«Whitesnake» is David Coverdale’s eighth album and it came out in April 1987, through Geffen Records in the United States. Because it carries only the band’s name, it stayed known as «1987». Keith Olsen took on production, and John Sykes stands out on guitar, having come over from Thin Lizzy. The record reached number two on the American Billboard chart and sold more than eight million copies.
“`Country: United Kingdom
Style: Hard Rock
For fans of: Deep Purple, Dio, Def Leppard
The sound here is more polished and more American than on the band’s previous records, with big choruses, clean production and loud guitars. Above all it is Coverdale’s voice that dominates, moving between the blues and a raspy scream, while John Sykes’ solos give the album the shine it needs.
«Still of the Night» opens the album with one of the band’s most recognisable riffs. The new version of «Crying in the Rain», «Straight for the Heart», the ballad «Is This Love» and «Here I Go Again», which became a huge hit, also stand out. There is no weak track on the record.
The album came out in a year full of big hard rock records and managed to stand beside releases such as Def Leppard’s «Hysteria». Its strength lies in the combination of Coverdale’s voice with John Sykes’ solos: the success rested on those two, and they are what made the songs last.
With this record Whitesnake became one of the biggest names of the era, with videos playing constantly on MTV. Shortly after the recording the line-up changed again, with Adrian Vandenberg, Vivian Campbell, Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge taking over the live shows. More on the official Whitesnake website.
