Guitar World: Yngwie Malmsteen pays tribute to Eddie Van Halen

[James in New York]

Yngwie Malmsteen pays tribute to Eddie Van Halen:

“I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was so f**king blown away“

By Guitar World Staff
First Published 2 hours ago

The titan of neoclassical shred explains why it was fruitless to copy a style like Eddie's – just enjoy it

When I was 7 or 8 in Sweden, I was listening to Deep Purple’s Made in Japan and stuff like that, and I was very into that type of guitar playing.

Then by the time I was 12 I was listening to classical violin and I already had a very clear vision of what I was trying to do.

So whatever was out there when Van Halen came out, I wasn’t really paying much attention.

But in 1978 I was playing in a band called Powerhouse, and one day the drummer came in and he brought Van Halen. And I was like, “What is this? Another band? Whatever.”

But he put it on and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was so fucking blown away.

And you know, the weird thing with me, I think, compared to many other people who felt the same way when they heard that album is that I didn’t pack my guitar up and put a humbucker in, I didn’t paint stripes on it, I didn’t do all the tapping.

I didn’t do that because to me it was so amazing what Edward was doing – I didn’t want to copy it.

You have to remember, in 1978 no-one had heard this before. And even though Edward wasn’t the first person to tap, he put it on the map.

No-one did it like him.

But what really knocked me out was the energy and the “don’t give a fuck” attitude that the whole band had.

They were essentially a power trio and they were playing live.

They made me so inspired because I had a power trio, too. All the albums are great – I think the first and the second ones [Van Halen and Van Halen II] almost feel like part one and two of the same album.

They have the same feel – no overdubs, just go for it. And the whole band, Alex and Dave and Michael, all of them are in-fuckin'-credible on those.

There’s a song on the second album, Outta Love Again. Edward and Alex’s playing on that, it’s just one take, you can hear it. It’s sick. It’s ridiculous. It’s just so good.

That spirit inspired me immensely.

But my favorite song is probably Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love. I used that sound as the yardstick for so many years.

I would listen to that and go, “If I can get a sound that good, I know I have a good sound.”

And the riff is just fucking ridiculous. But overall it was the whole “turn your fucking shit up and go for it” thing that really got to me about Eddie.

The impact he had on me was unbelievable. On all of us. It’s just crazy.

You’ve gotta remember, too – I lived in a socialist country and it was basically, “You can’t do this,” “You can’t do that.” Everything was very “no no no no no”.

And when Van Halen came out it was just, “Fuck you all!”

And I loved it. I fucking loved it. I still love it to this day.

Yngwie Malmsteen was speaking to Richard Bienstock.

[Dave's Dreidel]

Might be the nicest thing he has ever said about anybody.

[James in New York]

Might be the nicest thing he has ever said about anybody.

Ha! So true!

I'm glad he said it!

[James in New York]

Had no idea he loved Outta Love Again and Ain't Talkin Bout Love and the no holds barred fiery inspirational spirit of VAN HALEN! Cool to hear.

[sinners__swing]

I know people love to hate him but Yngwie was a hugely influential player. He raised the bar. I learned a lot of his stuff back in the day and it helped my technique and I respect the guy. I think he's a great guitar player and he's in my top 10 favorite guitar players list. He doesn't hand out compliments often so it's high praise coming from him.

You can hear some Ed in the live Alactrazz solo from '84. I was always able to hear some Ed in his playing.



He was playing this shit at 18.

[Brett]

Did someone hit him on the head? I’ve never heard him say a nice word about anyone before.

[sinners__swing]

Did someone hit him on the head? I’ve never heard him say a nice word about anyone before.

I think age hit him on the head. He probably realizes there's more behind him than ahead of him so he's mellowing out. It happens.

[iplayguitaralot]

I know people love to hate him but Yngwie was a hugely influential player. He raised the bar. I learned a lot of his stuff back in the day and it helped my technique and I respect the guy. I think he's a great guitar player and he's in my top 10 favorite guitar players list. He doesn't hand out compliments often so it's high praise coming from him.

You can hear some Ed in the live Alactrazz solo from '84. I was always able to hear some Ed in his playing.



He was playing this shit at 18.

Yngwie is great. Unleash the fucking fury.

[PrideofPasadena]

LOL. I've heard him compliment someone with a word or two, maybe a sentence, never this in depth.

[ziggysmalls]

Outside of Yngwie speaking of Hendrix or Blackmore that was the nicest thing he has ever said about another guitarist. Maybe playing in G3 and being around Vai has softened him up a bit.

Very cool of him to say that. The guy never throws compliments out

[jagerdave]

In really old Yngwie interviews he used to be much nicer. I think the years of cocaine abuse and all the other guitar players attacking him in interviews made him very guarded and bitter. I had a guitar magazine with an Ed interview from the late 80's/early 90's where he took a slight jab at Yngwie by saying something like "Gene Simmons paid me a huge compliment the other today and said that Yngwie couldn't touch my songwriting." Lots of famous guitarists were jealous of Yngwie's playing so fast and clean just as they were jealous of Ed.