Odyssey is the fourth studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released on 8 April 1988 through Polydor Records.[3] The album reached No. 40 on the US Billboard 200[4] and remained on that chart for eighteen weeks,[5] as well as reaching the top 50 in five other countries.[3] As of 2021 it remains Malmsteen's highest-charting release on the Billboard 200.[5]
| Odyssey | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 8 April 1988 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 50:42 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | Yngwie Malmsteen, Jeff Glixman, Jim Lewis | |||
| Yngwie Malmsteen chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Odyssey | ||||
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 7/10[7] |
| Metal Forces | 6.5/10[8] |
Steve Huey at AllMusic gave Odyssey two stars out of five, calling it "a more subdued, polished collection seemingly designed for mainstream radio airplay", but that it "shows little difference in approach from [Malmsteen's] previous output". He praised Joe Lynn Turner's vocals and Malmsteen's guitar work, but remarked that the latter sounds "constrained and passionless" due in part to his recovery from a near-fatal car accident in 1987.[6]
Track listing
editAll lyrics are written by Joe Lynn Turner; all music is composed by Yngwie Malmsteen
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rising Force" | 4:24 |
| 2. | "Hold On" | 5:12 |
| 3. | "Heaven Tonight" | 4:07 |
| 4. | "Dreaming (Tell Me)" | 5:22 |
| 5. | "Bite the Bullet" (instrumental) | 1:35 |
| 6. | "Riot in the Dungeons" | 4:26 |
| 7. | "Deja Vu" | 4:17 |
| 8. | "Crystal Ball" | 4:56 |
| 9. | "Now Is the Time" | 4:34 |
| 10. | "Faster than the Speed of Light" | 4:30 |
| 11. | "Krakatau" (instrumental) | 6:06 |
| 12. | "Memories" (instrumental) | 1:14 |
| Total length: | 50:42 | |
Personnel
edit- Yngwie Malmsteen – guitar, Moog Taurus, bass (tracks 3–7, 10–12), arrangement, producer
- Joe Lynn Turner – vocals
- Jens Johansson – keyboard
- Anders Johansson – drums
- Bob Daisley – bass (tracks 1, 2, 8, 9)
- Jeff Glixman – engineer, producer
- John Rolio – engineer
- Scott Gordon – assistant engineer, assistant mixing engineer
- Steve Thompson – mixing
- Michael Barbiero – mixing
- George Cowan – assistant mixing engineer
- Jim Lewis – executive producer
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[9] | 75 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[10] | 27 |
| European Albums (Eurochart Hot 100)[11] | 40 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[12] | 50 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[13] | 19 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[14] | 10 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[15] | 7 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] | 17 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[17] | 27 |
| US Billboard 200[18] | 40 |
| US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard)[19] | 40 |
Certifications and sales
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | — | 42,000[13] |
| Sweden (GLF)[20] | Gold | 50,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force - Heaven Tonight (song)". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
- ^ "Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force – Heaven Tonight". Discogs. Retrieved 2014-12-27.
- ^ a b "Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force - Odyssey (album)". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
- ^ "Odyssey - Yngwie Malmsteen | Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
- ^ a b "Yngwie Malmsteen - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2014-12-27.
- ^ a b Huey, Steve. "Yngwie Malmsteen - Odyssey review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
- ^ Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 209. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5.
- ^ Sharpe-Young, Garry (1988). "Yngwie Malmsteen - Odyseey". Metal Forces. No. 28. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 190. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force – Odyssey" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "EMR/CISAC Eurochart Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. 28 May 1988. p. 30. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires|magazine=(help) - ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force – Odyssey" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ a b Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force – Odyssey". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force – Odyssey". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force – Odyssey". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Yngwie Malmsteen Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Yngwie Malmsteen Chart History (Top Current Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Music Monitor – First Quarter 1991" (PDF). Music & Media. 19 January 1991. p. 6. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires|magazine=(help)
External links
edit- Odyssey, 1988 at yngwiemalmsteen.com
- In Review: Yngwie J. Malmsteen "Odyssey" at Guitar Nine Records