Yngwie at Sweetwater

[Narzugon]

He like others are hard to understand for some that did not live through it first hand. It was a game changer in the league of JH, and EVH. I wish he'd tone down the "shtick" and try to move forward or evolve.

Yes it's probably often overlooked by people when they are making their decisions if they like something or not, or decide to bash something on the internet. Kiss is a prime example as well. Some don't get it at all, some love it. My first concert was 1979, i was 9, and it was Kiss. It blew my mind. I have a fondness for them that younger cats wont have. I do think it's rant it's course for them unfortunately, father time is kicking their butt.

Very well put and you nailed it.

Similar thing with me. I discovered Kiss first and was hooked. I was 12 in 77. My uncle kept telling me to listen to Zeppelin, The Beatles, Yes, Floyd etc. He would say "Kiss is ok, but these guys are making real music!". He couldn't understand why I would put Dressed to Kill on the record player before I'd put Physical Graffiti. And I couldn't understand why he didn't like Dressed to Kill.

Yngwie is just stuck in his "thing". Frilly unbuttoned shirts, gold rolex, marshall stacks for days. All silly at the moment though. When I first heard Rising Force (missed the Alcatrazz and Steeler albums), it was another mind blower. Me and a buddy were holed up for weekends at a time with our mini tape recorders slowing down and learning licks. I love him for those memories, but now it's pretty much a parody.

I first heard him in Alcatrazz and Steeler and was still floored with Rising Force. To me that album is a master piece in rock guitar history. Like others, I thought the next few albums were great but lost interest after that.

Supposedly Jimi was tired of his early hits and show bits and wanted to separate himself from all of that. For better or worse, Yngwie is on a single track and is proud to stay on it.

It's interesting the you say that because I was in elementary school for all of the first DLR stuff before Hagar (I was in 4th grade in 1984), which is probably why I like the Hagar stuff more, as it was more relevant to my musical awakening years and in retrospect shows more growth in EVH as a writer.

Damn Trev, you're a lot younger than I would have thought. 4rth grade in 84? I graduated high school in 83! Back to your point, similar my uncle's position that I mentioned above, I can't imagine anyone prefering Van-Hagar over the original VH. But I understand, it's all in the timing.

YJM on the other hand is, to me, even more of a satire or parody of 80's excess than Spinal Tap. With Spinal Tap at least you and they knew it was comedy. I'm not sure if YJM is serious or he has just been running the same gag for 35 years.

He was a force to be reckoned with in his day. You're right about the 80's excess. Even then he was over the top.

Oddly enough I'm seeing younger guitarists in my area put EVH (of all people) into that "Cheesy 80's" category. It's like they associate the now cliche tapping as all he did. That's like saying all Jimi did was play with feedback - and I thank him for that when he did it. \m/

 

[Desmo808]

Damn Trev, you're a lot younger than I would have thought. 4rth grade in 84? I graduated high school in 83! Back to your point, similar my uncle's position that I mentioned above, I can't imagine anyone prefering Van-Hagar over the original VH. But I understand, it's all in the timing.

Timing. Same thing with me, for James Bond. I know lots of people love the Connery Bond, but as a kid, my first experience with Bond was Roger Moore. There was no such thing as Netflix, no youtube, etc. I simply had no exposure to Connery. So at the time, Moore was Bond for me. I guess I bonded with Moore Bond. Daniel Craig has now become my favorite, though.

 

[Muad'zin]

Supposedly Jimi was tired of his early hits and show bits and wanted to separate himself from all of that. For better or worse, Yngwie is on a single track and is proud to stay on it.

I'll say this in Yngwie's defense, at least he found something that was his and got acknowledged for it. Too many guitarists never advance beyond copying their heroes. And too many guitarists who do manage to advance into something of their own don't get to enjoy any success whatsoever.

Timing. Same thing with me, for James Bond. I know lots of people love the Connery Bond, but as a kid, my first experience with Bond was Roger Moore. There was no such thing as Netflix, no youtube, etc. I simply had no exposure to Connery. So at the time, Moore was Bond for me. I guess I bonded with Moore Bond. Daniel Craig has now become my favorite, though.

