Tag: Good To Be Bad
18 Lion – Dangerous Attraction (Release Year – 1987)
Lion’s Dangerous Attraction has been a compact disc that was my achilles’ heel, so to speak. I have been trying to track down a copy of this CD for close to a year now, and finally snagged a copy of eBay. Why should I (or anyone else) care about the band Lion? This is the some of the earliest recorded work by current Whitesnake guitarist, Doug Aldrich. If you own the new Whitesnake CD, Good To Be Bad, you are well aware of the kind of awesome axeman Doug Aldrich is.
Aside from Aldrich, the rest of Lion is pretty impressive. This band also features Kal Swan from the band Tytan, and drummer Mark Edwards from Steeler. Dangerous Attraction is considered by many as Lion’s best work, and I would not disagree. The music on Dangerous Attraction is fairly typical 80’s hair metal, but it is really good stuff. I would describe Lion’s sound as a cross between RATT and Whitesnake.
Swan’s voice is fairly unique. His English accent propelled by his deep throaty screams and melodic tones makes this music stand out. Aldrich’s guitar work on Dangerous Attraction is superb. This guy was shredding like no tomorrow 21 years ago, and is still getting it done today. His talent shines on this album, and as a result there isn’t a band song on Dangerous Attraction.
Lion is one of the lesser know acts of the 80’s and this CD, has been out of print for a long time. Copies of the CD turn up on eBay from time to time, but they usually sell for crazy amounts. If you are fan of Swan or Aldrich, this disc is worth seeking out. 80’s hair metal fans will like this too.
You can listen to a couple of the songs off of this album below.
Rating:Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Fatal Attraction
2. Armed and Dangerous
3. Hard and Heavy
4. Never Surrender
5. Death on Legs
6. Power Love
7. In the Name of Love
8. After the Fire
9. Shout It Out
Lion is:
Kal Swan – Vocals
Doug Aldrich – Guitars
Jerry Best – Bass
Mark Edwards – Drums
0 New Video – Whitesnake – Lay Down Your Love
Whitesnake has released a new video in support of their new CD, Good To Be Bad. Good To Be Bad debuted at #76 on the U.S. Billboard Chart.
22 Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad (Release Year – 2008)
Could 2008 be the Year of the Snake?
Whitesnake has returned with their first new studio album since the 1997 album, Restless Heart.
Before I go any further in this review, I will admit, I am biased towards Whitesnake. They have been one of my favorite bands for years, and I have been anxiously awaiting this disc. I am also a long time fan of guitarist, Doug Aldrich. I am quite familiar with his work prior to joining Whitesnake (Lion, Bad Moon Rising, House Of Lords, Hurricane, Burning Rain) and am also a little biased towards him as well.
With that being said, I have played Good to Be Bad several times, and have found it quite to my liking. Aldrich’s guitar sound on this record is fairly close to that of John Sykes playing on the Slide It In, and the multi-platinum, self titled album from 1987. John Sykes is not an easy guitar player to imitate, and I am not sure if that is what Adrich was trying to achieve with his playing. Nonetheless he shreds on this disc, and his guitar work is absolutely killer! He has achieved that signature guitar sound that was present on the two most successful Whitesnake albums of all time.
David Coverdale is no spring chicken at 56 years old, and yet his vocals are excellent as always.
The band could have a bunch of hits on their hands, especially with the tracks, Best Years, All I Want All I Need, All For Love and Good To Be Bad.
The song All For Love sounds so much like a lost Thin Lizzy tune, it is scary, and yet, incredibly cool. This is an amazing new song, and one of my new favorites.
I can hear some 70’s style Whitesnake in the songs, Summer Rain and ‘Til The End of Time. Both tunes have more of a bluesy feel to them. It is good to hear Whitesnake revisting their roots, even if it is an different set of musicians for this record. I can see the lighters and cell phones coming out, if the band chooses to play either one of these songs live.
The cool thing about Good To Be Bad is, I hear different things each time I listen to it. I will not tire of hearing guitar work this good in a long long time. This album is already on top of my play list and is going to take a monster of an album to surpass this disc in 2008!
Don’t hesitate to pick this one up! This is an awesome return to form for Whitesnake, and is easily one of their top discs ever! Good Job Whitesnake! Now bring your tour to the U.S. soon please!!
You can buy a copy of Whitesnake’s Good To Be Bad CD, at this link.
