First time I heard Swede-shredder Yngwie Malmsteen was on Steeler's debut album (w/Ron Keel on vocals) and Alcatrazz ‘No Parole From Rock and Roll' (both released in '83). But man, first time I heard Yngwie's three-and-a-half-minute intro to Steeler's "Hot On Your Heels" I was absolutely floored. I'd always admired Ritchie Blackmore's neo-classical guitar style for years, but this neo-classical shredding was an absolute game changer and set another guitar playing style/technique bar very high. And the 1984 Alcatrazz release 'Live Sentence' proved to me what Yngwie was capable of in a live setting.
When Yngwie released this '84 debut I knew it would be great, but I had no idea it would blow the doors off all three of the previously released albums (in my humble opinion). I was familiar with 'Evil Eye' from the 'Live Sentence' album, but the studio version was so much better. I enjoy every track, but two favorites will always be 'Icarus' Dream Suite Op. 4' and 'Far Beyond The Sun'. Upon first listen though, I was surprised a vocalist was used at all. I became a fan of vocalist Jeff Scott Soto due to this album. Plus, having an opportunity to see him perform live made me realize he'd become more popular as time went on (never imagined he'd join Journey down the road). My brother and I listened to this album all the time. We played it frontward, backward, upside down. We played along to every friggin’ note….on air guitar of course.
Some fifteen months after this release, the local concert gods came through and Yngwie was coming to town June 19, 1985 (it was booked at the same dance club venue where I had seen Metallica three months prior - Graham Central Station). And as a HUGE added bonus, Talas (bass god Billy Sheehan's band) was providing support. I already owned Talas' first two studio albums and "Live Speed On Ice" (another all-time favorite live album). I witnessed greatness that evening - one on guitar and the other on bass. I remained up front for both sets have the highlights etched in my brain for life. Both bands played as though they were performing in front of a sold out stadium of 50,000 fans. My jaw was sore from the many times it hit the ground during both Talas and Yngwie's sets. Remarkable musicianship and I never saw a concert quite like it ever again.
By the way, I can still play this album......note for air guitar note.
Sidebar: I always got a kick out of the ‘J’ he had added to his name. I get the classical connection, seriously, I get it…but I joked about that the most back in the day. Kinda went like this, “You have to listen to the new Ingvay Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay Malmsteen album!" Photos from my personal collection (original Polydor label):
Yngwie Malmsteen - Icarus' Dream Suite Op.4 (1984)
Remembering Gary Moore today on the 5th anniversary of his passing.
Hard to believe Gary's been gone for five years already. I listen to his music constantly. I always felt he was such an underrated artist. The guy could play circles around other guitar players without breaking a sweat.
First time I heard Moore perform was on Thin Lizzy's 'Black Rose: A Rock Legend' (1979). The melodies on this album (i.e. Waiting For An Alibi and Do Anything You Want To) are brilliant, but so are the many albums Gary released over the years.
I had the pleasure of seeing Gary perform live once in my life (so damn thankful) when his solo band was touring the US for one of my favorite albums Victims of the Future (1983). First of all, this album has so many blazing guitar solos and I wore out my vinyl copy in less than a month (title track groove alone was worn down first - to this day I can never get enough of that song.). And how can you go wrong when your band also includes Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Neil Carter (UFO) and Neil Murray (Whitesnake)? And I couldn't get over the guitar solo in the The Yardbirds cover Shapes Of Things. If you haven't heard it then go do that right now.
Rush was touring in support of their album Grace Under Pressure in 1984 and kicked off that tour in my hometown of Albuquerque, NM (the band had a small history of starting their tours off here). No complaints here, especially since I'm a Rush fanatic. Anyway, Gary and band opened for Rush on select dates and ABQ was one of them. I couldn't tell you who I was more excited to see at that point. Nobody I hung out with in high school was into Gary Moore as I was. Anytime I would play Victims of the Future cassette (or 1982's Corridors of Power for that matter)on my boombox on the bus [sidebar: I was the DJ on my bus...haha] or at school in the hallway)....nothing. What? Ugh! I digress.
