There He Goes Again

David Coverdale has fewer wrinkles now than he did in 1987 and his music's held up too.

When it comes to Whitesnake, let's get the obvious criticism out of the way: David Coverdale is not original. The journeyman rocker who has fronted Deep Purple and worked with some of Rock's greatest guitarists learned a lot of tricks along the way, but nothing truly distinct. But what the man Robert Plant once nicknamed "David Cover Version" does have is a master craftsman approach to hard rock and an undeniably impressive voice. And with Good To Be Bad (2008), Coverdale rocks like its 1987 all over again.

Whitesnake's first new album of material since 1997 finds the band rocking harder than ever. Coverdale has often relied on having a sympathetic guitarist to help build his titanic rock structures and he's found a friend in Doug Aldrich. Together, they raid the cellars of The Allman Brothers, Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and classic Whitesnake itself to provide the mean guitar riffs and howling screams that lead to Hard Rock ecstasy.

The best moments include the surging Bon Jovish "Can You Hear The Wind Blow" and the AC/DCesque "Got What You Need". The power ballad "All I Want All I Need" is reminscent of their hit "Is This Love" while the title track apes "Slow And Easy" from the Slide It In album. Coverdale makes sure his nemesis Robert Plant loses sleep with "Lay Down Your Love" which filches the best parts of Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog".

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Coverdale shows conviction and power in his new set of tunes. So many classic rock bands record new music that goes through the motions rehashing past glories or trip over themselves updating their sound to the point of unrecognizability. Coverdale pretty much says "screw that" and delivers hard hitting guitars, hammer on solos and instantly memorable 80's hair metal melodies. Thankfully, some of the slickness of the late 80's is peeled back to something closer to their early 80's sound which had more crunch and bite.

Other hard rock artists may have won more points for creativity or originality in their careers, but in 2008 David Coverdale trumps them all. It's not just Good To Be Bad, it's Great.

Whitesnake "Lay Down Your Love"