Posted 03/Sepy/2019
PartII
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Throughout Whitesnakefs roughly 40-year career, the David Coverdale?led band has featured more than its fair share of accomplished guitarists on record and onstage.
They have included blues rockers Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden in the early years, and John Sykes, Adrian Vandenberg and Vivian Campbell starting in the mid f80s. Later iterations featured Steve Vai, Warren DeMartini and Doug Aldrich.
So itfs no small compliment, nor is it an overstatement, to say that the bandfs current guitar team of Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra can stand toe-to-toe with any of their predecessors. Indeed, both players come to Whitesnake with distinguished pedigrees. Beach, who joined in 2002, first made his name as a hotshot guitar slinger with Winger, and has played with acts like Alice Cooper, Night Ranger and Dokken, as well as performed session work for artists ranging from the Bee Gees to Chaka Khan to Howard Jones. Hoekstra, meanwhile, is quite possibly one of the busiest players in the guitar universe today. A fellow former Night Ranger member, hefs racked up thousands of performances as a musician in Broadway shows like Rock of Ages and Love, Janis. Concurrent with his Whitesnake duties, he also performs with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Cher.
Both Beach and Hoekstra can be heard on Whitesnakefs new and 13th studio album, Flesh & Blood (Frontiers Music Srl). Though they recorded together for 2015fs The Purple Album, a reimagining of songs from Coverdalefs tenure in Deep Purple, Flesh & Blood is the first time the two have collaborated on a Whitesnake record of original material. And judging by the albumfs 13 tracks, they had a hell of a good time.
In true Whitesnake tradition, Flesh & Blood is a veritable guitar orgy, with nonstop riffs, licks and ridiculously flashy solos bursting forth at seemingly every second of the recordfs roughly hour-long running time. Therefs no shortage of head-spinning, ear-wrangling six-string wizardry to be found on the album, whether itfs the high-energy riff-rock like album opener, gGood to See You Again,h or the first single, gShut Up & Kiss Me.h The record also includes epic midtempo stompers like the title track and gSands of Time,h and classic Whitesnake-style ballads such as the bluesy gHeart of Stoneh and the acoustic gAfter All.h
As Beach puts it, gItfs a pretty good gig for a guy like me.h
As well it is for Hoekstra. But maybe the luckiest of all is Coverdale, who gets to play with both guitarits. As he tells Guitar Player, gI couldnft ask for a better pair. Youfve got Reb, whofs a balls-to-the-wall but also incredibly melodic guitarist, and then Joel, who brings in a whole spectrum of incredible colors with his arsenal of musicality. They bring it all, and they fire on all six. Theyfre both scorching-hot guitar players.h
In the following interview, Beach and Hoekstra discuss the writing and recording of Flesh & Blood, the gear they used on the album and what they love most about playing in Whitesnake. Additionally, both open up about their session and stage work, and go deep into what it takes to be a successful, well-rounded and ? itfs worth noting ? continually employed guitarist.
Whitesnake has a long legacy of featuring great guitarists. What do you think David Coverdale looks for in his players?
Reb Beach He looks for a star, dahling! [laughs] One thing I would say is he doesnft like two guitar players that are exactly the same. He likes having one bluesier guy, which in this case would be me, and one super-flash guy. And thatfs definitely Joel.
Joel Hoekstra Davidfs really great at honing the Whitesnake sound, and so he looks for things that obviously fit in the blues-driven, hard-rock realm. But there are also other sides to Whitesnake. For instance, a lot of Davidfs ballads are rooted in Motown, believe it or not. So he has that sensibility, too. But I think the most important thing with David is to have a positive, agreeable personality. Hefs been around long enough that he just looks for people who are going to be good teammates.
How did the two of you work together on Flesh & Blood?
Hoekstra Thatfs complicated to answer, because in terms of songwriting, we worked on songs with David separately, and then we worked together for a period of time. But for the most part, itfs about making sure David is cool with it all. Neither Reb nor I are the type who wants every solo. Wefre both more than happy to share the wealth. In terms of who gets what solo, it usually just takes care of itself. Neither one of us is fighting for scraps of meat. As a guitarist in Whitesnake, you get plenty of opportunities to be showcased.
