Odyssey

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Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force

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The collaboration of Joe Lynn Turner and Yngwie Malmsteen make this album a classic in my book. The songs are perfectly crafted, which says a lot for an artist who is known as a guitar virtuoso, but a mediocre songwriter. In fact, this is the only album by Yngwie Malmsteen where the songs are equal in appeal to his guitar mastery.

From the opening cut to the final note, this album is a winner. The prerequisite themes of dragons, fire and medieval times are touched on, but not with the frequency of Yngwie's other albums such as Marching Out and Trilogy. Instead, Joe Lynn Turner tempers Yngwie's "mystical" view with a little romanticism that plays very well on this release. "Dreaming" and "Now is the Time" are probably the best examples of this blend, while "Heaven Tonight" is possibly the most overproduced and dated of all of the tracks. "Heaven Tonight" screams "...made for radio."

The vocal performance is outstanding, the musicianship is top notch, and the work as a whole definitely deserves five stars. Bravo! Encore!

Odyssey, Yngwie J. Malmsteen's fourth full-length album, was released in 1988. Out of a total of 12 tracks, three are instrumentals: "Bite the Bullet," "Krakatau," and "Memories." The gothic-sounding "Bite the Bullet" is almost two minutes. The tight, medieval-flavored "Krakatau"--just over six minutes--sports noteworthy, commanding rhythm guitar playing from Malmsteen and classy keyboard work from Jens Johansson. The pleasant, disc-closing "Memories" is just over a minute. Altogether, this disc contains impressive musicianship, good songwriting, and polished sound quality. The material is in a hard rock musical direction. Joe Lynn Turner does a nice job when it comes to his meat-and-potatoes vocal delivery. There is one power ballad on Odyssey, "Dreaming (Tell Me)." Throughout the album, Malmsteen does not disappoint. Though I like every one of the cuts, "Hold On," "Dreaming (Tell Me)," and "Crystal Ball" are my favorites. The melodic "Hold On" features an engaging intro guitar melody from Malmsteen, smooth keyboard playing from Johansson, and a catchy chorus. The pretty "Dreaming (Tell Me)" exhibits notable, earnest, and plaintive vocals from Turner and a pleasing refrain. The lively "Crystal Ball" has an attractive beginning. An example of another enjoyable composition is "Heaven Tonight"--it is spirited and displays a memorable, energetic chorus. The disc is almost 51 minutes. The CD insert includes the song lyrics, a black-and-white photo of the band, and an individual color photo of each of the guys. I recommend Odyssey.