Rating:Out of 10
Track Listing:
Disc: 1
1. Best Years
2. Can You Hear The Wind Blow
3. Call On Me
4. All I Want All I Need
5. Good To Be Bad
6. All For Love
7. Summer Rain
8. Lay Down Your Love
9. A Fool In Love
10. Got What You Need
11. `Til The End Of Time
Disc: 2
1. Burn-Stormbringer (live version)
2. Give Me all Your Love Tonight (live version)
3. Walking In The Shadow…. (live version)
4. The Deeper The Love (live version)
5. Ready & Willing (live version)
6. Don t Break My Heart Again (live version)
7. Take Me with You (live version)
8. Ready To Rock (enhanced video)
Whitesnake is:
David Coverdale – Vocals
Doug Aldrich – Lead Guitar
Reb Beach – Rhythm Guitar
Chris Frazier – Drums
Uriah Duffy – Bass
Timothy Drury – Keyboards
5 Preview New Whitesnake Tune – The Best Years
Whitesnake has put a new song up on their myspace page. Go their page and click on the player on the left side to listen to the new tune called “the Best Years”!
Great Stuff!
The new CD, Good To Be Bad, will be released in the United States on April 22nd.
Good To Be Bad, sounds like a good mix of late 70’s and mid 80s Whitesnake.
Guitarist Doug Aldrich is going to blow you away!!
3 WHITESNAKE Frontman Discusses ‘Good To Be Bad’
Matthias Mineur recently interviewed WHITESNAKE vocalist David Coverdale about the band’s forthcoming album, “Good To Be Bad”. The question-and-answer session follows:
Q: Ten years between “Restless Heart” and “Good To Be Bad”: What has changed in WHITESNAKE and what is still the same?
Coverdale: I feel “Restless Heart” was more like a Coverdale solo album, which is how it started, ’til EMI told me they wanted it to be a WHITESNAKE record… so, we had to juggle it around to try and ‘SNAKE it up… whereas “Good To Be Bad” is most definately a WHITESNAKE record from beginning to end. For me, the heart and soul of WHITESNAKE remains the same. How could it not? It is, and has always been, very precious to me. It helps provide my family and I with an incredibly good life… I respect and treasure it, and I will protect it as much as I can from harm. I embrace and relish the rewards it brings. As a musical vehicle it helps me express myself, and hopefully, it’s the same for the musicians who work under its creative umbrella. It’s also an anti-aging youth serum for me!
Q: How important were the incredibly successful tours during the last three years for your motivation to write a new album?
Coverdale: Very, very important… The musicians I’m working with and the positive response from the people who come to see us and support us, has inspired and motivated me to get back in the saddle and to write and record new songs for the first time in many years. I’ve also found a new, inspiring writing partner in Mr. Aldrich. I’d allowed myself to be brought down, but, fortunately only for a short time, by the negative climate in the music business, but now I feel it’s more the major record companies’ energy, rather than the music business, that is creating a great deal of the damage. Their reluctance to move forward and embrace new approaches to business is definately creating a lot of their own problems. They just seem unable to see it. I thought, perhaps, all the magic had gone, but, I was wrong, and I’m very happy to discover live music is still very much supported by the hardcore fans… and yes… people are still buying records. Perhaps not in the millions that we became familiar with… but, nevertheless, the hardcore rock fan still wants to hold the substance of an album in his, or her hands, as opposed to simply downloading it. You have to rethink how you structure your career today and not take things for granted. You have to roll with the punches and keep an eye on everything. Not over-indulge… It is not how it used to be. But, still…it’s amazing, when I think about it. WHITESNAKE celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and is still going strong. It still has juice. I am so grateful that I can still actively work as a musician, create new music and then go on tour with a great band and play to appreciative crowds. As long as people accept that we don’t look the same as we did 20 years ago… but, we can still play our music with fire and passion, then I think we can stick around for another few years! I’m also very grateful to be involved with the record company, SPV. I work with a great, positive, supportive team there… Good, solid people.
Q: How did you write the material? How important was Doug Aldrich for you as a songwriter, musician and friend?
Coverdale: Personally, I’m always writing bits and pieces here and there, for future reference… making cassettes of ideas. It’s very natural for me to compose… I meditate before I start working and I find that helps me immensely. It helps bring out the creative spirit, I think… It helps me focus. Doug and I found it very natural to write together from the beginning. Relatively effortless and fun… It’s a 50/50 collaboration. He is a very gifted individual and very enthusiastic… he also helped engineer and mix the record, so he was involved from the very beginning of the project to the end. That is something that has never happened before. Doug‘s a welcome breath of fresh air for me. He doesn’t bring any excess baggage… No questionable agenda and no unnecessary ego to stroke… he just gets on with it. He’s very caring and passionate about what he does, and thank goodness, the passion includes WHITESNAKE. He was exposed to WHITESNAKE before we met, or worked together, so, he was familiar with the approach and the creative identities I’d established, but, he brings such an incredible energy and urgency to WHITESNAKE that it helps stretch the boundaries much further, without compromising the original attitude. He’s an electrifying guitarist, as anyone who has seen him can testify… Very inspiring to me. The other bonus, of course, is that we’ve developed a strong, supportive personal friendship.