Beach I was there [in the studio] a lot more than Joel. I basically lived with David. So when it came time for leads, I just picked up a guitar and played over every solo section and picked the ones I wanted to do. I need to be kind of inspired. Therefs some stuff that, for me, sucks to play over. There are just some chords that Ifm terrible at. Joel doesnft have that problem. He can play over everything, and everything he does is perfect the first time. Itfs like nothing Ifve ever seen before. He came in to do this one solo, and he played something off the top of his head that was perfect from front to back. And I said, gThatfs perfect. Youfre done.h He said, gNo, let me try it again.h And he did it again, exactly the same way!
That sounds like a really annoying person to be around.
Beach Well, Ifm not going to comment on that! [laughs] No, no, no. Hefs great. And hefs a genius when it comes to, you know, just music. No matter what key something is in, he can play over it, whereas I donft want to ever play anything in, like, A flat, ever! There has to be dots on the fretboard, or forget it.
Joel, what would you say are Rebfs strengths as a guitarist?
Hoekstra Reb has a real identifiable style, and itfs something that fans have been exposed to for a long time. Itfs established. And I think everybody knows hefs a great lead player. But one thing I really learned when I joined Whitesnake is what a great rhythm player he is. Hefs really tight. So I would say itfs the fluidness of his lead playing, the accuracy and tightness of his rhythms, and also the fact that hefs just a great riff writer.
You each have a diverse resume. What led you down such varied paths?
Hoekstra My parents are classical musicians, so out of the gate I think I understood the importance of not turning my nose up at learning classical and jazz and other styles besides rock. Also, I grew up in the f80s, which was an era where everybody was really openminded about guitar playing. But an interesting thing is, I graduated from GIT [Guitar Institute of Technology] basically right when gSmells Like Teen Spirith came out, and it was the beginning of that time of, gThat guyfs a shredder, donft hire him.h Initially, that was a huge bummer for me, but it turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened, because from f92 all the way to about 2008, I couldnft just fall back on chops as the thing that made me valuable. I had to turn myself into a much better musician.
To that end, youfve done a lot of work on Broadway, and youfre currently playing with Cher.
Hoekstra The first theater gig I did in New York was a show about Janis Joplin ? Love, Janice ? in which I played f60s-style rock. Then I toured with a show called It Ainft Nothinf but the Blues. Then I subbed in the pit for Tarzan, which Phil Collins wrote the music for. And from that I got Rock of Ages, which was great because I had just joined Night Ranger not long before, and therefs a Night Ranger song in the show. It was f80s rock, so they figured I was perfect.
The Cher gig ? thatfs not something that I would have envisioned doing when I was a 13-year-old boy with my guitar. But Ifm having a blast doing it. You play, like, a million styles on that gig, and itfs obviously a totally different crowd than youfll get in a Whitesnake show.
Reb, youfve worked outside of rock as well. Early in your career you did session work for the Bee Gees, Chaka Khan and Howard Jones, among others.
Beach I went to Berklee for a couple semesters, and I hated it. But what got my foot in the door was I did a session for [singer] Fiona, who was on Atlantic Records, and Beau Hill was the producer. I did the whole album, and at the end of it, he said, gListen, itfs time to pay you. I donft want to insult you, but how does five-hundred dollars sound?h And I was like, gFive-hundred dollars? Thatfs incredible!h [laughs] So Beau started telling people, gIfve got this kid, hefs great to work with, hefs a great player, and he does it all for five-hundred bucks!h And I became the go-to rock guy at Atlantic Records. I didnft have to play other styles. You know, whether it was Chaka Khan or the Bee Gees, I just came in to play the stock gf80s rock solo.h And my whole life, thatfs kind of the style Ifve been playing.
Outside of being a great player, what are important attributes to help a guitarist get a gig?
Hoekstra You need to do all the simple things, like be the guy who shows up on time and has a good attitude. Be detailed-oriented and be the consummate professional. And stay busy, even if sometimes that means just doing work and not getting paid, because Ifve found that work creates work. If youfre out there networking and interacting with people, that tends to lead to opportunities.
