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The Purple Album: sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t
Ever since Whitesnake’s The Purple Album came out a few days ago, it has been the talk of the town in Purple quarters of the ‘net. Love it or hate it, DC managed to get lots of attention to this release. One of our readers shares his thoughts.
Well, I have listened to The Purple Album three straight times now, and before I get into my track-by-track thoughts, here’s a bit of an intro.
The thought of David Coverdale revisiting his old Purple tracks is a pretty interesting one. Some people might think he did such a thing just because of potential dried up creativity, but I don’t think so. I think his words about wanting to pay a tribute to the band who put their faith in him by hiring him are genuine. The idea is a cool one, I think. Does this idea work throughout the disc? Sometimes.
Coverdale’s voice is heavily produced here and there and, of course, isn’t what it was 40 years ago. Tommy Aldridge’s drum sound throughout the whole thing is pretty crappy – especially the snare which I think sounds like a brown paper lunch bag. Of course, these versions of the songs don’t match the originals. That would be a very tall order, and probably not possible for many reasons. Tommy Aldridge’s drumming style being one of them. I also don’t think that bettering the originals was the intention. However, some songs did surprise me.
Burn
Not a bad version. There are a few omissions which bug me and the organ solo is too low in the mix. This version starts with the guitar by itself which doesn’t pack a lot of ooomph. It’s amazing what a quarter note drum/bass shot will do! The guitar solo, however, is pretty good as well as a bit of a medieval new section at the end of the solo. It’s nice that Aldridge has respect enough to play a straight beat, pretty much, through the verses. Trying to duplicate Paice’s fluid fills or coming up with fills of his own would have been sacrilege. There is some pretty good backup singing in the absence of Hughes, and I like the 4 ascending shots during the keyboard solo. They have kept the same ending as when they played it at the Sound Academy back in 2005.
You Fool No One
One of my favourite tracks from the Burn album. This version starts off with harmonica followed by a screeching guitar – which is definitely different – before breaking into the main riff which has been Metallica-ized with staccato guitar notes complete with a matching double bass drum pattern. This works, I guess, but of course this makes the feel completely different from the original. The cowbell pattern helped make this a great song on Burn – no sign of that pattern here. As well as that, I find that the middle instrumental section is a bit overblown. However, Coverdale’s voice sounds pretty good on this as he sings his and Hughes’ parts. All in all, different, and not too bad aside from the Metallica-ized riff.
Love Child
A pretty unsatisfying version even though Coverdale sings this a lot better now than he did on the live recordings 40 years ago. This version doesn’t contain the instrumental bridge where I would have thought some fun could have been had. What it does contain is a pretty annoying arpeggiated guitar part during the main riff from time to time, and chorus gets pretty annoying by the end. Not entirely bad – but far from great. It’s a memorable song from Come Taste The Band – not entirely memorable here.
Sail Away
Now THIS is more like it. A wonderfully played acoustic version which suits Coverdale’s voice very nicely. Some nice harmonies, and the song flows along very well. A definite highlight.
The Gypsy
Not exactly what I would call my favourite Purple track. I don`t hate it, but I have always thought of it as being a bit drab. This version doesn’t change my mind about it. The `Tell Me Gypsy’ parts are quite corny, and the guitar solo is too 80s like for my liking.
Lady Double Dealer
A pretty satisfying version as this is the one song where Tommy Aldridge doesn’t sound out of place since the song demands drumming more along the lines of his style. This version does not contain the `Oooh Baby’ in the bridges which is more than okay with me! The final bridge is done a capella style which I can’t really make up my mind about whether I like it or not. All in all, one of the better songs on the album.
Mistreated
No. Horrifying. A skipper for sure.
Holy Man
This song REALLY surprised me. I couldn’t believe it was included on this album because I couldn’t see how they could do it without Glenn Hughes since he sang it by himself on the original. I know it was co-written by him, Coverdale and Lord, but still… it seemed to be a song mostly associated with Hughes, in my opinion. However, this version is is very good, and is
another song that fits Coverdale’s register very nicely. I enjoy Coverdale’s singing on this better than Hughes` singing on the original.
Might Just Take Your Life
After a pretty cool dirty slide guitar/vocal intro, it falls into the main riff where the song chugs along quite nicely. Of course I miss the organ, and the vocals could be better, but all in all pretty listenable.
