(Available Now on SPV Records)

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.  Only a third of the way through 2008 and I am already prepared to declare Whitesnake’s Good to be Bad rock record of the year.  In a year that will see new releases from bands including Extreme, Dokken, Motley Crue and Def Leppard, I cannot imagine anyone putting forth a finer effort, with more impressive results, than Whitesnake’s Good to be Bad.

Longtime fans of the band, or any fan of solid rock ‘n roll, is going to be blown away with David Coverdale & Company’s latest effort which successfully draws from different periods from the band’s own history, combined with an undeniable flavor of Led Zeppelin sprinkled throughout the record.  Joining Coverdale in the 2008 version of Whitesnake are guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach, Chris Frasier on drums, Uriah Duffy on bass, and Timothy Drury on keyboards.

Right from the opening chords of the first track, Best Years, the first thing you notice is the near-perfect production, with an incredible wall of sound that crushes your ear drums. The mix is absolutely spot-on and exactly what you crave in a hard rock record, with guitars blazing and drums thundering, infectious melodies prevalent throughout every single track, delivered in typical style by charismatic leader David Coverdale.  Coverdale’s range is not quite what it used to be, and there is a noticeable rasp to his voice, particularly on the ballads, but this only adds a sense of character and realness to the performances, which are all first-rate.

The eleven songs that comprise Good to be Bad include eight rockers and three softer tunes, as one would expect from a Whitesnake record.  Hard rocking highlights include the aforementioned Best Years, as well as the album’s title track, and just try and get the Zeppelin inspired Lay Down Your Love out of your head.  Of the three mellower tunes on offer, All I Want All I Need is the closest thing you will find to the band’s 1987 multi-platinum self-titled effort (think Is this Love), while Til the End of Time is an acoustic guitar driven, haunting tune with a standout vocal by Coverdale.

Throughout the record, it’s impossible to run for cover from the all-out guitar assault orchestrated by Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach.  In fact, the lush, in-your-face, crushing guitar tone throughout the album actually reminds me of Aldrich’s grossly underrated work on Hurricane’s Slave to the Thrill record.  The musicianship is positively flawless throughout, with everyone turning in a stellar performance on every song.

I’ve tried to find one, but amazingly there is not one filler on this record.  Coverdale’s partnership with Aldrich, from both a songwriting and production standpoint, has yielded a melodic rock record that is sure to be near the top of everyone’s list for record of the year.  I’ll happily stand corrected should someone come out with a more impressive effort this year, but in the meantime, my hat is off to Whitesnake for giving their fans a truly memorable and brilliant album.

5 Stars (out of 5)

Track Listing

· Best Years
· Can You Hear the Wind Blow
· Call On Me
· All I Want All I Need
· Good To Be Bad
· All for Love
· Summer Rain
· Lay Down Your Love
· A Fool in Love
· Got What You Need
· Til the End of Time

Band

· David Coverdale: Vocals
· Doug Aldrich, Reb Beach: Guitars
· Chris Frasier: Drums
· Uriah Duffy: Bass
· Timothy Drury: Keyboards

Whitesnake Video for Lay Down Your Love