Tag: Neil Murray

Whitesnake – Nagoya 1980: The Japanese Broadcast (Bootleg)

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Whitesnake was touring Japan in the Spring of 1980 in support of the band’s 1979 album ‘Love Hunter’. This was only a month prior to the release of their new album ‘Ready ‘an Willing’ and surprisingly they didn’t test out any of those songs yet so close to the album release. So, we are getting some really old school songs and Deep Purple cuts here and I am thrilled about that myself. The show on April 12, 1980 at Aichi-Ken Kinro Kaikan in Nagoya, Japan was a live broadcast on FM radio. This is the entire show which is awesome. The band is David Coverdale (obviously), Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden on guitars, Neil Murray on bass, Ian Paice on drums and the great Jon Lord on keyboards.

This bootleg was released recently back in 2023 like the last one we discussed from Whitesnake. I love getting a newer version of such an old show. I love old school Snake so this was a no-brainer for me. This is a 2 LP set and both are on a beautiful white vinyl. It is a beautiful set and the sound quality is off a soundboard with some roughness on the mix the first couple songs, but all-in-all in it fantastic sounding for what it is.

LP 1:

The show opens with “Come On” which is from the ‘Snakebite’ E.P. from 1978. Written by David Coverdale and Bernie Marsden and right away you can hear how big the guitar sound is.  The song is a pure rock song with a great groove and a blistering solo.  A great opener and I love the fact that David has two Deep Purple references in the song…“Soldier of Fortune” and “Gypsy”. They go in to “You ‘N Me” from ‘Lovehunter’, and this is normally a real bluesy track with some slide guitar, but here it feels more straight-up rock & roll. The guitars are a little weak in the mix these first two tracks, but you can still hear them and know they are the main focus behind David of course. You can hear the organ, barely, as Jon Lord is going to town, wish it was higher in the mix as I love Jon Lord and as soon as I wish that, the organs get louder and bam, Lord is killing it. Much better live then studio version for this one.

Then it is a couple of down & dirty blues tracks with “Walking in the Shadow of the Blues” and “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City”. The first from ‘Lovehunter” and the latter from ‘Snakebite’. Both are dang brilliant and just listen to the rip roaring guitars and organ again. David is fine form and sounds awesome. Two of their best songs played with one of the best line-ups Whitesnake has seen!! What more do you need? I’ll tell you…nothing. And finally we end Side A with one of three solos on the album. This one is Micky Moody’s and well…you know what you are going to get so sit back and enjoy! Micky does a really cool slide-guitar solo and it is brilliant.

Flipping over to Side B, it starts out with the title track, “Lovehunter”, and it 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 even if his vocals are a little rough on this one. Not quite hitting the notes..  The song has the that blues tone and some serious slide guitar by Micky Moody accompanied by Neil Murray’s bass line and it is fantastic as he 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.

The we get double treat of Deep Purple tracks with “Mistreated” and “Soldier of Fortune” brought together for a musical enjoyment. In 1980, smart move to still play off that Deep Purple connection. “Mistreated” is down and dirty with a slow nasty groove and things slow down even more with some great guitar picking that turns in to a beast of a solo and back to “Mistreated”. And then music stops and David sings a little “Soldier of Fortune” and it is a little too quiet and hard to hear (and it doesn’t help my neighbor is mowing his lawn!) Let’s just say with “Mistreated” portion was pretty killer.

LP 2:

The second LP kicks off with one of my favorite parts and that is a Jon Lord solo. I generally don’t care too much for keyboard solos, but this is Jon Lord. So, hell to the yeah for this one. The man is a legend and a master. He even mixes a little 2001 Space Odyssey in to his solo. The solo then turns in to the instrumental track “Belgian’s Tom Hat Trick” from the ‘Trouble’ album. The band jumps in and it is an all out master class of greatness. The song has a great melody and a real blast to hear, especially live. If I’m not mistaken, there are at least 3 solos racing through this song.

And since everyone has had a chance to shine, it is now Ian Paice’s turn for a solo on the drums. It plays beautifully out of “Belgian” without missing a beat. Ian goes to town on those drums and doesn’t hold back. And after the barrage of beats, we slip back in to “Belgian” where they all slam it home. After some Ian Paice chants, we go in to the final song on Side C with the Deep Purple track, “Might Just Take Your Life” after David goes “Here’s a song for ya!”…which we know he rarely says before a song (cough, cough – dripping with sarcasm). The band plays it well, but I do miss having Glenn Hughes on the song. They hand over the vocals to Bernie Marsden and he does a great job actually. But I still miss Glenn.

