Shane’s Rock Challenge: WHITESNAKE – 1997 – Starkers In Tokyo

Shane’s Music Challenge: WHITESNAKE – 1997 – Starkers In Tokyo
7/10

Ten years after his career explosion with the hair metal defining 1987 album, the one that transformed him and his band from scruffy blues rockers with a healthy UK following to world class arena glam rockers, David Coverdale and his old mate Adrian Vandenberg flew to Japan to record a special set which would be sure to make them both nervous: just a voice and an acoustic guitar – starkers, if you will.

Recorded in Tokyo’s EMI studios before a small group of fans, the intimacy of the venue and the reverence and politeness of the Japanese fans makes for a very different vibe to the usual MTV Unplugged styled affairs – most of which seem to be acoustic instruments, which are then wired up and plugged in, thus defeating the point of the exercise to a certain extent… but I digress.

Coverdale and Vandenberg are in fantastic form, obviously completely at ease with each other and deliver a selection of material from his earlier, bluesier days – Love Ain’t No Stranger and Here I Go Again, as well as Deep Purple’s Soldier Of Fortune, here rendered with style and heart breaking gravitas – as well as a clutch from post-reinvention of the band, including Sailing Ships, The Deeper The Love, Give Me All Your Love and mega smash Is This Love, also transformed by its extreme makeover.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable, mellow listen early this morning – highly recommended for a quiet moment.

By Shane Pinnegar

 

Category: Shane's Rock Challenge