Rising Force
II
Jan 8, 1994
Happy New Year, and welcome to the second issue of Rising Force!
The Force is steadily rising - we've hit 75 subscribers.
There haven't been many submissions lately, maybe because those among us
in college are on break.
Feedback from the first issue was very positive. e.g.:
Just wanted to say the first issue was excellent. Thanks for your
effort. I'm looking forward to #2.
I looked up neo-classical in Webster's and it had it as neoclassical -
without the hyphen. So I guess that's how I'll spell it from now on.
Several of you have expressed interest in guitar tabs. I will start a
separate distribution list for tabs so this digest doesn't get
cluttered. I have 3 MacAlpine tabs right now. Reply and I'll put you
on that list.
Does anyone have any artistic talent and would like draw a text logo for
us?
From: Troy [email protected]>
New Tony MacAlpine does, of course, have a Chopin piece.
[Madness, on Shrapnel -Ig]
Videos I can think of are the 2 Yngwie ones and 1 Alcatrazz one (okay,
2 if you count the one with Steve Vai). Also, a 5" Yngwie CDV for
'Heaven Tonight.'
Bootlegs I know of are an Yngwie Summerfest '87 tour which I snagged
off of the radio, but was released as (I think) 'May the Force be with
you.'
There are also a couple of live Yngwie fan club albums.
Okay, here is part of what I have come up with for the neoclassical
discography:
Lanny Cordola - Electric Warrior, Acoustic Saint. On Intense Records
(9274)
[Anyone have more info on this? -Ig]
The Great Kat (God the vocal tracks are shit, but someone gave it to
me and free is good) - Beethoven on Speed. RoadRacer 9373
[Even on the instrumnetals she plays so fast that you can barely
make anything out. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if the drums didn't
play on what seems like EVERY SINGLE 32nd note! The album has a few
highlights (I also got mine free :-) -Ig]
Mark Wood - Voodoo Violence. Guitar Recordings - songs aren't
_really_ neo-classical, but hey, he is playing a violin.
[He plays an electric violin, but it really sounds like a guitar.
He surfaced around the time when all our fave guitarists went
bluesy/funky. I'll bet anything his earlier demos are neoclassical
-Ig]
John Norum - Total Control (well, I guess the Thin Lizzy covers don't
count)
[This album only has a few neoclassical songs. But did anyone else
notice how Thin Lizzy covers are "in" all of the sudden? John Norum
did them, Ronnie LeTekro/TNT did them, Pretty Maids did them... -Ig]
From: Nigel [email protected]>
Candlemass are *the* doom band. A lot of dark classical influences,
such as on of their albums, they did a guitar version of Chopin's
Funeral March.
Guitar solos are very Swedish (i.e. Yngwie), since that is where
Candlemass is from.
A new release you might want to check out is Memento Mori. The members
include, Messiah Marcolin (ex-Candlemass) on vocals, Mike Wead (whose
has done work with K. Diamond and heavily influenced by Yngwie.) on
guitars, + a few other excellent musicians from Sweden.
I just got it in the mail today, it is called "Rhymes of Lunacy" on
the Black Mark Label. Best description would be Candlemass+Yngwie+King
Diamond.
There was a discussion on the net about Satriani replacing Blackmore in Deep
Purple. Here are some excerpts:
From the net: K-Man [email protected]>
Joe Satriani shouldn't replace Blackmore in Purple. The Band should
just give it up until Blackmore once again wants to give it a try.
It seems that his gripe is with Ian Gillan and touring. In that
case, they'd probably be able to continue as a studio band - with
no live work. Blackmore would only have to work with Gillan about
a month a year in order to put out an album. Of course, with Gillan
just tacking vocals on top of Blackmore music, the total would be
somewhat less than if they really worked together on it.
That said, let me give one name as to a guitarist that could keep
Deep Purple sounding like Deep Purple even without Ritchie:
Yngwie Malmsteen
A couple of tracks on Steeler and Alcatrazz and his solo stuff
sound as if they came off of 'Burn' or 'Who Do We Think We Are?'
Jet to Jet in particular, and since Yngwie already has the clothes,
the poses, the guitars and the stage act down, he is a perfect
replacement.
From the net: [email protected]>
No kidding! Well uhm, Ritchie was his teacher, so it's no wonder that
some kind of things (poses, clothes, a fraised guitar neck, only Fender
Stratocaster with as far as I know the same winding as Ritchie, etc.)