Flipping over to Side D, they kick it off with “Lie Down” and it is time for some sleazy cock rock as the song is really only about one thing. I love the honky tonk boogie of the keys from Lord. Speaking of Lord, he rails through a solo that is crazy. Another track where someone else sings a little and Bernie is back on the mic. Aside from a Lord solo, Micky Moody he gets a killer solo as well. This was definitely a band and not David focused which is great to see. A fun, upbeat track that has no artistic value, but who cares…have some fun. They then go in to “Take Me With You” and this is where David introduces the band and they each do a little notes. This drags the song down for me, but you know, he needs to do it. But when the song comes back in, it completely rocks out.

Then it was time for “Rock Me Baby” which is an old blues song. It has been covered by Muddy Waters and B.B. King. This is part of the encore and it is pretty rock & roll, although there are some blues elements to their performance like the slide guitar and the groove. The Micky Moody solo is the coolest part of the song for sure. Then we end the night with a little ‘Northwinds’ with “Breakdown” and mixed with some “Whitesnake Boogie”. A high energy, bluesy rock ending to a show that showcases the talent that is early Whitesnake. The band sounds like they are having fun and that is a good thing.

And there you have it. A great 1980’s Whitesnake show. I love the early years of Whitesnake about as much as the later years. You know what, I guess I like all the years. The sound quality is really good for what it is, which is a bootleg. A soundboard recording with some minor sound issues, mostly with sound levels. What I loved about this is how much it is the boys jamming and all the solos. There is nothing but talent in this band and it is showcased throughout. A great show so grab it if you ever see it. My Overall Score is a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars. It is the band as raw as they are with not fixes…I like that. This is how the show sounded and is as it should be.

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 – “Fool For Your Loving” 7″ Single (Bonus Review)
  13. Whitesnake – Live at Hammersmith
  14. Whitesnake – Live…in the Heart of the City
  15. Whitesnake – Come An’ Get it
  16. Deep Purple – Live in London
  17. Whitesnake – Saints & Sinners
  18. Whitesnake – Slide It In
  19. Whitesnake – “Give Me More Time” 12″ Single (Bonus Review)
  20. Whitesnake – ‘The Best of Whitesnake (Bonus Review – 1982 release)
  21. Whitesnake – Whitesnake (1987)
  22. Whitesnake – “Is This Love” 12″ Promo (Bonus Review)
  23. Whitesnake – ‘Best’ (Greece Version)
  24. Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue
  25. David Coverdale – “The Last Note of Freedom” – Single Review
  26. Coverdale/Page – Coverdale/Page
  27. Coverdale/Page – “Take Me For A Little While 12” Single (Bonus Review)
  28. David Coverdale & Whitesnake – Restless Heart
  29. Whitesnake – Starkers in Tokyo
  30. David Coverdale – Into the Night
  31. Whitesnake – Live…In the Still of the Night (DVD)
  32. Whitesnake – Live…In the Shadow of the Blues
  33. Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad
  34. Whitesnake – Forevermore
  35. Whitesnake – Live at Donington 1990: Monsters of Rock
  36. Whitesnake – The Purple Album
  37. Whitesnake – The Purple Tour (Live)
  38. Whitesnake – Flesh & Blood
  39. Whitesnake – The Rock Album
  40. Whitesnake – Love Songs
  41. Whitesnake – The Blues Album
  42. Whitesnake – The Albums Ranked Worst to First
  43. 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)
  6. Whitesnake – Restless Heart (25th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) – Box Set
  7. Whitesnake – Still…Good to Be Bad (15th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) – Box Set
  8. Whitesnake – Little Box ‘O’ Snakes (The Sunburst Years 1978-1982) – Box Set (2013)
  9. Whitesnake – Washington State Wipeout (Spokane & Glasgow Broadcasts 1984) – (Bootleg)
  10. Whitesnake – Nagoya 1980: The Japanese Broadcast (Bootleg)

Whitesnake – Washington State Wipeout (Spokane & Glasgow Broadcasts 1984) – Bootleg (The David Coverdale Series)

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Out on my constant vinyl digging adventures, I found a couple Whitesnake bootlegs at the same store. They weren’t old bootlegs, rather they were released recently in 2023 out of Europe. The shows, however, are not recent. First one up is one called Washington State Wipeout and is a 2 LP set that comes in a nice gatefold with a picture of the band included. The vinyl that comes with the set are a beautiful clear color and they look stunning as you will see in one of the pictures below. It was a brand new set, unopened…well at least until I got my hands on it obviously. Now, it is open and has been played!

