Whitesnake – 1987

Establishing their own identity in the aftermath of David Coverdale's stint as the replacement vocalist for Deep Purple, Whitesnake were formed with the aim of rising above the glut of 1970s rock bands, but they failed to hit their stride commercially even after revitalising their sound in 1984. It was around this period that Coverdale's sudden volatility - from initially acquiring another guitarist to enlisting a new line-up after the album was recorded - and expediency to achieve international success generated a newfound focus on sound and vision as opposed to credibility and depth, and as such he sacrificed continued integrity as a relative obscurity in a bid to appeal to the vacuous, conceited, shallow MTV generation.

"1987" was intended as a launchpad to catapult David Coverdale into the public consciousness, and he did so with a series of sexually provocative music videos involving his scantily-clad other half; these images and the belting choruses within were packaged to pander to the vapid MTV audience. Videos for tracks such as "Here I Go Again" were premeditated to bolster the chart success of the album, and the risk paid off. Coverdale's relatively unknown group became part of the pop metal elite alongside Bon Jovi, but that doesn't render the album any less significant. In fact, the album is one of three chart-topping classic rock albums released within an 18-month period, and I venture to suggest that although it may not be as intricate as Def Leppard's "Hysteria" or as energetic as Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet", "1987" perceptibly stands alone since the band simply polish and expand on their original heavy rock 1970s sound by overproducing the guitars and synths, extending Coverdale's squealing vocal gymnastics and adding some frivolity into the lyrical mix, as demonstrated on its haunting opening track, the slow-building stone-cold classic "Still of the Night", asserting the tone of the album as sweeping and strutting in equal measure. It is the most accurate homage to Led Zeppelin you will ever hear, and is all the better for it.

The album, presented in its UK revision, flows better with some appended songs, i.e. the previously released and now in re-recorded crossover hit form, "Here I Go Again", somehow manages to encapsulate the band's evolution, from unadulterated, long-winded blues rock akin to Deep Purple to the instantly commanding melodic hard rock of Aerosmith. I dare say that sections of the album are the kind of high-flown, bombastic heavy rock any established live act of the 1970s would adopt in order to adapt to the new musical landscape. Even Deep Purple found success with "Perfect Strangers" despite its pop rock leanings.

"1987" was the band's deserved commercial breakthrough, but the manufactured nature of the promotional aspects of the album most likely damaged its chances of being considered a rival to "Hysteria" in view of gravitas. Despite its perceived lack of substance or musical innovation, the record sounds decidedly unlike the other two classic rock albums released around that time, and is at the very least equivalent to "Slippery When Wet" with regards to status, cogency and quality.

Rating: 5/5