AMG Review of 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Yngwie Malmsteen

James Christopher Monger
All Music Guide

Polydor's 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Yngwie Malmsteen chronicles the Swedish shredder from his Rising Force debut in 1984 to 1990's Eclipse, with equal time given to blisteringly pretentious instrumentals like "Trilogy Suite Op: 5" and "Far Beyond the Sun" and the bad metal posturing of vocalists Jeff Scott Soto, Mark Boals, and Joe Lynn Turner. There's no denying Malmsteen's impressive chops -- he was only 19 when he joined Steeler -- and there are ample moments of mind-boggling artistry throughout, but like all of his records, the momentum shifts considerably when a singer appears, and it's these offerings ("Heaven Tonight," "You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget," and "Making Love") that make this collection so polarizing. However, for those looking for an entry point into Malmsteen's serpentine career -- he's since dabbled in both hard rock and classical -- The Millennium Collection is as solid an anthology as one's likely to encounter.