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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Coverdale's return ranks up there with his finest albums, January 7, 2001
Into The Light is just the album many have been waiting for, the return of one of rock's finest singers, whose career in America has suffered the past ten years owing to the decline of the genre in general. Here he puts out an album with a wonderful array of styles, the diversity of which has not been seen since his late '70s solo albums. If one only knows him from late '80s Whitesnake, be prepared for a surprise. Track by track:1. Into the Light--a brief, moody instrumental which leads the listener into believing this will be just a metal album. Coverdale plays guitar on this track! 2. River Song--a great tune for fans of Hendrix/Trower-style guitar (Coverdale even mentions the "Bridge of Sighs.") If there are any complaints, it is that it meanders a bit, but the singer is in top voice. 3. She Give Me--this one sounds like a mixture of many different Coverdale/Page songs, especially "Pride and Joy" and "Feelin' Hot." The beginning sounds like some old blues 78 record! A lot of good fun. 4. Don't You Cry--a wonderful, almost Motown soulish ballad. The slide guitar motif gets into your veins instantly. 5. Love Is Blind--my personal favorite tune on the album at the moment, an acoustic ballad with straightforward lyrics about learning to love again. This one deserves a lot of airplay but of course will not get it. 6. Slave--somewhat like Coverdale/Page meets Whitesnake, this one is slow and hard. 7. Cry For Love--an uptempo, Rolling Stones tune with great harmonica playing and good Coverdale harmonies. The feel is loose and casual but rocking. 8. Living On Love--the most Zeppelin like track on the album, one which many '80s fans may like. The vocals are strong, matching the guitar riffs pound for pound. 9. Midnight Blue--a piano/acoustic ballad, slightly more uptempo than "Love Is Blind." Another melody hook that gets under your skin. 10. Too Many Tears--this one is much more stripped down and moody than its original appearance. Perhaps the finest vocal performance on the album, Coverdale explores the lower ranges of his voice and comes up with an eerie winner. Another "should be a hit." 11. Don't Lie To Me--the hardest rocker on the album, the one that late '80s fans will hear and say, "There's the David 'I' know!" The pre-chorus "Where were you when I needed you..." seems to inject a harmelodic sophistication not usually seen in the emotional/feel-oriented style of Coverdale, yet more proof that he is one of the most underrated singers of all time. 12. Wherever You May Go--the last song is a gentle ballad, one which the singer shares with a female singer, their duet reminding me a bit of Eric Clapton's work with Yvonne Eliman in the mid-70s. The lyrics end the album on a note of hope. In summary, those who like only one era of Coverdale's career (Purple, early solo albums, early Whitesnake, later "glam"-era Whitesnake, or Coverdale/Page) may not find every song to their liking, but those who have followed his career since the beginning will most likely rate it one of the best--if not the best--release of 2000.
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~ Whitesnake
~ Whitesnake
~ Whitesnake
~ David Coverdale
~ Whitesnake
by David Coverdale 