Opening day of the tour: May 7th, 1984 - the day had arrived <cue choir angels> The venue was Tingley Coliseum (where all the concerts took place because it was the largest venue we had at the time). It was built for rodeos and the place always smelled like horseshit (literally). Aside from that, the sound was always horrible. Obviously not built for concerts, but again, the only place in town for the big tours to perform. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful to this day for ol' Tingley because without that place I wouldn't have seen so many amazing concerts.
Majority of the concerts held at Tingley were GA (General Admission). When buying a ticket you chose either the seated section or the floor. I always chose the floor. Those were the first to sell out first because everyone and their brother wanted to be as close to the stage as possible (including yours truly). So this meant showing up at the venue four hours before the gates/doors opened (2:00 PM since doors normally opened at 6:00 PM). Could have been a problem for me on this day because it was a Monday and I was still in class at that time....ahem....supposed to be in class at that time. I caught a ride with a few of my fellow Rush buddies, arrived at Tingley 1:45 PM and there were maybe six or seven people in line. YES!
Stood/sat in line talking to others for a few hours about what else? Rush, Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy and every other band under the sun. The line grew in length until you couldn't see the end of it...perfect. Gates opened, which led to the front of the venue, and everyone would fuckin' run to form another line in front of the doors of the venue (always hated that). Needless to say, I was always capable of running fast and more or less had been able to secure the same spot in line with my friends.
Doors open.....quick glance at the tour t-shirts as I ran by....down the corridor, onto the floor, ticket ripped (always hated that too and told the person ripping tickets to rip where I wanted so the ticket wasn't destroyed. I got lucky nine times out of ten and still have 97% of my ticket stubs intact) and straight for the barricade...front and center of the stage. SAFE! Again, spoke to all the people around me about Rush, Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy and every band out there.
Show started at 8:00 PM, lights go off, surge of the crowd pushed forward....Gary Moore hit the stage. HOLY SHIT!! GARY FUCKIN' MOORE!!! He was maybe three feet right in front of me. HOLY SHIT!! I held my ground best I could (I was maybe 120 lbs and 5ft 10in) and held onto the barricade with all my might to not lose my place. I was resilient (as I was in the majority of the shows I attended) and able to keep my spot for the entire show (Rush included). I headbanged to every song. Sang as loud as I could. Thrust my fist in the air the entire set (with the other hand gripping onto the barricade for dear life). GARY FUCKIN' MOORE!!
What a setlist.....
Don't Take Me For A Loser
Shapes Of Things (Yardbirds cover) - guitar solo is phenomenal
Murder In The Skies
Victims Of The Future - my favorite GM song...period!
Empty Rooms
Intro/White Knuckles/End Of The World - epic guitar solo
Rockin' Every Night
His band was tight as hell too, I had hoped Ian Paice and Neil Murray were part of the touring lineup, but that wasn't the case. Still saw Neil Carter and Bobby Chouinard (RIP...who also played in Billy Squire's band).
Gary Moore - guitar, vocals
Neil Carter - guitar, vocals, keyboard
Bobby Chouinard - drums
Graig Gruber - bass
After seeing Gary Moore perform live for 50 minutes straight, I knew this guy had some goddamn magic that no other guitarist possessed (even to this day). Not that I didn't think he was 'the shit' already, but seeing him live cemented it all for me. I watched Gary play every square inch of that guitar. He didn't move around the stage too much since he was the vocalist. So he remained close to the mic and guitar pedal effects. Not a problem for me....at all.
In my mind and after a few discussions with the crowd around me, Rush had one hell of a show to follow. Especially since Rush was moving more towards keyboard oriented songs and less guitar.
But, not to worry....Rush killed it. But Gary crushed it.
Thank you, Gary. Your music lives on forever. A concert memory I'll never forget.
