Yngwie Malmsteen THE BEST OF/20TH CEN

Personnel: Yngwie Malmsteen (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals); Yngwie Malmsteen (synthesizer, bass guitar); Mats Olausson (vocals, keyboards, background vocals); Svante Henryson (vocals, double bass, bass guitar); Joe Lynn Turner (vocals); Bob Daisley, Marcel Jacob (bass instrument); Barriemore Barlow (drums); Jeff Scott Soto, Goran Edman (vocals); Jens Johansson (keyboards); Anders Johansson , Michael Von Knorring (drums).
Liner Note Authors: Robert Knight; Gene Kirkland; Bryan Reesman.
Photographer: John Harrell.
Arranger: Yngwie Malmsteen.
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. ~ James Christopher Monger

• Format: CD
• Genre: Rock