KERRANG - June 19897 - Album Reviews

Michael White
Michael White
(Atlantic 81753-1 import)

Spot The Difference

by Derek Oliver

*Quality Rating=KKKKK
(Best out of Possible 0-5)

A debut album from a new and formidable solo talent that creeps around very serious Led Zeppelin territory. Initially, I found the comparison almost laughable; I mean, even the record sleeve shows Michael posing a la Robert Plant circa 'Song Remains The Same' with an almost perfect shaggy perm and sneer to match.
And his vocals? Well, lets just say that he's been causing mucho intense confusion amongst my, er, acquaintances, almost leading to a fist fight in one particular instance with someone insisting that his songs were, in fact, early unreleased Zeppelin outtakes! If I hadn't had the benefit of knowing it was actually Michael White, I might have wholeheartedly lent my (formidable) weight to the latter explanation... Believe me, the comparison is unreal.

Recorded in Munich, although Michael I understand is American (apparently, he used to play in a covers band called The White who specialised in a Zeppelin tribute with excellent financial results), and produced by that marvel of the utterly complicated recording desk Mack (the man who put the oomph! into both Queen and Billy Squier), this record is actually very entertaining and musically extraordinarily competent. However, at times the Plant-Zeppelin influence becomes so dominant that matters tend to get rather out of hand.

The track 'Matriarch', for example, is so similar to Zep's funky backslapping 'The Ocean' (on their 'Houses Of The Holy' LP) that I'd swear it's the same tune with a new lyrical arrangement. "One Good Turn' emerges as an acoustic based ditty with heavy orchestration, a trait used to massive effect by Zeppelin on the 'Led Zep III' album and, in some respects, carried right through to the mega-triumph of 'Kashmir'.

Elsewhere, you've got every possible Plant-esqueyelp, squel and 'Ooh yeah, babe', fat guitar very much in the cut'n'thrust style of Jimmy Page and massive drums in the Bonham mould. An intensely inviting sound alright, and one I'm actually quite chuffed about if truth be told. The songs, despite the niggling influences, are superb multi-layered affairs, benefiting from unusual exotic arrangements and superior musicianship (although the actual players are, for some bizarre reason, not credited. Rumour has it, however, that some major names are involved, including ex-WASP guitarist Randy Piper.)

5 K's then for having the guts to go for it in such an outrageously controversial fashion!