Whitesnake 30th Anniversary

When they say "super deluxe," they aren't kidding with this item. It all comes in a handsome, hefty, well-made box that feels in the hand as if you are holding a tome of literature. In fact, David Coverdale himself said it felt like holding The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and from a rock perspective it is just as epicAs you can see from the picture I took moments after taking off the cellophane as eagerly as a kid at Christmas, there are lots of goodies. There is a handsome poster of the album cover that will soon be framed and hanging with my other favorite rock posters. Now, working our way counterclockwise from the top left of the photo, we see the exquisite 60-page, hardback book chock full of photos from the era and text detailing everything you could want to know about the meteoric rise of this multi-platinum stunnner.Next is the disc called "87 Versions," which starts out with four remixes of "Still Of The Night," "Is This Love," "Give Me All Your Love," and "Here I Go Again." I listened to these alongside the original releases and the 2017 remasters (more on these later), and I can honestly say the remixes bring something fresh. You can hear individual tracks and instruments more sharply, and often the low-end sounds are clarified, which contrasts them with the high-end vocals. It is as if the lines of a sculpture have been chiseled anew, not differently, but to make the cuts deeper and to bring the details into sharper relief. The disc goes on to include "Standing In The Shadows," "Looking For Love," "You're Gonna Break My Heart Again," and "Need Your Love So Bad" from the Japan mini album. This last track is a true gem, one that may be unknown, criminally and tragically so, to many.At the bottom left you can see the DVD, which is the first item I played in this treasure box. It starts off with the four MTV videos restored and remastered in 5.1 of "Still Of The Night," "Here I Go Again," "Is This Love," and "Give Me All Your Love." For some of us, this is how we want our music videos...lots of shots of the band in action and a bit of the story line dramatized. Watching these takes you back to that golden age of rock videos and music television. Next comes "Video Memories - The Making Of The 1987 Album." Coverdale narrates in that rich voice of his, and coming in at a full half hour, this is a great look at what took place. It examines everything from Hugh Syme's design of the now iconic Whitesnake amulet, Tawny Kitaen's replacement of Claudia Schiffer in the videos, and of course the making of the music. After this is the Purplesnake Video Jam of "Here I Go Again," which for me was simply the most wonderful gift. Backstage and behind-the-scenes clips are interlaced with footage from various concerts on that tour, and the effect is that you are reminded just how much fun rock was in those days. The hair is big, the costumes are flashy, and taking me back to the days of my youth as it did, it darn near brought a happy tear to my eye. The DVD concludes with actual tour footage of "Crying In The Rain," intros of the band members, and "Still Of The Night." It was if it I were back in Louisville, Kentucky's Freedom Hall on February 14, 1988, when I saw Whitesnake for the first time. The showmanship of David Coverdale, Adrian Vandenberg, Vivian Campbell, Rudy Sarzo, and Tommy Aldridge really shine through in these glimpses from the 213-date tour that tore through the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Puerto Rico.Next in the picture you see the disc of "Snakeskin Boots," which was the second disc I couldn't wait to open. It contains twelve tracks recorded live in June of 1988 in Tokyo. This is the mighty Whitesnake at the height of their hair-metal glory. Songs are mostly from the '87 album, with "Slide It In," "Slow An' Easy," and "Love Ain't No Stranger" from their preceding album Slide It In. Listening to the disc in 2017, the track I couldn't wait to hear was "Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City." Their cover of the 1974 Bobby Bland song appeared on their debut album Snakebite back in 1978 and became the featured song on all their tours. I once asked David on the old Whitesnake bulletin board whether he had sung it or Deep Purple's "Mistreated" more often, and he replied that it would be hard to tell. I love all of the countless versions I have listened to, and it is indeed one for the famous Whitesnake Choir that David loves and appreciates so much to join in on with full-throated abandon. Of course the track that gets the crowd to blow the roof off the place is Track 10, "Still Of The Night." There is nothing like this song, and nothing like it played live.On on the bottom right is the disc "87 Evolutions," filled with demos and rehearsals. I love this kind of thing. It's like unearthing an original manuscript of a famous work and seeing how it changed over time. We hear alternative arrangements and lyrics, and by gaining access to these works in progress, we are taken deep into the creative process. If you are the kind of person who loves rockumentaries and the nitty-gritty of music development as I do, you will enjoy this disc.The last disc in the picture is the complete '87 album remastered. It includes the full eleven tracks from the European edition, but in a different order from either the U.S. or European release. The sounds are a bit cleaner than the original, and anything that opens with "Still Of The Night" is going to be a scorcher.In the upper right corner of the picture, you will notice a small, purple booklet. It includes all the lyrics to the songs along with David Coverdale's own handwriting, including the crossing out of words he decided against.