Posts tagged Micky Moody

(Review from rlwl.co.uk, wikipedia, allmusic)

Solley left the band to join Procol Harum. Brian Chatton and Tim Hinkley was recruited to complete the lineup that would record the band’s third album.

As the title suggests, the overall sound is very funky rock with an evident blues debt. Micky Moody’s overdriven slide adds a touch of Southern boogie to the mixture. The laidback country-rock groove sustained throughout has held up remarkably well in the quarter-century since its release.

Shortly after the release of the album, the general feeling of disillusionment and loss of direction which dominated the established British rock scene in the mid-seventies finally caught up with Snafu as well. During a tour of Germany, Micky Moody was invited to join David Coverdale (for the band which would become Whitesnake) and he accepted. Snafu was no more.

Line-up:
- Bobby Harrison / vocals, percussion
- Micky Moody / guitar
- Colin Gibson / bass, percussion
- Terry Popple / drums, percussion
- Tim Hinckley / piano, organ
- Brian Chatton / keyboards

Track List:
01. Don’t Keep Me Wondering – 5:21
02. Bloodhound – 5:25
03. Lock And Key – 2:56
04. Hard to Handle – 3:22
05. Every Little Bit Hurts – 4:41
06. Turn Around – 4:23
07. Deep Water – 5:27
08. Keep on Running – 3:24
09. Barroom Tan – 3:48
10. Dancing Feet – 5:51

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Bobby Harrison, Micky Moody, Snafu

Snafu – Situation Normal (1974) (@256)

30 Apr 2010

(Review from alexgitlin.com)

On the second LP, “Situation Normal”, Pete Solley had taken over much of the control of the band. There is a strong country-rock influence on this album, which makes you either hate or love it.

Solley’s keyboard/fiddle playing is wonderful throughout the album. At the same time, Micky Moody was exploring music by the likes of Ry Cooder and getting more and more into playing slide guitar. Harrison’s vocal work is sublime and the rhythm section is both tight and soulful.

Surprisingly, it was not as well reviewed as its predecessor. The band toured America as a support act for Emerson Lake and Palmer but wasn’t happy with the results of having to play to a completely different audience.

Line-up:
- Bobby Harrison / vocals, congas
- Micky Moody / guitar, mandolin, harmonica
- Colin Gibson / bass
- Terry Popple / drums, washboard
- Pete Solley / keyboards, fiddle, ARP synthesizer

Track List:
01. No More – 6:19
02. No Bitter Taste – 3:24
03. Brown Eyed Beauty & The Blue Assed Fly – 3:25
04. Lock And Key – 2:49
05. Big Dog Lusty – 3:41
06. Playboy Blues – 8:16
07. Jessie Lee – 4:37
08. Ragtime Roll – 5:05

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Bobby Harrison, Micky Moody, Snafu

Snafu – Snafu (1973) (@256)

29 Apr 2010

5 comments

(Review from amazon)

Snafu was formed in 1973 by former Procol Harum and Freedom vocalist Bobby Harrison along with Micky Moody, formerly of Tramline, the Mike Cotton Sound and Juicy Lucy (later with Whitesnake). With Colin Gibson from Ginger Baker’s Air Force, Terry Popple from Mickey Jupp’s Legend, and session musician Pete Solley the line-up was completed. Gibson suggested the name Snafu, a term he lifted from a Captain Beefheart LP. The musical influences were mainly American and came from bands such as Allman Brothers and in particular Little Feat, one of Bobby Harrison’s favourite bands.

The band’s first album is filled with well-played funky rock with the kind of edge you’d expect from guys who had their backgrounds. The opener “Long Gone” was the single, and a pretty good introduction to the style of the album: a quiet keyboard intro with guitar drifting in, funky mid-tempo drums, Harrison’s suitably raw but melodic and familiar-sounding rock’n'roll voice and a melody that’s easy to listen to.

Other highlights include “Monday Morning”, peppered with Pete Solley’s fierce fiddle-playing, the country-rock number “Country Nest”, graced with a melody that hooks on you instantly – the aptly titled “Funky Friend” with its kicking drum beat that’s left as loud as possible in the mix (and Solley plays fiddle on this one too), and the climactic closer “That’s the Song” with a dynamite chorus.

