New Whitesnake review

[amiller]

I thought the playing was excellent. I dug the tone and the vocals sound great. As for the writing, it's probably good, but I got bored. I don't know, maybe I'm passed that style of big arena sounding rock...'maybe it just has to grow on me.

 

[Gainfreak]

I thought the playing was excellent. I dug the tone and the vocals sound great. As for the writing, it's probably good, but I got bored. I don't know, maybe I'm passed that style of big arena sounding rock...'maybe it just has to grow on me.

Ive had the disc for a while now and I still feel the way you are describing. If you are like me, it wont grow on you and I still love the big arena sound and Im a huge fan of the band and of Dougs. I wont completely rag on the album because there are some great tracks but its just lacking something IMHO.

I think the disc also features the typical rock mix in that everything is loud, with all midrange bandwidth and it has little separation.

Shit Dougs going to kick my ass lol

 

[amiller]

I thought the playing was excellent. I dug the tone and the vocals sound great. As for the writing, it's probably good, but I got bored. I don't know, maybe I'm passed that style of big arena sounding rock...'maybe it just has to grow on me.

Ive had the disc for a while now and I still feel the way you are describing. If you are like me, it wont grow on you and I still love the big arena sound and Im a huge fan of the band and of Dougs. I wont completely rag on the album because there are some great tracks but its just lacking something IMHO.

I think the disc also features the typical rock mix in that everything is loud, with all midrange bandwidth and it has little separation.

Shit Dougs going to kick my ass lol

Ya know, now that you mention it, I think the typical rock mix is what made it boring for me. One huge wall of sound without much definition.

 

[Subclavian]

how do the guitars sound on it? I heard somewhere they were using voodoo stuff...

just wondering


sub

 

[jkdsteve]

I felt the same...think it was just too much filler song wise...a few great songs and a ton of stuff I got bored listening to... lyrically and musically..which is a shame because I really enjoy the guitar work/tones.

 

[duesentrieb]

I like it.

 

[jaybird]

I've had it for a while and probably feel the same as others here. Generally I like it - some good riffage on some tunes. But I kinda wish they went in a different direction writing-wise in general. I dunno, I get the feeling that they know what people like from their catalog, and what goes over well live, and tried to incorporate that into the new songs? Sorta of like a "Whitesnake Formula. " Does that make sense? Also sometimes Doug's tone I thought was a bit too mushy sounding or over distorted -basically lacking definition that I am used to hearing in his tones. Maybe it was those Marshall VM's he's endorsing now

Overall I like about half of it, the rest is forgettable. Too bad I was hoping I would like it more than I do. I guess half isn't bad - some discs I only like one song

 

[Resonant Alien]

I felt the same...think it was just too much filler song wise...a few great songs and a ton of stuff I got bored listening to... lyrically and musically..which is a shame because I really enjoy the guitar work/tones.

Kind of felt the same. Guitar work awesome, some good tunes, but no knock out punch.

.....and I think they could have come up with a better name for the album.. "Good to be Bad", puhlease.

As an aside I think WS holds the world record for the total number of band members to belong at one point or another:

* David Coverdale - Vocals (1976 - 1982, 1982-1991, 1994, 1997, 1997-1998, 2002-present)
* Doug Aldrich - Guitar (2002-present)
* Reb Beach - Guitar (2002-present)
* Uriah Duffy - Bass (2005-present)
* Timothy Drury - Keyboards (2002-present)
* Chris Frazier - Drums (2007-present)
* Adrian Vandenberg – Guitar (1987-1991, 1994, 1997, 1997-1998)
* Steve Farris - Guitar (1997)
* Warren DeMartini - Guitar (1994)
* Steve Vai - Guitar (1989-1991)
* Vivian Campbell - Guitar (1987-1988)
* John Sykes - Guitar (1983-1987)
* Mel Galley - Guitar, backing vocals (1982-1984)
* Micky Moody - Guitar (1978-1982, 1982-1983)
* Bernie Marsden - Guitar (1978-1982)
* Marco Mendoza - Bass (2002-2005)
* Tony Franklin – Bass (1997)
* Guy Pratt – Bass (1997)
* Rudy Sarzo - Bass (1987-1991, 1994)
* Colin Hodgkinson - Bass (1982-1983)
* Neil Murray - Bass (1978-1982, 1983-1987)
* Tommy Aldridge - Drums (1987-1991, 2002-2007)
* Denny Carmassi - Drums (1987 (sessions), 1994, 1997)
* Aynsley Dunbar - Drums (1985-1987)
* Cozy Powell - Drums (1982-1985)
* Ian Paice - Drums (1979-1982)
* Dave Dowle - Drums (1978-1979)
* Brett Tuggle – Keyboards (1997)
* Paul Mirkovich - Keyboards (1994)
* Derek Hilland - Keyboards (1997)
* Don Airey - Keyboards (session musician, 1985-1987, 1988-1989)
* Bill Cuomo – Keyboards (session musician, 1987)
* Richard Bailey - Keyboards (off-stage touring musician, 1984-1985)
* Jon Lord - Keyboards (1978-1982, 1982-1984)
* Pete Solley - Keyboards (1978)
* Brian Johnston - Keyboards (1978)