The 2 LPs carry a different a show for each. On LP 1, we get the Spokane Washington show that was on July 24, 1984. This would’ve been after the release of their 1984 album, ‘Slide it In’, which came out on January 30, 1984. The show was at the Spokane Coliseum and had the line-up of David Coverdale, John Sykes, Richard Bailey (no Jon Lord), Neil Murray and Cozy Powell. A stellar line-up, just wish Lord was still playing. They opened for Dio so not a long setlist and it is all captured here on LP 1. The recording was an FM Radio Broadcast.

On LP 2, we get a show that was recorded on March 1, 1984 and was another FM Radio Broadcast. It was recorded at the Apollo Theater in Glasgow, Scotland where they were the headliner with Great White opening. The full show is 16 tracks so we don’t get the whole show, but we do get 5 tracks at least. If you want the full show, pick up the Slide It In Super Deluxe Edition as Whitesnake issued it officially in that box set. I believe this show would include Jon Lord as he left the band in April. Correct me if I’m wrong.

LP 1:

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My Sunday Song – “Loser Gets It All” By Black Sabbath

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For My Sunday Song #391, we are kicking off a whole new 10 song set and this time around, Mike Ladano from Grab A Stack of Rock will be picking the songs. And he has a great theme and this one is Japanese Bonus Tracks. It is those songs that were recorded during the album’s recording, but didn’t make the main album around the world, but made it to the Japanese edition as a bonus track. The more, expensive sought after Japanese Edition. If it has a Japanese bonus track, Mike is going to buy it. The first song up is from Black Sabbath’s 1995 album ‘Forbidden’ and is called “Loser Gets It All”.

The music is written by Black Sabbath and the lyrics are by, then singer, Tony Martin. The song seems to be about the fact there is never a good time to lose as there are always people watching you and judging you waiting for you to fail. And when you do, they will all see it and say something. There are a lot of gambling references in the opening verse about winning, then the rest of the song is about losing.

I will admit that I didn’t (and haven’t) listened to this era of Sabbath so this song is very new to me. I do like Tony Martin’s vocals so I can get behind this one. The song is a solid rocker, it short and sweet. But I like it a lot. I read somewhere that Tony Iommi loves this song and it is one of his favorites to perform which is cool…so why didn’t it make the album and was it relegated to a bonus track??? The guitar playing is great, I mean it is Tony Iommi so why wouldn’t it be. I found Mike’s review of the Forbidden album and he hated that album, but stated that this song was the best song on the album. Crazy!!

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Whitesnake – ‘Live at Hammersmith’ (1980) – Album Review (The David Coverdale Series)

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I was watching Tim’s Vinyl Confessions a few week’s back and they were going through their Whitesnake vinyl and one of the guys had a Japanese Edition of Whitesnake’s ‘Live at Hammersmith’ and I don’t think I had seen it before. So, after the show ended, I went to Discogs and bought it from someone in Japan. I received a week later…yes, only a week from Japan. Heck, I can’t get things from the next town over that fast. And it lived up to expectations and then some. I mean just look at the cover with the deep rich green snake and the back cover is just as cool. This might be my favorite Whitesnake cover ever! It is so awesome.

‘Live at Hammersmith’ was recorded on November 23, 1978 at The Hammersmith Odeon in London. The album was only released in Japan back in November 1980 as a single disc vinyl. I say single disc vinyl, because this album is actually the 2nd LP on the 2LP edition of ‘Live…in the Heart of the City’. I don’t have the two LP version of that album. I have the single version which is the 1st LP which was recored in 1980 on June 23/24 at The Hammersmith Odeon in London as well. You can read that review at the links at the bottom of the page.

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My Sunday Song – “Don’t Break My Heart Again” by Whitesnake

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For My Sunday Song #206, we are discussing “Don’t Break My Heart Again” by Whitesnake off their 1981 album ‘Come And Get It’.  The first single off the album and it reached #17 on the UK Charts. The album did really well in the UK hitting #2 and was their highest charting album at that time.  Sadly, still absent from the states for the most part due to contractual issues.

