Review Summary: Not particularly innovative, think 70's & 80's hard rock with some Zeppelin-esque riffing spread throughout the album. All the Whitesnake trademarks are present and all the clichés are here as well, that doesn't prevent the album from being loaded in my
Lately, the world has seen a return of many a classic rock bands releasing new albums, Scorpions (Humanity Hour 1), Journey (Revelation), Dokken (Lightning Strikes Again), Uriah Heep (Wake the Sleeper), Motley Crew (Saints of Los Angeles) and the Eagles (Long Road Out of Eden), all of which brings huge expectations, and more often than not, the results fall short of fan expectations. But the truth is, many of the more recent releases such as those I mentioned here, have exceeded most if not all expectations and Whitesnake is certainly no exception this time around.
So, with all the new material coming out and my many various stereos working overtime, I often wonder about what it is that inspires or influences a band to produce a good solid rocking album. What is it that made those bands great in the first place and I ponder what it is that fuels their desire to return and revisit the glory days of yesteryear? We all know that one song, or better yet, that one album, that helped define some of our FAV bands from the 70's or 80's. And it doesn't take a brain surgeon to understand the motive behind wanting to recapture the magic and what can happen when they successfully tap into that energy, well, they often can - and do - deliver the goods. And such is the case here with “Good to be Bad.”
On another matter, when it comes to new songs from bands who have been around for what seems like forever, many fans have ambivalent feelings with the new material. They'd rather hear “Is This Love,” “Still Of The Night” or “Here I Go Again” for the millionth time rather than something brand new from the band. Frankly, I don't get it. I'm so sick and tired of hearing those songs that pulling out the album and listening to them again is simply not an option. I refuse to do it and won't do it, not even for my wife. Oh snap...pinch/slap/punch/kick, ouch!
Whitesnake's 2008 lineup includes lead vocalist David Coverdale, guitarists Doug Aldrich (Dio/Bad Moon Rising) and Reb Beach (Winger/Dokken/Night Ranger), bassist Uriah Duffy (Travers & Appice/Christina Aguilera), keyboardist Timothy Drury (Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, Yes) and drummer Chris Frazier (Steve Vai).
What I find most fascinating about this particular album is that it is an excellent representation of all the previous Whitesnake incarnations.
What's in store for the listener:
The album contains plenty of mid tempo songs, a little blues mixed in with a little rock and some very fine riffs driving them along, works great on songs “Best Years,” “Can You Hear The Wind Blow” and “A Fool In Love.”
Then you've got the more commercially acceptable ballad type songs like the first single “All I Want All I Need,” and “Summer Rain” which is a mellow acoustic ballad with a sweet melody, and “Till The End of Time” which is an acoustic song a la Bon Jovi, kind of has that “Blaze of Glory” thing going on.
And finally, you get the hard rocking raunchy side of the band with “Call On Me,” and the very catchy “Good To Be Bad,” and the pure old Whitesnake standard “All For Love,” a song about a man doing whatever he can do - “I'd do it all for you...” - to get it on with the woman he fancies. Finally, the energetic “Lay Down Your Love” and “Got What You Need” reminds of old Zeppelin days...thank you very much!
The only problem I have with this release and that others may likely have as well, are the lyrics...and no, I won't provide any more details about that.
If you are looking for and want to listen to a good bunch of old school hard rocking songs, then it's Good to be Bad defines just that.
Enjoy!
Vanwarp
