“It has nothing to do with being egotistical”: Yngwie Malmsteen justifies why he only works alone
The virtuoso says he could “never deal” with the musical partnerships enjoyed by bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Black Sabbath.
Image: Mauricio Santana / Getty Images
Yngwie Malmsteen has explained why he chooses not to partner with other musicians, and has assured that it has nothing to do with ego, but everything to do with his personal creative process.
Malmsteen has, of course, played in a handful of bands during his career, most notably with Alcatrazz and his own band Rising Force, but the guitarist typically likes to do things as a solo artist.
The rocker explained why he flies solo in an interview with producer, musician and YouTuber Rick Beato. The comments come as part of a new unseen footage video on Beato’s second channel.
“From [Deep] Purple to [Black] Sabbath, The Rolling Stones – I love The Rolling Stones – The Beatles. They have this partnership stuff which is great. I could never deal with that, to me it felt like I was diluting my art, you know?” He says.
“It’s like I’m a painter, I’m painting – not Mona Lisa – but something really nice,” he explains. “And I’m halfway done, I’m calling, ‘hey, could you come over and finish half my painting?’ That’s my way of working and creating. It’s nothing to do with being egotistical, it’s just an artistic thing really.”
Watch the interview clips below:
In another recent video from Beato, he listed Malmsteen as one of the guitarists who he felt should have been featured on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 250 Of The Greatest Guitarists Of All Time list.
The list, which features artists such as Yvette Young, Slash, H.E.R., and many more, has caused a stir among the guitar community. Beato released a video in which he named several guitarists who he felt should have made the cut, and shared his suprise at how some of the guitarists featured have been in the industry for under ten years.
Malmsteen is currently touring through the UK and Italy this November. The guitarist released his most recent solo album, Parabellum, back in July 2021.
Get tickets to see Yngwie Malmsteen on tour via his official website.