Are the same as Ritchie.
From the net: Yen-Wei [email protected]>
The most important thing: how Yngwie plays comes a lot from Ritchie.
Yngwie's faster-than-light playing is almost the same as Ritchie's.
From the net: [email protected]>
I went into a music shop today and saw a tablature book of what I
thought was Ritchie Blackmore. It wasn't. It was Messr Malmsteen. It
looked just like the man in black tho, except he had blond hair. The
front cover had a picture of him with a blond start kneeling down
looking just like Blackmore did on the inside sleeve of Rainbow's
first album. Weeeird.....
From the net: Luc [email protected]>
Yngwie is playing fast but he has a lot of feeling in it. I agree that
Yngwie has nothing to do in Deep Purple but it's not because of his
playing (which has originated from Blackmore) but on his classically
oriented music style. I listen a lot of Yngwie's material and I got
some DP songs too and even if Yngwie has a bit of Blackmore in his
playing, he has his particular style. That's a personnal opinion.
From the net: Kaz [email protected]>
I got Impelliteri's _Stand In Line_ a few years back for $3.00 in the
delete bin. What can I say about the guy who wrote in his liner notes
"don't worry, my solos will only get faster" (or something real
close). He's fast, but his tone really sucks and his playing is
fairly emotionless. Give me Yngwie or Marty any day over this bozo!
[This album isn't THAT bad, I kinda like it. Graham Bonnet does the
vocals, and where there's Bonnet, there's a version of "Since You've
Been Gone." -Ig]
From the net: [email protected]>
Richie Blackmore went on the record long ago saying that "Since You've
Been Gone" was his least favorite song to play because it was so
musically simple and repetitive. Given that Richie only likes to
listen to classical music and doesn't really like playing *any* rock,
this really says something about SYBG. (And no, don't ask me why
Richie played rock for so many years if he didn't like it. I have no
idea. I'm just glad he did.)
Then there was the following contradiction:
From the net: [email protected]>
Personally, I like _Metal Heart_ by Accept, it's quite "straight
ahead" metal. What is somewhat fascinating for me is some of the
guitar solos which take up pieces from classical, orchestral work (by
some Russian composer, I guess, but I'm not yet sure.)
[The contradiction of course is "straight ahead" metal vs. classical
solos. The intro to Metal Heart is from Arabian Nights, by
Tchaikovksy (I think). But the solos in the middle and end are Fur
Elise - by Beethoven.
Princess of the Dawn also has a "classical" sounding ending.
Neon Nights has a "classical" part in the middle, and so does the
otherwise awful (IMO) Son of a Bitch. -Ig]
And now for some personal experiences from within our ranks:
From: Wilson [email protected]>
I am a great Yngwie fan, I started listening to him just after Odessey
came out. I think I have his complete catalogue (CD's and videos) and
I have also got his guitar tution video. I started listening to Yngwie
after reading about him in guitar magazines (I have been trying to
guitar for a few years now).
I have seen Yngwie live 3 times; all in the UK, first with joe Lynn
Turner on the Odessey tour, and then on the Eclipse tour and in London
for the one off show after Fire and Ice came out. I was right in front
for the first 2 gigs and throughly enjoyed myself.
While waiting for the next album, I have been listening to other
stuff. By the way, I am quite excited about the new singer, I saw him
once with Loudness (in Hong Kong of all places) and he is wonderful
live and recorded. I hope it works out, he really is good.
[He did _Soldier of Fortune_ and _On the Prowl_ with Loudness. SoF
has some pretty good guitar work. Anyone have OtP? -Ig]
I am glad you mentioned Lilian Axe, as they are one of my current
favourates. I have been interested in them after hearing `No Matter
What' on Raw Power (a UK weekly metal TV program) and I decided to go
and see them when they toured this autumn. I had to tracked down their
back catalogue quickly and bought Physcoschsofrania (...???!!!). My
grilfriend had a tape of their first album and I loved it. And I
eventually found their second album on CD.
I saw them at Wokingham, a small venue quite near where I am, on the
last night of the European tour. What a wonderful gig it was. They had
an English support band whose name I forgot, and Ron came out (in
casual wear still but still looked cool in jeans and cap!) to sing
Green Tinted Sixties Mind with their singer. Then the rest of Lilian
Axe came out half way through and gaged the support band's singer with
insulation tape all over, and all he could do was to hop about trying
to finish the song, but the guys were kind enough to hold his mike for
him!
