Reviews roundup – Whitesnake vs. Genesis vs. Eric Clapton vs. Markus Neuwirth

Reviews roundup – Whitesnake vs. Genesis vs. Eric Clapton vs. Markus Neuwirth

WHITESNAKE
Live in 1984 – Back To The Bone
Frontiers Music srl

Blimey!  It’s the thirtieth anniversary of “Slide It In”.  I wouldn’t mind, but that certainly wasn’t the first Whitesnake tour I attended.  Or the second.  *koff*.  And to celebrate / top up the pension plan, Sir David Coverdale has unveiled a CD / DVD combo showing off his Whitesnake of the day.

Now I’ve only got the audio to listen to, so I won’t say anything about the DVD, bar tell you what’s on it.  Audio wise, the fact that they’ve called it “Snakeskin Boots – Best Of Bootlegs” should be enough to warn you. It’s B+ / A- quality, and if you’ve got the Spokane ’84 bootleg (which was taken from the soundboard), then you’ll know exactly what lies in wait.  As well as the Spokane material, there are 3 songs from the Japanese Super Rock performance, and (sniff) Jon Lord’s final performance with Whitesnake.

It’s the David Coverdale, John Sykes, Cozy Powell, Neil Murray and Richard Bailey (hidden behind a curtain) version of the band, so Sykes lovers will enjoy it, whereas as those who found him too shrill and shreddy will shake their heads and sigh.  Me, I thought he was perfect for the Tygers of Pan Tang.  Having said that, if you’re not a bootleg person, and liked the Snake of old, then it’s interesting to hear them in the throes of transforming from a blues butterfly into a caterwauling caterpillar. Or as Sir David would have it.  “A truly great chapter of the band… One of my all time favorite chapters of Whitesnake.”

The DVD sounds much more interesting, and I’m certainly looking forward to seeing the Super Rock show all cleaned up.  Am I glad to see this release?  Don’t be stupid.  Although several million points off for the worst cover yet.

GENESIS
Three Sides Live
Rhino

A no frills reissue of “Three Sides Live”, the concert film that first appeared in a box set back in 2009.  The film first came out in 1982, alongside the live album, and saw Genesis on the cusp between prog and popstardom.  Phil Collins had become a solo star, and they were promoting the user friendly “Abacab”.

No 1979 – 1982 is probably my favourite period of Genesis, so the music here is a real treat, although visually it couldn’t be more nineteen eighties. It’s a rockumentary, if you will, so the music is cut up with interviews and rehearsals.  When you do get a decent slice of live material, you still give a smattering of applause to the lighting designer, who does a bang up job.  After all, Genesis were never the sparkliest of performers.

It’s certainly interesting to see again, if you didn’t buy the box set, and once you get your head around some of the editing, then it’s an excellent record of the band at that time, especially when they really get going on things like the medley of ‘In The Cage’ / ‘The Cinema Show’ / ‘The Colony of Slippermen’.

ERIC CLAPTON
Planes, Trains and Eric
Rhino

Apparently, this DVD is a document of Eric Claptons final tour.  At least, according to his manager Peter Jackson.  But then Eric has been saying that since he left the Yardbirds, so it might be just sales talk.

However, it might be his last prolonged bout of touring, one that saw heading to one of his favourite places – Japan.  According to Clapton, it’s a “spiritual place with kind, accommodating people and an aesthetic sensibility”.  Especially if you want to buy used panties from a vending machine or eat food that’s still moving.

This documentary sees him trekking across the Far East in the company of long timers Steve Gadd on drums, Nathan East on bass, Chris Stainton on piano and Paul Carrack on organ and vocals, and musically, it’s exactly what you would expect of Mr Clapton.  It’s fairly laid back, rooted in the mid-seventies, with the well-travelled likes of ‘Tell The Truth’, ‘Crossroads’ and an acoustic ‘Layla’ professionally performed.

There are also stopovers in Dubai and Bahrain, which is a bit dodgy nowadays, but then EC was always on the conservative side of things, and money certainly talks.  Turns out that Clapton and Crown Prince Salman of Bahrain first met at Jackie Stewart shoot, and bonded over guns and racing cars.

Clapton has never been the most engaging of personalities, and old age hasn’t made him anymore so, but for his long time fans, this will be all that they want.

MARKUS NEUWIRTH
Der Knabe im Moor
independent

Currently playing guitar and singing in the German band Exit Sun,  Markus Neuwirth originally wrote and recorded this for a school project 5 years ago.  Which shows how things have changed from the days of my pasta birdhouse.

It’s actually a musical setting of a German poem, “Der Knabe im Moor” by Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, an early 19th century German writer.  The boy on the moor tells the tale of a boy crossing a dark moor, beset by ghosts and ghoulies,  before a guardian angel helps him see the light, thus enabling his escape.

To this end, Herr Neuwirth has conjured up a fine mix of prog, metal and even folk to soundtrack the six stanzas in six corresponding parts, and he does a remarkably good job of it, for one so young.  It’s been remixed and remastered for this release, and it’s certainly something that fans of prog and gothic literature should think about investigating.  But only if they’re brave at heart.

http://markusneuwirth.bandcamp.com/releases