The song is very personal and emotional song from David Coverdale.  It is about the ending of David’s first marriage (and I think “Fool For Your Loving” is as well too). David delivers some emotional and heavy lyrics.  There is a darker overtone with the subject matter and David sounds a little heartbroken.  It is a different side of him and Whitesnake as normally they throw the “cock rock” in your fact as they do in numerous other songs on the album.

It opens with the amazing Jon Lord on his Hammond Organ.  Neil Murray’s throbbing bass is mixed in and accompanied by Ian Paice with a hard driving drum beat.  The song has that great drum beat throughout and then the guitars are added with a cool riff.  Bernie Marsden delivers the solo that fits perfectly for the vibe of the song.  It is also one of David’s finest vocal performances on this album as he puts enough emotion into his vocals to get the message across loud and clear.  It is such a stellar track.

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My Sunday Song – “Blindman” by Whitesnake

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For My Sunday Song #203, we are going with a song of ‘Ready an’ Willing’ with the track “Blindman”. This is a deep cut and not a single and one of the songs that is the reason I love the early Whitesnake sound so much.  Okay, actually this song is not originally a Whitesnake song, but a David Coverdale song as it was released on his solo album back in 1977 called…well…’White Snake’.  So, I can use for this set of Whitesnake songs, I am covering the cover version he did with his band. I don’t think that is cheating.

The song is a pure blues rock track.  Think Free or Bad Company as it has that same killer vibe.  It starts off as slow burner and builds slow until it becomes a full on scorcher.  Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody both hammer it home on the guitar and Bernie’s solo helps make the song such a classic song.  You can’t forget the ryhthm section of Ian Paice on drums and Neil Murray on bass either.  They keep the pace and groove going perfectly.  And listen closely to the beautiful keyboard playing of Jon Lord.  They all standout in their little moments.  However, the highlight is that sultry David Coverdale vocal style.  His vocal talent lies perfectly fit for the blues rock sound.  With this more of a slow song, David exudes all the heart he needs to give the song the powerful, emotive feel it needs.

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Whitesnake – ‘Saints & Sinners’ – Album Review (The David Coverdale Series)

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After the album ‘Come an’ Get It’, the band was starting to crack.  Issues were developing, tensions were rising.  They started to work on the album during 1981, but it wasn’t a smooth ride.  In December 1981, Micky Moody left the band.  Then in early 1982, David Coverdale put the band on the back burner and took some time off to be with his daughter who had become ill.

The sick daughter wasn’t the only reason Coverdale put things on hold.  The band was having financial troubles and he couldn’t understand where the money was going.  During the hiatus, he parted with his management and Coverdale started to handle the business side of things.  Also during this time, three other members left the band (or were fired). They would be Ian Paice, Bernie Marsden and Neil Murray.  Jon Lord was the only one to stay in the band with David. And of course Martin Birch still produced. He hadn’t left yet either.

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As a result, David needed a new band.  Not to finish the album because it was basically done, but to tour with.  David found guitarist Mel Galley from Trapeze and Cozy Powell on drums from Rainbow and lastly, Colin Hodgkinson on bass.  The band was complete.  However, the album still had some backing vocals needed so Micky came back briefly to finish the backing vocals along with Galley.  Galley is the only new player to appear on the album.

 

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Whitesnake – ‘Come An’ Get It’ – Album Review (The David Coverdale Series)

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We are now in 1981 and the band is on their 4th album.  Whitesnake has started to gain some traction with the album’s ‘Ready an’ Willing’ along with the live album ‘Live…in the Heart of the City’.  When ‘Come an’ Get It’ arrives, it goes to #2 on the chart and barely misses #1 thanks to Adam and the Ants’ ‘King of the Wild Frontier’.  Yes, an Ant kicked a Snake’s ass!!!

The band’s line-up is unchanged, the producer, Martin Birch, is unchanged and they follow the successful formula of ‘Ready an’ Willing on this album to rather great success (on the charts).

  • David Coverdale – vocals
  • Micky Moody – Guitar
  • Bernie Marsden – Guitar
  • Neil Murray – Bass
  • Jon Lord – Keyboards
  • Ian Paice – Drums

I know this is a favorite Snake album for a lot of people and even a favorite of David Coverdale’s; however, it isn’t one of my top albums.  I have spent the longest with this album in hopes that it would grow on me and it has to some extent, but not overall.  This was a hard beast for me to get through, well Side Two was.  Side One kicks some major ass.

