Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Whitesnake
Label: EMI Records
Release: 1978
Rating: 3.5/5
In mid-1978, after two seriously good albums, the big snake of a singer David Coverdale got tired of the solo game and teamed up with guitar wizard Micky Moody to form a new band, Whitesnake. It was originally conceived as a compact, no-frills blues rock outfit, with roots in David’s backing band White Snake. Coverdale and Moody lured in two more blues devotees: the inventive guitarist Bernie Marsden (ex-Wild Turkey, Babe Ruth, Paice, Ashton & Lord) and bassist Neil Murray, blessed with a jazz fusion/prog rock pedigree (ex-Gilgamesh, Colosseum II, National Health, Babe Ruth). The drum duties went to Steven Plant, who soon packed his bags, and by the time Whitesnake’s studio debut »Trouble« came out, he had handed his seat over to David Dowle.
»Snakebite« originally came out in 1978 as an EP, the first release in the long and stormy career of these legendary British blues/hard rock champions. Only later that September was it reissued in expanded form as an LP with extra tracks, which is why some people wrongly count it as their first album instead of »Trouble«. The first half, i.e. the original EP, featured brand-new compositions written by the aforementioned original Whitesnake lineup, while the remaining four tracks come from Coverdale’s second solo effort, »Northwinds« (1978). Having two guitarists, Moody and Marsden, significantly beefed up their guitar sound and brought a string of outstanding dual harmonies, while with Murray, Coverdale managed to land one of the best rock bassists of the day. Recruiting the best names on the ‘free rock market’ would, incidentally, become a standing habit throughout his whole career with Whitesnake.
»Come On« is an energetic opener, as you’d expect, a successful mix of punch and subtlety where Coverdale’s vocals swing between snarling and playful, backed by plenty of razor-sharp guitar licks, with Moody’s passionate solo getting a special spot. »Bloody Mary« is a bouncy, almost danceable blues rocker built on piano rhythms, conjuring up the vibe of a late-night bar where Coverdale’s erotic fantasies play out in the shape of a shapely dancer named Mary. This is where the dual harmonies between the two guitarists first really come into their own on the album.
The best moment on »Snakebite« is the shattering R&B ballad »Ain’t Love In the Heart of the City«, a cover of the original by American blues and soul musician Bobby »Blue« Bland (the song was written by Michael Price and Dan Walsh), which became their first hit and which they still play regularly at gigs today. Here David’s vocals, full of longing and pain, backed by melancholic guitar passages, deliver an unforgettable emotional confession, and with vocal cords stretched to the limit he lays his wounded heart completely bare. The subtle guitar harmonies between Moody and Marsden add a generous dash of nostalgia to one of the finest moments in the entire Whitesnake story. »Steal Away« is another smoky blues rock creation, which, thanks to its ‘drunken’ guitar harmonies and slow rhythms, leans a little toward an American Southern flavor. Once again Coverdale doesn’t hold back on the passionate sighs in between, which have always been one of the main hallmarks of his singing style.
»Keep On Giving Love«, which opens the closing run of four tracks that originally appeared on »Northwinds«, is built in the best blues rock manner. The eternal vocal seducer wins you over once more with passionate mischief, while Moody’s guitar finesse rests on enviable subtlety all the way through. It’s worth noting that these four tracks weren’t recorded anew by the first Whitesnake lineup but come straight from »Northwinds«, and among other things feature Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover on synthesizer. »Queen of Hearts« is an explosive blues rocker with irritable guitar passages and a combative David on vocals. You could almost call it a prototype of the typical hard-hitting blues rock composition from the early Whitesnake days, under high erotic tension as far as the atmosphere goes.
On the excellent ballad »Only My Soul«, ruled by plenty of subtle arrangements, David once again shows off his mighty vocal sophistication and incredible emotional range in full light, enough to melt even the coldest ice. The synthesizer touches are especially impressive, adding a generous dose of ambient depth to a song that David’s gorgeous vocal performance alone already pushes into the top league of the best ballads of his career. The closer, »Breakdown«, is laid on sharpened guitar phrases, while the rhythm section, especially the drums, works at full steam this time, faithfully backing Coverdale’s furious vocal approach.
»Snakebite«, which came out as an EP under the name David Covedale’s Whitesnake, was a quality warm-up ahead of their first LP, »Trouble«, on which Mr. Coverdale was joined by his former Deep Purple partner in crime, the legendary keyboardist Jon Lord. The road ‘to the stars’ of massive popularity went slowly but steeply uphill from here, even though in their first years they had to sweat blood for media exposure, since right up until 1980 they were practically unknown in America.
Lineup
David Coverdale – vocals
Micky Moody – guitar
Bernie Marsden – guitar
Neil Murray – bass guitar
Steven Plant – drums
Tracks 5-8:
David Coverdale – vocals
Micky Moody – guitar
Tim Hinkley – piano
Alan Spenner – bass guitar
Steven Plant – drums
Lee Brilleaux – harmonica
Roger Glover – clavinet, cowbell, Arp 2600 synthesizer
Graham Preskett – violin
Production
Martin Birch and Roger Glover
Track list
1. Come On
2. Bloody Mary
3. Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City
4. Steal Away
5. Keep On Giving Me Love
6. Queen of Hearts
7. Only My Soul
8. Breakdown
