Starkers: unclothed; undressed; naked; in puris naturalibus

Starkers in Tokyo by David Coverdale & Adrian Vandenberg (Whitesnake) are truly remarkable intimate session by both musicians and suits the title of the album. They were no drums, keyboards..nothing!. Just one singer, one guitar and this is the REAL unplugged of any version.

It was recorded at EMI-Toshiba in Tokyo (1997) in front of very few lucky peoples in commemorative of their 20th year in music industry.

Coverdale's English accent communicate with audiences in between songs were "polite" with full of resonance. In opening track Sailing Ships you will and already feels the sense of being in front of them. I've listen to this cd before at guru's system as I mentioned in "stereotype audiophiles" notes and I liked them. In my system the ambiance are greatly captured with vocal / guitar reverberation.

Coverdale's voice is still the same and I think he's still great as to perform acoustically with bare or minimum instruments are a real challenge.... and he did excellently. Vandenberg, the 80's rock guitar virtuoso played peacefully with graceful skills...no doubt about that. The guitar image was "pictured" as life size, the strings and body of the guitar resonates and projected in realistic manner. The air or space between strings are very well and clearly defined and this what I call less is more. I can truly enjoy this session as if I was there...

The last three songs are the most I enjoyed..Is this Love, Here I Go Again and Soldier of Fortune. Great guitar works on Is this love with soft strings harmonic in the end of song and Soldier of fortune was delivered flawlessly.

Dim your lights and you are there...

Beautiful face = beautiful voice?

Yes indeed, Georgian born singer Katie Melua has it all. Her third album pictures (Dramatico 2007) is her another successful released as a singer, song writer and as a musician. This album has quality of one button does it all, just press "play" and follow the drifts till the end of the album. A very listenable album in arranging, composing and recording quality and the list of musicians are all great. Being familiar with her second album Piece by Piece which features Nine million bicycles and just like heaven, I just grab this cd without second thought while in London late last year. A little late since it was released in Oct 2007.

Released October 1st 2007.

1. Mary Pickford (Used To Eat Roses)

2. All In My Head

3. If The Lights Go Out

4. What I Miss About You

5. Spellbound

6. What It Says On The Tin

7. Scary Films

8. Perfect Circle

9. Ghost Town

10. If You Were A Sailboat

11. Dirty Dice

12. In My Secret Life

A very brief info about this album which I think not really necessary, for once you'll forget the hifi/music review's jargon. What I like most are the sweetest vocals on track four with distance drums set back in the studio. Track 7 has mild a touch blues/rock, which in my opinion a refreshing and added variety to this new album. Track 8, reggae/brass beat that can attest your system ability in producing kick drum's sound, not just bass but real "kick bass". Track 10, with deep meaningful lyrics ....how I wish she's my lover, I can't get those words and emotional out of my head....day dreaming!.

Overall this album has great sense of space into the recording and the bass/drums has bouncy and organic quality to it. Her voice has matured and is more assured, lyrics that has "story telling" feelings delivered with dulcet tone of voices are just so GOOD!. This album deserves all the praises musically and replaces my chamomile blend tea for a calming effect on every evening.

Katie, I'm in love....