Whitesnake
Saints And Sinners

Established after a brief solo stint and, more importantly, after the end of the glorious Deep Purple, the Whitesnake have been David Coverdale's tool to realize all his musical aspirations as well as a launching pad to enter among the heavyweights of world rock. His "Purple," often underrated in favor of Ian Gillan's "historical" ones, knew how to mix all those elements that made the purple legend successful with a considerable dose of blues, combined, on occasion, with the funky virtuosity of ace Glenn Hughes, leaving future generations at least one masterpiece, that "Burn" still indispensable today in any rock list/encyclopedia worthy of the name. In 1978, with Coverdale already on track for a solo career, the long-haired singer needed to find valid musicians to accompany him on tour: the chemistry with the newcomers was immediate, Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden grew up on a diet of blues, they possess technique and class, and are ideal for a David Coverdale in search of the perfect lineup. They were supposed to be just session musicians; instead, they would become one of the most active rock'n'roll machines of the eighties, managing to produce a series of unbelievable hard blues masterpieces in less than half a decade. With the addition of the young Neil Murray on bass, a genuine mainstay of His Majesty's hard rock, the EP "Snakebite" and the debut "Trouble" were the testing ground for what was soon to come: lineups change quickly, determination remains the same, two big names, Jon Lord and Ian Paice, climb aboard. After the excellent "Lovehunter," from '79, which already contains the first classics, the Snakes, also benefiting from the growing popularity that the British hard'n'heavy scene was garnering at that very time (who said NWOBHM?), become, alongside Motorhead, Rainbow, and the revived Black Sabbath, some of the fixed names on the billboards of festivals in their early editions but would soon enter the collective imagination, that is, the Reading Festival and the Monsters of Rock. A warm and sensual voice, bluesy guitars of those born to the stage, all combined with an impactful rhythm section and a nuanced keyboardist, make "Ready An' Willing" one of the masterpieces of 1980. The tour is a triumph, rightly immortalized in the legendary double album "Live.. In The Heart Of The City": the success is such and so sudden that there is already talk of "Deep Purple 2." The idyll, however, does not last long: "Come and Get it," the following year, despite some catchy tunes, lacks the charm of previous works and begins to show signs of fatigue. If things in the recording studio are going badly, outside they are even worse: Coverdale's daughter's illness forces him to leave the group, freezing everything and postponing to better times. Combined with the first discontents, one can understand that, in the White Snake's quarters, the future holds nothing good. Born under the worst auspices, "Saints And Sinners", in 1982, turns out to be the classic tail waggle (of the snake?). "Young Blood" starts the dances, the production is powerful, Murray's omnipresent bass sets the tempo with Paice's drums, the guitars of Moody and Marsden lie on the sound carpet woven by Lord, and Coverdale directs everything as an experienced frontman. "Rough An' Ready" confirms the band's grace state, ending the first side of the album with the classic "Crying In The Rain", one of the English formation's showpieces, still omnipresent during any Coverdale and company concert. "Here I Go Again", opening side B, is another gem that, along with the previous track, would later be reworked for the blockbuster "1987", but undoubtedly the original and blues version has far more charm than that of the late Eighties hair metal. While "Rock An' Roll Angels" and "Love An' Affection" are lighter tracks, the final pairing, "Dancing Girls," and the title track of the album, have a more sustained rhythm, portraying a band in great shape that seems to have emerged unharmed from a moment of difficulty. The "seems to be" is obligatory because, in reality, time for Whitesnake, or rather for these Whitesnake, is running out. By the time "Saints And Sinners" would finally hit store shelves, the historic Neil Murray, Bernie Marsden, and Ian Paice would be replaced by newcomers Colin Hodgkinson, Mel Galley, and Cozy Powell. The historic Moody-Marsden axe duo is no longer there, and with them, part of the spirit of the original group. From that moment on, saying Whitesnake would mean saying David Coverdale: lineups would change at lightning speed, the old blues lions being easily replaced by handsome, gym-toned guitar heroes, and the American market would finally be within Coverdale's reach. If the remixed version of "Slide It In," released two years after the original 1984 release, specifically aimed at the American market, was the wake-up call, the album "1987" will confirm that the fire is out of control. Super productions, luxury session musicians, and videos on MTV in abundance replace the sensual and alluring atmospheres of the beginnings, much to the lament of those who loved those Whitesnake. Needless to say, the success would be global, but the group, or what was left of it, which initially had its own well-defined personality, found itself a bit of a "Beautiful Without a Soul." "Saints And Sinners," in fact, magnificently closes the first part of David Coverdale's group's career with a passionate album, great songs, and seasoned musicians giving their best. It is sometimes considered that the early albums of the White Snake are a sort of continuation, on a lesser note, of Deep Purple's "Burn" and "Stormbringer" or simply an appetizer for the "American" albums that would arrive at the late Eighties: nothing could be more wrong. The '79-'82 phase has delivered absolute-level albums, authentic classics of the most heartfelt, bloody hard rock, and this album is here to remind us of that.

• David Coverdale, vocals
• Micky Moody, guitars
• Bernie Marsden, guitars
• Neil Murray, bass
• Jon Lord, keyboards
• Ian Paice, drums

1. Young Blood
2. Rough An' Ready
3. Bloody Luxury
4. Victim Of Love
5. Crying In The Rain
6. Here I Go Again
7. Love An' Affection
8. Rock An' Roll Angels
9. Dancing Girls
10. Saints An' Sinners