A balanced album by talented musicians, it forebode good things for Snafu, but sadly, commercial success was to elude the band.

Line-up:
- Bobby Harrison / vocals, congas
- Micky Moody / guitar, mandolin, harmonica
- Colin Gibson / bass
- Terry Popple / drums, washboard
- Pete Solley / keyboards, fiddle, ARP synthesizer

Track List:
01. Long Gone – 5:18
02. Said He To The Judge – 4:34
03. Monday Morning – 3:17
04. Drowning In The Sea Of Love – 5:51
05. Country Nest – 5:19
06. Funky Friend – 4:05
07. Goodbye USA – 4:24
08. That’s The Song – 6:05

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Bobby Harrison, Micky Moody, Snafu

Tony Ashton & Friends – Live At Abbey Road (2000) (@256)

27 Dec 2009

(Review from allmusic)

Coming together to honour and celebrate the career of Tony Ashton, musical guests from all eras of his work perform a blistering set of classics from Tony Ashton’s career, Whitesnake and Paice-Ashton-Lord.

Sound quality is top notch and energy levels are high. ‘Hey, this is live,’ comments Bernie Marsden after a slightly wobbly break, and this album really is vibrant with real live musical excellence.

The concert begins with the band Mash, followed by Johnny Johnson and Dave Williams. A Hardin and York (Eddie Hardin, Pete York) reunion follows which includes Geoff Whitehorn, Chris Barber, Jaz Lochrie. Zoot Money, and Eddie’s daughter Emma is up next. They are followed by Angel. Wrapping up the first half of the event is a short set of Rock (and Who) classics performed by John Entwistle, Zak Starkey, John Rabbit Bundrick and Gary Nuttall.

The second half opens with Tony Ashton himself, followed by a short acoustic set by Mickey Moody and Bernie Marsden. Afterward, Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Neil Murray and Robert Hart joins them for a short set of Whitesnake songs. The finale is a mini Paice-Ashton-Lord reunion set, which includes Bernie Marsden and Howie Casey.

Line-up:
- Tony Ashton / Keyboards, Vocals
with
- Chris Barber / Trombone
- John “Rabbit” Bundrick / Keyboards
- Howie Casey / Saxophone
- John Entwistle / Bass
- Robert Hart / Vocals
- Jon Lord / Organ, Saxophone
- Bernie Marsden / Guitar, Saxophone, Vocals
- Micky Moody / Guitar
- Neil Murray / Bass, Saxophone
- Gary Nuttall / Guitar, Vocals
- Ian Paice / Drums, Saxophone
- Nigel Portman Smith / Bass
- Zak Starkey / Drums
- Geoff Whitehorn / Guitar
- Laurie Wisefield / Guitar
- Pete York / Drums
- Jeanette McKinley / Back Vocals
- Sheila McKinley / Back Vocals

Track List:
01. Introduction – 1:52
02. One Room Country Shack – 8:11
03. Mercy Mercy – 5:07
04. No Money Down – 6:35
05. Shake Rattle and Roll – 3:22
06. Ain’t Gonna Cry No More – 5:04
07. Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues – 4:56
08. Ready An Willing (Sweet Satisfaction) – 4:48
09. Ain’t No Love (In The Heart Of The City) – 7:56
10. Here I Go Again – 5:51
11. Ghost Story – 5:36
12. Sneaky Private Lee – 8:32
13. Resurrection Shuffle – 9:50

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Bernie Marsden, Geoff Whitehorn, Ian Paice, John "Rabbit" Bundrick, John Entwistle, Jon Lord, Laurie Wisefield, Micky Moody, Neil Murray, Tony Ashton

Tramline – Moves Of Vegetable Centuries (1969) (@256)

31 Oct 2009

(Review from amazon, allmusic)

The second and final album of the hot young blues band sees them getting into its stride with the addition of sax player Ron Aspery and bass guitar virtuoso Colin Hodgkinson from progressive group Back Door. They add a boost to such performances as the Tramline version of Traffic’s “Pearly Queen” and the old Yardbirds favourite “I Wish You Would”.