You Keep On Moving
Not too bad of a version. One memorable thing about the
original is the punched up organ sound – which is lacking here. I know Whitesnake is more of a guitar band, but come on. However, I don’t hate this version… it stays quite close to the original for the most part.
Soldier Of Fortune
A very nice take on this song – once again complimenting Coverdale’s lower register. Some very nice sounding acoustic guitars on this. Straying too far from the original would have been nuts…
Lay Down, Stay Down
This is an AWESOME song off of Burn, and a TERRIBLE song here. They have made it sound dumb, and it’s evident that no care was put into this version at all. It contains a pointless guitar intro as well as some thoughtless drumming from Aldridge. Another skipper.
Stormbringer
This version has grown on me even though Coverdale’s vocals are FAR from natural sounding. It rocks pretty well and I like how the guitar solo ends off with some pretty cool finger tapping.
Lady Luck
It’s amazing what a drum pattern will do. The original sees Paice play a pattern which fits the song perfectly – open and closed hi-hat 8th notes. Aldridge decided to just play a straight flat beat which makes the song itself sound flat and lifeless. Close to another skipper.
Comin’ Home
A great opener from Come Taste The Band, and a pretty forgettable closer on The Purple Album. Not a fan of Coverdale’s voice at all on this version, and the guitars for the most part sound like they are trying to copy Thin Lizzy – which doesn’t really work for Purple’s music. Close to a skipper as well.
Having said all this, I am glad I purchased this recording. I was quite curious about the idea, and the idea, in some cases, works quite well.
Review by Moe Cullity
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Hi Moe!
I totally agree with your review…, it’s exactly my point of view too!!
Regards
May 25th, 2015 at 17:36Daniel
Been a dedicated follower of DP, DC, GH, JL, RB et al. for almost 40 years now. I think my voice is almost authoritative, a least, on the revisiting issue. This so-called CD Purple Album I will not bother to get nor listen to. Not a bit. Just the same as when DC decided to revisit classical songs from the early Whitesnake albums under that horrible makeup late 80’s glam disguise. If the problem is that he’s running out of ideas, then call it a day, Dave. There can’t be nothing more pathetic than to become a caricature of oneself. I respect DC and will still enjoy all the good music he has brought into this world and into our lives, miserable as they are sometimes, but for God’s sake, when it’s over it’s over.
May 25th, 2015 at 17:42Can’t criticise it case big Snakehips Dave does his dinger ?!
May 25th, 2015 at 17:56You Fool No One on first listen was woeful. The drums are completely wrong and the riff is missing the subtlety of RB. Subsequent listens have soften my stance but it’s still missing Paicey’s fluidity.
May 25th, 2015 at 18:10Comin’ Home is just wrong. Riff is wrong and the whole song misses by a country mile.
Mistreated was ok. Lay Down Stay Down was good. SoF is a very good version. Stand out tracks for me are Might Just Take Your Life, Love Child and You Keep on Moving.
6.5/10
Interested to hear what they play live.
That’s a very fair review of the album by Moe. I’ve not been able to sit through and listen to the whole album, simply because most of it just grinds with me. I’ve not been a fan of David’s work post Slip Of The Tongue when he took Whitesnake to the heights he so deserved. I remember being very happy for him, after following him through the struggles of being recognized in his own right. It just wasn’t my thing musically anymore.
David is/was one if my favorite vocalists of all time. Some of his work on the first two Purple albums he contributed to, were simply haunting. There was a quality and resonance to his voice that no one else could touch. Years of pushing that amazing voice have naturally taken a toll.
The Purple album is an excellent tribute to DP, because he has made this album with respect, dedication, and commitment. Simply covering songs we view as near perfect would not have done justice, and would have drawn even more criticism – something inevitable I imagine. He needed to stamp them as his own. That much he’s done.
I was disappointed to read the other day how upset and offended he was by the album’s criticism expressed by some. It’s unfortunate he is so sensitive to flippant remarks, and feels the need still to respond in an attempt to prove that he is a great artist, who has been incredibly successful, both financially and musically. My experience has been that no matter how well I play… How many people love what I do, there is never a shortage of critics.
May 25th, 2015 at 18:26A fair and well written review….these thing are so much more enjoyable to read without the vinegar piss attitude. I do agree on the Mistreated part. I expected a lot from it and was slightly dissapointed. With DC’s wish to make an acoustic greatest hits blues like album, there was a great oppertunity here. Overall I do believe part of his motives were to honour the songs, and he reclaimes them rightfully !! At least someone still brings those songs to a large audience. Glenn was stuck on the same songs for a while now, and DC puts a nice focus on the full three albums !! For a whole new generation to discover !! Bless him for that !!
