Search - Whitesnake :: Live in the Heart of the City

Disappointed!!

ApeTit | Monkeyville, USA | 05/24/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, great classic live album... BUT where are the bonus tracks from the rest of the show(s)?! All of these versions have been released before. There is surely space because this is spread out over 2 CD's. That might have justified the $43.00 price tag. The diehard fans need more!!! C'mon Coverdale!!!! By the way, the new Whitesnake sucks!"

So - they FINALLY released the double album of this classic

JP | Macon, GA | 12/14/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I haven't looked at the Whitesnake catalog in a while so I missed the March 2007 release of this double CD. Being a long-time Deep Purple fan, I followed the careers of everyone after they broke up so knew who Whitesnake was LONG before 1987, and originally bought the single album release of this when it was came out in 1980. Then, early the next year, my buddy in the army (the same one who turned me onto Budgie, Marillion and Saxon) sent me the double album from England as a birthday present. Only saw it one more time, several years later, and it was a $30-35 import at some independent record store in Florida.



So, if you are curious as to what the "real" Whitesnake sounds like, what they were before Coverdale turned them into a corporate hair-metal band so they could sell millions of albums to 15 year old boys - this is a good place to start! Good selection of tracks from two different London Hammersmith shows, 1978 and 1980 (the original, single disc was just the 1980 show). To me, the stand out tracks are Come On, Sweet Talker, Walking In the Shadow of the Blues and my favorite: Take Me With You. (for the record I am tired of Fool For Your Lovin and the original studio version of Ain't Gonna Cry No More is better than this live one). And the 2nd disc adds 2 DP songs, 2 more Whitesnake songs and Come On and Ain't No Love, all from the 78 show.



Also, regardless of what another reviewer mentioned - if you REALLY paid attention you would notice there ARE additional tracks from the 1980 show, albeit only 2 - 'Ain't Gonna Cry No More' and 'Ready and Willing', neither of which are on the original, single album/disc release.



So - in the statement to launch a 1000 arguments, but long time fans know - the mid/late 80s incarnation was not really even Whitesnake, but just another John Sykes album that happened to have Coverdale singing on it.



Anyone who heard any Coverdale material or Sykes material BEFORE 1986 knows this. And listen to the first Blue Murder album (1989) for further proof. It was Sykes, NOT Coverdale who created the Whitesnake sound that launched them into a whole'nother level in the states and Sykes wrote 7 of the 9 songs on the album. (personally I think the Blue Murder album is superior to either late 80s Whitesnake album anyway....sue me)



And then Coverdale thought he could dismiss Sykes, continue with the sound, and "take the money and run". What gall....what ego!



Anyway - bottom line - if you want to check out the original Whitesnake, the band many older fans consider to be the true Whitesnake, this is it.



Just don't be fooled by the price, this double CD can easily be found for under $25 so just keep looking for it, DON"T be suckered into spending $40-50 on a so-called Import.

"

Killer whitesnake

Kurt Mochoskay | ohio | 08/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this live disc is killer. 1st disc is classic whitesnake at its best. 2nd disc is real close.the best line up every of the bluesey whitesnake. john lord is great on this disc.please buy you will not be unhappy!!!!!!!!!!!1"