Blog Archives
Whitesnake – Live At Donington 1990
Whitesnake – Live At Donington 1990 (2011, Frontiers Records)
Disc 1:
1. Slip Of The Tongue … 6:52
2. Slide It In … 5:03
3. Judgement Day … 5:56
4. Slow An’ Easy … 8:12
5. Kitten’s Got Claws … 4:58
6. Adagio For Strato … 3:08
7. Flying Dutchman Boogie … 4:02
8. Is This Love … 4:4
9. Cheap An’ Nasty … 4:31
10. Crying In The Rain … 13:28
Disc 2:
1. Fool For Your Loving … 6:02
2. For The Love Of God … 5:24
3. The Audience Is Listening … 3:02
4. Here I Go Again … 5:43
5. Bad Boys … 6:17
6. Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City … 8:26
7. Still Of The Night … 8:00
Band:
David Coverdale – Vocals
Steve Vai – Guitar
Adrian Vandenberg – Guitar
Rudy Sarzo – Bass
Tommy Aldridge – Drums
Hot on the heels of the excellent Forevermore is the release of live album that was recorded at the 1990 Monsters of Rock at Castle Donington (a show that included Aerosmith, Poison, the Quireboys and Thunder). At that time, Whitesnake was still touring in promotion of Slip of the Tongue. There are no less than six tracks from that album played here and while that album is generally regarded as a misstep in the band’s catalog (though I think opinions have begun to mellow), the material seems to go over fairly well with this crowd.
I somewhat find it odd that Coverdale would choose to release this album right after a brand new studio album is released, especially considering he’s the only guy that appears on both albums. I also didn’t realize this show even existed and that there was any demand for it but apparently Whitesnake fans have been clamoring for an official release of this show for quite some time. That’s another thing I thought to be weird — a Slip of the Tongue-era live album? All of these guys are great musicians but that album was so polished I wasn’t sure how the band would come across live.
Sarzo, Vandenberg and Aldridge I have no problem with but Steve Vai? He’s never really seemed like a true ‘snake or a good fit to me and I’m not huge fan of his solo work so I thought maybe this concert would be a bit too flashy and technical, taking away the soul of the band. Happy to say that isn’t the case for the most part. Vai does get to show off with “For the Love of God” and “The Audience Is Listening” from his 1990 solo album Passion and Warfare and I have to say both songs stick out like a sore thumb in this set list despite the crowd’s appreciation for it. I much more prefer Vandenberg’s solo moments on “Adagio for Strato” and “Flying Dutchman Boogie”.
On the whole, this is a much more powerful sounding live performance than I was expecting. Though I never disliked the album, I’m appreciating the Slip of the Tongue songs on this disc a lot more after hearing live incarnations of them. The crowd is absolutely rabid (Whitesnake were the headliners) and they eat up an oldie like “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” (which was done surprisingly well) just as much as they do “Slip of the Tongue” or “Crying In The Rain”. And of course I have to point out yet again Coverdale’s vocals. The guy is flat out amazing. As powerful as he STILL sounds to this day, he’s even more powerful during this show. A true rock legend and one of rock’s better vocalists of all time.
Though I don’t think this album tops the classic Live… In the Heart of the City from 1980 or Live: In the Shadow of the Blues from 2006, this album stands as a great document of how good the pop-metal era of the band could be and perhaps shows that time frame deserves much more credit than it is given. If you’re a fan of the self-titled/1987 album and Slip of the Tongue, this is well worth picking up.