May 25th, 2015 at 19:11Nice review. Thanks. I always love cover (and live) versions. Comparing cover versions with the original song, sometimes note by note, is so excited.
May 25th, 2015 at 19:34A very poor review.
Coverdale is paying homage to his past. He is 60’ish but still manages to push the songs.
The band is hot as hell and tight. Aldridge’s take on Burn is much more calm and collected than Paice’s.
Coverdale sings in lower keys/register, but so did Dio later on.
May 25th, 2015 at 20:02“Sail Away” is a fantastic !!!!!
Acoustic version better than the original, the best on the album
It will be in concert cover new “”Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City”.
Also “Holy Man”, “You Fool No One”,”Soldier Of Fortune” …
May 25th, 2015 at 20:07very good job!
After a few weeks with the album I’m liking more than the first listen. They melody and key changes are mostly refreshing. Sometimes a they are a bit awkward. In some parts I can’t even hear Coverdale. I don’t know if the other guys are mixed louder or their are effects on DC’s voice. He is mixed quite low throughout. I know David has had trouble with his voice so that might be why.
May 25th, 2015 at 20:10In general it’s a good album and I’m glad he did it. I’m going to see him this summer and I don’t expect to hear the slick layered things on this record but a more raw interpretation. I’d give this album a B-. An above average treatment of these songs. Rock on….
Thanks for the obvious effort you put into this review,Moe.
My 2 cents worth…..
The acoustic-based tunes are enjoyable,Holy Man being the best tune on the album ( I get a little Allman Bros “Midnight Rider” flavor )
May 25th, 2015 at 22:04All the “electric” songs are slow,plodding,grunge tempos and tones,except Burn & Lady Double Dealer. And,I never thought I ‘d miss the funky synth break in Love Child……but I DO !!
Guitar-wise,far too many multi-octave,multi-tracked,multi- harmonied scale exercises,oops,I mean solos.Musical acrobatics,not much else
Might Just Take Your Life with 80’s power chords & no keyboards ?? No thanks.
Too many ” Not bad”,”unsatisfying” and “horrible” songs will keep this album gathering dust on my shelf
might be worth a listen Chris Davis
May 25th, 2015 at 22:26Thanks – I’ll chase it down. I love Deep Purple but am finding I have to give it bigger and bigger breaks between listening. A few too many listens over the decades.
May 25th, 2015 at 22:39These are remakes, not simple covers, it’s written all over them. There is a difference. Some do “work and some don’t,” I agree. But it’s not easy to swallow from just any opinion, get it published and it might help. This is no way to go. You Fool No One takes it, but thinking “Metallica” is absurd, think Slow And Easy and you’re thinking the right language. I’m with #8 here except for the chosen caption. I published a more positive than negative concerning the disc. Not a Whitesnake or mkIII enthusiast to say the least, concerning DP that would be like never listening to them after Evans & Simper left. A legend grew out of a short lived thing, and it’s one of the most annoying things ever to hear people carry on like that was the Purple to dies for, it’s beginning to be just plain laughable. Not sure what compels it at all. Mind boggling indeed. It’s not a taste issue because there simply wasn’t much to taste. No line-ups without Ian Gillan succeeded anything like the ones with him at the time or now. That is a bona fide fact that numbers prove to the max. Sick and bloody tired of it.
May 26th, 2015 at 03:12Thanks for a great and fair review, most of which I agree with.
Particularly the drums and the “sound/mix” in general. The new versions has some excellent changes, but oooh I generally dont like the sound.
In my experience, the live sound is much better than the studio version, so looking forward to a Nov concert in DK, which I believe has sold out already.
May 26th, 2015 at 06:00John@ 5 – Yes indeed, Coverdale’s comments were to me, rather humorous! For someone who supposedly doesn’t give a toss what people say, he sure did come across as someone who definitely cares what the ‘critics’ or fans say! The classy thing for him to do, would have been to say nothing at all, in response to any supposed negative or judgmental comments. He should be well aware after all these decades, that not all people will like what he does & even more would never even know he existed!
