by Alexandra Mrozowska
– Senior Columnist —
If you think Whitesnake, perhaps the first thing that comes to your mind is the band around mastermind of one of the best and most charismatic singers in the history of rock. Then go another two important factors. One is about it being a one man’s band in many respects and the phrase “here today, gone tomorrow” being the best to aptly describe the aspect of Whitesnake’s line-up stability. The other is that David Coverdale was never reluctant to take one of his older songs out of the shelf, dust it off and revamp to the point of it becoming ‘current’ and up to the requirements of the rock industry at the particular point in time. Numerous examples of it are too obvious to be elaborated on – “Here I Go Again” existing in several versions is only one of them. Also, as a part of the Unplugged craze, Coverdale went for the acoustic twist with a handful of Whitesnake and Purple classics for Starkers In Tokyo live album. Is an idea of re-recording his Deep Purple era classics a surprising move in the case of someone whose staple is to rework and redo whatever he sees potential in? It seemed a bit controversial and slightly risky at first, perhaps. But as it’s been months since we were given the first sneak peek into The Purple Album – a homage to Coverdale’s Purple years – the time has come to take a closer look upon the album in its entirety.
There is still something invariably electrifying in the main riff that drives the opening track – the ultimate classic “Burn.” There’s no further proof the songwriting genius behind it is something that really stood the test of time. But as the song progresses, there are two conflicting images that simultaneously appear in a listener’s mind. One is that of the incredibly tight and talented ensemble of musicians that combine the modern rock approach with all due respect to the Purple originals. The other is the awareness that David Coverdale can’t be said to have been aging exactly gracefully as far as his set of pipes is concerned. His present voice still fits some of the songs on the album pretty well, but also happens to sound as a rasp, husky shadow of its past golden self more than once. With this in mind, you can either press ‘stop’ right here and go for your treasured Burn and Stormbringer LPs instead or learn to resist making any further comparisons. Drawing any between the 23 year-old freshman newly admitted to the school of rock and its 64 year-old alumni with dozens of albums and hundreds of gigs under his belt is simply pointless. It’s therefore much better to focus on whatever new and exciting has been brought into the Purple classics in terms of music.
Differently to what some might have expected, listening to The Purple Album is not an experience comparable with browsing through the yellowish pages of your black-and-white family photo album. It starts with “Burn,” the ultimate classic that was never really shelved (and often included in Whitesnake concert set lists, often as a medley with “Stormbringer”). Deprived of its ‘70s flavors almost entirely, its revamped 21st century rendition assaults with a sharp, metallic, twin guitar formula. Next is “You Fool No One,” preceded with an intro that has a certain Blues/Southern Rock vibe to it. Its massive, modern sound corresponds more with the immediate past (this of Forevermore) rather than the Purple era, but the funky-ish groove of the original is nevertheless preserved here. Much heavier and guitar-oriented than the Come Taste The Band era version, “Love Child” sounds contemporary, bluesy and simply excellent. The idea of turning “Sail Away” into a raw, acoustic piece was another masterstroke. Stripping it down to the basics added a whole new dimension to the 1974 classic, now much in vein of genuine, emotional performance given on Starkers In Tokyo live album which was perhaps Whitesnake’s finest reworking job to date. “The Gypsy” and “Lady Double Dealer” are not as drastically revamped as their immediate predecessor, only a bit heavier in comparison with the originals – perhaps due to the twin guitar sound and, of course, modern-day production.
There’s hardly a bit of its bluesy, soulful, emotional greatness “Mistreated” has lost throughout the process of being transformed into the 21st century. With its acoustic re-arrangement and sans Glenn Hughes’ vocals contributing to it, “Holy Man” sounds as if there was a Whitesnake stamp all over it from the very conception until the end. In this version, it might have been as well a long-lost ballad off Forevermore. Next goes the feisty, modern Southern Rock-esque rendition of “Might Just Take Your Life” preceded with the Americana-flavored, slide guitar intro. “You Keep On Moving” revolves around the thumping bass line just as it was on Come Taste The Band album, and preserves much of its funky roots as well as, surprisingly, some retro rock vibe to it. As for “Soldier Of Fortune,” again the lesson learned with Starkers In Tokyo pays well. The version on The Purple Album has the same unique, raw charm to it the 1997 unplugged rendition undoubtedly had. “Lay Down Stay Down” off Burn wasn’t reworked much – except for the new version having a rockier edge to it – preceding a heavy, massive take on the final track “Stormbringer” which, with a rough metal vibe to it, somehow corresponds with the opening “Burn.”
It could be said The Purple Album shows David Coverdale coming full circle as an artist, the 64 year-old and seasoned rock icon reuniting with his younger Purple era self. And, in many respects, it does, making it an important album in the singer’s catalog. Thinking in marketing terms, The Purple Album was obviously a very smart choice as well. All of us still can look back to estimate the exact amount of tears we shed while listening to “Mistreated” or “Soldier Of Fortune” for the very first time in our lives and this sudden rush of nostalgia may encourage some to grab the new Whitesnake album anyway. Music-wise, it’s a good album with many highlights and a few drawbacks, some arrangements (“Love Child,” “Sail Away,” “Soldier Of Fortune” among them) being simply excellent and the instrumental section being skilful and tight.
But one thing has to be said loud and clear – the actual strength of The Purple Album isn’t how convincing the particular performances or arrangements are. There’s hardly a point in comparing Blackmore (or Bolin) to the dynamic duo of Hoekstra and Beach, pointing out to the metallic, twin guitar sound of the album that is not really Purple-esque or wondering, whatever Coverdale could have done with some of the songs if the reunited with Glenn Hughes again. Or, perhaps, whatever he was capable of doing in terms of vocals when he was half his current age (or younger). The real aftermath of listening to The Purple Album is that it shows how precious and important the Mark III (and IV to lesser extent) era Deep Purple was to the history of rock. Also on a personal level it will make you remember where your copies of Burn and Stormbringer are being stored and realize how long it’s been since you listened to any of them. The next step would be to give them a spin, revisiting what was probably the best time of your life and also, the best times of Mr. Coverdale and Deep Purple. All thanks to Whitesnake’s The Purple Album, a modern-sounding throwback to the ‘70s all along the way.
Edition notes: The Purple Album is also available in Deluxe Edition (including bonus tracks “Lady Luck” and “Comin’ Home”) as well as in CD/DVD version which features four music videos (“Lady Double Dealer,” “Sail Away,” “Stormbringer,” ‘Soldier Of Fortune”), the behind-the- scenes footage and the album EPK.
Genre: Hard Rock, Classic Rock
Band:
David Coverdale – lead vocals
Reb Beach – lead guitars
Joel Hoekstra – lead guitars
Michael Devin – bass guitar
Tommy Aldridge – drums
Track List:
1. Burn
2. You Fool No One (Interpolating Itchy Fingers)
3. Love Child
4. Sail Away
5. The Gypsy
6. Lady Double Dealer
7. Mistreated
8. Holy Man
9. Might Just Take Your Life
10. You Keep On Moving
11. Soldier Of Fortune
12. Lay Down Stay Down
13. Stormbringer
Label: Frontiers Records
Website: www.whitesnake.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10