Highlights: “Slip Of The Tongue”, “Judgement Day”, “Slow An’ Easy”, “Cheap An’ Nasty”, “Crying In The Rain”, “Bad Boys”, “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City”, “Still of the Night”
http://www.whitesnake.com
http://www.facebook.com/Whitesnake.official
Whitesnake – Forevermore
Whitesnake – Forevermore [Classic Rock Fan Pack Exclusive Limited Edition] (2011, Classic Rock/Future Publishing)
1. “Steal Your Heart Away” … 5:18
2. “All Out Of Luck” … 5:28
3. “Love Will Set You Free” … 3:52
4. “Easier Said Than Done” … 5:12
5. “Tell Me How” … 4:41
6. “I Need You (Shine A Light)” … 3:49
7. “One Of These Days” … 4:53
8. “Love & Treat Me Right” … 4:14
9. “Dogs In The Street” … 3:48
10. “Fare Thee Well” … 5:18
11. “Whipping Boy Blues” … 5:01
12. “My Evil Ways” … 4:33
13. “Forevermore” … 7:24
BONUS TRACKS
14. “Slide It In (live)” … 5:06
15. “Cheap & Nasty (live)” … 4:35
Band:
David Coverdale – Vocals
Doug Aldrich – Guitar
Reb Beach – Guitar
Michael Devin – Bass
Brian Tichy – Drums
Additional Musicians:
Timothy Drury – Keyboards
Jasper Coverdale – Vocals
Producer: David Coverdale, Doug Aldrich and Michael McIntyre
Always a favorite of mine since the mid-90s, it wasn’t until the last two or three years or so that Whitesnake came to rise to the near top of my list of favorite bands. Of course, KISS is forever and always #1 in my book but David & Co. would be a strong contenders for my Top 3 and definitely make my Top 5. Being a HUGE fan of their last album, Good To Be Bad, I was more than ready for Forevermore to be released.
As often happens in this band, the line-up has changed a bit. Drummer Chris Frazier and bassist Uriah Duffy left the band in 2010 and were replaced Brian Tichy and Michael Devin respectively. Keyboardist Timothy Drury, who had been in the band since Coverdale brought back the Whitesnake name in 2002 also left in 2010 but was around to record the album. In the line notes, he is only credited as a “special guest” and has since been replaced by Brian Ruedy on stage. Though I would love to see Tommy Aldridge come back in on drums (he was a member from ’87-’91 and then ’02-’07), I’m basically happy as long as Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach are on guitars. I think the band has a much beefier guitar sound now with Aldrich and Beach yet they still are able to stay true to the band’s blues-rooted sounds and play the classic ‘snake songs wells.
The Coverdale/Aldrich partnership has proved very fruitful and is definitely one of the best partnerships David has ever had in this band. David has always kept great guitarists in Whitesnake but Aldrich’s time in the band has that something special to it and he has risen to become not only a songwriting partner with Coverdale but also co-producer of this album. I’m sure the day will come when Aldrich moves on to another project, I just hope that doesn’t happen anytime soon.
A bit of info about this particular version: UK’s Classic Rock magazine was offering a “Fan Pack”, also referred to as the “Snake Pack”, which included the album (featuring the alternate cover art you see above) with two bonus live tracks from the upcoming Live at Donington 1990 album, a poster of the band, a Whitesnake “Official Collector’s Pin Badge” and the coup de grace — a special Whitesnake edition of Classic Rock magazine. CR has done similar packages in the past for the release of Slash’s solo disc and Motorhead’s The World Is Yours. I should point out that the various retail editions of this album are available from Frontiers Records.
I haven’t read the magazine yet but I’m pretty anxious to. My favorite magazine putting the spotlight on one of my favorite bands, how could it go wrong? I also want to point out how cool the packaging of the album is. This version of the CD comes in a hardcover case that’s larger than your standard jewel case. Although most of the pages are full of “thanks”, there’s a cool shot of the band and the lyrics to “Forevermore” are included. All in all, it’s a classy package and it’s great to see Whitesnake get this type of treatment.
So what about the music?!? Well, if you’re a fan of Good To Be Bad, then you already like this album. David & Co. continue what they started there– bringing all eras of the band together into one powerful album. If anything, this album brings it back even more to the early Whitesnake days. Tons of the songs sound like pre-pop metal WS… but on steroids. ”Steal Your Heart Away”, “I Need You (Shine A Light)”, “Love & Treat Me Right”, “Whipping Boy Blues” and “My Evil Ways” should put a smile on any fan that’s been listening since the early days.
