David Coverdale & Whitesnake
Restless Heart

THE REVIEW

Probably Richie Blackmore sleeps peacefully, but thinking about David Coverdale's stratospheric career after the Deep Purple, considering that there was just scorched earth around, one wonders what might have been if the two careers had continued together. But with his beautiful voice, he has conquered audiences all over the planet, and not just with hard tracks, but also with many beautiful ballads.

This album, arriving in a period of slight decline for Whitesnake, seems to want to introduce a sort of new genre, a melodic-rock with dark and romantic tones at the same time, but also leaving room for some slightly more intense riffs. From certain points of view, it could be defined as one of the worst albums of Coverdale's "White Snake," but its listenability is not hindered, especially thanks to the great vocal skills of the band's leader and founder. Of course, the "David Coverdale's Whitesnake" (this, for the occasion, being the name used on the cover) generally need no introduction, but this album, a bit controversial, a bit commercial, might anger fans of the heavier versions of the group, but the atmospheres created by Coverdale's voice make several tracks of this album pleasantly listenable.

"Don't Fade Away", the first track, like "Can't go on", seems to recall the times of "Soldier Of Fortune", but the result, aided by the matured voice and the additions of female choirs, is not the same. Pleasant nonetheless. Uncertain and not perfect, songs like "Crying" and "Stay With Me" might almost make you want to turn off the stereo, but the title track "Restless Heart" and "You're so fine" set things right. The harmonica and the stop&go solo of "Woman Trouble Blues" greatly recall the "Shake My Tree" experiment with Jimmy Page, but the quality, despite the effort of the talented guitarist Vandenberg, will never be the same. However, Adrian makes his presence felt in several parts throughout the rest of the album. Nothing innovative though.

Very beautiful is the print on the disc, compared to Coverdale's lifeless photo on the cover, a gothic logo with a heart and a sword intertwined with roses and thorns, in silvery gray tones. Perhaps it deserved the cover.

That's all, in the end, "Restless Heart" serves more than anything to remind us that Whitesnake and especially Coverdale never rest, but also to remind, if someone turns their nose up at these "slow" deviations, that Coverdale is hard rock, but also melody.