May 26th, 2015 at 06:58In regards to him waffling on about his wealth or property etc, that was a sure sign of insecurity from Mr Coverdale! That & the fact that the person he is having a go at, he probably doesn’t know we presume & that person may be more successful than old Cov’s himself.
We all have to take the positives with the negatives at times, or maybe Coverdale was only expecting positive comments for his Purple tribute album! Surely not we hope! Don’t read the tabloids Mr Coverdale, you know they are certain to contain comments that may rile you! Cheers.
Bored. No highlights. And no emotion
May 26th, 2015 at 09:24The album isn’t a nightmare. But the most memorable aspect of it is that is proves how good the orignals were/are. Purple is not that easy to duplicate, be it Mark III or Mark IV (we all knew that Mark II cannot be duplicated). Actually, I think the Come Taste the Band covers fall flattest on their face; even though both Whitesnake guitarists are Americans, they totally fail to capture the vibe and the groove of the man from Boulder which made/makes Come Taste the Band such a timeless album. Taking the funk parts out of Love Child is tantamount to sacrilege.
And I do miss Glenn’s backing and co-lead vocals as well as his edgy bass playing. For all the bemused smiles his general over-the-top demeanor rightfully raises: Not a man easy to duplicate either.
Listening to the Purple Album (dumb title, he should have called it Purple Heart), I was struck how good as bands and unique Mark III and IV were.
But then no band following in the footsteps of Purple ever matched the grandeur and quality of the original, not Rainbow, not Whitesnake, not Gillan. It’s no surprise that DC on his own (with a little help from a few hired hands) doesn’t fare any better. Why didn’t he do a covers album of old Motown standards with Herr Hughes instead? That would have been something.
May 26th, 2015 at 17:12Thanks for this review. I was angry to listen to it, but was positvely surpriced. My subjective impressions.
Compared with the original songs the new ones would alltogether lose. But this is a tribute to his DP-brothers. And it is done 40 years later.
Negativ:
– the drums-playing by Aldridge without feeling and especially the worse drum-production, which sounds, like they use compressed mp3-tracks for it.
– the most guitar-solos. Why do rockers think todays that fast soloas are good solos? No feelings in the guitar solos.
– the bassguitar-production. Well played but lost in the mix.
– nearly no keyboards. A worse keyboard-solo in “Burn”. “MJTYL” without hammond is a farce.
– the production overall. Good Stereo sound but much too loud, which makes it very crunchy. A pity. Not the worst production, but simply too loud.
Positiv:
– Surprise! Davids voice sound much better than the years before. Best vocals since his solo-album “Into The Light” (2000). I know, that there is a lot of studio work done. But well done.
– No screams by David. Did he finally become aware that he’s not Robert Plant, but lovely David Coverdale? Song like “Still Of The Night” killed his voice. Old bluesy David was 10 times better than Plant (“Northwinds”!!!!!)
– Great backing vocals
– Very good rhythm guitar twin work. Stereo! I wished the solos were as good.
– Some great different imprvisations of the songs. Not every song, but some.
Best songs for me:
“Sail Away”, “Holy Man” (I love the Glenn version, but well done here), “Burn”, and “Comin Home”, which is done different to the original, but a very nice version.
If I don’t compare to the great originals, it is the best Coverdale album since 1987. Still great songs. I think it is more a solo-album, as Whitesnake for me were only Whitesnake with the 3 big “M” (Murray, Moody Marsden/Galley), who made the sound beside David. Miss the Hammond, too. Good contain some moore “Come Taste Songs” (“I Need Love”, “Drifter”, “Dealer”).
I’m very satisfied. Buy the ltd. edition, because “Comin’ Home” is a real burner.
May 26th, 2015 at 18:21the review is fair i think.there are some songs that work and some not so much.Overproduced and I cannot stand the drumming of Aldridge.Makes you go back and listen to Ian Paice original work and listen to what a great rhythm drummer he is.
@ 9 seriously ? are we still going to do this ? compare things! It is a good rendition and revision of the song,but to go as far as to say better than the original? cmon I grew up listening to the great duet of Coverdale/Hughes with a great riff,solo guitar by the Man In Black.andd Coverdale was smart enough to steer away of that great version ad playing it safe with an acoustic version.
