Album Reviews

David Coverdale's eleventh studio album fronting some semblance of his age-old Whitesnake, "Good To Be Bad" follows the same trajectory as the band's three decade history–it starts a little rough around the edges, builds momentum into a solid heart of the album, then fades off into the distance with closing ballad "'Til The End Of Time." Herein lies the quandary of Whitesnake in the modern era: David Coverdale may be the fulcrum of Whitesnake, but the Whitesnake that America knows and loves is more than David Coverdale; Without reuniting the all-star ensemble that marked the band's late-'80s breakthrough, the results are little more than nostalgia via imitation. To that end, Coverdale's vocals remain rock solid and blues soaked, and he and co-songwriter/guitarist Doug Aldrich do a commendable job of recreating the sounds of vintage Whitesnake.

"Can You Hear The Wind Blow" opens with the same squeal of guitars that rips into the opening of "Still Of The Night," and "All I Want All I Need" is close enough to "Is This Love" to remind you that, well, it isn't "Is This Love." The title track is ripe with just about every rehashed lyrical cliché imaginable, and the similarities between "Lay Down Your Love" and "Give Me All Your Love" don't end with the song titles. If imitation is the best form of flattery, the songs on "Good To Be Bad" offer more than enough opportunity for suburban housewives to sprawl across the hoods of their minivans and relive their misspent youth. Realistically speaking, is anyone asking for (or expecting) anything more?

Paul Gargano
06.12.08