YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN Talks About His Inspiration For ‘Blue Lightning’ Album In New Video Trailer
March 26th, 2019
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Swedish neo-classical rock guitarist Yngwie J. Malmsteen issues 20th full-length studio album proper Blue Lightning on March 29th, 2019 through Mascot Label Group.
A new video trailer has been released for the outing and can be viewed below. In the latest clip, Malmsteen talks about his inspiration for the album.
Blue Lightning pays homage to the blues. “I have always played around with old songs, both live and also in the studio,” Malmsteen commented. “I did a similar album called Inspiration a while ago (1996), and it was Mascot who came to me and suggested I do a blues record.
“Now, I grew up in a classically trained family, and people know me for playing in what is called a neo-classical style. But when I got a guitar for my fifth birthday, what I would try to emulate were John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers – I would jam along to what they did on record with Eric Clapton (Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton album, 1966). That’s something people don’t realize about me – I do have a strong interest in the blues. So, when Mascot came to me with the suggestion of doing an album of songs in this style, it didn’t faze me at all. In fact, it seemed so natural.”
Various cover renditions are included on Blue Lightning. “There were songs that were immediately clear I wanted to do,” Malmsteen stated. “These were the likes of ‘Purple Haze’ and ‘Smoke On The Water’ which I have been playing since I was a kid. But then I also went for something like ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ which I wasn’t sure I could do. In this case, it was about trial and error. I am delighted that I was able to do justice to the original.”
Malmsteen felt he injected his own individual flavour to the cover renditions. “I have never been one of those people who wants to sit down and mimic the way in which a song sounds on record. I don’t see the point in doing that. If all you want to hear is a song the way you remember it, then the originals are there for you. What I have done is add in my own vibe and personality, while paying tribute to what you already know. That way I feel I am being myself, yet also being respectful to those artists.”
Blue Lightning’s cover interpretation of the Eric Clapton number ‘Forever Man’ was deemed a challenge to tackle. “I heard this on the radio, and honestly I didn’t know whether I could do it for this album,” Malmsteen admitted. “But I sat down and tried things, and they worked out. I had to rise to the occasion and am delighted to have done exactly that. On the singing side with ‘Forever Man’, I did it all in one take. I got the lyrics through, went into the studio, and just got them done. I am not someone who likes to do take after take. I feel you should be able to get it right the first time around. That applies to the vocal parts and also my guitar playing. And for the most part, this is the way I did Blue Lightning.”
A particular favourite also makes an appearance. “When I was ten years old, I got Deep Purple’s Fireball album (1971), which I have always thought was very undervalued,” Malmsteen submitted. “And the song that really killed me was ‘Demon’s Eye’. And I was very keen to do it for the album. Thankfully, the key was just right for my voice, and I had so much fun doing it. In fact, I would say that I had a great time doing all the songs here.”
Rounding out the track listing are four originals. “I have always featured songs with a blues groove on albums,” Malmsteen viewed. “So, having my own material in this vein was very natural for me.”
Blue Lightning was produced by Malmsteen himself. “In the old days, a band would go into the studio, do a couple of songs, then go out on tour, before returning to the studio to do a couple more new tracks,” he shared. “That’s the way I did things this time. I have been so busy on the road in recent times that it was the most pragmatic way to do the album. In all, it took me about ten months to get it done, but by going in the studio in between touring commitments, I feel it kept everything fresh.”
Malmsteen’s cover of The Beatles song ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ can be streamed below.
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The track listing is as follows;
01. ‘Blue Lightning’
02. ‘Foxey Lady’ (Jimi Hendrix)
03. ‘Demon’s Eye’ (Deep Purple)
04. ‘1911 Strut’
05. ‘Blue Jean Blues’ (ZZ Top)
06. ‘Purple Haze’ (Jimi Hendrix)
07. ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ (The Beatles)
08. ‘Sun’s Up Top’s Down’
09. ‘Peace, Please’
10. ‘Paint It Black’ (The Rolling Stones)
11. ‘Smoke On The Water’ (Deep Purple)
12. ‘Forever Man’ (Eric Clapton)
Official lyric videos were created for the title track and the song ‘Sun’s Up Top’s Down’. Both clips can also be viewed below.
Nineteenth studio record proper World On Fire was released in June 2016 via King Records.
