Greatest living musician

Originally posted by ChronicLeaky
There's a little bit more to Malmsteen than simply technical skill.

PBE6, tell yer anecdote.

This story was told to me by the head of a guitar camp I used to attend, and later work at, near Toronto every summer. This camp had several campuses across the US and Canada, and the organizers would bring in special guest guitar superstars at each one. As I recall this story happened in Florida not too long after the time Yngwie had a bunch of guitars stolen. He is officially a bit fat mess.

Apparently, Yngwie arrived at the airport without incident and rented a limo to take himself and his wife to the camp. Upon arriving, Yngwie didn't seem to have much to say and let his wife do the talking. "Where is the warm up room? Yngwie will need six large cans of beer and a submarine sandwich before going on." Assuming that some of the beer was for later, the head of the camp went out and picked up 6 tall boys and an assorted sub from Mr. Sub for Yngwie. After delivering them, the head was told Yngwie needed some time alone to practice. About 30 minutes later, the head went back into the room to check on Yngwie and get him ready to put on his clinic. An obviously drunk Yngwie, reclining in a chair with his shirt wide open, his 6th beer in one had and a tomato and some lettuce stuck to his left tit, told the head that he was "ready to rock".

Apparently he played fine, but when asked by one of the kids how he came up with a certain scale/lick pattern, he replied "I just do it, I know everything."

The Zakk Wylde story is a bit funnier. I think Zakk Wylde is always drunk, so the fact that he was hammered during his clinic is no surprise. However, after he finished his set he took his guitar off and walked to the door at the back of the stage. He proceeded to open it and unzip his pants. Someone who had been listening to the set from behind the door was heard to say "Hey Zakk, great set man, you really ripped it up...hey, HEY!! You're PISSING ON MY LEG!!!".

For those of you who don't know Yngwie, here's a picture that pretty much sums him up:

http://www.metal-metropolis.com/Yngwie_Malmsteen/yngwie_malmsteen_fai.jpg

The only time I ever saw Yngwie was in 1986. At the time part of his schtick was to play a solo through a little mini-Marshall, which was of course going through the PA.

Yngwie has never had a lack of ego...and this didn't happen at the show I was at but it was my understanding that at some point during the Rising Force tour that he had pissed off the road crew so badly that when it came time for his mini-Marshall solo the sound man shut down the PA.

I also understand he was better behaved after that. 😛

Yngwie is like, how many notes can I play per second. Like he's throwing up instead of controlling their output. When he played with Satrianni and Vai, Steve Vai was the clear exceptional guitarist to all three.

How about Victor Whooten on Bass?

Originally posted by PBE6
This story was told to me by the head of a guitar camp I used to attend, and later work at, near Toronto every summer. This camp had several campuses across the US and Canada, and the organizers would bring in special guest guitar superstars at each one. As I recall this story happened in Florida not too long after the time Yngwie had a bunch of guitars stole ...[text shortened]... kk, great set man, you really ripped it up...hey, HEY!! You're PISSING ON MY LEG!!!".

LOL! I hope the kid's parent's didn't find him later with vegetables all over his nipples, trying to invent killer riffz.

Originally posted by PBE6
This story was told to me by the head of a guitar camp I used to attend, and later work at, near Toronto every summer. This camp had several campuses across the US and Canada, and the organizers would bring in special guest guitar superstars at each one. As I recall this story happened in Florida not too long after the time Yngwie had a bunch of guitars stole ...[text shortened]... kk, great set man, you really ripped it up...hey, HEY!! You're PISSING ON MY LEG!!!".

Back near Venice beach where I am from, in Santa Monica, is our folkie hangout, McCabes Guitar shop, with a nice little stage and about 150 seats, my band Southwind played there about 6 times. So one fine night, the Irish band Clannad Played there. The toilet is just off to stage left and the guitarist was so snockered, he went off stage and took a piss so loud it was audible through the whole theater and then he flushed the toilet and it was like amplified by the sound system, the audience howled with laughter! He came back on stage a bit sheepish! Great performance that night however!

I've got another person for consideration: Isao Tomita, Japanese electronic music composer & performer.

Originally posted by gregsflat
Yngwie is like, how many notes can I play per second. Like he's throwing up instead of controlling their output. When he played with Satrianni and Vai, Steve Vai was the clear exceptional guitarist to all three.

Vai did his apprenticeship with Zappa, that's one reason why there is an 'otherness' about Vai's playing. And of course Zappa took him under his wing because Vai was special (see also Belew, Keneally, Cuccurrulo). Vai also appeared on stage with Zappa nearly 150 times which means that, if you count soundchecks, he probably heard about 1,000 uniquely peculiar Zappa guitar solos close up (with that pristine not too loud on-stage sound that Zappa insisted on) so it's no wonder Vai turned into an "exceptional guitarist" as compared to the shredders and the big hair* & latex pants brigade.

* or no hair, as the case may be.

Originally posted by gregsflat
I've got another person for consideration: Isao Tomita, Japanese electronic music composer & performer.

You can find him on myspace. Well not MYspace, but his ownspace🙂
I really liked him a lot, coming on the heals of Walter/wendy.

Originally posted by sonhouse
You can find him on myspace. Well not MYspace, but his ownspace🙂
I really liked him a lot, coming on the heals of Walter/wendy.

I kinda like Chuck Mangione from the past and Kenny G from the recent past.

Originally posted by Scotty70
I kinda like Chuck Mangione from the past and Kenny G from the recent past.

Yuck, Kenny G. You are kidding, right?

Originally posted by Scotty70
I kinda like Chuck Mangione from the past and Kenny G from the recent past.

The soprano sax player with Chuck Mangione is the guy that just died in the plane crash last week in Buffalo NY. Gerry Niewood.

Originally posted by FMF
Vai did his apprenticeship with Zappa, that's one reason why there is an 'otherness' about Vai's playing. And of course Zappa took him under his wing because Vai was special (see also Belew, Keneally, Cuccurrulo). Vai also appeared on stage with Zappa nearly 150 times which means that, if you count soundchecks, he probably heard about 1,000 uniquely pecul e shredders and the big hair* & latex pants brigade.

* or no hair, as the case may be.

Les Paul makes them dudes look like Amateurs, hed leave Vais Jem guitar smokin like a kipper!

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Les Paul makes them dudes look like Amateurs,

Ok, I see. Music seen through the Sport's Fan's prism. Fine.

Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, and Seasick steve.