Ride The Blue Lightning
With tousled hair and chest bare our twinkly fingered friend here returns with an album of covers and some of his own compositions. I can hear you sighing from here, but do not let the word covers put you off. Mr Malmsteen works very hard at his craft and in some circles, he is much maligned as egocentric, self-obsessed etc. but you know what, I love a bit of Yngwie since the days of “Liar” and “Heaven Tonight”. From the vast back catalogue that is Rock music, he has cherry-picked some golden nuggets and applied his own methodical, technical and awe-inspiring experience to equal the already illuminated status of the originals.
We have a little Deep Purple, ZZ Top, The Beatles, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, alongside the newer songs “Blue Lightning” and “Sun’s Up Top’s Down” as we jump into a car, preferably a convertible, ( if you don’t have one, like me, you should borrow someone else’s) and head on down the highway, with the scorching sun gently roasting the back of your neck, and have this as your touring companion.
In “1911 Strut” you have two and a half minutes of guitaring – indulgent? Yes, but still bloody lovely!
Strap on your six string, real or imaginary, my friends and give it some welly, as you descend into a blissfully unaware state of consciousness.
This is the bejewelled world of the guitar solo, a creature that is the very heart and soul of a good rock song, but it can take on a life of its own and may lead to strained and fraught relations amongst fans and peers.
The electrical charge on this will keep the National Grid on their toes, as this record fizzes and whizzes its way from head to toe and revitalises and replenishes any part that was a little forlorn and despondent. An album of classic rock and classic blues, it has a timeless quality, that will surely have you coming back for more.
Oh Yngwie, you tinkering little tinker….
Azra Pathan
Yngwie Malmsteen – Blue Lightning out now via Mascot Records