Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
To state the obvious is to be unsure of how you should react when confronted with the easily recognised, whether you should continue to rightfully applaud the artist for their consistency, or to step back and throw the social grenade of the unwelcome comment that there is no need for that particular illustrator of musical ambition and prowess to be standing in the cradle of another’s making.
To do justice to another’s work, to celebrate and challenge the perspective of genius already laid down in folklore and pay homage to it is one of skill and balance, it is not an endeavour that always pays off, no matter the sincerity, the will or the passion behind it, it can appear as if the artist is deflecting their own substantial worth in favour of progressing the fortunes of another.
It is in the shadow of Blue Lightning that one comes to see the area around them light up, to spark to life, the unseen force highlighted as if struck by a body blow of nature and one that the eyes see for a time what the artistry means. For the pioneering soul of Yngwei Malmsteen, Blue Lightening represents the battle and the grace that goes hand in hand when wanting to understand with deeper thought what brought you to the love of your life in the first place.
In Medieval times a scribe’s worth was based upon how they copied down the text and added their own flourishing touches to the outer rim, the presentation of the word and the world laid in the finished article and how it would inspire others to hear a truth of the time. The 21st Century is not that different so it would seem, the spectrum of truth may have enlarged, the artistic soul given more freedom to paint outside of the natural border, but inside the page, the realism of portraying the founding stones of the genre is a foundation that cannot be forgotten, increased, given a greater sense of urgency or commitment to a new age, but never allowed to be submerged in the past and left to become a shade.
Across such timeless tracks as Foxy Lady, 1911 Strut, Purple Haze, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Paint It Black, Smoke on the Water and Forever Man the talent it takes to increase the fondness for such classic songs is undeniable, the pioneer standing his ground and relishing in the running waters of deep introspection of those who paved the way for him to become the essence of all he believes.
Blue Lightning is more than just an homage to the likes of Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix, it is a reassurance that the Renaissance of humanity continues, one that goes forward whilst seeing the arc of lightning demand that the past now seen in the rear-view mirror is acknowledged in its full glory.
Yngwie Malmsteen releases Blue Lightning on March 29th via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group.
Ian D. Hall