“Love Will Set You Free”, “All Out Of Luck” and “Tell Me How” are perfect modern Whitesnake and would’ve been right at home on Good To Be Bad. “Dogs In The Street” sounds like a Slip of the Tongue-era rocker, it’s kinda generic but not bad. Probably my least favorite song on the album though. Also bringing to mind Slip of the Tongue is the ballad “Easier Said Than Done”. ”One Of These Days” and “Fare Thee Well” are great acoustic driven ballads that sound like something off Restless Heart. “One Of These Days” especially has a great 1970s classic rock/country feel to it, reminding me of the Eagles. Then there’s the epic closer “Forevermore”. It has that Led Zeppelin vibe to it the band had during the late ’80s and probably wouldn’t be out of place on their 1987 album.
I really can’t recommend this album enough. I knew it was going to be very good but it has exceeded even my own expectations (which is probably why this review has been so long-winded). I LOVED Good To Be Bad but Forevermore is even better and Coverdale sounds as good as ever!
Highlights: “Steal Your Heart Away”, “Love Will Set You Free”, “Tell Me How”, “I Need You (Shine A Light)”, “One Of These Days”, “Love & Treat Me Right”, “Fare Thee Well, “Forevermore”
http://www.whitesnake.com
http://www.facebook.com/Whitesnake.official
http://www.myspace.com/whitesnake
Whitesnake – Live: In the Shadow of the Blues
Whitesnake – Live: In the Shadow of the Blues (2008, Icarus Music – Argentina Import)
Original Release: 2006, SPV Records/Steamhammer Records
Disc One
1. “Bad Boys” … 6:22
2. “Slide It In” … 5:11
3. “Slow An’ Easy” … 6:54
4. “Love Ain’t No Stranger” … 4:31
5. “Judgement Day” … 5:34
6. “Is This Love” … 4:58
7. “Blues for Mylene ’06″ … 3:31
8. “Snake Dance ’06″ … 2:03
9. “Crying in the Rain” … 5:46
10. “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City” … 8:44
11. “Fool for Your Loving” … 4:51
12. “Here I Go Again” … 5:53
13. “Still of the Night” … 8:38
Disc Two
1. “Burn – Stormbringer” … 8:38
2. “Give Me All Your Love” … 4:27
3. “Walking in the Shadow of the Blues” … 5:10
4. “The Deeper the Love” … 4:31
5. “Ready an’ Willing” … 5:41
6. “Don’t Break My Heart Again” … 6:08
7. “Take Me with You” … 7:50
8. “Ready to Rock” … 4:19
9. “If You Want Me” … 4:08
10. “All I Want Is You” … 4:12
11. “Dog” … 3:27
Band:
David Coverdale – Vocals
Doug Aldrich – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Reb Beach – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Uriah Duffy – Bass, Backing Vocals
Tommy Aldridge – Drums
Timothy Drury – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Producer: David Coverdale, Dough Aldrich, Michael McIntyre
Having heard this album shortly after its release, I’ve wanted this album just as long but it seems like this was one of those albums that must’ve had a small pressing because it quickly shot up in price around the internet. Thankfully it was reissued (though I didn’t realize I was buying a reissue at the time) so the price was about $7 or $8 when I finally bought it online.
Though I’ve claimed to be a Whitesnake fan for years, this album along with Good to Be Bad really cemented my status as a fan and quickly catapulted Whitesnake near the top of my favorites list. Since Coverdale reformed the band in 2002, he’s kept amazingly talented musicians in the band and this particular line-up is probably one of the most impressive and powerful versions of the band ever as evidenced on this album. I can even vouch for them in concert because I was lucky enough to see them on the Good to Be Bad Tour (though the awesome Tommy Aldridge was no longer on drums). They have such a powerful, meaty, energetic sound. The Coverdale/Aldrich pairing has really produced some great things and I think this band has rejuvenated David Coverdale.
The only bad thing I can say about a performance here is sometimes Coverdale is straining, not often, but it happens. Which is odd because I don’t remember him sounding like this at all in concert, he sounded phenomenal then. Still, even when not 100% on his game, Coverdale is a better singer than most.
