Alibi

Vandenberg | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 19, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wounded Bird Records
• ASIN: B000060O2B
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #344,899 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Wounded Bird Records reissue of 1985 album, their third release and features the intense lead guitar work of Adrian.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very solid record, April 3, 2004

By 

John DeWald "Jet pilot" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Alibi (Audio CD)

First of all, it's nice to see this great record from 1985 re-issued. The ridiculous import prices made me say "alleluia" when Wounded Bird re-issued it several years ago. (By the way, I purchased it from Wounded Bird for about $10.99 if I recall correctly).

This is Vandenberg's third and final studio disc. The production is pretty clear and the instruments and vocals balance well. The songs retain a strong flavor similar to those on "Heading for a Storm". Standout tracks are the uptempo tracks "Voodoo" and "Fighting Against the World". "All The Way" and "Pedal to the Metal" kick off the disc in a rockin' fashion.

Another highlight is "Prelude Mortale" which leads into "Alibi". "Prelude" is a solo classical piece from Adrian and it's terrific. Apparently, Adrian's mom loves his classical guitar playing, so he always tried to put at least piece on Vandenberg's records. "Alibi" is a truly catchy tune with a hooky chorus.

Overall, I wish Adrian had never left for Whitesnake. As good as Whitesnake's "1987" album was, Adrian only played one solo on one song. All three Vandenberg albums stand up well to this day, so search them out if you like great songs with stellar guitar parts.

4.0 out of 5 stars Hard-hitting melodic rock with some impressive guitar work, September 21, 2011

By 

Justin Gaines (Northern Virginia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Alibi (Audio CD)

Originally released in 1985, Alibi was the third (and final) album from Vandenberg, the band formed by Dutch guitar wizard Adrian Vandenberg before he helped make Whitesnake a platinum success. The early Vandenberg sound walked the line between melodic rock and heavy metal, and was clearly influenced by bands like The Scorpions and MSG.

Alibi is just a terrific example of the mid `80s hard rock sound. It straddled the line between hard-hitting heavy metal and radio-friendly melodic rock perfectly, delivering equal amounts of polish and punch. It's like half a Scorpions album and half King Kobra (or all Dokken). The songwriting, vocals and production are all solid, and naturally it's Vandenburg's flashy and melodic guitar work that takes the album to a higher level. I'd consider "Fighting Against the World," "Pedal to the Metal" and the title track to be the album's best moments, but Alibi as a whole is totally enjoyable.

Vandenberg, of course, left to join Whitesnake soon after this album was released, so Alibi ended up being the final Vandenberg album. It's probably not an essential album, but if you're a fan of guitar-driven melodic rock, especially the early `80s variety, there's a lot to love about the Vandenberg albums. The Best of collection is probably enough for casual fans, but if you like what you hear, come back around to Alibi.

Edition Notes: Wounded Bird reissued Alibi (along with the rest of the Vandenberg catalog) in 2002. It's a typical Wounded Bird reissue - no remastering, no bonus material and almost non-existent liner notes. The reissue is already out of print though, which is usually a sign that a better reissue (fingers crossed for a Rock Candy upgrade) may be on the way.

4.0 out of 5 stars Adrian Vandenberg - guitarist extraordinaire, March 7, 2006

By 

NFL Fanatic (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alibi (Audio CD)

Vandenberg's third and final release came out in 1986. This guy belongs in the same class as guitarists like Tony MacAlpine, Vinnie Moore and Micheal Schenker. Metal guitar with classical overtones - he is great.

One of my favorite ballads of all time is "How Long" from this release. Great bass accompaniment with the slow guitar sounds - it amazes me that this was never released as a single as I'm sure it would have been a huge hit.

The other ballad here is "Once In A Lifetime" that is also excellent. I'm sure Adrian Vandenberg probably got a higher paying gig with Whitesnake in the late 1980's, but I wish he had continued to write things like this - I really miss him.

This album is a good listen from start to finish. The all out rockers are "Dressed To Kill", "Fighting Against The World", and the incredible instrumental "Kamikaze". Vandenberg's fret work on "Kamikaze" make this a must-buy along with the ballads.

"Prelude Mortale" is a short instrumental of classical acoustic guitar. Put this one in the same league and Edward Van Halen's "Spanish Fly" from VAN HALEN II.

The rest of this straight ahead hard rock. I had this on cassette back in 1985 and it had not been available on CD's until Wounded Bird Records re-released this 80's gem a few years ago, with Vandenberg's other two albums. Can't tell you how delighted I was to see this again. If you see this at a good price, grab it - you never know when it will be unavailable again.