This CD has some great music, but it's hard to compile "Greatest Hits" for Malmsteen because he's not really a "hits" composer. The first two tracks, from his first album are incredible, but then The Collection launches into an overview of his more pop oriented compositions with vocals. All the songs are platforms for his exceptional solos, of course. Without the incredible soloing, however, most of the compositions with vocals are merely adequate.

I think a new fan would be better off buying the first album and then proceeding more or less chronologically or buying the EXCELLENT "Double Live" album. The later is a better overview of the Malmsteen experience.

I'd like to add a note in response to reviewers who bring up Malmsteens infamous "ego" issues. Yeah, Malmsteen is an over the top personality who is known to be hard to work with. So what? I can't see how that really affects the listener. He still gives a thrilling live performance. There is very little subtlety with Malmsteen. Every album is completely full on shred. That's what he does best and that's the music he chooses to perform. To dismiss this as "mindless wanking" is also to miss some of the subtle humor in his work. Malmsteen does not take himself quite as seriously as many think he does. He may not be the most well rounded guitar player there is, but he cannot be so easily written off either.

THE BAND: Yngwie Malmsteen (electric/acoustic guitars, bass, moog & Taurus bass pedals, backing vocals) and many bandmates over the decades. Most notably - Jeff Scott Soto (vocals), Mark Boals (vocals), Joe Lynn Turner (vocals), Goran Edman (vocals), Marcel Jacob (bass), Bob Daisley (bass), Barry Dunaway (bass), Jens Johansson (keyboards), Mats Olausson (keyboards), Barriemore Barlow (drums), Anders Johansson (drums - and brother of keyboardist Jens), Michael Von Knorring (drums).

THE DISC: (1991) 14 tracks clocking in at approximately 73 minutes. Included with the disc is a 6-page booklet containing song titles/times/credits, musicians, and 4-pages of insight on Malmsteen presented by Guitar World's Joe Lalaina. This compilation follows his career from 1984-90. All songs written by Malmsteen except "Spanish Castle Music" by Jimi Hendrix. Label - Polydor Records.

ALBUM REPRESENTATION: Rising Force (2 songs), Marching Out (1), Trilogy (3), Odyssey (3), Trial By Fire - Live in Leningrad (2), Eclipse (3). Sadly, this release contains nothing after '91..."Fire And Ice" (1992), and "The Seventh Sign" (1994) are both brilliant albums. Perhaps one day soon, the listening fans will be treated to a career spanning double-disc compilation (including his early stints with Steeler and Alcatrazz).

COMMENTS: Malmsteen claims his inspiration came from Hendrix ("Yngwie picked up a guitar the day Hendrix died"), but I also hear a lot of Ritchie Blackmore and Brian May in his playing. The young viking chief is the king of neoclassical guitar... and Malmsteen can shred like no other. Some claim his ego gets in the way (and his solos way to self indulgent), but when's he creating inspired music, who cares. Surrounded by some very nice talent over the years (Barriemore Barlow - famed drummer from Jethro Tull in the 1970's, Joe Lynn Turner - Rainbow and Deep Purple, Jens Johansson - Stratovarius, Bob Daisley - Ozzy and Uriah Heep, Marcel Jacob - Talisman and Europe), Malmsteen continues to release album after album (20+ albums that he's been a part of as of 2006)... of which, this "Collection" is just a small sampling. The songs here are great even though most lean toward the commercial side of his catalog... I truly feel you need the whole album experience (or pick up one of his 'live' albums). A great early slow instrumental opener with "Black Star", leading into a quicker instrumental "Far Beyond The Sun" (with nice guitar work and matched keyboards). Small hits for Yngwie are also here - "Heaven Tonight", "You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget", and "Hold On". "Collection" also features two live tracks - the 10-minute "Guitar Solo" and the Hendrix cover "Spanish Castle Magic" (at times, singer Joe Lynn Turner sounds freakishly like Hendrix). First and foremost, this is a guitar album. Up and down, rock/blues/classical shredding...all lightning fast riffs by the legend himself. Looking for a single studio album - try "Rising Force (1984), Trilogy (1986), or "Fire And Ice (1992). Those not familiar with Malmsteen... this is a perfect place to start (4.5 stars).

This is not Yngwie's best. The CD contanis mostly his commercial music, and not his neo-classical classics he's famous for. It sounds more like pop hardrock than neo-classical metal. even though it does have some good tunes like Far Beyong The Sun or his Guitar Solo but when it comes to vocaled 4min songs, it's as chessy as it can gets. Yngwie Malmsteen is one of the best guitarists ever and I advice you to buy his real stuff, not this collection.

I heard a lot about this guy around places, and I like fast music, so I thought I'd check him out. Maaaan, was I disappointed. If you buy this, you're getting 70+ minutes of noise. And not the good kind of noise, either, like DragonForce. DF has some catchy solos. Yngwie has nothing memorable, except probably the opening of Black Star, which is actually nice and slow. Otherwise, he's all "HEY, LOOK AT ME, I CAN PLAY FAST, PAY ATTENTION TO ME!" I don't see how in the hell this shmuck could have inspired neo-classical metal greats like Michael Romeo from Symphony X and Timo Tolkki from Stratovarius. To me, it doesn't matter if someone "pioneers" a genre of music, as long as it sounds good. So, I couldn't care less that he apparently "led the way" for other neo-classical guitar players, he doesn't sound good. He's all speed, and no heart. Or talent. He's just some two-bit egotistical hack who couldn't create a full memorable song to save his life.

I bought this album expecting to hear the reason as to why this guy thinks he's god. Surprisingly enough, it was nowhere to be found. You see, like John Petrucci, Yngwie does not have an original bone in his body. This is all a bunch of cheesy crap with him running the same solo over it. Scales and arpeggios are part of music, they are found in books everywhere are serve as the building blocks of music. Since all this guy is doing is playing those scales and arpeggios really fast, I fail to see how he even takes credit for writing this music. Not to mention he plays all this on a guitar with scalloped frets, (for all non-guitar players,that means it really easy to play!)

The funniest thing about all of these guitar virtuosos, is that for players who know so much theory, not one of them can write a good f***ing song. This is all just so fast and flashy that it'a not even impressive, it's just plain boring. If you want to see a truly amazing guitarist, check out a man from Norway named Marcel Coenen. (www.marcelcoenen.com) I promise you will never give Steve Vai or John Petrucci another thought when you see this guy play. You won't see him get a greatest hits collection though...