Today marks the 32nd anniversary of the death of one of hard rock’s true guitar heroes, Randy Rhoads.
Randy, who found massive success with Ozzy Osbourne’s solo band back in 1980, after starting his career in an early version of Quiet Riot, died on March 19, 1982. He was a victim of a plane crash accident in Leesburg, Florida while on tour with Ozzy. His death propelled him into the same vanguard as other legendary guitarists who also had their careers cut short by tragedy.
It wasn’t just the fact that Randy Rhoads dying young cemented his legendary status. He was well on his way to the pantheon of musical genius while still alive.
Randy’s legend runs so deep within the music community, it’s very easy to forget he only recorded two albums with Ozzy (Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman – both released in 1981). But the influence spread far and wide to burgeoning and established guitarists all across the world.
With a blinding speed and a pyrotechnic sonic fervor, the power of Randy’s work is stunning. He achieved so much success and spread an influence so wide at such a young age, (he was only 25 years old when he died) and with such a small amount of recorded material, is an amazing feat in itself. With his bone-crunching riffs, on top of walls of sound that would shake and rattle one’s teeth and soul, Randy played his guitar like no one before or since. In essence, he led a musical revolution in which he never had a chance to witness.
Randy’s legacy lives on to this day and will continue to do so as he lives on in so many others.
Randy Rhoads performing live during his stint in Quiet Riot (1978-79). Watch this video and you’ll hear many portions of the solo which would go on to become classic Ozzy tunes.
David Gilmour is an artist I wish we saw more of over the years. Aside from his years in Pink Floyd, he carved out his own direction via solo albums, which had something to offer outside the ‘walls of Floyd’. But the music he created in Pink Floyd is why he’s in the Rock and Roll history books. Last studio album David released was in 2006 “On An Island” and the title track alone stops me in my tracks when I hear it. It has that full on Floydian feel to it, but the tones which emanate from that song are truly spectacular.
My favorite Gilmour/Floyd tracks:
“Division Bell”
“Not Now John”
“Time”
“Wish You Were Here”
“Sorrow”
“Dogs”
“There’s No Way Out of Here”
“Young Lust”
“All Lovers Are Deranged”
“Comfortably Numb”
“On An Island”
“Learning To Fly”
Happy birthday, David!! Salute! <insert cold shot of Crown here>
First time I heard Swede-shredder Yngwie Malmsteen was in 1983 when he was featured on three albums/two bands: L.A.’s Steeler (w/Ron Keel on vocals) and Alcatrazz (with one of my favorite all-time vocalists Graham Bonnett) ‘No Parole From Rock and Roll’ and ‘Live Sentence’. I always had a thing for ‘live’ albums and ‘Live Sentence’ literally blew my mind.
When Yngwie decided to release his debut solo album in 1985 “Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force ” I knew it would be great, but it blew the doors off all three albums from 1983. Side bar: I always got a kick out of the ‘J’ he had added to his name. I get the classical connection, seriously, I get it…but I joked about that the most back in the day. Kinda went like this, “You have to listen to the new Ingvay Jaaaaaaaaay Malmsteen album!’
My best friend and I listened to this album ALL THE DAMN TIME. We could play it frontward, backward, upside down. We hit every freakin’ note….air guitar of course. This and Armored Saint’s “Marck of the Saint” were the two we listened to, one after the other.
Having not listened to this album for a couple years, until today, I proved I can STILL play every air guitar note for note. <evil grin>
Yngwie set the neo-shredder bar and, in my humble opinion, threw Eddie Van Halen flying into the back seat. I couldn’t believe how he played circles around every guitar player I idolized at the time (with the exception of Randy Rhoads). This album holds up very well after 30 years and doesn’t sound dated to these old ears.
If you’ve never listened to this one the you lived under a very large rock. Then again, it’s never too late to give ol’ Mr. Jaaaaaaay Malmsteen a go.
