Plot Details: This opinion reveals everything about the movie's plot.

I didn't know Whitesnake was still around even, but the other day, I rented and watched Whitesnake - Live in the Still of the Night a live concert recorded on the 2004 Whitesnake tour of the United Kingdom. I must say David Coverdale was still in fine form! He was one of my favorite heavy metal singers of the 80's, I always thought he sang better than Dio, Ozzy or any number of screamers that dominated the decade of metal. After singing for Deep Purple, Coverdale fronted Whitesnake. His band gained popularity with two hit albums Slide it In and Whitesnake in '85 and '87, although the band had been around since the '70s. (Thanks Wikepedia for filling in the info I didn't remember). 1989's Slip of the Tongue was the last I heard from Whitesnake until I saw this concert DVD as a suggestion from Netflix. They must have noticed what a metal head I was!

Whitesnake Line Up

Don't expect Steve Vai to be on this lineup, but David Coverdale sounded good, and truth be told he WAS the band, it was his voice and style that made Whitesnake what it was. He was joined onstage by Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach sharing lead guitar duties. Marco Mendoza plays bass and Tommy Aldridge plays drums. Timothy Drury rounds out the bands sound on keyboards. I believe it is worth noting that of the band members only the drummer had appeared on previous Whitesnake albums, and that was only the last one. However, the band did a great job recreating that Whitesnake sound.

Performance / Set List

Coverdale doesn't look like he's aged a day since I watched his videos with his wife, the beautiful Tawny Kitaen, rolling over the hood of his Jaguar. Coverdale strust out in open white shirt, full blonde locks (no hair loss for David) and belts out the tunes. I did notice he uses tricks here and there to avoid hitting the highs like he did in the eighties, but he never sounded strained in this concert, he sounded quite good. The stage is typical rock concert set up, drum kit in the middle, Marshall stacks on either side, and three huge Peavey amps sitting next to the drum kit. A keyboard set up sits on the left, and the guitar players and bass player flanked Coverdale who of course sings from center stage. It is his band after all, being named after his.. . The band starts right in with Burn and Bad Boys two early songs, but soon Coverdale belts out Love Ain't no Stranger to the delight of the London fans. Ready and Willing is followed by two more of my favorite Whitesnake songs Is this Love? and Give Me All Your Love. I found that David sang Is this Love in a somewhat subdued fashion which sounded very good, but I am certain that it was because he could no longer belt out the high notes like he used to. On Give me All Your Love, he handed out the high notes to the audience to join in on. Clever, Coverdale. I would also note that this concert may not be suitable for children, Coverdale insists on using the F word quite a bit between songs, and also comments on one fan who gives him flowers, telling her she has nice t**s. I guess rock stars grow old, but they never grow up.

Newcomer Doug Aldrich showed his chops on a sweet '57 Gibson Les Paul reissue and showed he is a very competent guitar player. I enjoyed the guitar solo which soon turned into Cryin in the Rain. During this song, drummer Tommy Aldridge got to show his skills on the sticks. Whitesnake classic tune Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City was played followed by Don't Break my Heart Again and Fool for your Lovin'. Coverdale managed to hit a few high notes when the band played one of my favorite Whitesnake tunes Here I go Again and they did the song justice. Take Me with You gave the other guitar player, Reb Beach some solo time on his custom made Surge guitar, and finally the show closed on a rousing rendition of Still of the Night where Coverdale managed to reach a few of the high pitched wails that he was famous for in the eighties, albeit with some help from the audience and bandmates. The show was just a bit short of two hours, and for a come back act, I thought it was very well done. I give the performance of Coverdale and his band a solid four stars.

Sound Quality

The DVD was offered in Stereo, SRC Circle 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. I am not certain what SRC Circle surround is, but I believe that it is a sound field that mimics surround sound for people who only have stereos. I listened in DTS and also took a quick listen to the other formats. First of all, even in stereo, the sound is great. You get a full sonic assault with great low bass and clear vocals. With a nice twist of the volume knob and floor standing speakers, you can recreate the sound of the Marshall stacks on the Whitesnake stage. Dolby Digital sounds a bit fuller and DTS sounded the best, but none of the surround sound fields really make use of the rear channels. Only a faint echo of the front sound stage is heard in the surrounds, like some ambient echo. The front sound stage (front right, center, front left) and subwoofer get quite a work out though, and you get the sense of a concert stage. I got to see Whitesnake once at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA, and this seemed to be a good concert recreation. Sound gets 4 stars.

Video / Choreography Quality

This was a strange concert to watch. I was pleased that it was shot in High Definition Video in the 16:9 aspect ratio for wide screen televisions (or in my case a small 105" movie screen), but puzzled by the choice of constantly switching from black and white to color. Yes, many shots of the band are in a grainy black and white. Why? I don't know; in the beginning the effect was interesting, but when they continued to use it throughout the show it became annoying. Color shots were clear, and colors looked good. The cameras moved from closeups to Coverdale, his guitarists, and fans in the front row. Plenty of shots also showed the rest of the band and the stage. I was pleased that the camera focused clearly on the guitar players fingers during guitar solos. Video gets 3 1/2 stars, it was a bit better than average, but not a lot.

DVD Extras

A documentary in which everyone in the band is interviewed was shown. Guitarist Aldrich displayed and discussed his fine collection of Gibson Les Pauls. (did you really think I could tell a '57 Gibson Les Paul from a '57 reissue?). I also was fascinated as guitar player Reb Beach showed his custom made Surge guitars. Surge is apparently a designer for Fender, and the guitars were beautiful, hand made with exotic woods and finishes. The stage set up is shown in fast motion, and various lighting, sound, and guitar technicians each get some time to tell what magic they perform to insure the concert is perfect. We even get to meet David Coverdale's personal masseuse. I believe she is responsible for making sure Whitesnake performs well.

Summary

Well in my quest to provide reviews of the many concert DVD offerings out there, I think that heavy metal fans in general and Whitesnake fans in particular will find that this is a very good concert. It gets a solid four stars.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older