The group had split by 1970, with McCoy and Sidgwick evidently leaving music behind while Moody passed through Juicy Lucy and Snafu before achieving huge success with Whitesnake; Popple tagged along for a time in Snafu, as well as working with Matthew Fisher and Alan Hull, and passed through the line-up of Radiator.

Line-up:
- John McCoy / Harmonica, Vocals
- Micky Moody / Guitar
- Terry Popple / Drums
- Terry Sidgwick / Bass, Vocals
with
- Ron Aspery / saxophone
- Colin Hodkingson / bass

Track List:
01. Pearly Queen – 3:41
02. Sweet Satisfaction – 3:32
03. You Better Run – 2:17
04. Grunt – 7:12
05. Sweet Mary – 6:25
06. I Wish You Would – 5:21
07. Goodmorning Little Schoolgirl – 2:32
08. Harriet’s Underground Railway – 3:57

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Colin Hodgkinson, Micky Moody, Ron Aspery, Tramline

Tramline – Somewhere Down The Line (1968) (@256)

30 Oct 2009

(Review from allmusic, amazon, repertoirerecords.com)

Tramline was a hard-rocking blues-based quartet, not too different from guitar-heavy outfits of the late 60s — a sound like 60 year old black guys from the Mississippi, though they were only 17 and from North Yorkshire. This exuberance of youth, a quality you can’t bottle, just about carries the band through.

Their debut has nine sizzling performances by the promising young group, including original material (like the interesting instrumental Mazurka) and driving covers of songs like Buffalo Springfield’s “Rock And Roll Woman” and the Howlin’ Wolf classic “Killing Floor”.

Line-up:
- John McCoy / Harmonica, Vocals
- Micky Moody / Guitar
- Terry Popple / Drums
- Terry Sidgwick / Bass, Vocals

Track List:
01. Harpoon Man – 4:05
02. National Blues – 3:25
03. Sorry Sorry – 9:01
04. Look Over Yonder Wall – 4:39
05. Rock And Roll Woman – 4:02
06. Somewhere Down The Line – 3:35
07. Mazurka – 2:45
08. Statesborough Blues – 3:37
09. Killing Floor – 4:50

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Micky Moody, Tramline

Company of Snakes – Burst the Bubble (2002) (@256)

06 Jun 2008

(Review from amazon, metal-temple.com)

“Burst The Bubble”, made up of new studio material, picks up where early Whitesnake left off. With their timeless hard rock Made in Britain that is based on blues, boogie and traditional rock influences, “Company Of Snakes” reduce possible arguments about trends and fashions to absurdity, while proving that there will always be an audience for their brand of classic rock.

Songs like the opener ‘Labour of Love’, the melodic ‘Sacrificial Feeling’, ‘Little Miss Happiness’ with its good-time rock’n'roll attitude, ‘Back To The Blues’ (which really doesn’t require further explanation), or the ballad ‘Those Days’ bear the unmistakable mark of the Moody and Marsden. Stefan Berggren stands out with his bluesy, clear timbre. Berggren’s voice and vocal style follow in the footsteps of David Coverdale or Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company).

Other standouts include “Ride Ride Ride (Run, Run, Run)”, an amazingly catchy song that makes you keep tapping your foot no matter how hard you try to stop and “Can’t Go Back” which creates such a great atmosphere that imposes to be listened while you drink bourbon, smoking heavy cigarettes.

After the release of this album, Stefan Berggren left and the band slowly evolved into M3 with the incorporation of new vocalist(s).

