case in point; he did a cover of "Mistreated" with Jeff Scott Soto IIRC, and during the first part of the solo, Yngwie plays not too fast and his phrasing is beautiful and tasteful. But then, ego kicks in, nitro kicks in and wooosh, natural minor arpeggio's in 64ths.
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Same with the Live in Leningrad cover of Hendrix’ Spanish Castle Magic, some of it is beautiful, but then he ends up shitting all over it. The Highway Star cover he did with Vai, Zakk, etc where he sings he tears up the playing on that (makes Vai look sickly) so he CAN do it...
 
paulyc said:
I find this interesting. Based on the various clips you’ve posted over the years, I’d have pegged you for a Lynch/DiMartini/Lee/Campbell guy. I’ve never heard anything that sounds like Yngwie (not saying you can’t do it, just interesting).

For some reason, while I think Yngwie is SUPER talented as a player, I CAN NOT get into his “songs” as most seem to be vehicles for him to solo over. His chops are undeniable, but he’s one of those guys that would have benefitted being forced to play in an actual band that he couldn’t run autocratically.
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I understand what you mean, but try this song
 
[ Donnie B. ] said:
I'll try one more argument against YJM being on the Mount Rushmore of rock guitar. Ask a lot of non-players,
but rock fans in general, and they will know about Hendrix and EVH. Step outside of the guitar players biodome,
and Yngwie hasn't left any lasting marks.
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That would be an argument for him not being on the RnR Hall of Fame or not winning a Grammy or something like that.

Mt Rushmore of rock guitar would be the impact on the rock/metal guitar playing community and Yngwie's impact is enormous and undeniable.
 
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paulyc said:
I find this interesting. Based on the various clips you’ve posted over the years, I’d have pegged you for a Lynch/DiMartini/Lee/Campbell guy. I’ve never heard anything that sounds like Yngwie (not saying you can’t do it, just interesting).
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I try not to play like Yngwie or any of them. That said, here is a solo I did for a friend of a friend for a college music class a few years ago. My friend needed me to do a solo for a song. I came over, heard the rhythm and hit record. It’s actually the first take and was done in 15 minutes from when I first heard it to being done. I wanted to redo it since I miss a few bends to pitch and I played the arpeggio sweep too fast in the middle and my timing was ever so slightly off on certain key changes, but he was happy so F it. 🤣. I’m likely to delete the video because I’m shy 🤔☺️🤣.
I’m using a Cameron Aldrich Marshall with my old blue Charvel loaded with an EMG. Speakers are Celestion 75’s mixed up with an SM57. The rhythm my friend did was with a Mesa 2C++. The drums were recorded about 5 minutes before I got there. 😂

https://youtube.com/shorts/RGy3ub3d9ss?feature=share
 
PDC said:
I’ll add to the debate. Full Disclosure, I discovered Yngwie during his Alcatrazz stint and then ordered Steeler on Vinyl before the original Rising Force album came out in ‘84. I lived and breathed Yngwie through the late 80s. And have cringed along with the other devoted disciples at his less impressive efforts of late. So I am biased. In ‘78 Ed literally changed the guitar landscape. That does not minimize or trivialize the blistering works of Frank Marino or Pat Travers or Gary Richrath etc. But Ed changed the game. Everything that came out between ‘78 and ‘84 was someone attempting to move (some successfully) the boundary that EVH established on the first VH album. The guitar landscaped changed again after the ’84 Rising Force album in the same way that the landscape changed after the first VH album in ‘78. Vinnie Moore, Tony Macalpine, Paul Gilbert, Marty Friedman, Jason Becker, Steve Vai, etc. In no way am I suggesting that these guys would not have been monster players had Yngwie never come along - but Yngwie’s whole ‘thing’ provided both artistic inspiration and a commercial ‘lane’ for what these guys did. Hendrix - Edward - Yngwie. These guys mark substantively different ‘eras’ of the then existing state of the art of electric guitar. That doesn’t minimize any other players’ contributions. But I think those 3 are fur sure Mt. Rushmore players.

Not everyone on this forum was into the scene back in ‘84, but watch this 5 minute clip - remember he was 19 or 20 when he played this - and ask yourself, was this more of the same of what was going on in 84, or was this just qualitatively different than anything and everything all those tapping in Ed’s wake were doing at the time:

Click to expand...


I mean Jesus H Christ!!!! He was soo awesome at 19 or 20. Some are just born with it.
 
Metalhex said:
I understand what you mean, but try this song
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Yawn. Snooze fest. What I meant was if he had stayed in a band like Steeler, or Alcatrazz, or if he had done an all star type band with other musicians of his caliber, I think he’d have a very different body of work by now. Like if he was in a band that was like a next generation Deep Purple that got played on MTV and the radio back in the day... can you imagine ??? What good is a jaw dropping solo in a song nobody hears or even WANTS to hear ??? That’s the difference between EVH and RR vs Malmsteen. They soloed in great songs AND had amazing chops.
 
Like others have said, who influenced more players? Hendrix, EVH and for me next is YJM. RR would be after that...even though he’s the reason I started. All the greats that came up in the 80s, Shrapnel records players ALL owe their inspiration from YJM.
 
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