Runboard.com
Слава Україні!
Community logo


runboard.com       Sign up (learn about it) | Sign in (lost password?)

 
jmorton Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Purple fan

Registered: 03-2006
Posts: 599
Reply | Quote
30 years since Coverdale Page


30 years ago today Coverdale Page was released. I know everyone has mixed feelings about this record but here's some context for why the album matters in both the Jimmy Page and David Coverdale oeuvre.

Coverdale Page is, without a doubt, the highest selling and highest charting album of Jimmy Page's "solo" efforts aside from the UnLEDed Live album that was released in 95 with Plant. In fact it outsold the Page and Plant collaborative Walking into Clarksdale album in 1998.

This is the last major charting effort of David Coverdale. Reaching #4 in the States and #5 in the UK back when this meant an album will at least go Gold in the States.

This sits at a weird place for both men ... start of an apex for Jimmy Page post-Zeppelin and a bit of a decline from where DC was in the late 80's. The US was in the midst of a pretty serious recession at the time and "legacy" acts such as Deep Purple (who had to scrap their plans for a US tour) and Coverdale Page (who did the same) were seriously affected. You could make the argument that if this album appeared two years earlier or two years later it would have sold more and been supported by a major tour. Alas ...

This album acts far more as a "revival" for the somewhat moribund and confused post-Zeppelin career for Page who parlayed this into working with Plant for a few years and two major tours. Coverdale put together Whitesnake, did a greatest hits package and tour a year later, tried to record a solo album and was strong-armed into making it a Whitesnake album (Restless Heart) which wasn't even released in the US.

It is a bit fascinating to look back at this album. Coverdale had a disappointing 90's in general (only releasing two albums) but you could argue had a better post 00's. Page toured with the Black Crowes and then disappeared into Led Zeppelin re-issues and a one off Zep reunion.

With all that being said, we await a Coverdale Page re-issue with the extra tracks and think about what an anomalous and unique point in both Coverdale and Page's career this album was.
15/3/2023, 16:36 Link to this post Send Email to jmorton   Send PM to jmorton
 
Wojak Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Purple fan

Registered: 01-2004
Posts: 1579
Reply | Quote
Re: 30 years since Coverdale Page


Nice post. I remember really looking forward to this album and my first thoughts, listening to Shake My Tree, was how heavy it was which surprised me at the time.
I didn't love it on first listen. In fact, it took several months to really get into it but right now I think it's one of the best things Coverdale has ever been involved with. The vocal gymnastics are top notch from the warm, soulful tones on Take A look at Yourself, the bluesy, raw, power of Don't Leave Me This Way and of course the Zeppelinesque wailing on Shake My tree. The album is a window into Coverdale's full range at the time. Page was never a guitarist I loved but he sounds great here, less sloppy than I remember him. He seems to be born again and that Shake My Tree riff...wow.
At the time of release I was doing some work for the British producers guild and I know they saw the album as the savour of the rock music genre in the UK.
It sold well but could have sold better. The tour never materialised in full (those Japanese dates sound great even if DC looks daft) but I would have loved to see a live show. Page playing Whitesnake, Coverdale singing Zeppelin? What's not to like?
There was talk of a mini album being released ahead of a UK/European tour consisting of unreleased songs (Saccharin, Good Love, Southern Comfort among others). I have heard (in the past) there are 7 unreleased songs, not sure how true this is.
The production now sounds very much of it's time, particularly the drum sound.
I hope we get a full remix with extras. I like David's idea of two remixes being produced by him and Page. I also hope the project might include some properly recorded live stuff (not sure if those shows were recorded). It would make a nice box set.
This is a rather good rehearsal video... what a band!
CP REHEARSAL
18/3/2023, 14:22 Link to this post Send Email to Wojak   Send PM to Wojak
 
jmorton Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Purple fan

Registered: 03-2006
Posts: 599
Reply | Quote
Re: 30 years since Coverdale Page


quote:

Wojak wrote:

