Versatile vocalist Doogie White currently fronts Alcatrazz but he’s also leant his considerable talents to Richie Blackmore, Yngwie Malmsteen and Michael Schenker. His work with such giants has (rather unfairly) overshadowed his own work but that seems set to change with an expanded edition of As Yet Untitled. To celebrate its 10th anniversary As Yet Untitled comes replete with bonus tracks and a disc of cover versions to celebrate Doogie’s unique career.
CD 1:
My first thought when hearing the introduction to opener ‘Come Taste The Band’ was: ‘What Deep Purple album is this from?’ The heavy and ethereal organ solo is a mixture of prog and classical and conjures images of John Lord encased in dry ice and the drum roll that breaks the spell is very Ian Paice but the sublime vocals that sail atop a stormy riff could only belong to Doogie White. Originally written as Doogie’s audition for Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow it’s no surprise it draws Purple comparisons and was a sure fire way to please the man in black. It’s an adrenaline inducing all out rocker that fires like a starting pistol and sets the bar high for the rest of As Yet Untitled. On ‘Time Machine’ Doogie draws favourable parallels to Ian Gillan but he’s certainly his own man as evidenced by his wide vocal range which colours the powerful ‘Dreams Lay Down And Die’ with vibrant, rich hues.
That Doogie has sung for such luminaries as Rainbow, Rising Force and Michael Schenker’s Temple Of Rock shouldn’t come as a surprise and his versatile voice is well suited to all. However, As Yet Untitled sounds like none of those bands and, with Doogie co-penning all 12 tracks, it not only displays his talents as a songwriter but gives this album a unified feel. Veering seamlessly between the Badfinger vibe of ‘Sea Of Emotion’ and ballsy rocker ‘Catz Got Yer Tongue’ makes this album an enjoyable ride and when you factor in seasoned musicians like Neil Murray (Black Sabbath) and Alex Dickson (Gun) the result was never going to be anything less than stellar. Like Rod Stewart fronting Rose Tattoo ‘Living On The Cheap’ encapsulates all that’s good about rock n’ roll from the silky guitar solos to the haunting hooks via the memorable melodies. The wheel in perpetual motion ‘Times Like These’ is the perfect road song and brought the original album to a suitably grandiose conclusion.
Bolstering an already strong album are two bonus cuts that were left off the original for various reasons. ‘Dishing The Dirt’ (with a riff AC/DC would kill for) and the more nuanced ‘Small Time Saturday Night’ perfectly illustrate the fire and ice that comprise Doogie White.
CD 2:
With a looser vibe than the first disc this collection of tracks pulls together various cover versions with which to showcase Doogie talents. Doogie actually auditioned for the Maiden job (losing out to Blaze) but, at a time when both Maiden and metal were at a commercial ebb, that position turned out to be a poisoned chalice. However, judging by his performances on ‘The Clairvoyant’ and ‘Bring Your Daughter…To The Slaughter’ we can only imagine what Maiden could have achieved with Doogie at the helm. He adds some neat vocal inflections to ‘The Clairvoyant’ and imparts his own personality on the song (and indeed all these tracks) which is how all good cover versions should be handled and ensures the twelve tunes contained here aren’t mere facsimiles.
Two from UFO become more punchy and muscular under Doogie’s tutelage (especially ‘Too Hot Too Handle’) and the band put a decidedly Led Zeppelin twist on Whitesnake’s ‘Judgement Day’. The sheer joy found on ‘Let’s Spend The Night Together’ is highly contagious and sounds like it could have come straight from Bowie’s Pin Ups album which, of course, is a good thing. The classics keep coming and ‘This Flight Tonight’ puts its foot firmly on the accelerator while Thin Lizzy’s ‘Emerald’ is delivered with military muster. Closing the disc is a tight-but-loose version of Sam Cooke’s ‘Twistin’ The Night Away’ but it’s delivered very much in the style of Rod Stewart and rounds things off in very high spirits.
This set is not only a fine celebration of As Yet Untitled’s 10th anniversary but of Doogie White himself and if you’ve yet to make his acquaintance this is a good place to start.
- Reviewed by Peter Dennis.
- As Yet Untitled is released via Store For Music on 4th June 2021
- Official Website
Tracklisting:
CD 1:
- Come Taste The Band
- Time Machine
- Dreams Lay Down And Die
- Lonely
- Land Of The Deceiver
- Secret Jesus
- Sea Of Emotion
- Catz Got Yer Tongue
- Living On The Cheap
- Times Like These
Bonus Tracks:
- Dishing The Dirt
- Small Town Saturday Night
CD 2:
- The Clairvoyant
- Too Hot Too Handle
- Judgement Day
- Let’s Spend The Night Together
- This Flight Tonight
- Long Gone
- Emerald
- Crying In The Rain
- Love Hurts
- Not Fade Away
- Bring Your Daughter…To The Slaughter
- Twistin’ The Night Away