Q: Would you say that “Good To Be Bad” is a mixture between your blues roots and a modern attitude? Any other influences?
Coverdale: For me it has all the elements, all the ingredients that I enjoy about WHITESNAKE. It’s a very solid, muscular, melodic rock record with a couple of fine ballads, so, there’s a little tenderness when the moment calls for it… and of course the ballads help balance out the chest beaters! I find it a very complete piece of work, actually. It covers a lot of musical ground… A positive chapter in the Book Of WHITESNAKE. I’m able to sing from a whisper to a scream, with all points in between, very comfortably with the new material. We also tried some new musical keys for me to sing in… which made it very fresh, interesting and fun. When Doug and I sat down to jam on each other’s song ideas the structure of the album was evident pretty much immediately… it came together very naturally. There was never a danger of compromising the acknowledged identity of WHITESNAKE for the sake of trying to be modern… or fashionable. I’d say if there was any influence it would be all the previous elements that have come together to make what is WHITESNAKE, coupled with the very welcome fresh injection from Doug, Chris, Timothy, Uriah and Reb. Chris Frazier has brought a very Paicey feel back to the band. He swings, grooves, rocks and rolls… A very pleasing foundation to build from. WHITESNAKE‘s got it’s groove back! As a band, these guys know how to tell the WHITESNAKE story very well indeed.
Q: Please comment on producer Michael McIntyre. What was his role, and in which way did he help the album?
Coverdale: Michael has been with me since 1987. He was originally a member of the WHITESNAKE crew. Then when I moved to Lake Tahoe, I found out he lived close by in Reno, so, I asked him to come and work with me as a personal assistant. He has proved so indescribably valuable to me that he has been actively involved in WHITESNAKE‘s management for many years. He oversees all aspects of my personal and business life. Not only that, but, he’s a fantastic recording engineer and has been involved in the recording of all of my albums since “Slip Of The Tongue”. We are great friends… More like brothers. I trust him with my life, so, when he’s recording my voice I have total confidence in his judgement.
Q: The album was originally announced for autumn 2007. Any reasons for the delay?
Coverdale: The recording of this album was constantly compromised by interruptions. However, it’s a testament to Doug, Mikey and I, also known as The Brutal Brothers, that we kept moving forward… “Onwards and forwards” was the motto for this project. Also, to be honest, there was no real rush for us to finish the project quickly. I’d planned to take the year off from touring to avoid too much pressure in making the record, so, whenever there were problems, we’d take a break… a little breathing space. It works wonders for fresh perspective. Also, for me, personally, it is most important I balance my working time with my family time. It isn’t always easy… even when you’re recording at home! The most important thing is… was it all worth it? And I can sincerely answer, yes! It most certainly was worth all the trials and tribulations to get to this place and simply enjoy the fruits of our labours. It’s a fun album… Great to drive to!
Q: What kind of audience do you expect for “Good To Be Bad”? Metal kids? Rock fans? Blues maniacs? Or perhaps younger people?
Coverdale: Everybody’s welcome to try a bite of this pie. There’s something here for everyone…
Q: Please comment on the tour with DEF LEPPARD. The perfect choice for a co-headlining tour…
Coverdale: Three hours of good, strong, melodic songs! What more could you want? Joe Elliott, the Lepps and I have been friends and supporters for many years. It was only logical we’d end up touring together someday. I’d like to be in the audience for the shows we’re doing together. I feel it will definitely be an event to experience… Let’s Get Rocked In The Still Of The Night… yeah baby!
Q: What can we expect of WHITESNAKE live in 2008?
Coverdale: We will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Whitesnake with kick arse live shows… a new show, featuring songs from a new studio album. By the way, this is the 10th studio album from WHITESNAKE. There will be much fun to be had by all. Don’t miss out on the party!
Courtesy of Blabbermouth.net
32 Whitesnake Good To Be Bad Cover Art
Whitesnake has released the Cover Art for the Up Coming release, Good To Be Bad.
GOOD TO BE BAD
Track Listing:
Best Years
Can You Hear The Wind Blow
All For Love
All I Want All I Need
Call On Me
Lay Down Your Love
Summer Rain
Good To Be Bad
A Fool In Love
Got What You Need
‘Til The End Of Time
Release Dates:
Germany: April 18
Europe: April 21
USA/Canada: April 22