Relentless: The Memoir Hardcover – May 1, 2013

This book starts off like a proper music biography; Yngwie growing up, raising hell, starting a band, recording and touring. This is done very well and I couldn't put the book down - All the way through the Odyssey album. He covers hiring band members, Boals and Soto coming and going, his car crash, and recording and touring his first few albums. But Malmsteen gives up this effort while recounting the Odyssey tour and the play by play ends there. No discussion of the end of the Rising Force band, the firing of Joe Lynn Turner, recording or touring Eclipse, hiring Vescera, touring or recording Seventh sign, etc. He actually doesn't even mention Magnum Opus by name even once. He mentions Fire & Ice a bit but doesn't cover most of his 90's and 00's albums except for Facing the Animal and Alchemy briefly. No recording or touring info on the latter career save for the lengthy coverage of the Concertos and the ProTools adoption for his newest releases Relentless and Spellbound. I would have liked to know what happened with longtime keyboardist Mats Olausson? No mention of ever meeting or playing with his hero Blackmore, playing Leo Fenders birthday party, what was it like to reunite with former members on the Inspiration album? Some info on the G3 Tour with Satriani would have been nice too. He spends 3 pages on the history of Ferrari but only 1 paragraph on his first wife - and doesn't even say her name. Instead he covers his drinking and eventual sobriety, his very poor choice in managers (which has lead to his wife taking over), and in depth coverage on his technique and his endorsement deals - which is all great info.I guess I really wanted the details behind the many musicians that have been employed by Yngwie over the years. You know how divorced parents are not supposed to bring home their dates until they are sure they will stick around? This is so the child does not get attached to someone that is just going to be gone soon. Same with Yngwie - we as fans get attached to these band members and then for the next album they are gone without a trace.So a good chunk of Malmsteens recording and touring career have been left out and that is what I was really looking for. Perhaps this is because the book wasn't even a thought until news of that unauthorized biography came out - Then Yngwie quickly decided to write his own. He was doing a great job with the process but he was either rushed, unwilling or unable to remember parts of his career, or he got bored recalling each album and tour in chronological order - perhaps omitting albums that he feels are unimportant?That being said - I have been a fan of Malmsteen since the Odyssey album and have seen him live 6 times, it will be 7 next month. One thing that frustrated me about him is that I always felt he would be so much better if he: Kept the same band, reunited with so and so, let someone else write lyrics and contribute ideas, compose his solos, if he embraced YouTube a bit more, update his style a bit so he doesn't look so 80's, maybe button his shirt, etc. I just always felt he had so much more potential if he was a little more self aware. I learned from reading this book that I have been wasting my energy on these thoughts. Yngwie Malmsteen is VERY aware of all these criticisms and HE DOES NOT CARE. He is a very smart man and knows very well that his style is very 1988. He knows that collaborations with Joe Lynn Turner, for example, may make him more money or that writing a certain way could attract more listeners - but he CHOOSES to remain exactly how he is and do what he wants in the studio, with his band, his image, and his management. He does this because that is his vision and executing it as best he can is what makes him happy. Knowing this is actually a big weight off my shoulder and I can enjoy him more now that I understand him better and I don't need to be so concerned with all that stuff. So in that respect, mission accomplished with this bio.

Let me say before I begin, that in addition to being an avid reader of biographies and autobiographies (specifically musician-related, as of late), I am also a big Yngwie fanboy. There, I said it.However, I have no problem calling something lame when it is, and Yngwie's latest album is just that, so I had a less than euphoric feeling when I heard his memoir was coming out, this year (as opposed to years ago, when I'd have bought a bar of soap if someone scratched "Yngwie Malmsteen" into it). Regardless, I downloaded the Kindle version of the book as soon as I saw it was available, and for the most part, I couldn't put it down.I have always respected Yngwie's candor, though some people might have called it "arrogance", and there is plenty of the former in "Relentless". I thought I'd just be reading stories I'd heard a hundred times before (I worked in a luthier's shop, and a lute from the 16th century came in......). Instead, I got some really interesting background on Yngwie, where and how he grew up, and how he ended up being who he is today - most of which was strangely new to me, considering I consumed anything that said "Yngwie" on it since I first became addicted to his playing in the mid-80's.There are portions of the book I could have done without, such as the seemingly endless rants about how great April is, how great sobriety is, as well as the digression on equipment, though there are portions that address why he prefers the signal chain and equipment he does that are not just technical regurgitation. It was rather comical that Yngwie spent a good amount of space writing about how he has embraced digital recording and the way "things are done now", even though he has put out some of his weakest material in this era (for anyone who thought War To End All Wars was the worst album Yngwie could possibly ever release...I give you: SPELLBOUND).I think I've come away from this book with a new respect for Yngwie Malmsteen, the person, as opposed to the respect I've always had for him as a musician. The man is brutally honest, both in his opinions of others, as well as in regard to himself. Nobody wants to read a bunch of self-aggrandizing nonsense, and this book came across as completely devoid of that, which I appreciated.Yngwie fans: buy this book and you'll probably forgive him for Spellbound.

