Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Whitesnake
Label: EMI Records
Released: 1980
Runtime: 40:10
Rating: 4.5/5
»Ready an’ Willing« was the third studio album from British hard rock champions Whitesnake and, at the same time, the first major milestone of their career. With the hits »Fool For Your Loving« and the title track, it brought them their first success beyond the British Isles, and especially across the Atlantic, where they had been practically unknown until then. Despite those early wins, the road to big stadiums and headline slots was still a few years off, but on the other hand, the legendary outfit probably never was, before or after, as rock solid in showing off its boundless love for sophisticated and complex forms of blues rock.
Compared to its predecessor »Lovehunter« (1979), the serpent-voiced frontman David Coverdale and his instrumental partners took another quality step forward on »Ready an’ Willing« in terms of sonic sophistication, and it was also their hardest-hitting record up to that point, with the legendary producer Martin Birch (ex-Deep Purple, Blue Öyster Cult, Iron Maiden) playing a key role. Before recording of the new album began, during the »Lovehunter« tour in fact, there was an important lineup change: the cult drummer Ian Paice joined as a new member, which meant Whitesnake now had three former Deep Purple members. With his dynamic, no-compromise drumming style, Paice joined his old Purple ‘comrades-in-arms’, Coverdale and the legendary keyboardist Jon Lord, while the seasoned guitar duo of Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden, over a bed of juicy bass lines from bassist Neil Murray, was the main source of inventive blues rock guitar phrases.
With Paice and Murray in the lineup, Whitesnake had one of the best rhythm sections among comparable rock bands of the time. The reunion of three ex-Deep Purple men set rumors going that Coverdale was trying to revive the legendary group, which couldn’t have been further from the truth. So »Ready an’ Willing« produced the most stable lineup in the entire Whitesnake story, one that managed to stay together for almost three years.
The evergreen »Fool For Loving«, which became their first international hit single, is a hugely energetic hard rock opener, where the eternal charmer Coverdale shows off by moving smoothly between velvety and aggressive vocal lines, backed by massive drum fills, inventive guitar phrases from both guitar masters and shimmering lines of Hammond organ. The high point is the thoroughly eroticized chorus with backing vocal harmonies, which fits the lyrics perfectly, inspired as they were by the collapse of David’s first marriage. Nine years later, at the urging of his devoted label ‘godfathers’, Coverdale decided to re-record »Fool For Your Loving« and release it on the album »Slip Of the Tongue« (1989) in a much more commercial form, which, by his own admission, was one of the biggest mistakes of his career.
The slightly faster »Sweet Talker« is also full of the singer’s passionate fury and lust for the opposite sex, as the openly ‘dirty’ lyrics make plain. The juicy organ passages blend nicely with potent guitar phrases, while Paice is once again uncompromising with his ferocious drum rolls. The title track, the second hit single from the album, is a tasty mix of funk rock rhythmic flirtiness, teasing r’n’b eroticism and enviable blues rock melancholy, which you can pick up on both in its structure and in David’s mighty, versatile singing. His bandmates give him plenty of help with seductive vocal harmonies, which, together with the punchy guitar passages, help create one of the most passionate Whitesnake classics ever. »Carry Your Load«, an unspectacular but still solid rocker, has a rousing chorus and plenty of tasty instrumental finesse from masters of their trade.
»Blindman« is a cover of a gorgeous ballad that originally appeared on Coverdale’s solo debut »White Snake« (1977). It’s actually one of the best moments on »Ready an’ Willing«, and even in its refreshed form it clearly draws its spiritual inspiration from the Deep Purple classic »Soldier Of Fortune«. Moody’s harrowing guitar solo, which not even the ethereal backing vocals can console, fits perfectly with David’s heart-wrenching vocal performance and Paice’s massive drum fills. »Ain’t Gonna Cry No More« is a melancholic ballad seasoned with acoustic guitar, where Lord’s short synthesizer improvisation and the wave-like symphonic arrangements in the background stand out, before the second half morphs into a punchier, electrified confession about yet another of Coverdale’s heartaches.
»Love Man«, a blues rocker built on slightly sleepy guitar phrases and a slow rhythm, contains one of Coverdale’s more inspired and witty lyrical moments, using the metaphor of Eve’s sin, with the snake seducing the naive girl, which of course points at one of the singer’s girlfriends at the time. The bar-room-soaked »Black and Blue« is a rowdy boogie rocker with a galloping rhythm in the style of Status Quo, and even though it’s one of the less inspired moments on the album, Whitesnake win you over with passionate instrumental finesse here and there, such as Lord’s piano. The closing hard rock energy catalyst »She’s a Woman« has a cheeky central guitar phrase and an erotomaniac chorus that’s in perfect harmony with yet another of Coverdale’s wild sexual fantasies. Lord’s cutting synthesizer improvisation and the fighting guitar harmonies add a hefty gallon of potent juiciness.
On »Ready an’ Willing«, Whitesnake hit a rare moment of stability in their career and made one of their most well-balanced records, with plenty to enjoy for any fan of hard rock sounds with a bluesy glaze. Mr. Coverdale, though, wanted to climb to the top at all costs, and so later in his career he was ready to sacrifice plenty, including the band that had breathed for the blues rock cause with heart and soul and incredible chemistry between them.
Lineup
David Coverdale – vocals
Micky Moody – guitar
Bernie Marsden – guitar
Jon Lord – keyboards
Neil Murray – bass
Ian Paice – drums
Production
Martin Birch
Tracklist
1. Fool For Your Loving
2. Sweet Talker
3. Ready an’ Willing
4. Carry Your Load
5. Blindman
6. Ain’t Gonna Cry No More
7. Love Man
8. Black and Blue
9. She’s a Woman