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Whitesnake – ‘Live…in the Heart of the City” – Album Review (The David Coverdale Series)

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Towards the end of 1980, Whitesnake released their first live album called ‘Live…in the Heart of the City’.  It was released on November 3rd, 1980 and was originally released as a double LP with 2 different shows. The first being from June 1980 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London and the second show as from November 23rd, 1978  at the same place.  This review, however, is only on the LP version that I have which is only a single LP version with only the 1980 Hammersmith show and missing one song the original had (“Ready an’ Willing”).

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The tour recorded for this one is the ‘Ready ‘n’ Willing’ Tour that features new drummer, former Deep Purple master Ian Paice.  And it caught the band at a time when they were starting to finally come into their own.  The track list of the single LP is as follows:

  1. Come on
  2. Sweet Talker
  3. Walking in the Shadow of the Blues
  4. Love Hunter
  5. AIn’t No Love in the Heart of the City
  6. Fool For Your Loving
  7. Take Me With You

It is short at only 7 songs, but one is 11 minutes long and 2 are over 6 minutes each and all a blast.

SIDE ONE:

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Side one opens with the screamer “Come On” from the ‘Snakebite’ E.P. and what a fantastic way to open the show. A high energy romp that gets everyone on their feet and in to the groove of what is to come.  The band is on fire and David sounds in top form. The band glides effortlessly in to “Sweet Talker” from ‘Ready an’ Willing’ with loads of Micky Moody’s slide guitar and let me tell you the guitars on here are killer.  The tempo of the song is ramped up to 10 and the fly through this one at warp speed.  And don’t forget the Jon Lord keyboard solo in this one that goes right in to Micky’s guitar solo…hell yeah baby!  Keep it coming!

The band goes in to two straight ‘Lovehunter’ songs starting with the blues song “Walking in the Shadow of the Blues”.  Bernie Marsden takes over the lead on the guitar work in this one accompanied by the great Lord on keyboards.  Ian supplying just the right amount of drum fills and as he Neil Murray on bass lay down that all essential groove.  But it is the song “Love Hunter” that is the showcase on this side.  At 11 minutes, including a Micky Moody showcase of his slide guitar work, the live version takes the song in to so many different directions and is what I love about live shows.  David singing here is great as well as he isn’t trying to over sing it and he has seem to found his comfort zone.

SIDE TWO:

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“Aint’ No Love in the Heart of the City” opens up Side Two and gives us the name to the album.  It 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.

And then we get David’s favorite concert saying “Here’s a Song for You” as he does it a lot.  They go in to the classic “Fool For Your Loving” from ‘Ready an’ Willing’.  The song is a little punchier then the album version, it actually reminds me a little more of what was to come with the song in the late 80’s and I am okay with that.  It is a rocking good song.

The last song is the only song from the album ‘Trouble’, “Take Me With You”.  The band is amped up on something as they speed this one up to an exhausting tempo that would leave a lesser band spent.  They feed off the energy and everyone gets a moment to shine with Jon Lord’s blistering keyboard solo, Bernie’s raging guitar solo, a little of Murray’s bass, and Moody blasting through some riffs.  David and company brought all home on this one.

And that is the album.  It is a great live set that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Short and sweet and captures some great moments.  The band was really cooking at this time and they boiled over some fine work with this release.  The first of many live albums to come with Whitesnake and this one started it off right. I will give it a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars mainly for not giving me the whole show.  This one is a must grab if you find it out in the wild.  Don’t let it slip past you.

Up next…Whitesnake – ‘Come An’ Get It’.

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)

Whitesnake – ‘Ready An’ Willing” – Album Review (The David Coverdale Series)

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A couple months after releasing ‘Lovehunter’ in October 1979, the band was back in the studio by December to start recording the follow-up, ‘Ready an’ Willing’.  The band finished up recording in February under the hand of returning producer Martin Birch who has handled all the Snake albums up to this point.

By the time they were back in the studio, drummer Duck Dowle was out and former David Coverdale and Jon Lord bandmate, Ian Paice, was in the band.  That now made 1/2 of the band as former Deep Purple members.  And if I am not mistaken, the press played that up which didn’t quite sit well with a couple of the band members.

The album cover for this one was a much more toned-down cover after the controversy the band received for the naked woman straddling a snake (side note: one of my favorites).  This was a simple black & white drawing of the band with the Whitesnake logo.  Nothing fancy and quite bland.  Now, that wasn’t the only controversy the band had.  Their lyrics were blasted as well for their whole “cock rock” style and womanizing.  And I am not sure this album would not help them in that matter. Oh well.