Nice post. I remember really looking forward to this album and my first thoughts, listening to Shake My Tree, was how heavy it was which surprised me at the time.
I didn't love it on first listen. In fact, it took several months to really get into it but right now I think it's one of the best things Coverdale has ever been involved with. The vocal gymnastics are top notch from the warm, soulful tones on Take A look at Yourself, the bluesy, raw, power of Don't Leave Me This Way and of course the Zeppelinesque wailing on Shake My tree. The album is a window into Coverdale's full range at the time. Page was never a guitarist I loved but he sounds great here, less sloppy than I remember him. He seems to be born again and that Shake My Tree riff...wow.
At the time of release I was doing some work for the British producers guild and I know they saw the album as the savour of the rock music genre in the UK.
It sold well but could have sold better. The tour never materialised in full (those Japanese dates sound great even if DC looks daft) but I would have loved to see a live show. Page playing Whitesnake, Coverdale singing Zeppelin? What's not to like?
There was talk of a mini album being released ahead of a UK/European tour consisting of unreleased songs (Saccharin, Good Love, Southern Comfort among others). I have heard (in the past) there are 7 unreleased songs, not sure how true this is.
The production now sounds very much of it's time, particularly the drum sound.
I hope we get a full remix with extras. I like David's idea of two remixes being produced by him and Page. I also hope the project might include some properly recorded live stuff (not sure if those shows were recorded). It would make a nice box set.
This is a rather good rehearsal video... what a band!
CP REHEARSAL



Same here Wojak. I think ... in hindsight both men really wanted to do a good job with this album. Hard not to think it was a victim of bad timing even though it went platinum in multiple countries including the US. I'm sure if you ask DC he'd say how much he loves the album and his friendship with Page.

Page's solo career was dire. Fits and starts. Not sure what he wanted to do. He almost formed a super group with Chris Squire and Alan White in 1981 called XYZ. The Firm was a glorified Paul Rodgers project (if you look at the song writing credits it's shocking how many songs Rodgers wrote by himself). Page's solo album in 1988 was ok, not great. Coverdale actually lifted Page out of his doldrums and for that he deserves a ton of credit. (It was a brief blip because the Page Plant album Walking into Clarksdale is the definition of half baked and half hearted)

I really hope DC is at work on a reissue. I believe he can do the project based on everything he's said via social media, even if Page doesn't participate. I'll give Coverdale credit ... he is packing these reissues with SO much content. He's definitely trying to give people value for your dollar/pound/euro etc. Filmed the entire process and there's LOADS of bootlegs of that whole tour of Japan.

Yeah ... DC looked a bit weird on that tour. Loved that blue jacket but the ruffled white shirt and leather pants were ... a choice. Lol.

I still can't believe this came out 30 years ago.
18/3/2023, 16:02 Link to this post Send Email to jmorton   Send PM to jmorton
 
Perfectly Strange Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Purple fan

Registered: 01-2013
Posts: 798
Reply | Quote
Re: 30 years since Coverdale Page


There's two extra tracks that have been circulating on bootleg for a while called "Saccharin" and "Good Love" but they're pretty unremarkable compared to the album tracks (which I think is a bloody good album but IMO was the start of DC's decline as a singer - he sounds strained on just about ever track)

"Saccharin" is a sort of slow grind of a track. Very heavy.
"Good Love" sounds like a Slide It In era track. Unremarkable.
19/3/2023, 13:33 Link to this post Send Email to Perfectly Strange   Send PM to Perfectly Strange Blog
 
jmorton Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Purple fan

Registered: 03-2006
Posts: 599
Reply | Quote
Re: 30 years since Coverdale Page


There's also a song called Southern Comfort that has been making the rounds since the early 00's. No screaming on this one from DC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x0_Qa4kGtU
21/3/2023, 20:38 Link to this post Send Email to jmorton   Send PM to jmorton
 
Wojak Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Purple fan

Registered: 01-2004
Posts: 1579
Reply | Quote
Re: 30 years since Coverdale Page


This is one of my favourite songs from the project. Would love to hear a high quality audio version. Great sounding vocal.
22/3/2023, 9:36 Link to this post Send Email to Wojak   Send PM to Wojak
 
JSA1 Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Purple fan

Registered: 07-2006
Posts: 1212
Reply | Quote
Re: 30 years since Coverdale Page


I've always liked the album quite a bit. Page finally sounded inspired and David was in fairly good form. As somebody stated, though, it was probably the beginning of the decline of Dave's voice. Either way, we got a really good album.
24/3/2023, 16:42 Link to this post Send Email to JSA1   Send PM to JSA1
 
srdja ws Profile
Live feed
Blog
Friends
Miscellaneous info

Purple fan

Registered: 06-2014
Posts: 339
Reply | Quote
Re: 30 years since Coverdale Page


The album is epic! When I visualize it, I see an old, big, solid building that deserves respect.
4/4/2023, 12:06 Link to this post Send Email to srdja ws   Send PM to srdja ws Blog
 


Reply





You are not logged in (login)