Line-up:
* Neil Murray – bass
* Micky Moody – guitar, back vocals
* Bernie Marsden – guitar
* Don Airey – keyboards
* Stefan Berggren – vocals
* John Lingwood – drums

Track List:
01. Ayresome Park
02. Labour Of Love
03. Ride Ride Ride (Run, Run, Run)
04. Burst The Bubble
05. Sacrificial Feelings
06. What Love Can Do
07. Little Miss Happiness
08. Hurricane
09. Kinda Wish You Would
10. Days To Remember
11. Back To The Blues
12. All Dressed Up
13. Can’t Go Back
14. She
15. Ayresome Park – Reprise

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Bernie Marsden, Company of Snakes, Don Airey, Micky Moody, Neil Murray

Company of Snakes – Here They Go Again (Live 2000) (@320)

05 Jun 2008

(Review from amazon, allmusic)

Neil Murray (another ex-Whitesnake of the classic line-up) and seasoned keyboardist Don Airey joined in the “Snakes”. After several vocalist changes, the band settled for Stefan Berggren evolving into the “Company of Snakes”. The band cut a live album culled from concerts between August and September, 2000.

On this crisp sounding double live album, the group performs almost exclusively material that they wrote with Whitesnake, and it sincerely smokes. Although they do not have vocalist David Coverdale in the lineup, Stefan Bergren amply handles the vocal chores. There’s room for a couple of new songs, though, as well as a great rendition of Rainbow’s “Since You Been Gone”.

“Here They Go Again” provides a great opportunity to enjoy once more the “old” Whitesnake songs, but it isn’t just for Whitesnake nostalgics – this fine live album should appeal to all fans of hard, bluesy, guitar-heavy rock n’ roll.

Line-up:
* Neil Murray – bass
* Micky Moody – guitar, back vocals
* Bernie Marsden – guitar
* Don Airey – keyboards
* Stefan Berggren – vocals
* John Lingwood – drums

Track List:
CD1
01. Come On – 4:25
02. Walking in the Shadow of the Blues – 5:01
03. Trouble – 6:30
04. Kinda Wish You Would – 5:55
05. Rough An’ Ready – 3:24
06. Don’t Break My Heart Again – 6:35
07. Moody’s Blues – 4:01
08. Slow An’ Easy – 6:57
09. Sweet Talker – 5:06
10. Ready An’ Willing – 6:32
CD2
01. Would I Lie to You – 4:32
02. Ain’t Gonna Cry No More – 7:08
03. Silver on Her Person – 5:00
04. Lovehunter – 5:14
05. Is This Love – 5:42
06. Since You Been Gone – 3:39
07. Here I Go Again – 9:27
08. Wine Women An’ Song – 6:42
09. Fool for Your Loving – 5:07

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Bernie Marsden, Company of Snakes, Don Airey, Live, Micky Moody, Neil Murray

Snakes – Live in Europe (1998) (@320)

04 Jun 2008

The band released a live opus, comprising Whitesnake songs following their studio album.

It’s always nice to hear the classic-era Whitesnake songs all over again, with Jorn Lande this time. He certainly can hit high notes like a young Coverdale.

Line-up:
- Jorn Lande / vocals
- Micky Moody / guitar
- Bernie Marsden / guitar
- Sid Ringsby / bass
- Willy Bendickson / drums

Track List:
01. Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues
02. Sweet Talker
03. Trouble
04. Slow An’ Easy
05. Don’t Break My Heart Again
06. Ready An’ Willing
07. Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City
08. Rough An’ Ready
09. Fool For Your Loving
10. Wine, Women And Song
11. Here I Go Again

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Bernie Marsden, Live, Micky Moody, Snakes

Snakes – Once Bitten (1998) (@256)

02 Jun 2008

(Review from rockdetector.com, theboysareback.se, amazon)

After David Coverdale sacked them from Whitesnake, ending the band’s classic sound, Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden didn’t want to give up on their unique chemistry. With different Coverdale-like sounding vocalists and band-mates, they led on a fork of Whitesnake under different monikers.

This incarnation of the duo, “Snakes” performed numerous club shows playing exclusively Whitesnake material. The guitar pairing had initially been working up a proposed band titled “Saints and Sinners” with erstwhile Whitesnake refugees bassist Neil Murray and Cozy Powell plus American vocalist John West. Powell’s own solo album with West put an end to this venture.