I’m not sure exactly when or where this album was recorded. They album gives credits to the 2005 and 2006 touring production team so I’m guessing these songs were culled from various performances though you can’t tell. If this was meant to give the illusion of being one show (or if it was truly was), the sequencing is weird. Disc One plays like an entire show from beginning to end while Disc Two’s live tracks seem kind of random and surely they wouldn’t end a show with “Take Me With You”! I guess they wanted to fit all the major Whitesnake songs onto the first disc.
Now, as if you can’t guess by now, the live portion of this album is fantastic but here’s the real reason I bought this album: for the four brand new studio songs that showed off this powerful new line-up. “Ready to Rock”, “If You Want Me” and “Dog” are welcome entries into the Whitesnake catalog. Much like the entire Good to Be Bad album, they are an updated take on the old Whitesnake song. Amazing songs. The only one that falls kinda short is “All I Want Is You” which is a ballad that tries to replicate “Is This Love”.
Great live album with some great new studio songs… Definitely an essential Whitesnake album!
Highlights: “Slide It In”, “Slow & Easy”, “Love Ain’t No Stranger”, “Blues for Mylene ’06″, “Crying in the Rain”, “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City”, “Still of the Night”, “Walking in the Shadow of the Blues”, “Ready to Rock”, “If You Want Me”, “Dog”
www.whitesnake.com
www.facebook.com/Whitesnake.official
www.myspace.com/whitesnake
WHITESNAKE – Starkers In Tokyo
Whitesnake – Starkers In Tokyo (1997, EMI Records – UK Import)
1. “Sailing Ships” … 4:37
2. “Too Many Tears” … 4:13
3. “The Deeper The Love” … 4:09
4. “Love Ain’t No Stranger” … 3:15
5. “Can’t Go On” … 3:50
6. “Give Me All Your Love” … 3:21
7. “Don’t Fade Away” … 4:26
8. “Is This Love” … 3:09
9. “Here I Go Again” … 4:46
10. “Soldier of Fortune” … 4:22
Band:
David Coverdale – Vocals
Adrian Vandenberg – Guitar
Producer: David Coverdale
Starkers In Tokyo is a really cool live acoustic album that was recorded on July 5th, 1997 in Tokyo, Japan at an EMI Japan studio. It’s a very intimate setting with a small, restrained crowd (Coverdale cracks a few jokes about the reserved crowd and reveals himself to have a weird sense of humor).
This special show was put on at the request of EMI Japan in an attempt to help promote the Restless Heart album so it’s no surprise that three songs from the set list are from that album. Also, there are two songs from Slip of the Tongue. All five of those songs were written by Coverdale & Vandenberg. I’m surprised David didn’t go for some earlier Whitesnake material for this acoustic setting but I’m sure the Vandenberg factor played a role in that. Apparently, David hadn’t totally disowned the group’s late ’80s work just yet and was content to fill this album with ballads.
The album is really good, I’ve given this one multiple spins since winning it. It’s no secret that Coverdale is one of my favorite rock vocalists of all-time and this album is a great example of why. If it was anyone else singing these songs, it wouldn’t be half as good and that’s not a knock on the songs, it’s praise for Coverdale. And while I think Slip of the Tongue is just maybe the weakest Whitesnake album, “Sailing Ships” and “The Deeper The Love” come off really good in an acoustic setting. In fact, every song here does except “Here I Go Again”, which just doesn’t sound right without the bombastic production behind it.
It’s not the set list I would have chosen but this is another great entry into the Whitesnake discography.
Highlights: “Sailing Ships”, “Too Many Tears”, “The Deeper The Love”, “Love Ain’t No Stranger”, “Can’t Go On”, “Don’t Fade Away”
WHITESNAKE – Whitesnake
Whitesnake – Whitesnake (1987, Geffen Records)
1. “Crying in the Rain” … 5:37
2. “Bad Boys” … 4:09
3. “Still of the Night” … 6:38
4. “Here I Go Again” … 4:33
5. “Give Me All Your Love” … 3:30
6. “Is This Love” … 4:43
7. “Children of the Night” … 4:24
8. “Straight for the Heart” … 3:40
9. “Don’t Turn Away” … 5:07
Band:
David Coverdale – Lead Vocals
John Sykes – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Neil Murray – Bass
Aynsley Dunbar – Drums, Percussion
Additional Musicians:
Don Airey – Keyboards
Bill Cuomo – Keyboards
Adrian Vandenberg – Guitar solo (“Here I Go Again”)
Producer: Mike Stone & Keith Olsen
And with this, my Whitesnake collection is complete. I held off on getting this album for years because I knew the whole album by heart since I had owned the cassette since 1996 or so. Out of boredom, I finally plunked down a couple of bucks online to pick this one up.
