I know, I am a little out of order with this one as I have been trying to go in chronological order with all of his releases.  However, I never intended to review this for two reasons.  One, I wasn’t planning on doing any greatest hits package and Two, this isn’t an official release and was never on my radar or in my collection until about 2 weeks ago.  Also, sorry for two bonus reviews in a row as I am sure you can’t wait for me to get to the ‘1987’ album!!

I was doing my monthly dig through some local record shops and then at my favorite one, Noble Records, I found this LP.  It is a French release of a Best of Whitesnake album back from 1982.  I say it isn’t official only because Wikipedia doesn’t even have it listed in the discography.

The album covers the albums ‘Trouble’ in 1978 all the way up to ‘Come An’ Get’ in 1981 which is 5 albums in total (which includes ‘Live…in the Heart of the City’ and 10 total tracks on the greatest hits album.  And they are all great tracks as a good greatest hits album should be.

The inner sleeve was blank except for some French words that I don’t know how to read exactly, but looks like it might be telling you how to take care of and store the vinyl?

Side One:

“Walking in he Shadow of the Blues” is my favorite on the ‘Lovehunter’ album.  It opens with Jon Lord on keyboards and has great guitar riffs.  It is blues track and this one a little more bluesy then the rest.  Lord’s playing is a standout, but it is Marsden that delivers a blistering solo that took the song to the next level for me. It was his second in a row as he had the solo on the first song as well.

“Trouble” which is such a bluesy song as a lot of the early Snake songs are. David’s lyrics mention a gambler’s son which he uses a lot over the next few decades.  The song feels a little like Purple’s “Mistreated” or at least in the same realm of comparability for style and form.  The solo on this one goes to Marsden and it is fantastic. He lays down some riffs that have great melody and you could sing along with it if you sing your solos…I do every so often.

“Lie Down (A Modern Love Song)” is interesting as it is more pop than blues or even rock.  It is a very fast tempo’d love song. The vocals at times have this whole Elton John feel to them and even the vibe of the song with Lord’s piano feels like him as well.  Not that it is a bad thing.

The next track is “Sweet Talker” which was only released in the US as a single, but didn’t really do anything.  This is another song with rather suggestive lyrics and would not stop the controversy on their womanizing lyrics.  As a teenager, this would have been great.  it is a fun rocking track and it has Jon Lord delivering something he does best…massive keyboard solos.  And I don’t want to leave out the great slide guitar work of Micky Moody, always love his slide guitar.  This to me is a classic sounding Whitesnake song and one of my favorites on the album…one of many.

“Love Hunter” is full of David’s sexually inappropriate lyrics and even in today’s #MeToo movement, I don’t give a shit.  His lyrics still rock.  The song has the that blues tone and some serious slide guitar by Micky Moody and Neil Murray’s bass line is fantastic and lays down the coolest groove.  Along with Moody’s slide guitar you get a twin solo with both Moody and Marsden.  It is that duo that really brings this one home.

Side Two:

“Don’t Break My Heart Again” reached #17 on the UK Charts and is actually one of my favorite Whitesnake songs.  The song is about David’s first marriage (and I think “Fool For Your Loving” is too).  It opens with Lord on organ and then Neil’s throbbing bass. David delivers some emotional and heavy lyrics and the song has a great drum beat throughout and then Bernie delivers on the solo.  One of David’s finest performances on this album and many albums.  Smoking track.

“Aint’ No Love in the Heart of the City” is a bluesy track that keeps a slow groove and let me tell you that the guitar work Moody does is sensational.  The crowd takes over with Murray’s bass thumping away in the background along with Paice keeping time.

“Fool For Your Loving” is more bluesy and has a nice groove and not as rocking as the hair metal version, but that is okay.  You have Bernie belting out a great solo that is so different than Vai’s version.  Since I grew up with the ‘Slip of the Tongue’ version, this version feels like a demo to me and I am actually turn to which one I like more.  This fits the sound of the band at this point in their career and the other fits that version of the band.  Tough choice…I will let you decide.

“Take Me With You” is a high energy rocker that comes at you at breakneck speed and tempo that it immediately gets you moving.  David sounds fresh and throws in a little moaning at the end.  There is so much going on musically and always something new each time you listen.  The solo on this one is actually a drum solo by Dave “Duck” Dowle, but there are still a lot of guitars including some slide on it so don’t fret.

“We Wish You Well” is a classic Snake song as they play it as fans leave their concerts and it is fantastic.  It is a ballad and a little too cheesy for my liking, but it is a fan favorite.

And those are the songs.  I am not going to give it a rating as this is just a bonus edition to let you know that you never know what cool stuff you will find while out digging for vinyl treasures.  I love finding stuff I never expected to see and a French pressing in Charlotte NC USA, is always something I don’t expect to see.  It was a quick and easy decision to add to the David Coverdale & Whitesnake collection!!

Up next… Whitesnake – ‘1987’.

The David Coverdale Series:

1. Deep Purple – Burn
2. Deep Purple – Stormbringer
3. Deep Purple – Come Taste the Band
4. Deep Purple – Made in Europe
5. David Coverdale – Whitesnake
6. Deep Purple – Last Concert in Japan
7. David Coverdale – Northwinds
8. David Coverdale’s Whitesnake – Snakebite
9. Whitesnake – Trouble
10. Whitesnake – Lovehunter
11. Whitesnake – Ready an’ Willing
12. Whitesnake – Live…in the Heart of the City
13. Whitesnake – Come An’ Get it
14. Deep Purple – Live in London
15. Whitesnake – Saints & Sinners
16. Whitesnake – Slide It In
17. Whitesnake – “Give Me More Time” 12″ Single (Bonus Review)
18. Whitesnake – ‘The Best of Whitesnake (Bonus Review – 1982 release)
19. Whitesnake – Whitesnake (1987)
20. Whitesnake – “Is This Love” 12″ Promo (Bonus Review)
21. Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue
22. David Coverdale – “The Last Note of Freedom” – Single Review
23. Coverdale/Page – Coverdale/Page
24. Coverdale/Page – “Take Me For A Little While 12” Single (Bonus Review)
25. David Coverdale & Whitesnake – Restless Heart
26. Whitesnake – Starkers in Tokyo
27. David Coverdale – Into the Night
28. Whitesnake – Live…In the Still of the Night (DVD)
29. Whitesnake – Live…In the Shadow of the Blues
30. Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad
31. Whitesnake – Forevermore
32. Whitesnake – Live at Donington 1990: Monsters of Rock
33. Whitesnake – The Purple Album
34. Whitesnake – The Purple Tour (Live)
35. Whitesnake – Flesh & Blood
36. Whitesnake – The Rock Album
37. Whitesnake – The Albums Ranked Worst to First
38. David Coverdale – The Albums Ranked Worst to First

Other David Coverdale Albums reviewed – (Box Sets and Bootlegs):

1. Whitesnake – 1987 (30th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
2. Whitesnake – Slide It In (35th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
3. Whitesnake – Unzipped – Box Set
4. Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue (30th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
5. Whitesnake (Snake) – Still of the Night Live in Battle Creek, Mich. July 26, 1987 (Bootleg)