Book arrived in perfect conditions and really fast. Thank you!

Interesting read but he talks a bit too much about himself and not enough about all the other personalities he’s played with. I love Yngwie but more dirt and details about his ventures and adventures would have made it a better read, as some parts I feel were repetitive.

As a fan from back in 1985 I have since dipped in and out of Yngwie's music and own nearly every album. Some are great, some less so.Having already read the very entertaining unofficial biography (the unforgettable image of a young Yngwie 'engaging' with a trumpet remains a favourite moment) I felt it was time to read what the man himself has to offer. Overall I was pleasantly surprised with the often candid nature of Yngwie's comments and his obvious regret with regard to some of his notorious behaviour, particularly in his earlier, drink-laden daysOne thing Yngwie makes very clear is this: It's either his way (the Yngway!) or the highway. As if we needed reminding!Highly recommended for fans of the often imitated master of neoclassical rock guitar

Firstly, this is a very poorly edited (auto)biography with a large amount of advertisement of "YJM products". The structure is the weakest point of the narration, I think – if it had been written by a professional and also under the control of a proper publisher, I'm certain that it could've been much better and enjoyable: while some things are discussed in waaay to larger details, other more significant things, eras, line-ups, persons are just jumped over... It's simply amateur.Secondly, in a biographical book one would expect to learn not only about the oeuvre itself – in this case, musicianship – of the person, but of his private life as well, good AND bad, since this gives its validity; now this book carefully avoids details on the bad aspect, apart of constantly repeating the boooozing; this seems strange to me, since this biography was meant to be an official, fully authorised alternative for the unofficial biography published earlier – at least one would expect more specific refutations/reflections, whatever regarding some of the statements in the other book. But it's Yngwie's way, he talks whatever he wants –– and he was let, because clearly, there was no pressure from the publisher to create a good book.Thirdly, I was devastated to learn, there are practically NO photos in the book. This is just simply sad. Unworthy for a biographical book.All in all: While the general quality of the book, the printing, paper, cover is good, I am definitely not satisfied with the actual content. I could forgive the stupid cautiousness of the narration, even the lack of a "photo album" that a proper biography has, but the editing is simply devastating. There are some good aspects to it though, for instance when Yngwie speaks about some personal things and you can feel his honesty.

'Relentless' is nice and easy reading into the life of Yngwie J. Malmsteen.There is very little about guitar technics on the book but a lot about his thoughts remembering his life and career so far. He hardly goes in depth into any issue, so the book is more of a panoramic view of his life up to now. I enjoyed the read tremendously, as I could savour a bit of his humour and choice of words (specially to describe some situations he found bizarre with other musicians and singers specially). Sometimes tragic, sometimes candid, and sometimes just pure mayhem it is a story about massive commitment to a guitar vision and the ups and downs around it.As another guitar virtuoso Paco de Lucia said before musicians (not rock star as Yngwie also put it) spend most of their life silently devoting their time to the craft of their art. Most virtuosos are not good with words, but as soon they get the guitar they say all they need to say - and a lot more! On Relentless there is some repetition of thoughts and the edit could have been better.However the overall book is very satisfying. It is not a 'how to' book, but an insight into a virtuoso musician whom spent 18 hours a day playing guitar early in his teen life (!!). Obsessive.Having said all that I do recommend Relentless wholehearted.Nice, enjoyable and insightful reading on Yngwie life.

A long time fan of Yngwie, this book was always going to appeal and it didn't disappoint. Written in first person, it's very much true to the lore of Malmsteen - ie. a genius who knows he's a genius. Although covering his whole career, most of this book deals with Malmsteen himself with very little mention of his bandmates. The Johansson brothers get a little airtime and Yngwie's got a few words for Joe Lynn Turner, alright (although, I don't think Joe will much care for them), but from top to bottom, this book is very much the Yngwie Malmsteen show: the man, the music, the lyrics, the art, the guitars, the amps - the whole deal.And would you want it any other way?(If you do, check out the unofficial biography. All the skeletons are in there).

An extremely enjoyable and informative book giving a great insight into what makes this great man tick and the ups and downs he faced during his career.Being a fan of Yngwie's for over 25 years I was eagerly looking forward to this book from the moment I heard it was getting released and I wasn't dissapointed. Thankfully, Yngwie concentrated on the music aspects of his life as oposed to 'negative slander' which we've all read about over the years. It was very well written and obvioulsy took a great deal of thought and planning before it went to print and beats any other recent publication hands down in terms of quality.It's got my 'neoclassical' juices flowing again and throughout the reading of this book I have had Yngwie's music on my ipod none stop.Well recommended.