Despite being the band’s most successful time, this really began the worst era for the band (which even Coverdale himself now admits). Released 3 years before this album, Slide It In was a perfect blend of their old blues-rock sound and pop-metal sound of the day but this cheesy album went overboard with the pop-metal and commercial rock sound and it has a high filler quotient as a result. Sure, there are a few classics here like the epic “Still of the Night” and the monster hits “Here I Go Again” and “Is This Love” but the blues influenced is basically gone and in its place is a lot of generic ’80s hard rock. At least Coverdale puts on another fine performance but the songs don’t really call for him to show off his voice too much.
This is one of Whitesnake’s worst albums but that said, it’s still an okay album that used to get a lot of play from me. I would rather listen to anything before or after this album and Slip of the Tongue though.
Highlights: “Crying in the Rain”, “Still of the Night”, “Here I Go Again”, “Is This Love”, “Don’t Turn Away”
DAVID COVERDALE – Into the Light
David Coverdale – Into the Light (2000, Dragonshead)
1. “…Into the Light” … 1:16
2. “River Song” … 7:19
3. “She Give Me…” … 4:12
4. “Don’t You Cry” … 5:47
5. “Love is Blind” … 5:44
6. “Slave” … 4:51
7. “Cry for Love” … 4:52
8. “Living on Love” … 6:31
9. “Midnight Blue” … 4:58
10. “Too Many Tears” … 5:59
12. “Don’t Lie to Me” … 4:43
13. “Wherever You May Go” … 3:59
Musicians:
David Coverdale – Lead Vocals, Guitar (“…Into the Light”)
Doug Bossi – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Earl Slick – Guitar
Marco Mendoza – Bass, Spanish Guitar, Backing Vocals
Denny Carmassi – Drums
Derek Hilland – Keyboards
Mike Finnigan – Organ, Piano
John X. Volaitis – Keyboards, Percussion, Harp
Dylan Vaughan – Guitar
Tony Franklin – Bass
Bjorn Thorsud – Tambourine
Jimmy Z – Harmonica
Linda Rowberry – Vocals (“Wherever You May Go”)
Producer: David Coverdale
Not surprisingly, Into the Light, David Coverdale’s first official solo album in over 20 years sounds pretty similar to Restless Heart, the Whitesnake album that came out three years prior to this release. Restless Heart was originally intended to be a solo release but the record company interfered (as they are prone to do) and released it under the name “David Coverdale & Whitesnake”. Of course, the Whitesnake name was featured prominently on that album’s cover.
Well, Mr. Coverdale finally get his way and full solo credit on this release from mystery label Dragonshead. I see many listings online claiming this album was released by EMI but I don’t see their name anywhere in the credits and I can’t find anything about Dragonshead online. Coverdale’s vanity label? Anyway, Into the Light continues Coverdale’s journey back to his roots and there’s a few bluesy rockers and ballads on here that would sit comfortably on any early Whitesnake release like “River Song”, “She Give Me”, “Cry For Love” and ‘Living On Love”. “Don’t Lie To Me” is the hardest rocker of the bunch that seems to pull together all eras of Whitesnake, much like the entire Good to Be Bad album did.
Alongside the bluesy numbers is also a collection of fairly mellow melodic rock/pop numbers which don’t really intrigue me all that much but apparently this whole album was very cathartic for Coverdale who was still trying to find himself after allowing himself and Whitesnake to fall into the “hair metal” image in that was so popular in the late ’80s.
