CD REVIEW: WHITESNAKE – The Purple Album
Label: Frontiers Music
Release Date: May 19, 2015
Rating: 9/10
Reviewed by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur
David Coverdale may have driven the Whitesnake train to the top of the charts, but his debut and breakout came courtesy of Deep Purple, when he was the lead vocalist during what is known as the Mach III and Mach IV stages. Pulling songs from the three discs recorded during his tenure, Coverdale brought a song list to his current band members and they re-envisioned the thirteen tracks that grace Whitesnake’s latest offering The Purple Album.
Coverdale’s Deep Purple debut, Burn gets the biggest showcase, with six tracks getting an update. Featured on this 2015 redux are the tracks: “Burn,” “Might Just Take Your Life,” “Lay Down Stay Down,” “Sail Away,” “You Fool No One,” and “Mistreated.” These songs, while receiving a “fresh coat of paint” in the words of guitarist Joel Hoekstra, stay pretty true to the originals in principal. The sophomore effort from the Mach III-IV era, Stormbringer, is represented by “Stormbringer,” “Holy Man,” “Lady Double Dealer,” “The Gypsy,” and “Soldier Of Fortune.” The final Purple recording to feature Coverdale was the 1975 release Come Taste The Band. The moving “Love Child” and organ-filled “You Keep On Moving” are the sole tracks pulled from this release. While the solos and fills may be slightly different, the heart and soul of the originals are intact. Hearing Coverdale sing these tracks with his seasoned vocals adds depth and emotion that may have seemed lacking on the recording that came out in the 1970’s. A couple of my favorite re-records on this disc includes the one-two punch of moving “Soldier Of Fortune.” and the rocking “Lay Down Stay Down.” Closing the disc with the powerful “Stormbringer” is a perfect bookend, as the vocals and leads on this track standout among the others on this collection. The feelings in the lyrics are conveyed through the vocals and acoustic guitar. The current incarnation of Whitesnake features original front man and lead singer David Coverdale alongside guitarists Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra. Filling out the lineup in the rhythm section is drummer Tommy Aldridge and bassist Michael Devin. These recordings are not meant to be a replacement for the originals – do yourself a favor and pick up both – as these discs were influential not only on the current guitarists in the band, but many a guitar player since the mid-1970’s. Coverdale still has the chops, along with gunslingers Beach and Hoekstra, who pay homage to Blackmore and to an extent Tommy Bolin (thanks to his appearance on the sole Mach IV release).
Tracklisting: Burn – You Fool No One – Love Child – Sail Away – The Gypsy – Lady Double Dealer – Mistreated – Holy Man – Might Just Take Your Life – You Keep On Moving – Soldier Of Fortune – Lay Down Stay Down – Stormbringer
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