the project and wouldn't commit to live dates. Pratt, meanwhile, stated that Page was content with performing in theaters, while Coverdale considered it "downsizing". Japanese dates for December 1993 were still tentatively booked, and according to Coverdale, it wasn't until he brought the matter directly to Page that the latter agreed to do the shows. These concerts marked the first time Page had played in the country since Led Zeppelin's 1972 Japanese Tour. Aside from Coverdale–Page material, the seven shows also featured certain Whitesnake and Led Zeppelin songs. Despite the lack of any further touring, both Coverdale and Page intended to continue working together. However, according to Coverdale, Page's manager "insisted we call it a day", thus their work together came to an abrupt end. While rehearsing for the Japanese dates, Page was contacted by Plant's management about performing with him on MTV Unplugged. This eventually came to fruition with the "Unledded" project in 1994. Reception Coverdale–Page was met with mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. Rolling Stones J. D. Considine stated: "Coverdale–Page may not be the second coming of Led Zeppelin, but it's close enough that only the most curmudgeonly would deny the band its due." He gave kudos to Page's guitar playing and Coverdale's vocals, feeling the voice had "never been put to better use" than against the guitar. Dave Lewis, writing for Record Collector, touted the record as Page's best work since the break up of Led Zeppelin, while Jörg Staude of Metal Hammer commended Coverdale for what he perceived as an improved performance compared to the previous two Whitesnake albums. Katharine Truman, for the Los Angeles Times, noted that while "not as bombastic as Whitesnake nor as excitingly diverse as Zeppelin, Coverdale–Page is nonetheless a rock-solid effort". Q magazine's staff declared the album "excellent" and wrote that it "screams classic from start to finish", while the staff of Rock Hard called the record "a successful symbiosis" of Coverdale and Page's past works. Critic Robert Christgau rated Coverdale–Page a "Dud", which his website describes as a "bad record whose details rarely merit further thought". Entertainment Weeklys David Browne characterised the album as an "incredible, if pointless" Led Zeppelin imitation. The Chicago Tribunes Greg Kot also called the album "pointless" and a "Led Zeppelin rehash beneath Page and beyond singer David Coverdale". Several outlets were highly critical of Coverdale, whose performance many considered a poor imitation of Plant.