I got to live through the golden age of video rental stores, so I got plenty of exposure to both Bonds. And I found Connery to be way superior. I love From Russia With Love the most ,as I also had the novel and with the addition of SPECTRE, which is not in the book, the movie is remarkably true to the book. All the later movies had in common with the books was the title.

 

[Project Mayhem]

Go way back with Yngwie. Remember getting the Japanese import of rising force, coming home throwing on it turntable and my jaw hitting the floor. Saw him year in my high school auditorium (went through a summer we’re some local promoter brought in name bands somehow, krokus, survivor, and Yngwie) might have been 200 people there ... but I did get two of his picks that he threw out... 2.0 mil fender picks, thicker than anything I had ever seen to that point (had just started playing).

His picking technique had me obsessed for years. He was a game changer for sure, much like Eddie and Jimi before him. My older cousin who got me started playing had also turned me on to Uli Jon Roth as well so Yngwie resonated with me right away. As a direct result, I soon discovered McAlpine and Vinnie Moore and Greg Howe.

His ego knows no bounds and he has become something of a caricature. He’s difficult to defend on many levels...but he did have an undeniable impact on the instrument/scene at the time. He made me, as a teenager realize that theory was important and got me listening to far more classical than previously

He’ll always be an important player to me for the past, but I haven’t listened to anything from him in years as he seems to just keep recycling everything over and over. Although I did dig the Japanese symphonic work.

But he is one of the few guys with monster technique that still embrace the performance side of things, Vai comes to mind as well... but not many others. I’ve wondered in the past If, like Gilbert gottfreid, it’s an act or not...does wakes up in the morning and say it’s time to be Yngwie... or is he still Lars around the house?

 

[USMC_Trev]

Timing. Same thing with me, for James Bond. I know lots of people love the Connery Bond, but as a kid, my first experience with Bond was Roger Moore. There was no such thing as Netflix, no youtube, etc. I simply had no exposure to Connery. So at the time, Moore was Bond for me. I guess I bonded with Moore Bond. Daniel Craig has now become my favorite, though.

Ah see I was raised right. I saw all the James Bond movies as a kid in no particular order, just whenever they were on. Therefore I understood early that a character was a character, not necessarily the actor. That's my dad's influence in rainy Sunday local network afternoon movie time watching growing up. I had early experience with all the James Bond flicks, every John Wayne movie, all the Japanese kaiju flicks (Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, Mothra, Rodan, etc.), plus all the WWII stuff - The Longest Day, The Great Escape, Devil's Brigade, Bridge on the River Kwai, The Guns of Navarone, all that stuff. You can probably see how my brother and I would eventually find ourselves going into the Marine Corps...

But anyway that's kinda how I understood even from way back as a little guy that different actors can bring different things to a role. The same goes for lead singers. Roth was Roth and Hagar was Hagar. That's how I also learned early that lineups change and not to take it too seriously - like most VH fans who take it to such extremities that they can't enjoy more than half of the band's total output since 1978. That never made sense to me. You're just going to discount everything that happened from 1986 onward just because DLR isn't there? That's just not a sensible stance to take.

And the kooks that show up just to post in some YouTube video that "DLR Van Halen is the only Van Halen and Van Hagar sucks" is just crazy.

That line in Joe Dirt made me laugh because that was directly pointed at those guys.

 

[gigawatt]

That line in Joe Dirt made me laugh because that was directly pointed at those guys.

Great, I'm going to have to pull this up on my phone to see the vid above...

Hopefully getting my Macbook looked at next week.

Ha! just checked out the vid. How do you get just a clip of a movie or song? I've often wondered how to do that.

 

[Mark-B]

I love it pretty-much all, from Patsy Cline to Satch, from The Carpenters to Metallica, from Yanni to The Beach Boys, Bach to Accept, Miley Cyrus.. Yes you heard that correctly! ...Music is just ....WooHOOO! ...But I tend to like the actual music - songs. I don't really follow anybody with any great reverence.

