Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28415 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-09-10
• Rating: Exempt
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 110 minutes

Synopsis
David Coverdale and Whitesnake surfed the crest of the '80s hair metal wave with hits such as ‘Here I Go Again’ and ‘Is This Love.’ This collection offers an overview of their career with a 2004 concert that includes most of their hits and a smattering of songs from their days away from the limelight.

Customer Reviews

They don't make 'em like this anymore
So you have some context for these comments, I'm a Whitesnake fan with a preference for the earlier, bluesier stuff, although I do also like the more metallic `Snake from '87 onwards. Hey, I even thought Slip Of The Tongue was a decent record that contained at least a couple of outstanding songs (one of them, "Judgement Day" is featured on this DVD). I have to concur with the general view that this is a fantastically filmed and edited performance. Hamish Hamilton has done a wonderful job at capturing the show and transferring the atmosphere and excitement to the small screen. It's a joy to watch (although the "shakey" camera technique on the documentary is a bit irritating to me) and the sound is excellent too.

But what about the performance? In a word, superb! Some people gripe about the musicians that Coverdale chooses to surround himself with, how they are all flash and no soul. I don't agree and remember that I primarily like pre 1987 Whitesnake! The snippet of "Hit An' Run" that we are treated too on this DVD grooves very nicely indeed, every bit as soulful as the original version, as does the song it precedes (Ready An' Willing). Granted "Don't Break My Heart Again" sounds very leaden at first, but it does improve as it goes along. Not the greatest rendition of the song, true, but then again I have seen "Company of Snakes" (the band containing Whitesnake's "bluesey years" guitar trio of Moody, Marsden and Murray) do it a number of times and it wasn't any better! Marco Mendoza deserves special mention - a great bass player and a total poser, and I mean that in a good way! In short - this is a great line-up!

So what of Coverdale himself? To say that his voice is as good as ever is simply not true. Time has taken it's toll and it does show at various points. That is not to say this what we have here is a bad vocal performance. Overall it's very good, and way better than I would have believed possible given the problems David has had over the years (remember Donington 1990 anybody? I'd rather not!). His effort and showmanship are exemplary - I know he can be regarded as a bit of a ham, but he does seem genuinely glad to be back and really enjoying himself.

In terms of material there is a leaning toward the post 1987 period but the set-list benefits from a quite generous, and in some instances surprising, dip into the band's older catalogue (Take Me With You for example). Some of the solos maybe go on a bit too long, but this is a minor gripe and is what chapter selection is all about!

In summary, I guess the biggest compliment I can pay is that although there are bands that I prefer to Whitesnake, this ranks as one of the very best concert DVDs I have ever seen. It is a glorious celebration of an era of rock music that held so many special qualities - great tunes, fantastic musicianship and a huge dollop of FUN. Let's hope that a whole new generation of bands can carry this flame into the future.

Great Show
I have to admit once you've viewed this dvd it really illustrates what todays bands are lacking ie rocking guitar solos and over the top drumming. It's putting a bit of fun back into rock, I remember the 80's, although very young at the time, it really does get a bad press, I remember being at school and everyone was into heavy rock bands, that was the norm, none of your run of mill, one hit wonder pop Idol crap. This dvd is a masterclass into how to put on a show, David Coverdale sounds strong vocally, the energy of the band as a whole is also immence, sound wise it's the best dvd I've ever bought, one of my all time favourite bands.

Excellent Rock/Metal DVD
Having been unfortunate to miss the concert where this DVD was shot, I was looking forward to this release as the reports I had read about it were generally very positive.
Thankfully, I found that the DVD lived up to my expectations and then some - the current version of Whitesnake is without doubt as spectacular musically as this DVD is visually. What we have here is a concert with a mix of the old songs (opening with Deep Purple's 'Burn'), and the later '1987' era material, performed by DC and a band of American musicians, much in the vein of the latter arena rock years, but minus the ludicrous posturings of the 'big hair' late 80's period. Despite obviously looking a little older David Coverdale has lost none of his charisma or his power as a vocalist; the concert intro opens in dramatic fashion with a blaze of blue lights and DC screams 'are you ready!' before the opening salvo of guitars/drums. Each song is performed powerfully and energetically and the camera work and sound are both of the highest quality, with grainy black and white footage intersecting the flashy color
imagery. The broad age-ranged audience look like they are loving every minute of it, and the songs that work best for me are 'Judgement Day,' Ain't no Love in the Heart of the City,' and 'Don't Break my Heart Again' (i.e. the old stuff). Doug Aldrich's solo is enjoyable (with his Gibson Les Paul it reminds you a little of footage of Zep's Jimmy Page in places), and Tommy Aldridge thunders through a drum solo in the middle of 'Crying in the Rain.' This is a little too long for my liking but impressive nonetheless (the section he plays with his bare hands again brings to mind Led Zeppelin, as Bonham used to play a part of his solo with no drumsticks). The extra footage is quite entertaining (band, crew and film director talking about working with Whitesnake, guitars, etc), but the stills photo section on the DVD menu seems a bit pointless after watching the whole
show. Highly recommended to all rock/metal fans - if you have the opportunity to see Whitesnake live, do it! Otherwise, buying this DVD is the next best thing, and you can watch it as many times as you want!