Alibi has the peculiar distinction of being a terrific album that arrived at precisely the wrong moment to receive the recognition it deserved.
Such is life. The universe is indifferent, record executives are worse, and occasionally a crocodile on an album cover is a more reliable judge of artistic merit than a man in a suit.
Who are Vandenberg?
The story begins in the Netherlands with Adrian Vandenberg, a guitarist who possessed the unfortunate combination of extraordinary talent and the desire to make a living from it. After his earlier band Teaser came to an end, he assembled a new outfit in 1981 with vocalist Bert Heerink, bassist Dick Kemper, and drummer Jos Zoomer. They named the group after Adrian himself, which was either a stroke of confidence or a very efficient way of ensuring that nobody would forget whose guitar was doing the talking.
The quartet secured a record deal with Atlantic after their demo attracted attention, then released their self-titled debut in 1982. The single “Burning Heart” became a US hit, reaching No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their second album, Heading for a Storm, followed in 1983, building on the band’s mixture of muscular hard rock, memorable melodies, and Vandenberg’s increasingly assured guitar work.
By the time Alibi arrived in 1985, the group had acquired experience, ambition, and a formidable guitarist who could make six strings sound like a perfectly reasonable substitute for therapy.
Alibi – The Album Review
The album opens with a declaration of intent. “All the Way” is melodic hard rock in its most irresistible form: a strong central hook, an expansive chorus, and a guitar performance that understands the difference between showing off and giving the audience something to remember. This is the sort of song that makes driving seem heroic, even if you’re merely going to buy washing-up liquid. The chorus is built for the open road.
“Pedal to the Metal” is the album’s high-octane statement, powered by muscular riffing. The song doesn’t waste time pondering the human condition. The human condition can ponder itself while the guitars get on with the important work. Vandenberg’s playing is razor sharp and controlled, and the rhythm section gives the song the necessary weight.
“Once in a Lifetime” has a broad melodic sweep, an accessible chorus, and the kind of carefully constructed arrangement that makes a song feel familiar without making it feel disposable. Heerink’s voice is a crucial part of the equation. He can deliver a melody with conviction. The result is a song with enough emotional warmth to appeal to melodic-rock devotees and enough bite to satisfy those who prefer their music with a little more voltage. It is the sort of track that makes you suspect the band could have enjoyed a considerably longer run at the top had the musical gods been less distracted.
“Voodoo” brings a darker, more mysterious atmosphere to the proceedings. The title suggests black magic, forbidden rituals, and a suspiciously large number of candles. The track gives the album some welcome variation, and Vandenberg’s guitar work remains the main attraction. It is a compact, energetic piece of hard rock that helps keep the first half of the record moving.
Elsewhere, a title like “Dressed to Kill” practically demands shoulder pads, dangerous hair, and a lawyer on retainer. Happily, the music delivers the attitude without requiring the listener to purchase a mirror the size of a refrigerator.
The song belongs to the album’s more direct, riff-driven side. It has swagger, a punchy arrangement, and that unmistakable mid-eighties confidence that made hard rock sound like the natural soundtrack to a world in which everybody owned a sports car, even if most of them could barely afford the insurance.
“Fighting Against the World” supplies the defiant, arena-sized spirit the genre does so well. “How Long” allows the melodies room to breathe and shows that Vandenberg’s musical vocabulary extends beyond the gratifying business of making amplifiers sound angry.
At just over half a minute, ” Prelude Mortale” is a brief instrumental interlude that has the good manners not to overstay its welcome. It serves as a transition into the closing stretch, adding a touch of atmosphere before the main event resumes.
The title track “Alibi” sits near the heart of the album’s identity. It combines the melodic sensibility that made Vandenberg accessible with the guitar-led muscularity that made the group worth hearing in the first place. The track rewards attention to the interplay between the vocals and guitar, and it reinforces the impression of a band operating with considerable confidence, even as the commercial climate was becoming less hospitable.
The album closes with a statement of intent that is impossible to mistake. “Kamikaze” stretches out, allowing Adrian Vandenberg to demonstrate his command of instrumental rock. The extended guitar passages give the album a satisfying finale. There is fire in the playing, but also structure and purpose.
It is an excellent closing number and one of the strongest reasons to revisit Alibi as a complete album rather than merely a collection of songs from an old hard-rock playlist.
Alibi deserves to be regarded as far more than a historical curiosity for collectors of obscure hard rock. It is a confident, melodic, guitar-driven album that captures a talented band at a pivotal moment in its history.
Alibi – The Vinyl Review
Picked up secondhand but in near mint condition for a tenner at Rough Trade in Nottingham, this Japanese import version ticked all the required boxes for a bargain. The sleeve, the vinyl, the inner sleeve all in top notch condition and the fact that is a Japanese import The inner sleeve has lyric sheet in Japanese and English and the vinyl plays beautifully.
Donnie’s Rating: 8.5/10