Having said that, I personally dislike most all of Yngwie's stuff except for the Live in Leningrad album. Then, I tend to like live music over the contemplated perfection of studio stuff anyway ...Thin Lizzy, Life Live ..Scorpions World Wide Live ..that kinda thing .. :0O)

Got about three minutes into this show though, then started skipping forward ten minutes at a hop. Nope! ... Ahhh. Yngwie (in my humble opinion) has real talent - especially compared to the likes of me. But he's not doing it for me this time around.

More may be More, but generally speaking, too much can sometimes be Way too much.

 

[lqdsnddist]

Can’t argue with “more is more” if that’s his thing, got to love and respect him for doing his own thing and sticking with it.

I’d rather hear Gilmour perfectly bending one note into the next than 1,000 notes from a shredder, but to each his or her own

 

[Mark-B]

I’d rather hear Gilmour perfectly bending one note into the next than 1,000 notes from a shredder, but to each his or her own

Hafta agree.. You gots your Jeff Becks, Gary Moores, Mark Knopflers, etc.. Phhhh ... Taking a single note and making it say something? There's a LOT to be said for that.

Then, occasionally I'll need to to hear it run flat out as well.

 

[gigawatt]

Hafta agree.. You gots your Jeff Becks, Gary Moores, Mark Knopflers, etc.. Phhhh ... Taking a single note and making it say something? There's a LOT to be said for that.

Then, occasionally I'll need to to hear it run flat out as well.

...and then, you have Jimmy Page who's all that and then some.

 

[Muad'zin]

But he is one of the few guys with monster technique that still embrace the performance side of things, Vai comes to mind as well... but not many others. I’ve wondered in the past If, like Gilbert gottfreid, it’s an act or not...does wakes up in the morning and say it’s time to be Yngwie... or is he still Lars around the house?

The dude does know its important to be more then just a guy playing the guitar on stage. Plenty of mannequins around on stages. Too bad his stage routine is as stuck in the past as his music.

As for the act or not, Shatner plays Shatner 100% of the time, and I wouldn't be surprised if Yngwie plays Yngwie all the time. If it ever was an act or not, it's become fully internalized.

But anyway that's kinda how I understood even from way back as a little guy that different actors can bring different things to a role. The same goes for lead singers. Roth was Roth and Hagar was Hagar. That's how I also learned early that lineups change and not to take it too seriously - like most VH fans who take it to such extremities that they can't enjoy more than half of the band's total output since 1978. That never made sense to me. You're just going to discount everything that happened from 1986 onward just because DLR isn't there? That's just not a sensible stance to take.

I can understand it however. A band is the sum of its parts. If one part changes, that tends to change the mix. Especially with the vocalist, as to the public the vocalist is the most important member of a band. I remember when Bruce Dickinson left Iron Maiden and was replaced by Blaise Bailey. As far as his vocals were concerned Blaise wasn't that bad. But the man had no stage presence whatsoever. And watching Iron Maiden live with Blaise is like watching Usaine Bolt in a wheelchair. It's just not the same. Do I hate Blaise Bailey? Why should I, if anything the album Virtual XI is one of my favorites, it has some excellent songs that I wish they would still play today. But I did lose interest in the band during that period.

And the kooks that show up just to post in some YouTube video that "DLR Van Halen is the only Van Halen and Van Hagar sucks" is just crazy.

Yeah, reading the comments section on YouTube is like going up that river in Apocalypse now, its a descent into the Heart of Darkness. There are a lot of people with axes to grind and who just have to grind it, like modern day Cato the Elders, in every comment that they post.

I love it pretty-much all, from Patsy Cline to Satch, from The Carpenters to Metallica, from Yanni to The Beach Boys, Bach to Accept, Miley Cyrus.. Yes you heard that correctly! ...Music is just ....WooHOOO! ...But I tend to like the actual music - songs. I don't really follow anybody with any great reverence.

Having said that, I personally dislike most all of Yngwie's stuff except for the Live in Leningrad album. Then, I tend to like live music over the contemplated perfection of studio stuff anyway ...Thin Lizzy, Life Live ..Scorpions World Wide Live ..that kinda thing .. :0O)

I LOVE live albums. With studio trickery anybody can sound good. But only good musicians can deliver live. Which is why I love to listen to live bootleg recordings. No studio retouching, and artists at their most raw.