 

[Gainfreak]

I thought the playing was excellent. I dug the tone and the vocals sound great. As for the writing, it's probably good, but I got bored. I don't know, maybe I'm passed that style of big arena sounding rock...'maybe it just has to grow on me.

Ive had the disc for a while now and I still feel the way you are describing. If you are like me, it wont grow on you and I still love the big arena sound and Im a huge fan of the band and of Dougs. I wont completely rag on the album because there are some great tracks but its just lacking something IMHO.

I think the disc also features the typical rock mix in that everything is loud, with all midrange bandwidth and it has little separation.

Shit Dougs going to kick my ass lol

Ya know, now that you mention it, I think the typical rock mix is what made it boring for me. One huge wall of sound without much definition.

The mix definitely put me off bigtime. It literally farts out my car speakers and sounds like a wall of mud. I EQ'ed the hell out of it in my condo and is sounded much better.

 

[Gainfreak]

Are we all getting old or what?

I'm really starting to wonder

 

[Gainfreak]

I've had it for a while and probably feel the same as others here. Generally I like it - some good riffage on some tunes. But I kinda wish they went in a different direction writing-wise in general. I dunno, I get the feeling that they know what people like from their catalog, and what goes over well live, and tried to incorporate that into the new songs? Sorta of like a "Whitesnake Formula. " Does that make sense? Also sometimes Doug's tone I thought was a bit too mushy sounding or over distorted -basically lacking definition that I am used to hearing in his tones. Maybe it was those Marshall VM's he's endorsing now

Overall I like about half of it, the rest is forgettable. Too bad I was hoping I would like it more than I do. I guess half isn't bad - some discs I only like one song

I agree with you and resonant alien 100%. Hell I agree with everyone here 100%

 

[MrDan666]

Yep i definitly agree about the mix.. it gets muddy as soon as you pump it through the car stereo or a loud home stereo HiFi system! I have to dial the bass back to like 3 on my HiFi!!

I thought the album was cool, but there's only really a handful of songs that i really like on there. IMO Doug's work on both Burning Rain albums is much better and much catchier than this new WS album!

The guitar tone is great, and i already asked Doug what he used. His favorite JMP modded by Martin and his Marshalls that Mark Cameron did for him. Also the Vintage Modern on some songs, and the Voodoo V-Rock on some overdubbed bits on the album. But mainly his old trusty modded Marshalls all in all. He used his strats and les pauls, and also a Zemaitis guitar and a Dan Armstrong Plexiglass guitar too.

I just wish that mix could be fixed up better.. its like everything got turned on 10..

 

[daver101]

I don't know if it's the mix for me so much as it is the songwriting. The songs are very derivative of the 1987 s/t album or Slip of the Tongue. It seemed like a nostalgia cd, or something.

 

[amiller]

I found myself cranking it up so that I could hear the guitar riffs better, but the louder I cranked it the more the bass just drowned out and mudded up the overall mix. I really, really liked the sound and mix of Doug's guitar on the last DIO DVD and was looking forward to hearing some of that...oh well.

 

[MrDan666]

I found myself cranking it up so that I could hear the guitar riffs better, but the louder I cranked it the more the bass just drowned out and mudded up the overall mix. I really, really liked the sound and mix of Doug's guitar on the last DIO DVD and was looking forward to hearing some of that...oh well.

Evil Or Divine was by far Dougs best tone ever.. It's still up there in my top 2 tones of alltime!

 

[MrDan666]

Evil Or Divine was by far Dougs best tone ever.. It's still up there in my top 2 tones of alltime!

