Artist: Whitesnake 
   Title: Good To Be Bad
   Label: Spv / Steamhammer

‘Ere’s one for ya!...This has to be the one album most true rock fans have been waiting for, the eagerly anticipated ‘Good To Be Bad’ by Whitesnake, their first in a decade and I can say now hand on heart, no-one will be disappointed. 

The band consisting of David Coverdale, Doug Aldrich (guitars), Reb Beach (guitars), Timothy Drury (keyboards), Uriah Duffy (bass), and Chris Frazier (drums) take no prisoners straight from the off, with 'Best Years' grabbing your attention immediately as it’s an all out pounding rock song of top quality with some very raunchy sounding guitars all the way through and you’ve hardly time to catch your breath before 'Can You Hear The Wind Blow' literally blows the last of any cobwebs away due to the growling guitars and thumping drum work by Frazier.

It’s about halfway through another mid paced rocker 'Call on me', when it hits home … when did David Coverdale ever sounded so damn good?!  It’s hard to think of any other singer who’s voice has improved with age (proven live also) other than Mr C. himself, and this has the man at his very best, reaching notes no man of his age should try to but you can rely on Coverdale to do it and he does with seemingly little effort, while again Aldrich’s guitar work is top notch and so full of power.

The first of two ballads 'All I Want All I Need' is the song that the girls are going to fall for with Coverdale at his husky best on vocals sounding as if he means ever word he sings, the guitars, especially the main solo bringing back memories of the epic 1987 hit 'Is This Love' that exploded Whitesnake worldwide … five and half minutes of pure bliss! 

The second is the acoustically lead 'Summer Rain' that has hints of something Bon Jovi would try their hand at with its fine harmonies throughout the chorus, along with the faintest touch of keyboards all making the song almost becoming a country rock attempt to tell the truth but hey, it’s Whitesnake and they can do what the hell they like!

Title track 'Good To Be Bad' with its stop-start intro suddenly becomes one of the best funky sounding rock songs that I’ve heard for a long time that gets your feet tapping along straight away to Duffy’s funky-edged bass cutting through the guitars as Coverdale claims ... “Anytime you’ve got love on your mind, I’ve got something for you” ... Yes David, we all know that! 

As 'All For Love” begins you’d think it was a Thin Lizzy track due to the twin styled guitars that they were well known for and especially for the first few seconds Mr C. begins to sing as it is so near to Phil Lynott it’s eerie. Fortunately the song falls into the familiar mould that we’re used to by the band, as is 'Lay Down Your Love' with a very short capella to start with, juttering guitars and more of the thumping drums, all that you could easily compare to the classic “Still Of The Night'. 

'A Fool In Love' begins as if it’s going to be an old-fashioned blues track with the vocals sounding as if it was on an old scratched vinyl record (remember them?) which soon settles into a typical slower paced rock song, though still holding on to the bits of blues licks here and there, then suddenly you get the words “Ey up” shoved through the speakers.  Now c’mon, who else could get away with starting a rock song these days, within today’s rock family? 

There’s no let up from start to finish on 'Got What You Need' with both guitarists almost racing each other all the way through the song with the slightest touch of slide thrown in by one of them as if to say look what I can do, making this a typical Whitesnake song but with an up to date makeover.

I suppose if I had one gripe about the album it would be the fact that if this was the last Whitesnake album then personally I’d have liked it to end on more ballsy track than ‘Til The End Of Time', a type of song not usually associated with the ‘Snake, in fact I’d say more leaning towards a ‘Zepplin’ sound with the use of acoustic guitars and orchestration faintly in the background, but maybe there’s a message for the fans via the song. 

All in all with this being the bands 30^th anniversary and possibly the last album, Coverdale and Co. couldn’t have given a more perfect farewell present than this, yet again, who knows??? Those of you going to see them on this summer’s tour make the most of it and enjoy, it will be a show not to miss.

*Review by Bob

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