For the August 1998 ‘Once Bitten’ album, three Norwegians, including ex-Vagabond vocalist Jorn Lande were drafted. The outcome is strong bluesy rock songs with truckloads of feeling — an early Whitesnake-sounding album. Jorn Lande is extremely “Coverdale-like” and the songwriting and production is very good. It’s like “Slide It In” and “Lovehunter” melted into one incredible opus.

Definitely a great fix for Whitesnake fans and a surprising delight for Jorn Lande fans.

Line-up:
- Jorn Lande / vocals
- Micky Moody / guitar
- Bernie Marsden / guitar
- Sid Ringsby / bass
- Willy Bendickson / drums

Track List:
01. Labour Of Love
02. Can’t Go Back
03. What Love Can Do
04. Real Faith
05. The Dancer (The Liar)
06. Gonna Find The Sun
07. Little Miss Happiness
08. Bring Yo’ Good Self Home
09. Showdown
10. Sacrificial Feelings
11. Tough Love
12. All Dressed Up (Bonus Track)
13. September Tears (Bonus Track)

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Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody, Snakes

Whitesnake – Slide It In (1984) (@256)

16 May 2008

(Review from allmusic, wikipedia)

Following up the splendid “Saints & Sinners” album was no easy task, but 1984′s Slide It In turned out to be an even greater triumph for Whitesnake.

From the boisterous machismo of “Spit It Out” and “All or Nothing” to the resigned despair of “Gambler” and “Standing in the Shadow” and the embarrassingly silly title track, everything seems to click. For hit singles, look no further than the twin guitar attack of “Guilty of Love” and the sheer poetry and emotion of “Love Ain’t No Stranger”, a great power ballad. Not to be outdone, “Slow an’ Easy” is a masterpiece of sexual tension and the kind of power-blues which no one does as well as Whitesnake.

This edition is the album’s original version. It features a stronger presence of keyboards by Jon Lord, and the bass is more noticeable.

Later on, a more slickly produced, radio-friendly version of the album was released in the US. Neil Murray was brought back and the bass parts were re-recorded with him and with the addition of John Sykes as a third guitarist, his sound was layered on top of the original guitar parts.

Line-up:
* David Coverdale – lead vocals, percussion, piano
* Micky Moody – guitars
* Mel Galley – guitars, backing vocals
* Colin Hodgkinson – bass
* Jon Lord – keyboards
* Cozy Powell – drums

Track List:
01. Gambler – 3:57
02. Slide It In – 3:20
03. Standing in the Shadow – 3:32
04. Give Me More Time – 3:41
05. Love Ain’t no Stranger – 4:13
06. Slow an’ Easy – 6:09
07. Spit It Out – 4:11
08. All or Nothing – 3:34
09. Hungry for Love – 3:57
10. Guilty of Love – 3:18

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Colin Hodgkinson, Cozy Powell, David Coverdale, Jon Lord, Mel Galley, Micky Moody, Whitesnake

Whitesnake – Saints and Sinners (1982) (@256)

15 May 2008

(Review from allmusic, hardrockheavymetal.wordpress.com)

David Coverdale returned to music the next year, reforming Whitesnake and the band rushed to studio for their next album.

Their 1982 album, “Saints and Sinners” features a blend of solid instrumentation: great dual guitar lines, solid backline, and Lord’s organ all blended with Coverdale’s gritty vocals. Rowdy bursts of bluesy aggression are all over the album like in “Rough an’ Ready”, “Bloody Luxury” and the downright nasty “Young Blood.” David Coverdale also reached new heights with the astounding heavy blues of “Crying in the Rain” and the timeless power ballad “Here I Go Again”. More boogie woogie rock comes out on “Love An’ Affection” and “Rock An’ Roll Angels” with the piano prominent again in both songs.

This proved to be the last album of the “classic” line-up as Bernie Marsden, Neil Murray and Ian Paice left. Whitesnake’s line-up never stabilized ever since.

