Customer Reviews

Alibi

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

On this cd, the third and final studio disc. We find that Vandenberg has turned into a well oiled machine. Adrians ability as a composer, songwriter, and guitarist; are matched by few if any in the music business. And the other members of the band are very adept in their particular roles. The production on this effort is first rate;I am shocked that more bands have not put Jaap Eggermont at the controls in the studio. I'm not saying he's Mutt Lange; but he is very good. The songlist is a mixture of rockers, ballads, and instrumentals. Some my favorite tracks are All The Way, Voodoo, Dressed To Kill, Alibi, and even the instrumental Prelude Mortale. Adrians guitar work on that song is spectacular. If you like hard rock with a classical tinge to it, then this cd is for you.

Almost 30 years down the road this albums still sounds good. As much Rush as Motley Crue, there's some serious music in Vandenberg, despite the glam trappings. It's a shame that Adrian Vandenberg succumbed to the lure of fame and money with Whitesnake.

I'm going to review all three of Adrian's pre-Whitesnake band. The band is pretty talented all around; the singer might not be Axl Rose(just to throw a quick name out there), but he either gets the job done or sometimes does something pretty good; but, bottom line is Adrian Vandenberg is the highlight of his band.

I feel that saying this was a good experimental band is a good description of the quality of songs on all three 'Vandenberg' albums; the band seems young and willing to experiment; when you do this, you get a range of good to bad; Vandenberg on all three albums puts up some real hidden gems for music lovers. I don't see any album standing out amongst the three. Alibi however could have been the best but Vandenberg in my opinion actually doens't deliver the goods on guitar; i think he was trying to play more economical; maybe if he played more bluesy licks at those times, it would have worked; and really, I think Alibi could have gone down as a lot more of a musical masterpiece; some of those songs that come to mind are 'All the way' and 'How long'; the song writing is innovative, the music works and yet the solos just seem uninspired.

I had 'The Best of Vandenberg' tape since the eithies and it finally got warped; so, I finally went out of my way to get all three Vandenberg albums hoping to get more of the same; i found that on average, there was only like one or two more songs that were quite as good as all those songs on the Best of album; on Alibi, it's 'Dressed to Kill' mostly; and, you could throw in 'Once in a Lifetime.' On Heading for a Storm, 'I'm on Fire', 'Heading for a Storm' will entice you to find more than is actually there, but ultimatelly, 'Waiting for the Night' is the best new song beyond what's on the Best of album. On the self-titled 'Vandenberg' album, 'Back on my feet', 'Ready for you', and 'Lost in the City' are in the "I'm on Fire/Heading for a Storm/Out in the Streets" category, while "Too Late" is the really good one outside of the well known 'Your Love is In Vain/Wait/Burning Heart.

If Adrian could have found some creative way to nail the solos on 'All the Way" and "How Long" . . . like I said, the Alibi LP would definitelly take the cake amongst his three 'Vandenberg' albums.

Overall, If your just dieing for great eighties neo-classical guitar rock, get the albums at a good price. Vandenberg nails plenty of 'lost gems', but there's plenty of tunes that you just wish that maybe the background vocals were better or something; or, even, sometimes, the guitars don't always measure up; but, at least half of each album has absolutelly great stuff; you kind of wish on the one hand that they'd stick together and gain more consistency; or! You wish that Adrian got his chance at being the number one guy with David Coverdale at Whitesnake; alas, history pulled a cruel joke on us all including Adrian; he came in late . . . did get in one smash hit with 'Here I go Again'(and played a kind of Jimi Page guitar violin part on "The Still of the Night' song), and that's pretty much been it!

Also, the artwork on all the albums are his!

Honestly, you got to give these guys credit for being brave and just being willing to do something crazy creative; and it works here and there.

I don't know how many more ways I can say this you know what!

The strongest album performance wise of their catalogue. Everything is spot on with good melodies.

My bad rating isn't for the music , which rocks - it's for the piss poor mastering ! This sounds WORSE than my old CD's - if you buy this get it for the great music but DON'T buy to get a disc that sounds better than your old ones .