For some reason, Coverdale likes to cover his own material (to his credit, he did it quite successfully). He does it again here with a new version of “Too Many Tears”, which is just a slower version of an already slow song… which was released on Restless Heart only THREE YEARS earlier. Given the even slower tempo, Coverdale voice is restrained and the song just doesn’t work as well. Why even bother?
I do have to say that “Wherever You May Go” is a fantastic ballad, one of the best I’ve heard from Coverdale. I remember this album coming out in 2000 and had heard this song online and loved it, but didn’t buy the album. I guess I was afraid the whole album would be too mellow for me but this song that constant play on my computer back in those glorious Napster days.
The final word on Into the Light is that it’s a decent album. Anyone who liked Restless Heart will probably like this but there’s a few mellow moments on here I could have done without.
Highlights: “Slave”, “Cry For Love”, “Living On Love”, “Don’t Lie To Me”, “Wherever You May Go”
WHITESNAKE – Trouble
Whitesnake – Trouble (1978, Geffen Records)
1. “Take Me With You” … 4:44
2. “Love to Keep You Warm” .. .3:43
3. “Lie Down (A Modern Love Song)” … 3:14
4. “Day Tripper” … 3:47
5. “Nighthawk (Vampire Blues)” … 3:40
6. “The Time is Right for Love” … 3:27
7. “Trouble” … 4:48
8. “Belgian Tom’s Hat Trick” … 3:25)
9. “Free Flight” … 4:05
10. “Don’t Mess with Me” … 3:18
Band:
David Coverdale – Vocals
Micky Moody – Guitar
Bernie Marsden – Guitar, Vocals (“Free Flight”)
Neil Murray – Bass
Dave Dowle – Drums
Jon Lord – Keyboards
Producer: Martin Birch
Though it isn’t the first album to bare to Whitesnake name, Trouble is the first full-fledged group effort because Snakebite (released earlier in the same year) featured a handful of David Coverdale solo material that was recorded before Whitesnake was formed.
It’s amazing how well put together the sound and direction of this band was right out of the gate. Trouble sets the tone for the rest of the group’s blues-rock era. But could we really expect anything less given the talent involved? Coverdale delivers his typically wonderful vocal performance throughout (though he would get even better on later albums), Jon Lord’s keys dance delicately and enhance the songs instead of bogging them down and the guitar duo of Moody & Marsden is quickly becoming one of my favorites and has convinced me I really need to buy those Company of Snakes albums. Neil Murray also puts in a fine performance as does drummer Dave Dowle.
There’s a number of notable songs on this release, even if upon first listen, none really stuck out to me. The band takes The Beatles’ “Day Tripper” and gave it a blues-rock feel to pretty cool effect. Dig that voice box! “Belgian Tom’s Hat Trick” is an awesome instrumental and no offense to Mr. Coverdale, but it’s one of the best songs on the album. Then there’s “Free Flight” which features the vocal talents of Bernie Marsden. Again, it may be missing Coverdale but it’s a great number.
Now that I’ve heard this album about eight or nine times all the way through, I enjoy all the songs to one degree or another. There’s no immediate “hit” but this is great 1970s hard rockin’ blues.
Picked this one up used on Amazon.com for only a few bucks.
Highlights: “Take Me With You”, “Day Tripper”, “Trouble”, “Belgian Tom’s Hat Trick”, “Free Flight”, “Don’t Mess With Me”
WHITESNAKE – Slide It In
Whitesnake – Slide It In (1984, Geffen Records)
1. “Slide It In” … 3:20
2. “Slow an’ Easy” … 6:08
3. “Love Ain’t No Stranger” … 4:18
4. “All or Nothing” … 3:40
5. “Gambler” … 3:58
6. “Guilty of Love” … 3:24
7. “Hungry for Love” … 3:28
8. “Give Me More Time” … 3:42
9. “Spit It Out” … 4:26
10. “Standing in the Shadow” … 3:42
Band:
David Coverdale – Vocals
Mel Galley – Guitar, Backing Vocals
John Sykes – Guitar
Neil Murray – Bass
Cozy Powell – Drums
Jon Lord – Keyboards
Producer: Martin Birch
Slide It In is supposedly Whitesnake’s U.S. debut. I say “supposedly” because by 1984, they had already released six studio albums and one live album and while most of those came out under the EMI label in Europe, they were also released on Geffen which was the band’s U.S. label at the time. So either those albums were released alongside the European versions or Geffen dumped a lot of Whitesnake albums onto the American public in the mid to late ’80s!
