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THE REVIEW
Confesses David Coverdale in the liner notes about his initial reluctance at the proposal by the Japanese EMI to play some of his Whitesnake's songs in an acoustic version, for fear of stripping them of the hard rock attire with which they were conceived. However, having convinced himself that a good song remains such in any version presented, he chose nine tracks from the band's softer repertoire plus the Purple-era "Soldier Of Fortune" and performed them accompanied by the faithful Adrian Vandenberg on guitar, of course acoustic.
In retrospect, he says he had fun, but admits: "Whether it worked or not, remains to be seen..." and indeed, the doubt is not his alone: there's something that doesn't work in this record.
It's not so much about his voice, which is always deep and fascinating, even though the passing years might be showing just a little, but about Vandenberg's guitar, which indeed displays a certain good taste, yet always remains in the background, unable to adequately fill the spaces (and there are many in 40 minutes) between verses.
There isn't a single solo in the entire album, and just a quick listen around shows that even in an 'unplugged' setting guitar solos can definitely be done!
Only in "Here I Go Again" does the Dutchman seem to lift his head a bit, too bad it’s the penultimate track and in the meanwhile, there's the risk of falling asleep. As for the last track, well... "Soldier Of Fortune" still gives chills, but two tracks in the whole album aren't enough to lift it from the "Only for die-hard fans" category.
Ultimately, it's a showcase of Coverdale's voice and little more - a missed opportunity, what a pity...
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Summary by Bot
David Coverdale initially hesitated to perform Whitesnake songs acoustically but chose a set mainly from the band's softer repertoire. Despite his deep and fascinating voice, the album struggles due to Adrian Vandenberg's subdued guitar presence and lack of solos. Only a couple of tracks stand out, leaving the record feeling empty and primarily appealing to die-hard fans. Overall, it’s seen as a missed opportunity to showcase the songs in a compelling unplugged format.Tracklist Lyrics
Whitesnake
Whitesnake were a British rock band formed by singer David Coverdale after his tenure in Deep Purple, moving from blues-influenced hard rock into mainstream ’80s arena hard rock and heavy metal, with frequent lineup changes across their history.21 Reviews
Other reviews
By alfo
"It is interesting to find Whitesnake in an acoustic guise, stripped of the baroque embellishments that adorned their most recent productions."
"This peculiar half-hour is more than enough for Coverdale to make the most intimate confession of a career."
