Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad (Release Year – 2008)
Could 2008 be the Year of the Snake?
Whitesnake has returned with their first new studio album since the 1997 album, Restless Heart.
Before I go any further in this review, I will admit, I am biased towards Whitesnake. They have been one of my favorite bands for years, and I have been anxiously awaiting this disc. I am also a long time fan of guitarist, Doug Aldrich. I am quite familiar with his work prior to joining Whitesnake (Lion, Bad Moon Rising, House Of Lords, Hurricane, Burning Rain) and am also a little biased towards him as well.
With that being said, I have played Good to Be Bad several times, and have found it quite to my liking. Aldrich’s guitar sound on this record is fairly close to that of John Sykes playing on the Slide It In, and the multi-platinum, self titled album from 1987. John Sykes is not an easy guitar player to imitate, and I am not sure if that is what Adrich was trying to achieve with his playing. Nonetheless he shreds on this disc, and his guitar work is absolutely killer! He has achieved that signature guitar sound that was present on the two most successful Whitesnake albums of all time.
David Coverdale is no spring chicken at 56 years old, and yet his vocals are excellent as always.
The band could have a bunch of hits on their hands, especially with the tracks, Best Years, All I Want All I Need, All For Love and Good To Be Bad.
The song All For Love sounds so much like a lost Thin Lizzy tune, it is scary, and yet, incredibly cool. This is an amazing new song, and one of my new favorites.
I can hear some 70’s style Whitesnake in the songs, Summer Rain and ‘Til The End of Time. Both tunes have more of a bluesy feel to them. It is good to hear Whitesnake revisting their roots, even if it is an different set of musicians for this record. I can see the lighters and cell phones coming out, if the band chooses to play either one of these songs live.
The cool thing about Good To Be Bad is, I hear different things each time I listen to it. I will not tire of hearing guitar work this good in a long long time. This album is already on top of my play list and is going to take a monster of an album to surpass this disc in 2008!
Don’t hesitate to pick this one up! This is an awesome return to form for Whitesnake, and is easily one of their top discs ever! Good Job Whitesnake! Now bring your tour to the U.S. soon please!!
You can buy a copy of Whitesnake’s Good To Be Bad CD, at this link.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
Disc: 1
1. Best Years
2. Can You Hear The Wind Blow
3. Call On Me
4. All I Want All I Need
5. Good To Be Bad
6. All For Love
7. Summer Rain
8. Lay Down Your Love
9. A Fool In Love
10. Got What You Need
11. `Til The End Of Time
Disc: 2
1. Burn-Stormbringer (live version)
2. Give Me all Your Love Tonight (live version)
3. Walking In The Shadow…. (live version)
4. The Deeper The Love (live version)
5. Ready & Willing (live version)
6. Don t Break My Heart Again (live version)
7. Take Me with You (live version)
8. Ready To Rock (enhanced video)
Whitesnake is:
David Coverdale – Vocals
Doug Aldrich – Lead Guitar
Reb Beach – Rhythm Guitar
Chris Frazier – Drums
Uriah Duffy – Bass
Timothy Drury – Keyboards
Danger Danger - Revolve
Lynch Mob - Smoke and Mirrors
Outloud! -S/T
Stryper - Murder By Pride
Whitesnake has never let me down in the past!
I’m a 41 year-old Portuguese Snake fan. Since my youth in high-school i listened to their music. Like any fan i rush into the store to buy the album and I just can’t stop listening. If they had more media support most of the musics would be hits. For me it’s a perfect mix bettween Withesnake familiar sound and recent hard rock sounds … excellent!!!
Love this album.. best one of 08 thus far. Dunno if you would qualify the new Journey, but it’s not bad either!
Hey “RockeR”,Rob Rockitt likes the Whitesnake album-did you NOT notice the 9 guitar rating???????????????????…Hello,Mcfly!!??
Awesome album overall. All you pretend know-it-alls down on the scene really think you have a clue. Totally laughable. Let me tell all you blind and deaf “Helen Keller” retards the skinny: it’s been so long since you’ve heard a solid, heavy rock album like this that you had no idea whatsoever when you heard this one. Every ex mullet jockey around, from doctors to laymen, think this album rips it up like no other in recent years – save perhaps Airbourne and those kids in Black Tide – which have all been very recent. This album is balls out, fist pumping rock. Period.
You can disagree if you like and then promptly return to your ebay search for NKOTB tickets. Good luck homo.
I agree with Rob Rockitt. This album is weak. Dude, when u hire two guitar GODS in Aldrich and Beach i expected this record to shred like no other. I will always give Coverdale props for an excellent vocal proformance. Oh and Rob… Im a HUGE Dio fan too so i can see where you come from.
Classic album. I’m absolutely loving it.
SPV are pleased to announce the following first week chart-entries for Whitesnake’s Good To Be Bad opus:
Norway: # 5, Finland: # 5, Germany: # 6, UK: # 7, Sweden: # 10, Austria: # 11, Switzerland: # 15, Denmark: # 18, Canada: # 23, Czech Republic: # 27, Holland: # 33, Italy: # 57, France: # 69, US: # 70.
And here’s the new video: http://www.youtube.com/spv.
If he does, it will be one awesome summer of music King!
Great Great album. Like the boss said this is the best album of 2008 so far. Be interesting to see if JORN can eqaul or even top this fine slab of hard rock excellency!!