Line-up:
* David Coverdale – lead vocals
* Bernie Marsden – guitars
* Mel Galley – guitars
* Micky Moody – guitars, backing vocals
* Jon Lord – keyboards
* Neil Murray – bass
* Ian Paice – drums

Track List:
01. Young Blood – 3:30
02. Rough An’ Ready – 2:52
03. Bloody Luxury – 3:23
04. Victim Of Love – 3:33
05. Crying In The Rain – 5:59
06. Here I Go Again – 5:08
07. Love An’ Affection – 3:09
08. Rock An’ Roll Angels – 4:07
09. Dancing Girls – 3:10
10. Saints An’ Sinners – 4:23

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Bernie Marsden, David Coverdale, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, Mel Galley, Micky Moody, Neil Murray, Whitesnake

Whitesnake – Come an Get It (1981) (@256)

14 May 2008

(Review from amazon)

Confident from the success of ‘Ready An’ Willing’, Whitesnake went into the studio, effortlessly knocking out vintage blues rock.

There are many highlights including ‘Child Of Babylon’, an epic song showing off Coverdale at his best, the grooving title track and the monolithic anthem ‘Don’t Break My Heart Again’ with its nod towards a more pop metal direction. The fun blues boogie numbers ‘Would I Lie To You’ and “Wine, Women An’ Song” were brilliantly humorous and even more fun when played live! ‘Till The Day I Die’ features a superb vocal performance from Coverdale.

As on their previous album, the Purple duo Jon Lord and Ian Paice, turns in solid professional performances. Also of note is the typically old-school guitar work from Moody/Marsden throughout the album, especially on the song ‘Hit An’ Run’ which given a bit more development in the chorus department could have been a classic. Neil Murray’s bubbling basslines can also be heard throughout to great effect.

After the release of this album, Coverdale took time off to look after his sick daughter. He decided to temporarily break up the band.

Line-up:
* David Coverdale – vocals
* Micky Moody – guitar
* Bernie Marsden – guitar
* Jon Lord – keyboards
* Neil Murray – bass guitar
* Ian Paice – drums

Track List:
01. Come An’ Get It – 3:57
02. Hot Stuff – 3:22
03. Don’t Break My Heart Again – 4:01
04. Lonely Days, Lonely Nights – 4:14
05. Wine, Women An’ Song – 3:43
06. Child Of Babylon – 4:50
07. Would I Lie To You – 4:30
08. Girl – 3:54
09. Hit An’ Run – 3:21
10. Till The Day I Die – 4:27

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Bernie Marsden, David Coverdale, Ian Paice, Jon Lord, Micky Moody, Neil Murray, Whitesnake

Whitesnake – Trouble (1978) (@256)

13 May 2008

(Review from rockages, wikipedia)

Keyboardist Jon Lord (of Deep Purple) joined the band and Whitesnake’s first full-length studio album, “Trouble” came out in fall 1978. It is a blues rock/R&B styled album with some Led Zeppelin and Free influences. Coverdale steered away from any Deep Purple connotations during this time period.

Swirling effects then that scratchy guitar intro mark the opener “Take Me With You”. Slightly softer edged but not dissimilar to “Burn” in many ways its a decent heavy rock song. “Love To Keep You Warm” has much more in common with the funk tinged Deep Purple of “Come Taste The Band” vintage and despite being a plodding mid-tempo love song has a warm feel and is quite listenable. “Lie Down” however is a blues rock monster following much the same design as “Come On” off the Snakebite EP. A regular early live favourite that bounds along underscored by some great piano and topped off by an understated Micky Moody solo. With the cover of “Day Tripper” they take the unusual step of considerably reworking a Beatles classic. Turning into a slow-burner of a blues number with Coverdale producing a moody vocal and Marsden a fine, voicebox solo. “Nighthawk (Vampire Blues)” is another solid rocker that hints at the direction of the early 80s despite some distinctly 70s guitar licks in it but notably it does feature Coverdale singing about a ‘Gypsy woman’ not for the first or the last time!