Lilian Axe did a great gig. It was a small club but was reasonably
full, my girlfriend and myself thoroughly enojyed ourselves. Ron was
great, shaking hands with all of us who were at the front (beauty of
small club gigs). My girlfriend was very pleased with herself that Ron
grabed her hand and pulled her towards the stage.
Stevie Blaze is a great guitarist and song writer, if only Yngwie
could write like him!
Half way through the encore, a policewoman came out. Only she was
really a striper. Lilian Axe wasn't real sure about it at first, but
they realised when she went to Darren the bass player, cuffed him,
made him kneel down and spread cream all over her thighs!
I managed to get a drum stick and a Stevie Blaze guitar pick when they
started throwing things around after the gig. Shame they didn't do 'No
Matter What' but it was a real great gig.
[Does anyone have LX tour dates in the US? -Ig]
Feedback most welcome!
Wils
From: Tina [email protected]>
In September of '92 we joined Michael Schenker's fan club. (We had
received a flyer at his unplugged show in San Jose.) Then in January
I received a call at home from a lady named Bella, who said she was
the Management for Michael Schenker and that Michael is traveling
through the states by bus so that he could meet and get closer to his
fans. In each city he was going through they were calling one of the
fans so that person could drive Michael to the places he needed to go.
So at first I was totally non believing. I thought maybe my husband
was playing a trick on me because I LOVE Michael. After about 15
minutes of listening to her my husband came home and I had him
talk to her. He took down all sorts of info and then hung up. He was
also quite shocked. So the day after that we were supposed to be at
the SJ bus station to pick him up with our camera and video camera.
They wanted to collect pictures and videos of Michael with his fans
for future videos/fan club letters, etc. So we're at the bus stations
still not quite sure (my brother in law Gaston was there also). The
bus drives up and Allan starts filming, after about 10 people MICHAEL
SCHENKER WALKS OFF THE BUS! SMILING AT US! He was carrying a guitar
case and two duffle bags. So we just start talking and carrying his
stuff to the car and we drive him around a bit and then take him to
his hotel and talk some more and then he wants to rest but we invite
him to dinner and we say we'll be back at 6 pm. He's a vegetarian so
we go home and look in the phone book and fine 1 veggie resteraunt in
all of san jose. Then we pick him up again and we go eat... we paid
because we wanted to, it'd be cool to buy a rock star dinner. We talk
for hours about music, life, family, UFO reuniting(I can't wait!!),
the MSG band, etc. The next day we took him to his radio interviews.
We filmed the whole thing and I took pictures of him with lots of his
fans that came to the interview. The station played some of his
newest accoustical stuff. Oh, when we first picked him up he popped a
tape into my car cassette player and here I was sitting in my
pathfinder listening to MS stuff that has never been heard yet! I
could have died! Anyway after the interview we talked more and then
said goodbye, he hugged me! And Allan too! A guy from San Francisco,
who was also a fan picked him up and took him to another radio
station.
Then Bella calls us again(a few days later) telling us how much
Michael enjoyed spending time with us etc. So in about September of
93 we finally receive our copies of the new cd and newletter (we had
ordered this at the same time as joining the club). He autographed
them, sent us lifetime backstage passes to any of his shows, including
UFO. And get this...he THANKED Allan and Tina Briones on the inside
of the cd booklet plus he used tons of my pictures(I had mailed them
to him) in the newsletter and the cd booklet. So is this awesome or
what? The cd is great, it's all him, just accoustical music. He's
gotten over the drug scene and now is really spiritual and into life,
love and health. He's an interesting guy with a great sense of humor
but also a bit of a philosopher. He's really had a tough life and has
practically no money left from his famous days because the record
companies really took advantage of him because he was so young
and all he cared about was music so they really screwed him.
I just called the fan club number and it tells us what Michael's been
up to...he's just completing a tour of Germany with UFO!!! Here's the
number so you can call today, 602-280-9090. Also here's the
address of the club:
13610 N. Scottsdale Road, No. 10-108 Scottsdale Arizona 85254.
[How convenient - a few miles from where I live! -Ig]
Oh, too bad you can't see the background of my workstation...it's the
MSG sign with the guitar going through it...a friend scanned it for me
a few years ago. It's awesome!
Until next time,
Bach on!
-Ig
