So 1985 rolls around and the boys in Vandenberg release Alibi. In what may come as a bit of a shocker! I don’t take the bait and buy Alibi upon it’s release!
Considering how much I loved and still do the self titled debut. The followup(Heading For A Storm) as you all know now after Friday’s post was way to similar to the debut. Perhaps maybe that’s why I turned the other cheek.
Than again their was so much music coming out that I had to be selective so fast forward 33 years (2018) and viola I finally heard Alibi for the first time ever….!
Once again like the previous two Vandenberg albums. Guitarist Adrian Vandenberg does everything. Adrian wrote all the tunes as well as did the album cover. The only thing he didn’t do was produce Alibi as that job went to Japp Engermont.
Alibi was an intersting listen as the band Vandenberg has been broken up since 1985-86 so hearing this album long after all this time was interesting knowing the outcome.
The outcome being that Singer Bert Heerink was given the boot and the band lost its record deal and Adrian joined Whitesnake in 1987. The band known as Vandenberg was kaput!
But Before all of this….
I will give Adrian credit as he shifted gears somewhat musically with Alibi. Gone was the sound of the first two albums. In its place was the mid 80’s hard rock sound. Dokken like perhaps in spots.
The album opens with a straight ahead rocker like tracks in All The Way and Pedal to the Metal. Adrian I will say when soloing in his own band with his own songs is a phenomenal player as he smokes the fretboard with a Schenker like style which has always appealed to me and not playing a zillion notes per millisecond like that Malmsteem character! Also what stands out are the backing vocals which sound huge which to my ears was a first on a Vandenberg album as well.
Most of the album follows that formula of straight ahead rock but a couple of the slower tracks that being Once In A Lifetime and How Long have more of that what Foreigner was selling back in the 1980’s. These two tracks are so so. Vandenberg grasping for another hit like Burning Heart did 3 years earlier.
Adrian though flexes his muscle yet again with a classical guitar piece called Prelude Mortal. In a real interesting move Alibi ends with the 5 minute instrumental titled Kamikaze.

Alibi was an ok to decent listen. Adrian had a ton of pressure I’m sure as he was the sole writer of all the material. The sound being a polished Vandenberg album but then again maybe the band were in freak out mode as within 4 years and 3 albums being released it was all over for them!
I have never heard this one either, honestly didn’t know there was one after #2. Sounds like it as least worth a listen.
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It was a decent listen but kind of the formula many were following at that point.
If you come across any Vandenberg John scoop it..
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Haha!! “HEY! WE MAY NOT BE SELLING RECORDS ANYMORE BUT WE LOOK SNAZZY IN OUR COOL SWAG” they do look snazzy! Haha!
As for the tunes, I’ll be checking this one out, too. That dude has some serious guitar chops!
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Yup Vandenberg was the meal ticket as his playing is wicked good…
I cannot believe they never made it to the other level…
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Yeah, I could definitely get into some of this stuff… melodic, rockin’, well crafted songs… excellent covers!
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Only 33 years too late! Haha better late to the table than never, Deke! Shame it didn’t knock your socks off, though, sounds like these folks would have been capable of it. Still, a decent listen is better than suuuuuuuck!
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This was my first Vanderberg LP and still my favorite. Live the opener All The Way
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Not enough sharks on this one.
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