@18
doesn’t get any cheesier than your pop title alla Prince than Purple Heart!! wow it is perfect modest tribute of Purple and you are complaining about the title? lol
May 26th, 2015 at 20:39Its a good job we don’t just listen once and make minds up,after being almost horrified by Stormbringer
May 26th, 2015 at 21:52initially after time and having listened daily in car ,on stereo and ipod for the last week it has grown considerably, comparing to the original is utterly futile and pointless ,taking it for what it is its a decent album with some low points but whoever put out 15 songs with everyone being a killer track.
it also does is give a view into the future,with DC already on record saying he wants to record a blues album if so then more songs in style of sail away and You Keep on Moving would be almost joyous.
The fact he’s still doing it at 63 is laudable give him some respect and praise,and to the rest well do what he quoted in classic rock this month “you can f–k off back to your bedrooms”,said i’m sure with tongue in cheek and glass of Whitesnake Merlot in hand
Paying a tribute to Deep Purple? After 40 years? Do you believe in elf?
May 26th, 2015 at 22:39Where’s Glenn Hughes?? Why not as special guest??
The album is boring, sometimes killing the songs. How will that comes out alive?
DC has been trying to kill “Burn” for many years. I guess he’s finally got it.
Thanks for the feedback on my review and for sharing your own reviews, guys!
May 26th, 2015 at 22:59I really like the album, In my mind there is not a bad track on it!! Good liner notes too. My favorite track at this time is You Fool No One!!
May 27th, 2015 at 12:11They once in the 70s asked our beloved Ian Gillan of what he thought about listening to Mr Coverdale singing on the Mk3 albums and he said and I quote “it’s like seeing someone making love to your old girlfriend” yes this album will bring some sorrow and pain to the past but as Our dear Jon Lord said every one who entered the band has left his imprint. The album has great improvisation element which is the most admired part of the album and it’s a great asset to the deep purple family tree. I also do recall when they asked Mr Gillan about his thought about the deep purple family tree and he replied ” it’s not a family tree it’s more like a f***ing jungle”. He right it a jungle and Mr Blackmore is it lions king but the tree is more like an oak tree that will live forever and ever. Well done Mr Coverdale you deserve a huge respect and the right apprication to what you have brought to this family.
May 27th, 2015 at 15:33I like it!! doesn’t sound like Purple (more like Zeppelin in places) But it reminds me of how wonderful these songs are. DC’s slant on these tracks are (generally) a winning formula to the ears of this DP fan of 40 years+
I’d go as far as to say this is the best CD I have heard from the DP family for decades 🙂
May 27th, 2015 at 15:42I agree with Karl-Heinz.. “Comin’ Home” is a the best song on whole album. Sounds like something between “Highway star” and “Take me with you”. Very powerfull, very refreshing…
May 27th, 2015 at 16:53A very fair & honest review IMO. Sail Away works wonderfully well & suits DC’s lower register. Opening of MJTYL very similar to re-make of Trouble on Bernie Marsden’s recent Shine cd. The rest is just standard fare HM, very well played, but with little of the dynamics or sense of space that the originals have.
May 27th, 2015 at 17:43I think you’re selling “Stormbringer” a little short. In my mind it was much better than the version of “Burn.” Of course I admit to being prejudiced on this — “Burn” just doesn’t sound right to me without Ritchie.
May 27th, 2015 at 18:03Well it was at least a more considered review than the rather childish one done by Classic Rock Magazine. I love this album and it made me go back and listen to Burn and Stormbringer too. Whatever we think is largely irrelevant, it wasn’t made for the die hard Purple fans, it was made for the Whitesnake fans who first connected with them in 87 or later in the US and elsewhere. I think the band did an amazing job bringing the sound right up to date in a way that will connect with a younger generation of rock fans.
Oh and leave Tommy alone, his sound on the CD is amazing, I’d love to get that sound out of my drums and play with that level of precision. He’s a very different drummer to Ian Paice and they are both fantastic at what they do.
May 27th, 2015 at 20:34#14 LRT- To suggest that the review is less valid because it isn’t published is a rather mean-spirited jab at both the reviewer and The Highway Star.
May 27th, 2015 at 21:40If we follow your line of thinking,should any of us bother to post anything here ??
The review was well-written and well-informed.I’m glad to have read it,even if I don’t agree with all of it.
I would like to say it is a fair review. My opinion shifts in the sometimes not category. There are some good remakes, like lay down stay down, holy man and you keep on moving. But there are some horrible ones, like mistreated. The two bonus tracks from come taste the band are a total embarrassment. He should have stopped when the going was OK (not good). Unlike many, I did compare it to the originals. It is hard not to do this. For this reason, I have shelved the purple album for good. I do not want to spoil the good feelings that I have toward the originals, which are way over played in my house.
