Whitesnake – Made in Japan CD/DVD
Frontiers Records
http://www.frontiers.it/album/5128
Rating: B+
Made in Japan was recorded on October 15, 2011 when the band co-headlined the Loud Park Festival while supporting their latest studio release Forevermore. The show was recorded for Japanese television and used to promote future Loud Park promotions. When three songs were shown on a program for Loud Park, Japanese fans began requesting the show be released for sale. As the fans clamored, the band gave in and spent nearly a year putting together this deluxe package.
While Coverdale jokes, sings, sneers and screams throughout, his backing band pound away taking the show into the stratosphere. The energy of drummer Brian Tichy is amazing while the second half of the rhythm section, bassist Michael Devin, beats down the low end allowing guitarists Reb Beach, formerly of Wenger, and Doug Aldrich, formerly of DIO, to show off. These two axe slingers are true rock stars, each capable of being the lead guitar player of any hard rock band, past, present or future.
Reb Beach is the maniacal, long-haired, two-hand tapping, shredding fret board wizard freak type guitarist, while Aldrich is more the pretty boy, flying up and down the fret board producing lightening fast riffs and looking oh so cool while doing it. These two are beyond good. Aldrich is also Whitesnake’s musical director and co-writer of the new material that appears on Forevermore. Watching him play guitar makes it easy to see why Coverdale snatched him away from DIO when he had the chance. When Beach and Aldrich battle it out on “Six String Showdown” they display guitar god qualities, pushing the energy of the concert over the edge.
Coverdale sounds good throughout the show. He is into his 60’s, so not every high note is replicated and his voice has gruffness to it now. He still pulls it off, though, and the rougher edge fits in great on Snake classics such as “Still of the Night” and “Fool For Your Loving.”
The only thing that could have made this better would have been if the band had played more from the classic album Slide It In. That said, this one is still worth the price of admission, as Whitesnake, lead by Coverdale, but expanded by Aldrich and Beach, are playing at the top of their game.
Track Listing:
Cd1
Best Years; Give Me All Your Love Tonight; Love Ain’t No Stranger; Is This Love; Steal Your Heart Away; Forevermore; Six String Showdown; Love Will Set You Free; Drum Solo; Fool For Your Loving; Here I Go Again; Still Of The Night.
Bonus Cd 2 - Sound Check
Love Will Set You Free; Steal Your Heart Away; Fare Thee Well (Acoustic Version); One Of These Days (Acoustic Version); Lay Down Your Love; Evil Ways; Good To Be Bad (Acoustic Version); Tell Me How (Acoustic Version)
Dvd / Blu-Ray contents
Best Years; Give Me All Your Love Tonight; Love Ain’t No Stranger; Is This Love; Steal Your Heart Away; Forevermore; Six String Showdown; Love Will Set You Free; Drum Solo; Fool For Your Loving; Here I Go Again; Still Of The Night.
Fan Videos For Forevermore And Steal Your Heart Away
By Jeb Wright
