Yngwie Malmsteen

Live in Korea
$14.99
I was originally going to say "Only hardcore Yngwie fans should buy this", but apparently others are not bothered by what bothers me.

While I agree with the other reviewers that his playing is over the top and intense, the quality of the video sucks! There are way too many lights flashing and it's mostly blue and red, not to mention the fire pots exploding. Basically YOU CAN'T SEE YNGWIE! All you see is a silhouette and only during short interludes (like when he's standing next to a fire pot) can you see his fingers, and any and every guitar player wants to see that and maybe get a glimpse as to how he does what he does.

As far as a song list, it's decent, although I can do without "Rising Force" for the trillionth time.

Again, great playing, but a very annoying visual experience. I'm just going to save it to MP3 and toss it on my iPod and enjoy it from an audio stand point.

:)

Live in Budokan
$14.99
OK, he shreds like no other. First, the bad. There's no menu when this DVD boots. You can shuffle through the songs easy enough, but you can't highlight ANYTHING from any menu. You have to skip through like a CD.

Now, the good. This is Yngwie at full throttle in 1994. The entire DVD is mostly him and the singer, which is great on both counts. This video is a guitarist's dream. It has lots and lots of up close Yngwie - you can clearly see and enjoy his technique. Forget the left hand - he frets like the rest of us mortals. I believe his technique hinges on his right hand. I've NEVER seen such economy of motion in my life (I'm 55). This is must-have Yngwie in all his glory. He gets a little full of himself, especially toward the end, but he certainly deserves it.

Also, the sound of this DVD is perfect - no problems whatsoever. Especially considering that it's probably run off from VHS type technology.

Bonus - there's some things not on the playlist. Like Yngwie playing AND singing Hendrix' Red House - what a gas!

Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra
$14.98
Let me begin by saying, Malmsteen is one of the most gifted guitar players on the planet. There's no one who can run up and down the neck of a guitar faster than Malmsteen. And he has millions of fans who have come to love his talents as a rock musician This concert though, is not a rock concert - it's pure Classical music.
So, will all his rock fans be dazzled by his talents as a Classical performer? On the other hand, will those who prefer Classical music really enjoy the inclusion of a electric guitar into the mix of violins, cellos, and so forth? Malmsteen did an admirable job of blending the two, but it just didn't work for me. I'm actually a little surprized by all the rave reviews I've read here because most folks who like rock music, tend to dislike Classical music, and vice versa. Many of my concert DVDs leave me a little sad when they're over. With this one, I couldn't wait for it to end.
I was very impressed at the end of the show, when reading the credits, that the entire concerto was written and arranged by Malmsteen (which I did not realize while watching the concert). I suppose that some day, he may be regarded as being a composer on the level of Mozart. He is an extraordinary musician and composer, but it did nothing for me.
But, to be fair, I don't listen to mozart either.

The Genesis
$16.98
This is an amazing album, the guitar shred master with some of his best work to date.