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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pre-Whitesnake: Quality musicianship overlooked in the States, January 17, 2006
This is not as good as their first record but it is a must have because of Adrian's history and their professionalism. He graduated with a degree in art history which inlfuenced him to pursue classical training. These are very talented musicians who each carry their weight in the band. The vocalist is real sharp, reminiscent of Lou Gramm. He re-recorded "Burning Heart" with Vandenberg in 2004 and he sounds almost exactly as he did 22 years before. How many vocalists can boast that? The quality of their music surpassed the mainstream hard rock of the day. It is truly a shame that Adrian Vandenberg did not perform on either their 1987 LP or on 1989's Slip Of the Tongue including the bonus tracks that were released on subsequent records. His very first studio recording with Whitesnake was 1994's Restless Heart. And by that time, the members who were in the band in the 1980's, which is the decade Whitesnake is most known for, were all gone. I had the pleasure of seeing him live twice which convinced me he is worthy of being on stage with Whitensnake. He can play with the best of them. He is one of the most talented guitarists in the world. His approach to the guitar is different than some of the other "famous" and revered guitarists. The guitar(s) you hear on the 1987 LP, as it is most famously known as, were co-written and performed by John Sykes. You may remenber his long, wavy beautiful blonde locks as he fronted and played guitar for the band, Blue Murder. And BTW, Manic Eden is probably a band you may not easily recognize by name but you will recognize the members: Tommy Aldridge(drums, Whitesnake), Rudy Sarzo(bass, Whitesnake), Adrian Vandenberg(guitar, Whitesnake), and Ron Young(vocals, Little Caesar). Their debut CD was released in 1994.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Flying Dutchman..., November 23, 2003
Vandenberg, led by Dutch guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, produced three albums in the early 80's. Heading for a Storm, their second release, is their most dynamic, and well-balanced effort. Similar to a band like Dokken, Vandenberg's brand of metal is more melodic, with lots of runs and fills, sprinkled in between spunky chords. The guitar tone is clear and bright. Particularly on his solos, Adrian Vandenberg's guitar cuts cleanly and sharply through the mix. With influences from classical music, the man has some impressive skills, somewhat reminiscent of Michael Schenker. His unique creative solos, display technical ability, yet always seem appropriate to the song. Unlike many, he rarely plays to excess, maintaining control and a sense of melody throughout. The quality of the songs is excellent, and there isn't a dud among the nine tracks. The band is probably at their best on the up tempo songs like This is War, Rock On, Time Will Tell, and Friday Night. Adrian's guitar is extremely active, constantly keeping things interesting. Vocalist Bert Heerink performs admirably on moody ballads, as well as hard rockers. While he doesn't have the range or the emotion, of a Don Dokken, or Joe Lynn Turner, his singing style fits in well with Vandenberg's different musical approaches. Fans of melodic 80's metal, should check out perhaps the second most famous rock guitarist to come from the Netherlands, after Eddie Van Halen. While not a rock guitar icon, Adrian Vandenberg is a flashy and talented guitarist. The music is energetic, fun, and very listenable. The only downside is that the album is less than 40 minutes long.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The usual path by unusual players, March 12, 2006
As has been said elsewhere, Vandenberg perhaps had too much talent for their own good. They could play anything and everything they wanted so why not add a little of their own signature to the genre of 80's hard rock? The bad bits first eh?
This is very much an 80's hair metal album. The tunes are fairly lightweight and the lyrics are fairly silly.
The good bits are that this album hangs together well as a testament to the skills of Adrian Vandenberg - who I believe designed all the darn cool cover art for the bands albums.
Tracks like Friday Night and Welcome to the Club breeze along wonderfully, even if their collective IQ is up there with CC Devilles pet budgie. Hard to knock a track like Heading for a Storm though. This has some threat and dynamics to it. The whole this is produced well too.
Whitesnake fans may also like this as a curio, and certainly, despite it's age (original release 1983) the production and musicianship has aged very very well. The genre is taken a few hits in the meantime though
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