Whitesnake - Made In Britain/The World Record (Album Review)
Friday, 05 July 2013
Written by Simon Ramsay
It's only been three months since Whitesnake's last live package – 'Made In Japan' – landed, and they're already releasing another double album from exactly the same tour. Recorded during 2011, 'Made In Britain' features a variety of songs from assorted British gigs, while 'The World Record' captures different cuts from around the globe. Quality-wise, it's unfortunately another mixed big that delights and disappoints in equal measure.
The reason for this surprisingly swift follow up to 'Made In Japan' is that Whitesnake's fans apparently demanded it. Which is strange, considering many of their followers have been critical of recent live performances, citing poorly-paced setlists and David Coverdale's increasingly strained vocals as major problems. Furthermore, 'Made In Britain' is nearly identical to 'Made In Japan'. While that was enjoyable, it's hard to believe it left anyone craving more of the same.
Having said that, 'Made In Britain' is actually a cracker. Maybe it's to do with being on home turf, but from the moment Best Years kicks off the electric atmosphere is obvious.
Where 'Made In Japan' was a co-headline set in front of a festival audience, these gigs are in front of devoted fans. It shows in the band's performance as they respond to the adulation in fine style.
The most pleasing difference between the two releases is that 'Made In Britain' ditches the guitar and drum solos.
Filling those gaps - alongside classics like Here I Go Again, Love Ain't No Stranger and Still Of The Night - are a selection of impressive newer cuts, including nasty blues romp Evil Ways, and a couple of heartfelt acoustic singalongs, Fare Thee Well and One Of These Days, that only made the bonus disc of 'Made In Japan'.
Better yet, the band include a track from their pre-MTV days with the spine-tingling Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City. Its soulful, no-frills blues and wonderful solos remind us that before the mammoth sales and sexy videos, Whitesnake were a much better band.
After such a great disc, 'The World Record' reinstates the faults that plagued 'Made In Japan' and is maddeningly uneven as a result. Beginning with a strangely muddy version of 1980s cock rocker Bad Boys, there are some cool moments: Slide It In is supreme tongue-in-cheek sleaze, while newer songs Lay Down Your Love and Can You Feel The Wind Blow show Whitesnake are still a powerful recording outfit. The finale is also impressive - an ear-shattering hybrid of Deep Purple's Burn and Stormbringer.
Added ambience also comes from Coverdale's delightful potty-mouthed banter (missing in Tokyo due to the concert being broadcast live), as well as his schizophrenic accent. He veers from cockney Carry On mode, through silver spoon Received Pronunciation and even good old Dave from Saltburn while addressing the Geordie crowd. A particular highlight occurs when a young man emphatically shouts, “We love you DC!”, to which he replies, “I love you son – are you one of mine?”
The problems occur between those moments. The two acoustic tracks from disc one are needlessly repeated, the bloody guitar solos are back and three of the 12 tracks are pointless, short instrumentals and a dull a capella version of Soldier Of Fortune, which leaves only half an album of unique songs with an obnoxious stop-start momentum. In short – they didn't have enough material, they padded it out.
When it comes to the songs and how they're played, Whitesnake's recent live albums offer some excellent stuff. Coverdale's assembled a crack team of musicians with guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach breathing new life into the band's back catalogue, while drummer Brian Tichy is a ferocious powerhouse who drives the tracks with bags of energy. Coverdale's voice isn't as bad as feared and the band's hearty backing vocals make up for his shortcomings.
It's just hard to ignore the fact that this is another inconsistent release that's essentially a lot of killer interspersed with way too much filler. If Whitesnake could only stop shooting themselves in the foot with frustrating choices that undermine the strength and execution of their songs, they'd produce a great live package.
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