Whitelaw - Almost Unplugged

Experience something new, yet familiar! 14 tracks in a unique style, including 14 pages of Whitelaw´s history spiced with photos. The total of this DVD-booklet 24 pages.

Just like the Blackshirt’s edition, Almost Unplugged comes in a slim-DVD case!

Don’t miss this special release by Midgård Records, unlike but still alike any Whitelaw release.

Whitelaw Almost Unplugged, a project undertaken by Benny and Paul of Whitelaw.

This project came about to enhance different styles of musical qualities and ideas that both Benny and Paul had been thinking about for a long time. Paul is known for his guitar skills on tracks recorded on albums and when playing live, but with Whitelaw Almost Unplugged, it has given him the freedom to totally express his guitar skills to the max. It’s opened up a whole different meaning with his guitar solos, changing the dimensions of some songs that were previously recorded on earlier albums.

This album is a show case album for Pauls abilities as a musician to take it to another level. Using a mixture of guitars, acoustic and electric totally enhances the sounds, created to make the tracks full and bold. The acoustic guitar used is a Hohner guitar, which was previously owned by Ian Stuart, and this gives it a great twist to hear one of his guitars working again. All songs can have different attributes in them, some can be about lyrical content, others can be about a singalong chorus or a full drum or bass line, but with Whitelaw Almost Unplugged it was about showcasing both lyrical range and quality guitarmanship together on an equal level to enhance the sound of the songs. This can be seen especially in some songs where Paul plays a Middle Eight on his Jackson electric guitar. Most notably in the reworked song Good Friends, which originally was recorded on ‘Take the Salute’ the album in 1998. Benny and Paul wanted to show that, even though some of the songs included on this album had been previously worked and released before, new life could be breathed into them, giving them a new direction and meaning. With Benny’s lyrics and passion for writing songs inspiring people, and with the mix of Pauls guitaring, the songs just cry out at you. This album retains the work of the full band and showcases the hard work and determination of all the band members of Whitelaw.

What is most noticeable is that the power is still retained within the clearness of Benny’s voice and the strength and passion that run alongside the musical guidance of Pauls guitaring. The album took 5 days to record in the early part of August of 2019 in Northern England. The plan was to originally record maybe half a dozen songs to go on a split project that Midgard Records were thinking of doing, but when one of the staff at Midgard heard the first three tracks Benny and Paul had been working on after the first day, they contacted them immediately to tell them to carry on recording, as they had totally changed their minds and wanted a full album. They said that they were really excited about what they had heard from the first three songs and they couldn’t let the opportunity to hear more pass by. So with a free reign in the studio Benny and Paul, with no particular plan to follow, did what they do best, worked hard and long to create fourteen songs which definitely show Whitelaw to be one of the most hardworking bands to grace the RAC music scene, never losing pace with their originality and drive that they originally created back in 1997 when they first graced the RAC music scene with their presence.      

1. Europe's cause
2. Pack & go
3. Just ain't you
4. I don't care
5. Hail the European victory
6. Blighty
7. Words of my Father
8. White whores
9. His will
10. Will you stand tall?
11. Tomorrow belongs to me
12. We warned you
13. Sons of Europe
14. Good friends