Rough Edge: Whitesnake CD Reviews

WHITESNAKE

"Good to Be Bad" (SPV; 2008)

Some albums are just too easy to review. Whitesnake's "Good to Be Bad" happens to be one of them.

While perhaps not one of the veteran band's best albums, "Good to Be Bad" is pure Whitesnake from the first track to the last. Solid guitars, David Coverdale's unique voices, songs that are packed with heavy hooks, this CD is one of those that makes it seem as though the band has only been away for a year or two, not the decade it's been.

Of course, Coverdale's joined on this CD by not one, but two legendary guitarists. Both Reb Beach and Doug Aldrich appear on "Good to Be Bad," and their work, again, with Coverdale's singular voice, combine to give the CD a vintage yet fresh classic rock feel.

Bottom line: If you're a Whitesnake fan, "Good to Be Bad" will not disappoint. It may not reach the peaks that "Slide It In," did almost twenty years ago but it's an entertaining return to form nonetheless.

Whitesnake: David Coverdale - vocals; Doug Aldrich - guitars; Reb Beach - guitars; Uriah Duffy - bass; Timothy Drury - keyboards; Chris Frazier - drums.

For more information, check out http://www.whitesnake.com.

"The Definitive Collection" (Geffen; 2006)

Reviewed by Jeff Rogers

The fact that Whitesnake has been around since 1978 and has more hits than a prize fight shows that David Coverdale and company know what sells. I won’t go into a history lesson about the band but most of us discovered Whitesnake in 1984 with “Slide It In.” Things just grew from there. When Whitesnake released their self-titled CD in 1987 and followed that up with “Slip Of The Tongue” in 1989, that CD saw the virtuoso guitar player Steve Vai help Whitesnake and then release his own incredible solo album. (Sorry, I thought I said I wouldn’t give a history lesson).

Anyway, this disc spans the entire career of David Coverdale (not to single him out, but he is the voice of Whitesnake). Coverdale's got moxie and it has helped him front Deep Purple for two albums starting in 1974 and in the solo projects he's done with the likes of Jimmy Page. He uses his bluesy voice to power all the Whitesnake tracks you remember from radio and MTV.

The thing I like about this disc is that it doesn’t start with hit number one and play like a greatest hits CD. Sure, the early favorites start the disc out, but the album tracklisting plays a few from each Whitesnake disc; they even pull a cut from a previous greatest hits disc, which makes it a greatest great hit, right?

This CD plucks hits from these albums:
1978 – Snakebite
1979 – Lovehunter
1980 – Ready An’ Willing
1981 – Come An’ Get It
1984 – Slide It In
1987 – Whitesnake
1989 – Slip Of The Tongue
1993 – Coverdale/Page

For more information, check out http://www.whitesnake.com.

"Slip of the Tongue" (Geffen; 1989)

Reviewed by Jeff Rogers

Although many would try to discredit Steve Vai for giving Whitesnake a new sound with his virtuoso guitar, he basically stepped in and fulfilled all the guitar responsibilities that Adrian Vandenberg could not. Was he supposed to just sit there and play written notes on a page? I think "Slip of the Tongue" is one of the best Whitesnake CDs ever released. "Fool For Your Loving" gets a facelift.

For the most part, this is the CD that Steve Vai got to focus his talents on. It's still Whitesnake but was also a musical departure that wasn't what most fans wanted. The masses rejected this CD because the metal hooks were not here and the pop fans probably thought it was weak compared to previous releases.

The vocals are strong, as always. Coverdale holds nothing back and notes that "coffee, Marlboro 100s and a wing an' a prayer" helped. Steve Vai releases some of the best ever riffs and licks for Whitesnake while the drums bust bolts and the bass thumps, too.

The best songs here are "Fool For Your Loving," "Kittens Got Claws," "Wings Of The Storm," "Judgment Day" and "Sailing Ships."

Whitesnake: David Coverdale - vocals; Steve Vai - guitar; Rudy Sarzo - bass; Tommy Aldridge - drums.

For more information, check out http://www.whitesnake.com.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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