Whitesnake
Made In Japan

It wasn't ages since I last reviewed a Whitesnake live album released on Frontiers. Here comes the second live release in two years and the seventh official live release in total. This one was recorded in Japan in 2012 and that makes it the third live album or live video recorded in Japan.

Whitesnake is a live band, that's just the way it is. While some bands are better or equally good on studio releases, Whitesnake is a band that is best playing live. They are good on album as well, it's not that, but compared to theur live performance the albums are pretty dull. This excuses Whitesnake a little bit for releasing so many live albums and videos. Five live albums and some live videos on top of that released in 35 years is quite a lot and as most songs are more or less the same on these live releases that makes it even more. But a live show is never the same, even if the songs are the same the performance will never be but still… you have to question the motives of doing all these live albums.

The last live album Whitesnake released was 'Live At Donnington 1990' and it was just over 20 years old when it was released two years ago. Of course there's a big difference between this and that and since the last newly recorded live album, 'Live - In The Shadow Of The Blues' (and 'Live In The Still Of The Night') released 2006 they've changed half the groups' members, though one has returned since recording 'Made In Japan'). However, it's still just six years since then with a band that's focused around the voice of David Coverdale and they've only released two new album since then (and very few of the songs from these are included in the set-list here). So you might understand my doubts around this album, but let's forget that for now and focus on the music.

I can write you a very simple explanation of the music here. Imagine Whitesnake - sounding older than ever. Imagine David Coverdale - sounding older than ever. Imagine the famous Whitesnake songs that (almost) everyone has heard - sounding older than ever. That's what this album has - Whitesnake, sounding older than ever.

I think it's enough saying that because I can't imagine very many people doesn't know how Whitesnake sounds. And if you don't you have two previously reviewed albums in the discography to the left where you can update yourself. The only thing I think is necessary to add is that the music feels pretty well made, yet so very old. And dated. Rough, worn, torn - but not in a nice vintage kind of way. It's like many years has passed, three dozens of years or something in that area… but wait - that's exactly the case.

The songs we find here are mostly the classics: songs we've all heard, like Fool For Your Loving, Best Years, Here I Go Again, Still Of The Night, Is This Love and so on. They've included the title track from the last studio release here but otherwise the 'Forevermore' songs are delegated to a bonus disc and then in acoustic or soundcheck versions. I can't say I have any major problems with the music itself, though it has been better made by Whitesnake previously, but I must say to the label that I have a big, big problem with how they've given us the album to review. It's not the first time we get live material like this where the live release is actually a video but the one we get to review is a audio version, which wouldn't be strange if it wasn't like here - when an audio only version isn't even released. To get the audio cds you have to buy the special "deluxe" edition of 'Made In Japan' otherwise it's only a live video and I can't tell wether that's good or not because I haven't seen more than the video you find at the bottom of this review. So how am I suppose to review this release properly? Well, it's the same thing as with Asia and Sebastian Bach and a few others as well, they get a lower score than they deserve (probably).

I don't really find any reason why Whitesnake would need to release a live album at all this close after the last, but perhaps a video is more interesting? What I can say is that the sound quality isn't as good as it could have been and I think the music sounds very old, particularly the voice of David Coverdale. I can't say I would buy this album if it was a CD version. There are better Whitesnake live releases and one of them was released just two years ago. But since you can't buy that alone I guess I have to guess: either the video makes this better… or makes no difference at all.

I'm guessing it makes no difference. Whitesnake are always interesting live but this one comes straight after a live release that was better, granted that was 20 years old and this is brand new but still better. All the bonus on this release makes no real difference and it might have been different if I had since the video… maybe. But what I have here is not worth my money.

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