Doogie White – As Yet Untitled Reissue (2CD)
The Store For Music
Release Date: 04/06/2021
Running Time: 106:54
Review by Chris Galea
9/10
“As Yet Untitled” was originally released back in 2011 when Doogie White’s spell singing with Yngwie Malmsteen’s band had ended. The album title is a dig at the practice of magazines pre-empting news of a band’s new album. There are some juicy additions in this re-release but first, what of the ‘regular’ content?
It kicks off in dramatic fashion with ‘Come Taste The Band’, which was also the title of the first Deep Purple album not to feature Ritchie Blackmore. Ritchie reportedly saw the funny side of Doogie’s ‘cheekiness’ and in fact had ended up inviting the Scottish singer to join Rainbow. It’s a really great song that I can’t get enough of.
For music fans who have only heard Doogie singing in albums by Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen, Michael Schenker, Tank and others, “As Yet Untitled” might represent a repository of surprises. Indeed, the album showcases Doogie’s versatility as a singer – such as the AC/DC-inspired ‘Time Machine’ or ‘Secret Jesus’ where Doogie seems to use Glenn Hughes’ soulful singing as a beacon. ‘Land Of The Deceiver’ has some thrilling guitar solos and the riffs in ‘Lonely’ are bound to get you headbanging while playing air-guitar.
There’s a long list of guests that help Doogie bring these songs to life. In the promotional album on which this review is based, it’s not always clear which musician contributes to which track but just scroll down to see who there is on the album. Considering the number of guests and the fact that the album was written intermittently over several years, it might be tempting to speculate that “As Yet Untitled” is a mess. This couldn’t be further from the truth, however, for the album feels very cohesive. It doesn’t purport to reinvent the wheel of music, especially for fans of Whitesnake and Deep Purple, but nevertheless it’s a damn fine album.
At the tail end of the regular CD are two bonus tracks: ‘Disturbing The Dirt’, notable for its catchy riffs and strong melodies and the magnificently melancholic ‘Small Town Saturday Night’.
Also, with the re-release of “As Yet Untitled” is a bonus disc containing some of the cover versions that Doogie has recorded over the years. The more interesting ones include an original take on Iron Maiden’s ‘Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter’ and a great interpretation of UFO’s ‘Long Gone’.
Honestly, this package represents very good value…worth acquiring even if you had already bought the original release. And if, like me, you hadn’t…well then then adding this release to your collection is a no-brainer.
‘Come Taste The Band’ (Audio)
TRACKLISTING:
CD1
01. Come Taste The Band
02. Time Machine
03. Dreams Lie Down And Die
04. Lonely
05. Land Of The Deceiver
06. Secret Jesus
07. Sea Of Emotion
08. Catz Got Yer Tongue
09. Living On The Cheap
10. Times Like These
11. Dishing the Dirt (Bonus Track)
12. Small Town Saturday Night (Bonus Track)
CD2
01. The Clairvoyant (Iron Maiden Cover)
02. Too Hot To Handle (UFO Cover)
03. Judgement Day (Whitesnake Cover)
04. Let’s Spend The Night Together (The Rolling Stones Cover)
05. This Flight Tonight (Nazareth Cover)
06. Long Gone (UFO Cover)
07. Emerald (Thin Lizzy Cover)
08. Crying In The Rain (Whitesnake)
09. Love Hurts (Nazareth Cover)
10. Not Fade Away (Buddy Holly Cover)
11. Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter (Iron Maiden Cover)
12. Twistin’ The Night Away (Sam Cooke Cover)
LINE-UP
Doogie White – Vocals
Patti Russo (Meat Loaf, Queen) – Vocals
Mick Tucker (Tank) – Guitar
Alex Dickson (Midnight Blue, Gun, Bruce Dickinson) – Guitar
Phil Hilborne (Nicko McBrain, Glenn Hughes) – Guitar
Marcus Jidell (Avatarium) – Guitar
Paul Logue (Eden’s Curse, James LaBrie) – Bass
Neil Murray (Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Michael Schenker Group) – Bass
Greg Smith (Alice Cooper, Rainbow) – Bass
Tony Carey (Rainbow) – Keyboards
Thomas Broman (Great King Rat, Electric Boys, Humanimal) – Drums
Patrick Johansson (Yngwie Malmsteen, W.A.S.P., Impellitteri, NorthTale) – Drums
LINKS:
(Note: This site hasn’t been updated for many years but does still give you plenty of historical info on some of Doogie’s various projects)
Watch Chris Galea’s video interview with Doogie White here:
https://www.ever-metal.com/wp-content/2021/07/16/video-interview-with-doogie-white/
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Chris Galea and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
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