Review: Whitesnake, “Good To Be Bad”
A couple of years ago my concert-going buddy Tim and I went to Air Canada Centre to check out the Scorpions and Whitesnake. I wasn’t a fan of either band (though “Coverdale-Page” remains one of the best rock albums of the 90’s, in my humble opinion), but my pal wanted to check out the gig so I said “sure, why not”. While the Scorpions failed to impress me (I don’t get them, someone explain it to me), I remember being impressed big time by David Coverdale and his bandmates. There was a strong selection of hits, and Coverdale’s voice was in impeccable form. Still, I never thought the day would come when I’d call a new Whitesnake album one of my favourite recordings of the year.
But that’s what I’m saying about “Good To Be Bad”. It’s the first new Whitesnake studio album in a decade and rocks top to bottom. Coverdale is the only holdover from the band’s original line-up, but the guys he’s playing with today feel like a unit and not just a bunch of musicians for hire. But as good as players can be, it wouldn’t matter without the songs. “Good To Be Bad” is full of great ones, starting with the opening track “Best Years”. As an Allman Brothers Band fan, I can’t help but notice the tunes resemblance to “Whipping Post”, but that doesn’t diminish it’s strengths. From there the album hardly stops rocking, with the title track and the amazing “Lay Down Your Love” being two of the standouts to me. Add in the fact that Coverdale’s voice has hardly changed at all over the years and you have an album that just feels big. If there was a Led Zeppelin in 2008, this is the sort of album I’d want to hear from them. Big and bombastic with stellar songs and excellent performances.
There’s talk that Whitesnake could be in town this fall. I’ll probably have to go see them again, just to hear “Lay Down Your Love”. Check out the video for the song below and then use the band’s name as today’s bonus code.
May 1st, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Hi Andrew, The song has a bit of the old Slide-it-in flavour.
glad to hear David still has the pipes. Whitesnake may have some hired guns , but they are not a bunch of wish-they-could-have-beens - solid lineup like Reb Beach (who again recently toured with Winger), Timothy Drury (Yes), Chris Frazier (Steve Vai), and Doug Aldrich (you name it).
Two blogs in one week about Whitesnake - it’s gotta be worth the listen.
Thanks for the heads up - good to see some of the old boys back.
RiffBoyRob
P.S: I liked the Judas Priest song you posted, I’m anxious to hear that album too.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Ahh yes, Whitesnake. The first CD I ever bought was Whitesnake 1987. I didn’t even have a CD player yet so had to go out and get one. I loved songs like “Here I Go Again” (who didn’t?) and “Still of the Night”. Added a few other Whitesnake recordings to my collection including Come N’ Get It, Slide It In and Slip of the Tongue. Their earlier stuff was very bluesy rather than hard rock. All were dripping with sexual innuendo and double entendres. That David Coverdale sure is a horny bastard!