Funny that you should mention the Live in Leningrad album. Because there's also a video of that show (you can probably find it on youtube), and if you want to cringe at bad 80's haircuts and outfits, that's the one you should be watching.

Got about three minutes into this show though, then started skipping forward ten minutes at a hop. Nope! ... Ahhh. Yngwie (in my humble opinion) has real talent - especially compared to the likes of me. But he's not doing it for me this time around.

More may be More, but generally speaking, too much can sometimes be Way too much.

I don't mind the shredding, Yngwie is one of the few shredders who I can stand, it's that the man hasn't developed musically since the 80's. And that he's forgotten that songs matter.

Can’t argue with “more is more” if that’s his thing, got to love and respect him for doing his own thing and sticking with it.

I’d rather hear Gilmour perfectly bending one note into the next than 1,000 notes from a shredder, but to each his or her own

I'll say this in Yngwie's defense, the dude is one of the few shredders who can combine insane speed with Gilmour like expression. His bends and vibrato are flawless. It's that ability why he was a game changer in his heyday. Much copied but never surpassed. He just buries it in note diarrhea.

 

[Mark-B]

...and then, you have Jimmy Page who's all that and then some.

True enough! ..Oh, and Randy Rhoads too! Can't forget Randy! That guy was a sleeper in the "emotional note deployment" department.. ...That's what's to Iove about playing guitar! So many inspirational guitar players out there of every conceivable ilk... and ...I Wanna Be One When I Grow-Up! I do!!!

I LOVE live albums. With studio trickery anybody can sound good. But only good musicians can deliver live. Which is why I love to listen to live bootleg recordings. No studio retouching, and artists at their most raw.

That's what I get from them too.. Talent really shines on stage. John Sykes, on That Thin Lizzy Life Live album? Dear Lawed!

....Funny that you should mention the Live in Leningrad album. Because there's also a video of that show (you can probably find it on youtube), and if you want to cringe at bad 80's haircuts and outfits, that's the one you should be watching.

Used to have that Video (that was back when videos were roaming earth), and was just the other night watching him play Black Star from that very-same show.. After he had wrapped that up I started shaking my head and laughing out loud ..'cause ..next to that?? .. ...I'm just messin' around!! ...But, I'm okay with that!

 

[Narzugon]

That's how I also learned early that lineups change and not to take it too seriously - like most VH fans who take it to such extremities that they can't enjoy more than half of the band's total output since 1978. That never made sense to me. You're just going to discount everything that happened from 1986 onward just because DLR isn't there? That's just not a sensible stance to take.

I agree. I've continued to follow and enjoy a lot of bands after they had key personnel changes. But I will say that in most cases the music didn't change much which is usually favorable for the fans. The bands for the most part continued on their musical trajectories. Van Hagar to me was a different band musically which I do enjoy but not in the same way.

In the case of VH I think it's two fold. I think part of it goes back to who lived those times and who lived the next incarnation of said band. I'd describe it as DLR era was like the hungry, lets conquer the world era while Van Hagar was the more mature we've made it and lets have fun era. The second aspect I think is 5150 would have been a defining musical transition in the VH catalog regardless of who sang on it. Instead of being Van Halen and Van Hagar camps it would be Pre and Post 5150. Ed was ready for a musical change with or w/o Roth.

At times I think that by witnessing DLR era EVH live it had to be something like witnessing Hendrix back in the 60's. But thinking about how simple life was back then and with little to no media, the people who did experience Hendrix had to have walked out of those clubs/arenas thinking they had just seen an alien.

 

[unix-guy]

I LOVE live albums. With studio trickery anybody can sound good. But only good musicians can deliver live. Which is why I love to listen to live bootleg recordings. No studio retouching, and artists at their most raw.

Unfortunately, most "live" albums are not raw tracks that got mixed. Many include edits, overdubs, etc to make them sound better.

Bootlegs are a different story.

