I was sent this by a mate but it appears to be old.
http://www.melodicrock.com/phorum52/read.php?1,1021126,1021126Mmm, it could be true, and a bit harsh by Olsen but I don't know what to make of it as I hear Syke's sound and style on '1987' and to me, it's reminiscent of that which was on Thin Lizzy's 'Thunder & Lightning' album, but who knows??? Now, I'm a massive Dann Huff fan, be it Giant or any of his other session work, but to me, his sound and style are not coming through on this stuff.
I've always enjoyed 'Sykes's playing' on this album and so I hope it's BS. Oh, and there's some Vai content here as well.
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I wonder if Huff was brought in to tighten up the rhythm parts and Sykes's solo's were kept - so in effect Vandenberg/Campbell were the ones replaced by Huff?
I like Sykes, I like him a lot actually and Is This Love off '87 to me is classic Sykes and nobody else. But I can't help agreeing with the whole out of tune comments - Sykes with his massive vibrato and what is appears to be a harmoniser over the top to widen things could get very out of tune very quickly!!
Controversial enough?
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I think we probably need to know a bit more about Keith Olsen.
If he was one of those clichéd 1980s producers with a Miami Vice wardrobe, coke on the mixing desk and hookers all over the control room - with the band picking up the tab - then he is probably full of shit. Or at least blowing a couple of minor incidents totally out of proportion based on hazy memories. He might just be a guy who likes to spin a yarn.
I remember reading interviews with Vandenberg where he talked at great length about his hand/wrist injury and the treatment he'd been through. A lot of trouble to go to if it was all bullshit.
Sykes cut all his tracks with a harmoniser/chorus effect on the guitar , so when Coverdale came to sing he couldn't reliably pitch against the guitar as it wavered so much .
All producers seem to have their pet session guys they want to use at the first sign of things getting too tough, and John Kalodner is always a bit trigger happy to bring in outside help at the drop of a hat ...especially as Whitesnake were hugely in debt to Geffen by this time and it seemed like the album would never get released.
Slip of the Tongue
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Last time I saw them was the tour with Vivian and Adrian - both could certainly play alright then, they were amazing
Coverdale had the voice alright, but good grief the blusher, tan and teeth were not a good look
Sykes worked with Mike Frazier and Mike Stone, Olsen wasn't even really involved until later. Then Keith came in and thought they needed another pop version of HereI Go Again --which Dann did as John had no interest.
I obviously wasn't there when they were recording that album and I don't know about the harmonizer comment--but I worked closely with Sykes from 1998 until 2011 and I spent many hours running his Pro Tools rig while he put down demos and to say Sykes would let out of tune guitars get kept on a track is laughable. The guy has unbelievable ears.
To say Huff contributed guitars on Whitesnake (other than the radio version of Here I Go Again) is curious.. Why did the guitars on the first Blue Murder record sound the same as Whitesnake -- and Giant (which came out around the same time as Blue Murder), sounds nothing like either of the other two?
Sykes and Huff are friends BTW and they share funny stories about people they both worked with. Also, an exchange from back in the day from Dann Huff after listening to the raw tracks for Whitesnake 87 told to me by a staff member at Sound City studio.
Coverdale:"Dann, would you be interested in joining the band?"
Huff: "What you need is to get John Sykes back."
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Come on guys, what are you talking about, Vai was "weaving sonic tapestries from hell" on that album.
Old Cov said so. With his new teeth, which can't have been easy.
I confess, I've never even listened to it. When I read those interviews at the time I though uh oh, this is going to be horse shit. I like what Vai did with Alcatrazz and DLR - and before that with FZ - but it was blindingly obvious he'd be a bad fit with Whitesnake.
I wonder if I still have it...probably on cassette right enough:
I remember those slightly awkward English lyrics.... But gosh, it still sounds big and powerful. That's a pleasant surprise.
I agree that the guitar tone on 1987 is one of the worst ever. Just awful. But I remember buying it on the day it came out and playing it over and over again. Still a brilliant collection of songs.
For those who slate Vai and Slip of the Tongue - wash your mouths out. It's an incredible album. Granted, not from the blues roots of the band but 1987 had already charted that course. Cheap n Nasty and the revamp of Fool for your lovin are EPIC. Any other opinion is WRONG so there.
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