On the remake of Burn, I like the video that is up on youtube that was done live many years ago. Historically, he has played this in concert since the 80’s (at least that i can remember). What happened to this version? It is much much worse.
We have seen many artists make remakes or covers. This is one album that where I felt the original author has generally “crapped” on his own work.
May 27th, 2015 at 23:2820 al
May 28th, 2015 at 07:00OK, tastes is difficult for me personally is the acoustic version of “Sail Away better
David and boys have a song come to life on their way, enter a new spirit.
In ballad song
David “swims like a fish in the sea”
Nothing bad to work Ritchie !!!!! / Lord, Paice and Glenn /
Ritchie was not only an incredible electric guitar player and author
Like when he threw the acoustic part / in the seventies / as “Soldier of Fortune” or “Temple of the King” are great songs and just because. Blackmore night in folk music and acoustic guitar dominates the song sounds good.
I believe that
Ritchie and his better half acoustic “Sail Away” like 100%
🙂
It’s a good album. It doesn’t always work and there are a couple of issues but on the whole Coverdale has created something remarkable. In places it is beautiful (Sail Away and Holy Man) and it other places it is epic (You Fool No One, Mistreated). I don’t understand how Deep Purple or Whitesnake fans can’t enjoy it? And now it has charted around the world. A covers album that most people shouted down when it was originally announced. Can’t wait to see them live.
May 28th, 2015 at 07:16All in all, I really like this album, and I’m glad DC took to the time to remake the songs. He obviously put a lot of thought and care into it. It’s more than respectable. As far as the review, I thought it was a good and accurate review. The updated Mistreated sounds good to my ears, I like the solo too. At first I didn’t like the new version of You Fool No One, but it grew on me quickly, now I find it one of my favorite songs on the album. The Come Taste the Band songs just don’t work for me as well as the Burn tracks. I’m really impressed overall.
May 28th, 2015 at 10:21“Doesn’t get any cheesier than your pop title alla Prince than Purple Heart!! wow it is perfect modest tribute of Purple and you are complaining about the title? lol”
I would have preferred a wittier title, a bit more tongue in cheek, but then DC is no IG save for his sexual double entendres. “Purple Heart” would have alluded both to the medal US Armed Forces men and women receive after being wounded in battle (the scars from his days with Deep Purple …) and to the fact that he still has – surprise, surprise – a (Deep) Purple heart beating in him. For decades he sounded more like he was a former member of Led Zeppelin (or would have liked to have been). This from the man who in his first NME interview after his departure from DB claimed that he “no longer want(ed) to scream … (his) balls off”. I’m still trying to piece that sentence and the Plant’esque middle parts of Still of the Night together …
But I’m not slamming the album, it could have been horrible, instead it manages to be ok, Whitesnake have done a lot worse in the past. And DC’s post-DP output has mostly been, well, ok with more than a handful of highlights now and then (Northwinds, Trouble, Live at Hammersmith, Ready ‘n’ Willing, 1987, Coverdale Page and Into the Light).
Am I the only one thinking that taking the riff out of Sail Away (my favourite Mk 3 track ever and those idiots never played it live!) is a bit like taking the riff out of Man on the Silver Mountain?!!! The Purple Album version of Sail Away is cute if a bit twee, but much of the original’s charm was due to Ritchie’s behemoth riff (thank you, dear Stevie Wonder, Ritchie always stole with style and not heavy-handedly like Jimmy Page) and DC’s rich baritone contrasting each other. I credit DC with being brave enough to leave the iconic riff out in his version though.
May 28th, 2015 at 11:21I think the right way to look at this album is waiting for a reworking on the songs, not a cover album.
If we match this edition to the original, obviously, there’s no chance for the news to win…
But there’s some good works in. Holy Man is one, and also Soldier it’s another one.
DC got under his belt more than one ballads and acoustic versions. Something Purple (actual Mk Purple, I mean) doesn’t have. And I regret for this.
Anyway I much appreciate this way of work and I’m listening more and more the album and I rejuvenate Mk III works. But for me it’s sure it lacks the big bass works on that songs (Soldier, Lady Luck first of all…) and whtat about the Drum pattern? Mr. Ian Paice it’s not matching at all, sorry for DC. The organ… lost… sadly…
But I’m still a god fan of DC and I got the ticket for next tour.
