While Whitesnake's future as a live act is still uncertain following the abrupt cancellation of their farewell tour in 2022, David Coverdale has continued his mission to remaster and muscle-up the band's later catalogue. Next up 2015's 'The Purple Album' arrives as a Gold Edition celebrating 50 years of the Coverdale-co-fronted version of the band.
"The thought that it might have been Whitesnake's very final performance?! I mean, I couldn't have calculated that", so said Steve Vai when we sat down with the seven-string sorcerer in Febuary 2023. The onetime Snake joined his former bandmates on stage at Hellfest on 22nd June 2022 for what thus far, has been the final show that the band have played. However band leader David Coverdale has not been idle, and although uncertainty remains as to whether we'll ever see his band back on stage, he has been continuing his mission to "bring everything up to date, and give it a sonic identity".
What this has meant is painstakingly going through the Whitesnake catalogue, and "musically embellishing" - Coverdale, speaking to eonmusic in 2020 - it where necessary so that it sits neatly along their most recognisable bombastic era. And while this has been most effective on the likes of the much more toned-down 'Restless Heart', by 2015, when 'The Purple Album' hit the shelves, all subtleties had gone out the window.
As such, the 'The Purple Album' hasn't gone through as vast a reinvention as prior releases, and although remixed and remastered, it has remained largely unchanged, apart from a reshuffling of the original track listing.
Opening with a detuned 'Burn' - down a full step from a G to an F - the lower key actually suits the beefed-up 2010s' version of Whitesnake, in particular, Coverdale's huskier tones. The solo sections, although unparalleled in their virtuosity, are no match for the Lord / Blackmore originals.
Making its way from the back of the original album to track two, 'Lay Down Stay Down' continues in similarly propulsive fashion, while 'Lovechild' grooves along with some irresistible harmonies, and 'Holy Man' features some deft acoustic picking from guitarists Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra (who made his Whitesnake debut on the original album), both of whom remain with the band to this day.
Highlights include hypnotic 'The Gypsy', and a beautiful 'Sail Away', now dedicated to Jeff Beck. 'You Fool No One's dual vocal meanwhile, is so close to the original that in places you'd be fooled into thinking Glenn Hughes had reunited with his old Purple partner.
The CD version is laden with bonuses which tell Coverdale's Deep Purple story, from his original four-song demo that secured him his place in the rock behemoths, to sketches for the 'Stormbringer' album to live performances form the 2015 tour in support of the 'Purple Album'.
It may be one of the less essential Whitesnake albums, but put together with such love, only the hardest heart would begrudge David Coverdale the chance to celebrate 50 years since his Deep Purple debut.
'The Purple Album: Special Gold Edition' is available now as a 2-CD/Blu-ray set and a 2-LP set. Click here to order.
What this has meant is painstakingly going through the Whitesnake catalogue, and "musically embellishing" - Coverdale, speaking to eonmusic in 2020 - it where necessary so that it sits neatly along their most recognisable bombastic era. And while this has been most effective on the likes of the much more toned-down 'Restless Heart', by 2015, when 'The Purple Album' hit the shelves, all subtleties had gone out the window.
As such, the 'The Purple Album' hasn't gone through as vast a reinvention as prior releases, and although remixed and remastered, it has remained largely unchanged, apart from a reshuffling of the original track listing.
Opening with a detuned 'Burn' - down a full step from a G to an F - the lower key actually suits the beefed-up 2010s' version of Whitesnake, in particular, Coverdale's huskier tones. The solo sections, although unparalleled in their virtuosity, are no match for the Lord / Blackmore originals.
Making its way from the back of the original album to track two, 'Lay Down Stay Down' continues in similarly propulsive fashion, while 'Lovechild' grooves along with some irresistible harmonies, and 'Holy Man' features some deft acoustic picking from guitarists Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra (who made his Whitesnake debut on the original album), both of whom remain with the band to this day.
Highlights include hypnotic 'The Gypsy', and a beautiful 'Sail Away', now dedicated to Jeff Beck. 'You Fool No One's dual vocal meanwhile, is so close to the original that in places you'd be fooled into thinking Glenn Hughes had reunited with his old Purple partner.
The CD version is laden with bonuses which tell Coverdale's Deep Purple story, from his original four-song demo that secured him his place in the rock behemoths, to sketches for the 'Stormbringer' album to live performances form the 2015 tour in support of the 'Purple Album'.
It may be one of the less essential Whitesnake albums, but put together with such love, only the hardest heart would begrudge David Coverdale the chance to celebrate 50 years since his Deep Purple debut.
'The Purple Album: Special Gold Edition' is available now as a 2-CD/Blu-ray set and a 2-LP set. Click here to order.