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Rating:
The elegant packaging of the DVD “Live – In The Still Of The Night” introduces with the usual solemnity one of the most anticipated musical events of this season, providing the audience with the luminous testimony of the long-awaited return on stage of the historic band of David Coverdale.
The immortal songs of Whitesnake stand out like Renaissance frescoes imbued with a sacred aura in a true mausoleum of music, the legendary Hammersmith Theatre in London, which today appears as a temple filled with the glorious and eternal notes that have given such greatness to British rock.
Directed with undeniable flair by the famous director Hamish Hamilton (whom the most attentive will remember as a reference figure for U2 and Red Hot Chili Peppers), who skillfully alternates a carousel of warm colors with cold black and white photography, the concert presented to us is an excellent excerpt from the endless “Whitesnake Reunion Tour” of 2004, an event that marked the definitive comeback of the combo led by David Coverdale on the world stage. By stringing together an impressive series of sold-out shows both in Europe and North America, the White Snake sheds its skin and reappears before the great public with a line-up capable of competing with previous acclaimed formations: the enveloping vocals of the immortal David Coverdale are excellently supported by the powerful and elegant bursts of pure energy shaped by the six strings of the surprising Doug Aldritch, whose riffs delicately press on the geometric evolutions of the talented Reb Beach (a great soloist, also appreciated with Dokken and Twisted Sister). The propulsive momentum from the impeccable rhythm section composed of the savvy aficionado Marco Mendoza (bass) and veteran of a thousand battles Tommy Aldridge (drums) is wonderfully complemented by the soft wall of enchanting keyboard melodies erected with skill by former Eagles' Timothy Drury.
The group's chemistry is enviable, and some solos generously dispensed by Mr. Aldritch make even novices realize they are facing a new institution in the matter of “tapping”: introducing the track “Blues For Mylene” with a powerful stylistic evolution, the young guitar-hero provides a small sample of his incredible technical skills, bringing down a silence of mute admiration in a Hammersmith Theater filled to the brink.
The DVD package (accompanied by an interesting booklet and a lovely backstage documentary directed by the talented Jim Parsons) is impeccable, as is the notable quality of the audio definition, available in four modes. The concert's opening is entrusted, much to the surprise of many present, to the eternally youthful flame jealously guarded in the staves of the song “Burn”, a “flagship” track from the Deep Purple '70s collaborations. The reminiscence of one's past in Ritchie Blackmore's band will continue with a subsequent nod to the historic “Stormbringer”, but from the second piece, the ensemble will bring its music back to the sinuously paved paths traced over twenty-five years of honored career by the White Snake. David Coverdale proves once more to be an authentic rock icon: his charisma and charm remain unchanged, crystallizing over time the epic nature of the perfect entertainer's figure, an incredible crowd mover, and a performer with an indestructible voice.
With a setlist that wisely alternates the dirty rock blues of albums like “Ready an’ Willing” (1980) and “Come an’Get it” (1981), the excellent ballads crafted in the eighties and the white-knuckled assaults equally divided between the six-time platinum “1987” and the underrated “Slip of The Tongue” (1989), this DVD perfectly embodies the multifaceted spirit of Whitesnake's production, candidating itself as a summation of this extraordinary ensemble's artistic thought.
The band's live performance borders on formal perfection (some detractors have even suggested that the threatening specter of supposedly recorded overdubs haunts this DVD), and the impact created by the contrasts and chromatic details of the footage further enhances the group's exceptional performance. By delivering posterity a precious parchment that encapsulates the pristine essence of their musical soul, Whitesnake leaves their unmistakable seal on yet another masterpiece of their discography.
(Enrico Rosticci)
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
08 Here I Go Again (05:33)
I don't know where I'm going
But I sure know where I've been
Hanging on the promises and songs of yesterday
And I've made up my mind
I ain't wasting no more time
Here I go again, Here I go again
Though I keep searching for an answer
I never seem to find what I'm looking for
Oh Lord I pray you give me strength to carry on
'Cause I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams
And here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
But I've made up my mind
I ain't wastin' no more time
I'm just another heart in need of rescue
Waiting on love's sweet charity
And I'm gonna hold on for the rest of my days
'Cause I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams
And here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
And I've made up my mind
I ain't wasting no more time
But here I go again
Here I go again
Here I go again
Here I go
(guitar solo)
'Cause I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams
And here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
But I've made up my mind
I ain't wastin' no more time
And here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
'Cause I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams
And here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I've ever known...
(fade)
10 Still of the Night (08:52)
In the Still of the Night
I hear the wolf howl, honey
Sniffing around your door.
In the Still of the Night
I feel my heart beating heavy
Telling me I gotta have more.
In the shadow of night
I see the full moon rise
Telling me what's in store,
My heart start aching.
My body start a shaking
And I can't take no more, no, no.
Now I just wanna get close to you
An' taste your love so sweet
And I just wanna make love to you
Feel your body heat.
In the Still of the Night.
In the Still of the Night.
Over here baby.
In the heat of the day
I hang my head down low
And hide my face from the sun.
Through the light of the day
Until the evening time
I'm waiting for the night to come.
In the Still of the Night,
In the cool moonlight,
I feel heart is aching
In the Still of the Night.
(Solo)
Tell me here baby.
In the Still of the Night
I hear the wolf howl, honey
Sniffing around your door.
In the Still of the Night
I feel my heart beating heavy
Telling me I gotta have more.
Now I just wanna get close to you
An' taste your love so sweet
And I just wanna make love to you
Feel your body heat.
In the Still of the Night...
Still of the Night,
Still of the Night,
Still of the Night...
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