Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force - “Odyssey” (Polydor 1989)
Life’s a bitch isn’t it? You’re born with perfect pitch; you can wipe the floor with the rest of the new wave of “Guitar Heroes” but there’s always a catch. In the case of the extremely talented young Swede, Yngwie “J” Malmsteen, its his complete inability to write a decent lyric. Yes, he is (and was at the time) hailed as the second coming for Guitarists (the first being Eddie Van Halen of course) but never quite got it together with the lyrics. The following is the opening stanza from “As above so below” off the “Rising Force” album:
“There's a hole in the sky But don't ask me why Because I don't know”
“Oh dear. Oh deary, deary me. Lyrics just aren’t his forté are they? So what’s a man to do. You’ve had 3 albums to date
(Rising Force, Marching Out and Trilogy); you’ve sold to the guitarists and metal heads but there’s no wider appeal. You’re signed to Polydor; they’re in it for the money. Hey!, find a decent songwriting partner!
Up until 1989's Odyssey, Yngwie had employed vocalists to sing his lyrics. Never mind that he can’t write lyrics to save his life - he (allegedly) insisted on complete control over the recordings from music to production. Poor old Jeff Scott Solo and Mark Boals (no doubt good vocalists in their own right) had to sing the ill-scanning lines as if they meant it. Take a listen to “I am a Viking” off the Marching Out album and you’ll see what I mean. You can almost see the horns. Its soooooo Spinal Tap!
Polydor had obviously reigned in the control for Odyssey and I suspect, had Yngwie not agreed to the partnership with Joe Lynn Turner (vocals) or the production of Jeff Glixman (too many good albums to mention) then he would have been out on his ear right then and there.
Joe Lynn Turner was also signed to Polydor and since the demise of Sir Richard Blackmore’s Rainbow, had been involved in songwriting for other Polydor artists. Joe is a superb lyricist; leans a bit to the “luuurve” side for most rock fans but, importantly for Polydor, he was able to write a commercial rock song that didn’t go on for 8 minutes. If you’re having trouble remembering Joe then think back to “I Surrender” by Rainbow and that’s your man (though that particular track was written by Russ Ballard). Teaming Joe with Yngwie resulted in 12 tracks for Odyssey, the average of which is about 4:50. No mean feat for a man who likes to widdle up and down his fretboard incessantly for at least 4 minutes a song.
Jens Johannson handles keyboards and his brother Anders Johannson takes the drum stool. Journeyman bassist Bob Daisley (Rainbow, Ozzy Osbourne) provides solid bass accompaniment throughout. Its strange how Yngwie managed to surround himself with ex-Rainbow personnel. He’s always had a fixation with Blackmore in much the same way as Coverdale always wanted to be Plant. Still, the resulting album is far more commercial than the previous three but a great mix of good hooks and blistering fretwork. The single from the album, “Heaven Tonight”, is a Joe Lynn Turner classic - lots of twists and turns, emotive singing and a chorus that stays in your head forever. Malmsteen’s solo ONLY lasts 16 bars - wow! Kind of reminiscent of the well constructed solo breaks we first saw from him on the “No Parole from Rock ‘n’ Roll” album by Graham Bonnet’s Alcatrazz. At last Yngwie’s talent is showcased in a great song. This album widened the appeal of Malmsteen to an audience who would no doubt, never had heard of him otherwise.
If you’re new to Malmsteen and want to hear him in a “safe” environment first then this album is thoroughly recommended. Those of you with an ear for a good shred will still get enjoyment from this album, if only to think of how many times Jeff Glixman must have wanted to strangle the tempestuous Swede during the recording sessions!
Thoroughly recommended.
Tracks:
Rising Force 4:25 Hold On 5:11 Heaven Tonight 4:06 Dreaming (Tell Me) 5:19 Bite the Bullet 1:36 Riot in the Dungeons 4:22 Deja Vu 4:17 Crystal Ball 4:55 Now is the time 4:34 Faster than the speed of light 4:30 Krakatau 6:08 Memories 1:14
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
helpful, but i would've liked to hear more about the individual songs. background on yngwie was really good though, accurate and insightful
Paiceyjohn 06.09.2001 13:12
Hadn't noticed the Rainbow connection before. Joe Lynn Turner AND Graham Bonnett (a better vocalist IMO). Not to mention Bob Daisley, who's been around a bit, as you rightly say... He was in and out of Uriah Heep for years. Great review of an album I'm bound to hate. I'd prefer the dodgy "English as a second language" lyrics to be honest. Cheers.
darrenloud 26.08.2001 20:27
Very interesting and informative opinion, thanks........Darren
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