Commentary
Yngwie J. Malmsteen
It appears guitar maestro Yngwie J. Malmsteen is ruffling some feathers… again. This time around he was asked in a recent interview by Metal Wani’s editor in chief Owais “Vitek” Nabi: A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).
Has he considered working with singers like Jeff Scott Soto, Joe Lynn Turner and Tim “Ripper” Owens again on an album or a tour:
Malmsteen responded “Actually, no, I have not, because I found myself very much… I’m very comfortable singing myself, first of all. Secondly, there’s a certain disconnect when you write the song and you have someone else sing it for you. And it’s kind of like a fakeness about it. I always wrote everything — I wrote all the lyrics, I wrote all the melodies, everything; it’s just somebody else sung it. And to me, the singer is nothing else than a different… like a bass player or a keyboard player — they’re not more important than any other musician. And they, unfortunately, seem to think that they are. And I’ve kind of had it with their sort of… self-absorbed sort of way, and I’m very much against it. No. I don’t like that. I don’t like any of those people, and I don’t like to do anything with them ever again.”
Jeff Scott Soto replied:
“This is a fabulous statement, oh my! Can’t say I blame him, his vocal prowess has increased .05fold the past two decades! Why would he want to work with horrible hacks like myself, Ripper or Joe…and deal with our egos…like wanting to hear ourselves onstage within the cavalcade of Marshall’s, or getting our measly salaries on time (or at all)…or maybe it was the desire to be ‘buds’ that got in the way? Carry on there Sing-vay, you got this!
On a side note, I wrote more than 3/4 of the lyrics and 1/2 melodies for I’ll See The Light Tonight, all of the lyrics for Caught In The Middle and Don’t Let It End (he wrote the title and got 50% of authorship) and all off On The Run Again (title included). So much for writing EVERYTHING but you must admit, a Puerto Rican ‘faking’ the praises about a Viking was pretty convincing no?” ?
Tim “Ripper” Owens also responded via Facebook
“Pretty sure it’s because we all quit. Hahaha. Blah blah blah!” Tim then added: “Let [Yngwie] enjoy the singing”
Later on Tim added: “Great stuff…..GOD the things I could say about Yngwie and his camp. I never have and I never will say anything…….
But I will say it really is a circus run by clowns!
PS. I do think he is an amazing guitar player!”
Joe Lynn Turner responds via Facebook
MALMSTEEN ARTICLE REBUTTAL
“In regard to the recent Malmsteen article, I feel compelled to rebut his delusional statements.
The ‘Odyssey’ album was his biggest success that he has not since and will never repeat again. It’s undeniable that I am responsible for 50% of the writing credits namely the melody and lyrics and 100% of the vocal performances.
Malmsteen’s statements can only be taken as the rantings of a megalomaniac desperately trying to justify his own insecurity. His claim that ‘singers’ are too egotistical is moronic and pathetic coming from him. The fact that he would lash out at all the great vocalists and respectful gentlemen that he had the good fortune and honor to work with is simply outrageous.
How sad does a man become when he has to downgrade others to make himself feel big and important. This man thrives on public approval and needs total control because
he lives in personal fear. I quit ‘Rising Force’ because of his intolerable and twisted ego.
If your pride is bigger than your heart and your ego is bigger than your head grow up or you will be alone for life. But after all, who can blame a child who shits his pants because he just doesn’t know any better.”
JLT
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