 

[Muad'zin]

Unfortunately, most "live" albums are not raw tracks that got mixed. Many include edits, overdubs, etc to make them sound better.

Bootlegs are a different story.

Aye. You can really learn what kind of mixing trickery has been done to a live show if a live bootleg of that same show exists. Still, overall there's less studio trickery being applied to a live album compared to a studio album. Fixing the odd bum note, or off key vocals, kinda understandable. But adding like a gazillion different guitar or keyboard parts, perfectly alright on a studio album, would be not done on a live album. As you know there were only X number of musicians on stage.

 

[electronpirate]

I've never liked Yngwie. I've tried. He's good for one, maybe 2 songs, outside of that I tune out. The 1000 notes a second loses it's punch if it's all you hear (for me.)

I highly appreciate his skill at what he does. It's the same thing...but it's a REALLY good same thing.

It does feel like he found his lane, and said 'I'm doing this forever...fook everyone.'

 

[NeoSound]

EVH created new things and took other things farther. Yngwie done the same thing. There are so many that flat out cloned them after the fact that it took away from their genius and uniqueness, especially if you started listening after the clones arrived. If they were still the only source of their inventive musicality it would have much more impact and people would still line up for miles to hear it.

There's so much great music I don't listen to anymore because I overdosed on it years ago. Now when I hear those songs/styles copied in someone else's music I have a hard time listening to it too!

How many zombie movies, how many vampire movies, how many super hero movies, how many movies that the only age group in the cast is teen agers before it becomes the same as overused music themes? I'm already burnt out on all except the super hero thing which I mainly like the special effects and seeing how far it can go, but that's getting old to.

You know you're getting old when you look at things that really excited and inspired you once and just think mehhh!!! So maybe it's not them it's me

 

[Tahoebrian5]

Anyone watch Troy Grady's breakdown on Ynqwie's technique? I think that is the most impressive thing about his playing.. How he worked out his technique on his own apparently without even understanding what he was doing.

 

[Muad'zin]

EVH created new things and took other things farther. Yngwie done the same thing. There are so many that flat out cloned them after the fact that it took away from their genius and uniqueness, especially if you started listening after the clones arrived. If they were still the only source of their inventive musicality it would have much more impact and people would still line up for miles to hear it.

There's so much great music I don't listen to anymore because I overdosed on it years ago. Now when I hear those songs/styles copied in someone else's music I have a hard time listening to it too!

How many zombie movies, how many vampire movies, how many super hero movies, how many movies that the only age group in the cast is teen agers before it becomes the same as overused music themes? I'm already burnt out on all except the super hero thing which I mainly like the special effects and seeing how far it can go, but that's getting old to.

You know you're getting old when you look at things that really excited and inspired you once and just think mehhh!!! So maybe it's not them it's me

What you said reminds me of Fantasy fiction. Tolkien has inspired so many bad and mediocre copy cats that those used to that who read Tolkien for the first time are probably bummed out.

That's the problem with being a copy cat. You will never be as famous or successful as the original, but when too many of you show up you will ruin it for the original as well.

 

[Project Mayhem]

I've never liked Yngwie. I've tried. He's good for one, maybe 2 songs, outside of that I tune out. The 1000 notes a second loses it's punch if it's all you hear (for me.)

I highly appreciate his skill at what he does. It's the same thing...but it's a REALLY good same thing.

It does feel like he found his lane, and said 'I'm doing this forever...fook everyone.'

Agreed that he has never changed lanes, and that for sure loses appeal quickly. But that alone , doesn't seem to explain why he's so polarizing, after all when's the last time anyone's has been surprised by a new AC/DC album?

Just finished a fascinating book ("this is your brain on music" highly recommend for any musician) that goes into the cognitive/evolutionary psychology of how our brain responds to music. It goes a long way to explain why some music (Beatles, Steely Dan, Mozart, Police, Ravel, and others) can be listened to repeatedly and not lose it appeal...because it doesn't give our brain what it expects to come next. Whereas with Yngwie, you know exactly what's coming next. He can speak in a manner that many can't...but what he's actually saying doesn't have the same emotional impact.