Nonetheless, the U.S. version of Slide It In is mixed quite differently than the European version (that mix was criticized upon release in the UK). I have not heard that version but from what I’ve read about it, in the U.S. mix the keyboards and bass were lowered and the guitars and drums were put more up front at Geffen’s request. Also, by the time the album was to be released in the U.S., guitarist Mick Moody and bassist Colin Hodgkinson had left the band and their parts were re-recorded by John Sykes and the returning Neil Murray.
Anyway, this album starts the band’s commercial rise in the United States and maybe what old school Whitesnake fans would say is their musical decline. In my opinion, Slide It In is a fantastic album that acts as a bridge between the band’s early ’80s blues-based hard rock and their late ’80s commercial pop-metal sound. “Slide It In”, “Slow an’ Easy” and “Love Ain’t No Stranger” are a lethal three song line-up. Many albums have a great opening one-two punch but a one-two-three punch ?! Classic Whitesnake songs that are three of my all-time faves from the band.
How about these lyrics? Prime Coverdale. What did you think “Slide It In” and “Slow an’ Easy” would be about? What about “Spit It Out”? It’s obvious what he’s talking about there: “you took my love in the palm of your hand an’ showed me what a woman could do…” It’s awesome and I say that with no sense of irony. I love it.
By the way, check out this Whitesnake line-up. Coverdale has always done a great job of keeping Whitesnake stocked with top players. Sometimes I think Black Sabbath, Whitesnake, Deep Purple and Rainbow had some type of musician exchange going. Maybe they held drafts every year.
Slide it in slow an’ easy then spit it out if you don’t like it!
Highlights: “Slide It In”, “Slow an’ Easy”, “Love Ain’t No Stranger”, “Gambler”, “Spit It Out”
WHITESNAKE – Restless Heart
Whitesnake – Restless Heart (1997, EMI Records – UK Import)
1. “Don’t Fade Away” … 5:01
2. “All In The Name Of Love” … 4:42
3. “Restless Heart” .. 4:50
4. “Too Many Tears” … 5:44
5. “Crying” … 5:34
6. “Stay With Me” … 4:00
7. “Can’t Go On” … 4:28
8. “You’re So Fine” … 5:10
9. “Your Precious Love” … 4:34
10. “Take Me Back Again” … 6:02
11. “Woman Trouble Blues” … 5:36
Band:
David Coverdale – Vocals
Adiran Vandenberg – Guitar
Guy “Starka” Pratt – Bass
Denny Marmassi – Drums, Percussion
Brett Tuggle – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Tommy Funderburk – Backing Vocals
Beth Anderson – Backing Vocals
Maxine Waters – Backing Vocals
Elk Thunder – Harmonica
Producer: David Coverdale
The only Whitesnake album of the 1990s (which has never seen a proper U.S. release) sees David Coverdale taking the band closer to their bluesy roots after the last few albums delved deeper and deeper into pop metal. The closest the band gets to the pop years is “Restless Heart”, which is one of my favorite Whitesnake songs and would have fit in well on Slide It In.
Anyone expecting another batch of glossy party tunes will be quickly set straight with the opening track “Don’t Fade Away”, which is basically a soft rock ballad. Not exactly the way you’d expect any Whitesnake album to start off but then again, this wasn’t intended to be a Whitesnake album. Coverdale intended this to be a solo release, but EMI forced him to put the Whitesnake name on it to help sales and so we have the compromise on the cover of “David Coverdale & Whitesnake” (just like how Tony Iommi shared billing with Black Sabbath on Seventh Star).
To this day, David doesn’t acknowledge this album as a Whitesnake album and prefers to look at it as a solo project but we finally get hear the legit studio debut of Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, even though he doesn’t really get a chance to show off. As if there was ever any doubt before, this album totally belongs to David Coverdale. Say what you will about these soft rocking, bluesy mid-tempo numbers, but his voice is incredible is the star of this album. I especially love his performance on “Too Many Tears”.
