This is both exciting and depressing all at the same time. Great to know that there's one last chance to hear David Coverdale belt out some great tunes, even if he has to pass over his much-neglected Euro release, Restless Heart (which has some of his best songwriting on it). He's also not touring with longtime guitar slinger Adrian Vandenberg or classic Whitesnake guitar player, John Sykes. Oddly enough, he's recruited Reb Beach, formerly of Winger, formerly of Alice Cooper, formerly of Dokken. And the opening band is ... Dokken. No word on who the guitar player is in that band, but that band is a bad joke of its former self in any event. Reb apparently left on bad terms with Don Dokken himself (then again, who doesn't). So it oughta be an interesting month for those guys.

To compound matters, there's no initial date for Houston, so I have to look at a February 8 roadie to San Antonio to catch the show. Whitesnake is co-headlining with The Scorpions, and San An is a pretty good heavy metal market. But there's no way in hell they'll fill even a half-closed Alamodome. Its still kinda being written in dry erase now, so there's hope they'll hit a Houston venue. As long as its not in The Woodlands, I'm down with it.

For a video of Don't Fade Away, click here. Its among his best work and the CD never got released in the US. The sound is kinda tinny on this, so take that into account. The whole CD reads like a life story of a rock star washed away, which is what DC is. So its very interesting to listen to the whole thing.