ALBUM REVIEW

COVERDALE/PAGE

“Coverdale/Page”

Geffen

* * *

The lineup may be different, but the songs remain the same.

Close your eyes and listen to “Coverdale/Page” and you’d swear you were hearing Led Zeppelin outtakes. Outtakes, because the lyrics aren’t as mystically provocative as Zeppelin’s, nor are the vocals as wrenchingly passionate.

That’s former Whitesnake vocalist David Coverdale doing his best imitation of Robert Plant, which is actually quite impressive. This pairing of two elder statesmen of British rock is heartfelt and accomplished. Not as bombastic as Whitesnake nor as excitingly diverse as Zeppelin, “Coverdale/Page” is nonetheless a rock-solid effort, with only the occasional banal ballad to interrupt the heavy, multi-textured rock songs. There’s nothing as monumental as “Stairway to Heaven” on this debut, but the duo has produced some dynamic, timeless and forceful classic rock, especially on the lush “Pride and Joy.”