On the heels of the release of their 2011 studio album Nevermore,
Whitesnake has unveiled a gem from their past — Live At Donington
1990 — just that, nothing more. Catching the band at their peak
with an all-star line up of stellar musicians, including Steve Vai and Adrian
Vandenberg on guitars, Rudy Sarzo on bass, Tommy Aldrich behind the drums, and
of course, charismatic frontman and Whitesnake leader David Coverdale on vocals.
Taking place on August 18, 1990 at “Monsters Of Rock at Castle Donington”
the yearly premier rock festival of the UK, it is now known as the “Download
Festival”. Whitesnake was in the midst of their very successful “Liquor
And Poker Tour”, and, after playing to over a million fans leading up
to the festival, naturally were the headliners.
What the DVD captures is Whitesnake in total control of an audience of over
70,000 thoroughly enthralled fans. Coverdale is in total rock star command throughout.
Drawing primarily from the previous three Whitesnake CDs — Slide
It In, Whitesnake and their latest (at the time) Slip
Of The Tongue, the band brings you back to a time when guitar and drum
solos ruled, as well as black leather, chains and big hair and even bigger sounds.
Standouts include the mega hits “Slide It In,” “Slow And
Easy” and “Here I Go Again.” You really get the feeling that
you are included in the huge crowd. Guitarists Vai and Vandenberg are outstanding
performers, and at the time, really set the standard for rock guitarists. Sarzo’s
signature stage moves are intact throughout. Aldrich is a virtual machine, and
his incredible drum solo is spotlighted during “Crying In The Rain.”
Bonus features include a Making Of Slip Of The Tongue documentary,
as well as a gallery of never-seen-before photos of the band on tour. The Live
At Donington 1990 DVD, as well as a double-CD version, is required
stuff for all fans of not only the band, but of late 1980s style heavy rock
at its best. My only gripe is the video quality is not up to today’s standards
of HD clarity, but the audio is mixed in beautiful 5.1, and that more than makes
up for it.
~ Junkman