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The inner album sleeve gave us the songs from each side along with the lyrics.  It also included who had each solo on the songs which I love that fact.  There was no winding snake from one side to the other, instead we get pictures of the band with Coverdale, Lord and Murray on the front and Marsden, Moody and Paice on the back.

The album was the first one to see any real success for the band.  They reached #6 in the UK and actually finally charted in the US at #90 thanks in part to the first single which we will discuss shortly.  The band was finally starting to break outside the UK which is what they wanted, but it would still be a few more years before they became one of the top acts in the world.

SIDE ONE:

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The band’s first single and first hit outside the UK was the song “Fool For Your Loving”.  Yes, Whitesnake fans that came on board in the late 80’s know this song from the album ‘Slip of the Tongue’.  However, this was the original and first release of the song which went to #13 in the UK and #53 in the US.  The song was written by Marsden (who had the riffs and the verses), Moody (who wrote the bridge) and Coverdale (who did the lyrics). The funny thing about the song is that it was originally written for BB King, however, they soon realized the song was too good to pass up…and they were right.

This version of the song 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.

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.

The title track, “Ready an’ Willing”, has such a driving groove to it.  The blues feel in David’s vocals and lyrics and the sonics of the song, make it a memorable song and why it was released as the 2nd single. Moody handled the solo which was short and perfect for the song.  Although the single didn’t do that well, it is still a beast of a track on the album.

Then we get to “Carry the Load” and I have to say I am not real thrilled with this one.  Too generic and falls very flat for me.  This song feels more like one of David’s solo songs and could have been on ‘Northwinds’.  It feels out of place here.

Another favorite on the album is the song ‘Blindman’ which is a re-work of the song from David’s first solo album called ‘Whitesnake’.  In what could be David’s best performance to date as he brings so much more emotion and pain in his delivery, this song is the gem in a album full of them.  It has a slow groove and is another blues track which has the band at its best.  Bernie’s understated solo was what the song needed.  It fit perfectly with the vibe.  The song was great on the solo album, but taken to another level here.

SIDE TWO:

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First up on Side Two is “Ain’t’ Gonna Cry No More” has David singing along to the acoustic guitar before Jon Lord comes in with some soft sounding keyboards in what is starting out as a beautiful ballad.  That is until Ian Paice brings it up a notch with his drums and it turns in to pure rock & roll beast with the help of Micky Moody on the solo.  The album is quickly becoming my favorite of the Whitesnake albums so far with songs like this.

“Love Man” is a more traditional blues song with a foot stomping beat and some gritty slide guitar.  It was what I know and love as blues.  Lyrically, it is pure and utter cheese and David delivers it as such, however, I kinda like it.  It grabs you and pulls you in whether you want to or not.

“Black and Blue” feels like you are at a honky tonk with the whole live, bar-band feel to it including some piano playing by Jon Lord.  Adding the cheering bar crowd to the mix made it feel right at home in the bar.  It is a fun, good time track.

And the album ends with “She’s a Woman”, which opens with Lord on the keyboards and then gets turned up a notch when the drums and guitar riffs kick in.  Now the highlight is that Jon Lord turns in the best solo of the album.  He goes to town and takes you on a magical keyboard journey.  Although not the best song on the album, it highlights Lord and that is good enough for me.

Track Listing:

  1. Fool For Your Loving – Keeper
  2. Sweet Talker – Keeper
  3. Ready an’ Willing – Keeper
  4. Carry Your Load – Delete
  5. Blindman – Keeper
  6. Ain’t Gonna Cry No More – Keeper
  7. Love Man – Keeper
  8. Black and Blue – Keeper
  9. She’s a Woman – Keeper

The track is a wonderful 8 out of 9 tracks are keepers or 89%.  The songs are the strongest yet of the Whitesnake albums so far.  There are some Essential Whitesnake songs on here, more so than the others and this album gets better with every listen.  The album was missing some dual guitar solos with Marsden and Moody which I think adds to the songs.  The album was also lacking a Bernie Marsden lead vocal song…okay, it really isn’t missing that I guess.  Overall, this is a killer album and I will rate it a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars.  As much as I love it, there are some I like better but this is near the top.

Up next…Whitesnake – ‘Live…in the Heart of the City’.

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)