Opening side two is the quite mid tempo love song “Time Is Right For Love” featuring some quite brilliant guitar touches down low in the mix adorning the versus. The title track “Trouble” is quite superb; effectively Whitesnake’s own smoking heavy blues number that didn’t replace but actually accompanied its close relative “Mistreated” in the live set. “Belgian Tom’s Hat-Trick” is a Micky Moody written instrumental that features a solo spot each for Moody, Lord then Marsden within the structure of a decent little boogie rocker. “Free Flight” is notable for Coverdale relinquishes lead vocal duties to Marsden for the whole track. Closing track “Don’t Mess With Me” has a thumping intro, fast paced versus, chant-able chorus and singalong breakdown. It’s a more than solid rocker that closes the album.

“Trouble” is a solid if fairly unspectular album that built upon the strengths of their EP and went some way toward establishing the band although it would be their next album, “Love Hunter” that really seals their ascension.

Line-up:
* David Coverdale – vocals
* Micky Moody – guitar
* Bernie Marsden – guitar
* Neil Murray – bass guitar
* Jon Lord – keyboards
* Dave Dowle – drums

Track List:
01. Take Me With You – 4:47
02. Love To Keep You Warm – 3:45
03. Lie Down (A Modern Love Song) – 3:15
04. Day Tripper – 3:48
05. Night Hawk (Vampire Blues) – 3:38
06. The Time Is Right For Love – 3:29
07. Trouble – 4:48
08. Belgian Tom’s Hat Trick – 3:26
09. Free Flight – 4:05
10. Don’t Mess With Me – 3:18

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Bernie Marsden, David Coverdale, Jon Lord, Micky Moody, Neil Murray, Whitesnake

Whitesnake – Snakebite (EP 1978) (@256)

12 May 2008

4 comments

(Review from rockofages)

Employing some of the names that had helped out on the commercially unsuccessful but worth exploring post-Purple solo albums “White Snake” and “Northwinds” Coverdale set out with guitarists Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden, bass player Neil Murray and drummer Dave Dowle to create a new hard blues-rock outfit.

The very first album under the Whitesnake moniker, the Snakebite EP features four tracks which pretty clearly marked the route Coverdale and his band intended to take, at least in the bands early years. The highlight of the release is undoubtedly the excellent cover of the blues standard “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City”. A slow, grooving number that recreates somewhat the feeling of Coverdale’s Deep Purple highlight “Mistreated”. It later became a concert staple for the rest of band’s career.

Elsewhere, Micky Moody gets a showcase with the excellent, upbeat slide guitar rocker Steal Away, whilst the bands hard rock credentials were set out as the Coverdale/Marsden songwriting team produced it’s first fruits in the guise of Come On, a great blues rock number which itself nods to older Coverdale output with the line “I’m just a soldier of fortune”.

Another up-tempo rocker entitled “Bloody Mary” proves to be the weakest of the release and wouldn’t become a part of the early live set that the others would. It’s still worth hearing though if only for some classic Coverdale-isms.

The CD edition includes 4 bonus tracks taken from David Coverdale’s Northwinds solo album.

Line-up:
* David Coverdale – vocals
* Micky Moody – guitar
* Bernie Marsden – guitar
* Neil Murray – bass guitar
* Dave Dowle – drums

Track List:
01. Come On – 3:33
02. Bloody Mary – 3:20
03. Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City – 5:13
04. Steal Away – 4:20
05. Keep On Giving Me Love (Bonus) – 5:18
06. Queen Of Hearts (Bonus) – 5:17
07. Only My Soul (Bonus) – 4:36
08. Breakdown (Bonus) – 5:12

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Bernie Marsden, David Coverdale, Micky Moody, Neil Murray, Whitesnake

David Coverdale – Northwinds (1978) (@256)

11 May 2008

5 comments

(Review from allmusic)

1978′s Northwinds, David Coverdale’s second solo album after the demise of Deep Purple, is a powerful dose of blues- and R&B-influenced hard rock. It is also a huge leap forward in quality from the previous year’s White Snake, a tentative and generally cautious record.

