Location: phone: Ljubljana – Miami (Florida, USA)
Interview date: 21.11.2010
Yngwie J. Malmsteen! The Swedish virtuoso, guitarist, composer, multi-instrumentalist and big boss, best known for fusing classical music with rock n’ roll. He likes to brag about his invention, which he calls “baroque and roll”! A rocker – a neoclassicist, a one-of-a-kind genius, an elusive guitar wizard, a master of his craft who practically knows it all! Yngwie is on the verge of a new release. The album “Relentless”, already his eighteenth in total, comes out on 22.11.2010 through his own label, Rising Force Records!
A rare chance came up to catch this legendary guitar warrior, who now lives permanently in Miami (Florida, USA). I had just brewed myself a “mild” afternoon Turkish coffee when a call came in from a private number. “Surely not already?” flashed through my head. There was still half an hour to go until five in the afternoon, the time the interview was officially confirmed for. Damn. Nothing to be done. I pick up the receiver….
RockLine: Hello?
Yngwie: Hello? This is Yngwie.
RockLine: Hello Mr. Malmsteen.
Yngwie: Do you happen to have time for the interview now?
RockLine: Of course, of course, just a second while I get set up and find my recorder…
Yngwie: No problem. Take your time.
RockLine: Okay, all set. We can get started. Your new studio album, titled Relentless, comes out tomorrow. How are you feeling about it?
Yngwie: Excited. And I know everyone who hears it will be excited too. It came together a lot more freely, without any particular deadlines forced on it. I approached it in a very relaxed way, and I’m very happy with the result.
RockLine: What are the basic differences compared to the previous one, “Perpetual Flame”?
Yngwie: It’s definitely a different album. But of course you have to keep in mind that it’s more about nuances when it comes to my approach. Once again I wrote all the arrangements myself, contributed the keyboards, played all the bass guitar, and produced the album. Like I said, you can feel a greater looseness on this album. This time I went to the studio whenever I felt real inspiration, when I had useful ideas and knew exactly what I wanted to do and how I was going to run things in the studio. So the end product is even more energetic and authentic.
RockLine: Between the two albums you also put out Angels Of Love, where you reworked some of your famous songs and performed them in a strictly instrumental, acoustic way. How did that affect the development of “Relentless” later on?
Yngwie: Deciding to record Angels Of Love was definitely a very smart move. For a while it pulled my focus away from arranging a typical Malmsteen album. I enjoyed making “Angels of Love” immensely, I had a lot of personal fun, and it was also relaxing and, in a way, calming. I was in charge of everything there, on my own. Again. And that really gives me a free hand to play around with all kinds of tricks and ideas in the studio. “Relentless” was already taking shape in the meantime. Every time an idea for a new studio album popped up, I wrote it down. So the album came together and evolved very spontaneously.
RockLine: What about the lineup on “Relentless”? Did you keep your previous collaborators for the new album?
Yngwie: Yes. Patrick Johansson on drums, Tim Owens on vocals, and Nick Marino contributed some keyboards.
RockLine: Nick Marino put out his own solo studio album, “Freedom Has No Price”, through your label this year.
Yngwie: Yes. I produced his album and helped with the arrangements. He’s an excellent keyboardist, and if you know my solo albums, then his solo album is worth checking out too. Nick is also a very good vocalist.
RockLine: Where did you meet Tim “Ripper” Owens, and when did you decide to invite him to work with you?
Yngwie: Tim and I have known each other for about ten years. We first worked together on a cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s Mr. Crowley, a long time ago. Anyway, while “Perpetual Flame” was taking shape, I felt it might be worth trying a different voice. I felt the songs could work even more intensely and authentically. The material for the album was also written with my previous singer, Dougie White (ex-Rainbow, author’s note.). “Ripper” flew down to Miami at my invitation, and we recorded it quickly. I was thrilled with the result.
RockLine: I remember your joint appearance with Saxon in 2008 at the Bang Your Head!!! festival in Germany. How did that come about, and what was it like standing on stage with such veterans?
Yngwie: Yes, I remember, ha, ha… Do you know the Saxon album “The Eagle Has Landed” from 1996?
RockLine: Yes.
Yngwie: Well, right there, on that live recording, I guested with Saxon on Denim And Leather. I’ve known the guys from Saxon for 28 years. We’re really good friends. I love their music. We definitely ran into each other back then, and the guys hadn’t forgotten about me. They invited me almost as a matter of course, saying: “Didn’t you play on our album? Then you’re playing with us on stage this time too!”
RockLine: Have you ever thought about doing something together again with Graham Bonnet, or with G3?
Yngwie: They call me every two weeks asking if I’d join Alcatrazz. But I simply don’t have the time. Right now it’s out of the question for me. Working with Satriani is another matter. I’m just waiting for his call, and I’ll gladly rise to a challenge like that. Regardless of my other commitments. Being part of G3 was a huge, unforgettable blast for me. Something totally new and different. I enjoyed it.
RockLine: Is there a DVD on the horizon, any idea that’s still an unrealized goal for the future?
Yngwie: Yes. A new DVD will definitely be shot and released from the new tour. Otherwise, I don’t have any unrealized goals in that musical sense. For now I’ll keep diligently sticking to my mold. What you see is what you get. Classic.
RockLine: Over your career you’ve tried quite a few different singers on your studio albums, from Mark Boals (now Royal Hunt) to Joe Lynn Turner (solo, ex-Rainbow), Dougie White (Cornerstone, ex-Rainbow), and now you’ve got “Ripper” (ex-Judas Priest, ex-Iced Earth)… How do you decide which singer to pick for a given album?
Yngwie: These singers are all very different from each other. I always look for and choose the vocalist I feel will, through his own interpretation, most effectively convey the feelings captured in each song I write. “Ripper” is a real Spartan. He expresses anger brilliantly through his vocal approach. And for these two albums, “Ripper” has been more than a fitting choice. I need an aggressive singer who also delivers a lot of extra melody in my music. “Ripper” is ideal for that.
RockLine: Is “Relentless” subordinate to the instrumental side, or is it a more compact album with content built around the vocals?
Yngwie: There are 15 songs on the album, all of them very long, and mostly it’s instrumentals. The vocals are added more as a treat, a kind of spice that fuels the climax of my musical vision on “Relentless” even further.
RockLine: Are you already planning a tour for next year, and when will we be able to see you in Europe again?
Yngwie: For now everything’s still very much up in the air. I’ll probably come to Europe again next summer, but I can’t predict anything yet. It all depends on my booking agency too. I don’t currently have any insight into how things stand on that front.
RockLine: Yngwie, sincere thanks for your valuable time, it was a tremendous honor to chat with you. I wish you lots of success with the album promotion and a great time on stage in the year ahead.
Yngwie: Thank you too.
interview conducted, translated, and edited by: Aleš Podbrežnik
photos: Aleš Podbrežnik (RockLine Archive 2008 – all rights reserved)
In the photos: Yngwie J. Malmsteen during his set at the Bang Your Head!!! festival, on 28.06.2008, in Balingen, Germany)
The interview was done in collaboration between RockLine and Rock Hard Slovenija
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