This one has been requested over and over again: Deadline Records, in conjunction with WHITE LION frontman Mike Tramp have released Anthology ’83 – ’89, a selection of very early / pre-production recordings by the band compiled by Tramp himself and remastered to get the best quality audio possible – and the overall results are very good.
Among the highlights there’s original versions of “Wait,” “When The Children Cry” and “Lady Of The Valley” which were later re-recorded for the band’s monster major label debut ‘Pride’. We find as well rare, high quality studio demos of tracks from ‘Mane Attraction’ and ‘Big Game’, including songs that didn’t make the final cut of those albums.
What we have here is a comprehensive set of demos, alternate versions and unreleased tracks put together by Mike Tramp. That might put a few people off, but trust us, this is an essential purchase for the White Lion fan.
First, the sound quality of these songs is good, and second hearing these early versions and comparing them to the definitive is more than just interesting. The songs differ enough to stand on their own and in many cases are much heavier than the ones that ended up being released.
Although these tracks are original versions or demo versions, you can tell the power of the each songs. The voice of Tramp sounds wild, rawer than you heard later. Vito’s guitar sounds like he is, on his edge.
Yes – the sound is a bit rough, but there’s some kind of energy on each performance here that you can never get out of other albums. Very powerful, showcasing a band hungry for recognition.
There are other things that we really like about this release; you can hear a different version of songs such as “Hungry”, “Tell Me”, “The Road To Valhalla”, etc, and some are heavier, even better than the final, major label studio cuts.
Fans must hear this one, also if you like ’80s US hard rock with energy.
Highly Recommended
1.Hungry 03:44
2.Lady Of The Valley 05:08
3.Wait For The Blackout 04:55
4.All Join Our Hands 04:05
5.Tell Me 04:38
6.Say Goodbye 05:54
7.When The Children Cry 03:29
8.Little Fighter 04:28
9.If My Mind Is Evil 05:03
10.Living On The Edge 04:41
11.Cherokee 06:24
12.Cry For Freedom 04:29
13.How Does It Feel 04:23
14.The Road to Valhalla 05:08
15.Early Warning 04:38
16.Lights And Thunder 06:51
17.Back On The Streets 04:38
18.Love Don't Come Easy 04:13
19.Out With The Boys 04:28
20.It's Over 05:31
21.You're All I Need 04:11
22.Broken Heart 03:46
23.Till Death Do Us Part 05:16
24.Farewell To You 04:26
25.Deep In Love With You 05:22
26.Two People 04:04
27.Rock You Tonight 03:45
28.Evil Angels 04:41
29.Ride Through The Storm 04:22
30.We Rock All Night 02:57
White Lion – Anthology ’83-89 /2021, 2 CD+FLAC, CD-Rip
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