“Keeping on Giving Me Love” is loose and funky and a blowout jam wraps it up. The gorgeous ballad “Northwinds” builds to a gospel-like fervor; Coverdale’s voice is warm and smooth and Hinckley’s dominant keyboards are supported by Moody’s tasteful rhythm guitar. “Give Me Kindness” is a slab of R&B-based hard rock with horns present to add spice. Initially, Coverdale’s slow, soft vocals and Hinckley’s effective keyboards provide the soul of the splendid “Time & Again”, but Graham Preskett’s electric violin and, ultimately, Coverdale’s surging voice aid the overall swell of power at the finale. “Only My Soul” offers a rich musical stew of introductory organ and acoustic guitar, steady drums, biting little guitar fills, supple bass licks, Glover’s synthesizer fill and more electric violin lines from Preskett, but Coverdale’s ethereal singing holds it all together. The hard-charging rocker “Breakdown” is about the disintegration of Deep Purple.

This edition of the album also includes two solid bonus tracks: the spry groove rocker “Shame on the Devil” and the melodic pop/rock song “Sweet Mistreater”.

Line-up:
* David Coverdale – Vocals
with
* Micky Moody – Guitar
* Simon Phillips – Drums
* Alan Spenner – Bass
* Tim Hinckley – Keyboards
* Roger Glover – Keyboards

Track List:
01. Keep On Giving Me Love – 5:15
02. Northwinds – 6:13
03. Give Me Kindness – 4:32
04. Time & Again – 4:02
05. Queen Of Hearts – 5:15
06. Only My Soul – 4:35
07. Say You Love Me – 4:20
08. Breakdown – 5:15
09. Shame The Devil (Bonus) – 3:34
10. Sweet Mistreater (Bonus) – 3:45

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David Coverdale, Micky Moody, Roger Glover

David Coverdale – White Snake (1977) (@256)

10 May 2008

(Review from allmusic, wikipedia)

After Deep Purple crumbled in the mid-’70s, vocalist David Coverdale began a solo career with 1977′s White Snake. Before too long, Coverdale would use the album title (as well as guitarist Micky Moody) for his future band, first known as “David Coverdale’s Whitesnake” and soon afterwards as just Whitesnake.

The album is a very inward looking, reflective and low-key affair in many ways, written and recorded as it was in the aftermath of the collapse of Deep Purple. Coverdale is clearly flummoxed regarding the direction the music should take. There are some blues-rock numbers that benefit from Coverdale’s rich, throaty vocals and Moody’s reliable guitar parts. They would later settle on this style for Whitesnake. However, much of the album shows Coverdale’s love of R&B and soul. Remember that it was this route that Deep Purple took, particularly on 1974′s Stormbringer.

“Lady” manages to blend R&B and hard rock elements effectively thanks to Moody’s slithering guitar and the punchy horns. The smoldering “Blindman” is probably the best song because of its blues-rock purity; it actually sounds like a blend of Free, Bad Company, and, ultimately, future Whitesnake. “Goldies Place” is a blue-eyed stab at R&B and funk. “Whitesnake” is a guilty pleasure rocker; the sexual symbolism surpasses mere double entendre, but it’s not quite hardcore porn. “Peace Lovin’ Man” goes so far as to approach gospel-influenced soul. “Hole in the Sky” is a smooth, dreamy ballad.

Line-up:
* David Coverdale / vocals
with
* Micky Moody / guitar
* De Lisle Harper / bass
* Tim Hinckley / keyboards
* Simon Phillips / drums
* Roger Glover / synths
* Liza Strike / back vocals
* Helen Chapelle / back vocals
* Barry St John / back vocals

Track List:
01. Lady – 3:47
02. Blindman – 6:00
03. Goldies Place – 5:02
04. Whitesnake – 4:20
05. Time On My Side – 4:25
06. Peace Lovin’ Man – 4:52
07. Sunny Days – 3:29
08. Hole In The Sky – 3:21
09. Celebration – 4:09
10. Peace Lovin’ Man (Bonus Take 1) – 5:03
11. Sunny Days (Bonus Take 1) – 3:19

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David Coverdale, Micky Moody, Roger Glover

Whitesnake – Live in the Heart of the City (1980) (@256)

28 Nov 2007