And I got the ticket for Mr. Hughes tour too.
And obviously TWO NIGHTS tickets for Purple next tour…
May 28th, 2015 at 11:54Thank you for your review Moe,
Because of your review and the fact that those who were at the press event stated here on THS that you realy should form an opinion after hearing the full album (and not on YT Burn alone), I took the plunge and listened to it on Spotify.
And listened again and again… I am happily surprised with what I hear. Despite cheesy keyboards, cardboard drums and hair metal cliches. Feared the worst, got something much better.
They are still great songs, now interpreted and performed by what´s currently known as the band Whitesnake. No more no less.
I hope their tour will lead them in my direction, if I can I will be there.
Cheers
May 28th, 2015 at 13:20having listened to the album several times via Spotify I will not be buying it. I give David credit for reworking/paying homage to the band and I understand his well meaning but for me it does not work. The drums are lacking in the swing/finesses that little Ian brought to the originals. here Tommy A just knocks hell out of the drums at every opportunity. the guitarists are playing widely diddly,multi tracked, 100 mph solo’s and they lack the feel/passion/originality that both Ritchie and Tommy brought to the songs. For example “Coming Home” off CTTB on the Purple album is so far removed I and to play it twice to get my head around it, lacking the feel/piano etc off the original.ALl the songs lack what made Purople so special be the keyboards,drums, bass what ever. Vocally I know David is 40 years older and for some songs he is fine but others not. When I listen to the Steve Hackett “Genesis Revisited” the originals stand side by side with the new reworking and I can hear what Steve was trying to achieve. Here with the Purple album it has not been done and sounds like little care/feeling was put into the playing.
May 28th, 2015 at 14:09@ 22 I am afraid Roberto that you are not even giving the album a chance,but asking Glenn Hughes and company to be in the album.This is Whitesnake album doing Purple songs in a Whitesnake sound.Not Coverdale having guests in the album to sing the old songs! You have decided from the start not to like it and went with mind set so no matter what you hear,you still won’t like it.I think the album is pretty decent and he has not killed any song,some are good are not so good ,but it does work and kudos to him for wrestling with so many great song and succeed.
May 29th, 2015 at 03:29I listened to it again in the car today – if you are prepared to forget that a young Coverdale could sing circles around the present one and that no one can probably play these songs better than the Purps initially did, then it is a pleasant enough listen. Some nice tunes there to surprise people who like to reduce DP to just Smoke on the Water.
And for the record: I don’t think Aldridge’s playing on Burn is bad, he sounds relatively unmechanical without aping little Ian.
May 29th, 2015 at 14:37Having read most of the comments I think the majority of people are not willing to give Mr Coverdale any credit what so ever. His contribution to DP Mk3 is just equaling important just like what Ronni James Dio injected life into Black sabbath after they sacked Ozzy. The album is in touch with the modern sound of music and production but I give them ten out of ten for the improvisation skills that has created an amazing new dimension in most of the songs. The old songs are alive and well but these songs are the present glamour of maturity in creativity.
May 29th, 2015 at 16:24Overall very good, some tracks improving the original….LDD, SA, YKOM……some not LDSD…..Most doing a decent job. Well done DC!
May 29th, 2015 at 19:16This is a Whitesnake not a deep purple album and should be judged as so.
Its easy to say that some tracks ‘sucked’ compare to the DP album. I cant image DC set out to better the original tracks, more to create his sound from tracks he enjoyed with DP. To compare them is ridiculous and redundant.
My review:-
For me the album suffers from the Whitesnake over production that has dogged this band for the last 20 years. Shame the production wasn’t done in the same vain as ‘Now What?!’ Is DC’s voice any good these days? Dunno – cant tell from this.
Too much twiddly soulless guitar playing – but I guess that’s what Whitesnake deliver these days
Was that Tommy Aldridge on drums? – Or a drum machine?
Did I like the album? Yeah its not bad. No better no worse than DC’s last few efforts. Made me want to revisit those glory DP days.
Review over
End of
June 2nd, 2015 at 13:56The songs delivered now and then……
I d rather compare it with nowadays younsters and their idea of what good music is and what it was 40 years ago.
June 3rd, 2015 at 18:58One Man’s Review…is another man’s reason to stew!
June 6th, 2015 at 03:51All the best to DC and the boys on tour.