I was turned off by this album at first. Despite immediately recognizing the great vocals performance David was laying down, I couldn’t get past the fact that this album only seems to rock half the time. It was way more melodic and mellow than I wanted it to be. With repeated listenings, the album has grown on me. Taken as a Whitesnake album, it isn’t their finest moments, but I think it’s worth the time of any Whitesnake fan just for David’s vocals and if you keep an open mind, you’ll enjoy some of these slower numbers as well. Really old school Whitesnake fans should enjoy “Crying”, “You’re So Fine” and “Woman Trouble Blues”. Pure blues rockers.
I picked this one up at FYE for $14 and immediately kicked myself when I got home and realized it was on CDUniverse.com for only $7. I knew I had it on my CD Universe wish list, but I was thinking that it was about the same price online. I was pretty excited when I saw it in stock though because I knew it was not an album that could have been there for long because I frequently check out FYE. I don’t buy much from them because everything is usually marked up too high or they don’t have whatever I want.
Highlights: “Restless Heart”, “Too Many Tears”, “Crying”, “You’re So Fine”, “Woman Trouble Blues”
DEEP PURPLE – Burn
Deep Purple – Burn [30th Anniversary Edition - Remastered] (2005, Warner Bros. Records/Rhino Records/Purple Records)
Original Release: 1974, Warner Bros. Records
1. “Burn” … 6:00
2. “Might Just Take Your Life” … 4:36
3. “Lay Down, Stay Down” …4:15
4. “Sail Away” … 5:48
5. “You Fool No One” … 4:47
6. “What’s Goin’ on Here” … 4:55
7. “Mistreated” … 7:25
8. “”A” 200″ … 3:51
BONUS TRACKS
9. “Coronarias Redig” [2004 Remix] … 5:30
10. “Burn” [2004 Remix] … 6:00
11. “Mistreated” [2004 Remix] … 7:28
12. “You Fool No One” [2004 Remix] … 4:57
13. “Sail Away” [2004 Remix] … 5:37
Band:
David Coverdale – Lead Vocals
Ritchie Blackmore – Guitar
Glenn Hughes – Bass, Lead Vocals
Ian Paice – Drums
Jon Lord – Keyboards
Producer: Deep Purple
Years ago, during a Columbia House or BMG Music binge, I ordered Deep Purple’s Perfect Strangers and then I never bothered with another Purple album. I wasn’t overly impressed by the album at the time and I’ve always had this hang-up on Deep Purple that they were “too 70s” and too heavy on keyboards and organs and that’s just not my style of rock.
Well, years later I decided to give the band a chance again by picking up Burn featuring the Deep Purple debut of two of my favorite rock vocalists – David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes. It didn’t hurt that I found this anniversary edition online, brand new, for only six bucks and some change.
Again, everything about this album screams 1970s. The keyboards, the album cover, the funky & bluesy bass lines. I should really hate this album but somehow, I like it. I don’t love it, but I like it a lot and its a real treat listening to Coverdale and Hughes share lead vocals. Coverdale didn’t play any instruments in the band, so I’ve always wondered how he felt about sharing vocals with a band member who is playing an instrument as well. Just seems like a weird deal to me, but it was the 70s after all!
This album began the end of Ritchie Blackmore’s involvement in the band he co-found as he hated the bluesy and funky direction Hughes and Coverdale were taking the group in. I will say this, this album features some GREAT performances by Coverdale. Just listen to “Mistreated”.
The remixes I guess are nice if you have a really good ear or sound system for that type of stuff. I don’t have either, but I appreciate the effort put into this package to make it something special. “Coronarias Redig” was a B-side and is a pretty cool funky jam. There’s a very comprehensive booklet as well that’s full pictures and talks about the history about the band during this time frame. I love it when reissues include retrospectives like that. It oughta be a law.
Highlights: “Burn”, “Might Just Take Your Life”, “Sail Away”, “You Fool No One”, “Mistreated”, “Coronarias Redig”