Beach For me, I just happen to be a happy guy. I laugh a lot and I have a good sense of humor, and I think thatfs really helped me. Another thing is I think itfs important to be comfortable as a performer. I had a stage mom who would push me to be in Pippin and Oliver! and things like that when I was a kid, so Ifve always been onstage. Ifm very comfortable up there. Also, I have a strong voice, and thatfs rare for a guitar player. Thatfs probably the only reason I got the Alice Cooper gig, because you need background vocals, and itfs hard to find a guitar player who can do that.
Do you change up your gear depending on the gig?
Hoekstra Definitely. Whitesnake is still old-school amps, so Ifm using Friedman BE-100s onstage and in the studio, and then for the recording I also had a Mezzabarba and a Victory and a Marshall. My main guitar on the record is a [Gibson] f57 Les Paul Reissue Goldtop. With Cher, its interesting, because I first filled in for a guy who was using an amp and a big pedalboard, and they loved his sounds. So when the gig became mine, I had to take a Fractal Axe-Fx and use an A/B switch and program his sounds into it, which was kind of a cool task. And the guitars are all over the place, because there are all these different styles. I play a Tele, a Strat, a Jazzmaster, a Les Paulca bunch of stuff. And for Cherfs f80s material, like gIf I Could Turn Back Time,h I use a Jackson PC1. Thatfs sort of my superstrat of choice.
Reb, how about you?
Beach Ifm just so basic. I always play through the same amp and the same guitar, and maybe Ifll throw a distortion pedal in there if I need it for soloing. But for the most part itfs pretty boring ? just direct into the amp, meat-and-potatoes stuff. Any effects you want to add, you add them later. So for Whitesnake, itfs my Suhr guitar through a Suhr head, and maybe with a Suhr Shiba Drive pedal if I need more overdrive for a solo. Back when I was doing a lot of sessions, it was Atlantic Studios and they had all the rack gear and effects, so you could add that stuff if you wanted it. But I never was a big pedalboard guy.
How do you balance having more than one gig going at the same time?
Beach It can be problematic. Winger waits to see what Whitesnake is going to do, and Whitesnake typically waits until the last minute to book stuff. Kip [Winger] gets pissed off at me sometimes, because we need to write a new record at some point, and it just seems like David is never going to stop. But also, all the Winger guys are super busy with other stuff, too. I mean, Kip is off the charts. He was nominated for a Grammy for his orchestral record [Conversations with Nijinsky], and now hefs doing a Broadway show called Get Jack that he wrote all the music for. But Winger will basically take this year off because Whitesnake is out touring.
Hoekstra Itfs difficult to balance everything. Cher is doing arenas during Whitesnake dates, so Ifm subbed out of her shows during that time. She kind of lets me come and go, which has been really nice. So within reason Ifm there whenever I can make it. And then the Trans-Siberian Orchestra have their holiday stuff consistently set in stone for November and December, and that causes anyone else Ifm playing with to either avoid that time or figure out a plan around it. That led to things like me subbing out of Night Ranger basically every year during those months. So itfs always a challenge. Scheduling is a stressful thing, and itfs never fun, because it makes people think that you donft appreciate having all the gigs. But having the gigs is definitely something I appreciate and value highly.
That said, what do you each love most about being in Whitesnake?
Beach I would have to say playing on these giant stages, and playing with David. Sometimes when he hits that note in gStill of the Night,h hefll be standing right next to me and the hairs on my arms will be standing up.
Hoekstra The songs would have to be the answer. That, and the guys in the band. Therefs a lot of humor in Whitesnake. Rebfs a really funny guy. Our bass player, Michael Devin, is probably the funniest bandmate Ifve ever had in my life. And Davidfs so great. So we have a lot of good times. But playing great music is just so important. Because you see the audience enjoying what youfre doing, and that kinda just makes your job easy.
Beach Therefs just so many good things about Whitesnake. You know, you play these songs, and you feel like a star up there on the stage. And you get a spotlight and everything! And I love the spotlight. [laughs] I eat that stuff up!
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