I think "Killing the Dragon" is Doug's best playing and tone, that I've heard anyway. I hate to say this, but I think Dio telling Doug how to play more melodic really helped. Doug's playing was much more subdued and melodic on the Dio stuff. In that interview I read that I always bring up, Doug said Dio knew exactly what he wanted on most leads and would guide Doug through playing it. If that doesn't happen, it seems like Doug's playing gets a little crazy and wanky at times.

Now Doug's solo stuff that I've seen on YouTube is as tastey as it comes. I guess I'm really only referring to the Buring Rain vs Dio vs Whitesnake stuff.

Yeah i know what you mean about the Dio cd.. Ronnie was really fussy about what was played and how it sounded etc!

Also Doug said he used a few things on that Killing The Dragon cd for the main tone.. He found a killer tone for most rhythms with that Martin Golub modded JMP. He used the Cameron 71 SLP for leads, and i think the main thing is he didnt do tons of layering.. So that tone was most likely how it actually sounded in the room at the time.

What you hear on that Dio cd is just double tracked pretty much at the most, whereas the new WS is most likely 4-5 tracks for rhythms and that can get too much!

 

[MrDan666]

Also one other thing is that he used a LP Classic on the Dio album.. which was Ronnie's guitar, not Dougs. And back during that Dio album he was hooked on his Strats too, so there's more Strat tone going on overall compared to the new album being 95% all LP's!

 

[yngzaklynch]

I actually like the track Summer Rain.

 

[MARK1970]

I don't know if it's the mix for me so much as it is the songwriting. The songs are very derivative of the 1987 s/t album or Slip of the Tongue. It seemed like a nostalgia cd, or something.

I agree here. The songs are just boring. The riffs are great, but there is definately nothing memerable vocally. I have listen to this about 7 times and it just ain't happening. It's kind of like leftovers from Slip of the Tongue. Totally bad songs writing from such a legend. I expected a really great album considering how long this took. I wish Doug went back with Dio.

 

[BadHorsie]

I felt the same...think it was just too much filler song wise...a few great songs and a ton of stuff I got bored listening to... lyrically and musically..which is a shame because I really enjoy the guitar work/tones.

Kind of felt the same. Guitar work awesome, some good tunes, but no knock out punch.

.....and I think they could have come up with a better name for the album.. "Good to be Bad", puhlease.

As an aside I think WS holds the world record for the total number of band members to belong at one point or another:

* David Coverdale - Vocals (1976 - 1982, 1982-1991, 1994, 1997, 1997-1998, 2002-present)
* Doug Aldrich - Guitar (2002-present)
* Reb Beach - Guitar (2002-present)
* Uriah Duffy - Bass (2005-present)
* Timothy Drury - Keyboards (2002-present)
* Chris Frazier - Drums (2007-present)
* Adrian Vandenberg – Guitar (1987-1991, 1994, 1997, 1997-1998)
* Steve Farris - Guitar (1997)
* Warren DeMartini - Guitar (1994)
* Steve Vai - Guitar (1989-1991)
* Vivian Campbell - Guitar (1987-1988)
* John Sykes - Guitar (1983-1987)
* Mel Galley - Guitar, backing vocals (1982-1984)
* Micky Moody - Guitar (1978-1982, 1982-1983)
* Bernie Marsden - Guitar (1978-1982)
* Marco Mendoza - Bass (2002-2005)
* Tony Franklin – Bass (1997)
* Guy Pratt – Bass (1997)
* Rudy Sarzo - Bass (1987-1991, 1994)
* Colin Hodgkinson - Bass (1982-1983)
* Neil Murray - Bass (1978-1982, 1983-1987)
* Tommy Aldridge - Drums (1987-1991, 2002-2007)
* Denny Carmassi - Drums (1987 (sessions), 1994, 1997)
* Aynsley Dunbar - Drums (1985-1987)
* Cozy Powell - Drums (1982-1985)
* Ian Paice - Drums (1979-1982)
* Dave Dowle - Drums (1978-1979)
* Brett Tuggle – Keyboards (1997)
* Paul Mirkovich - Keyboards (1994)
* Derek Hilland - Keyboards (1997)
* Don Airey - Keyboards (session musician, 1985-1987, 1988-1989)
* Bill Cuomo – Keyboards (session musician, 1987)
* Richard Bailey - Keyboards (off-stage touring musician, 1984-1985)
* Jon Lord - Keyboards (1978-1982, 1982-1984)
* Pete Solley - Keyboards (1978)
* Brian Johnston - Keyboards (1978)

What did Warren DeMartini ever do with Whitesnake? I assume it was touring and not recording?