Speaking of keyboards, I asked the legendary guitarist how he pulls off performing what he told me is a “great live song” and new album standout “Live To Fight Another Day” live, with its well-layered acoustic guitar parts at the beginning, middle and end, and killer electric riffs that dominate much of the rest of the song. Answer: after starting the performance with something akin to pyrotechnics and other fiery stage props, he just concentrates on electric guitar while his keyboardist plays the 12-string acoustic guitar parts on his keyboard.
Another mystery solved in this interview: the real deal behind having some uplifting-sounding lyrics to a song called “Tied of Desire” written in Perpetual Flame’s booklet, even though the song itself is not on the album. Malmsteen tells me he just liked the lyrics so much he wanted them included in the booklet but with the intention of releasing the actual song sometime in the near future. He’s on an independent label (Rising Force Records) and said to me that the way things are going, he pretty much has the freedom to “do whatever I want,” so look for an EP or an individual song release of that one next year (or perhaps sooner).
On October 13, the day before his new album hit stores, Yngwie Malmsteen was honored as the latest prestigious inductee to the Hollywood Rockwalk in Los Angeles, joining the likes of Elvis, Santana, Marvin Gaye, Johnny Cash, and earlier this year, Smashing Pumpkins. When asked about the experience, he called it “surreal,” and was very humbled by the reception he got. It was hard for him to recollect exact details of the event though because he’s been so busy with interviews early and late in the day lately that he can barely remember what he did yesterday. [Who can’t relate to that?]
Over the years, Malmsteen has not only done damage to his guitar, but sustained some nerve damage and tendonitis in his hands. When asked if he has any lingering physical problems with them, he replied with what sounded like a chuckle, “No, No. I’m actually healthier now than when I was 25 years old.” I know, it’s not like the (still just) 45-years-young guitarist has shown signs of slowing down recently, but it’s good to know he’s in great health. And in turn, that bodes well for Yngwie Malmsteen’s musical future, which is arguably more exciting now than it’s been in a long, long time.
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