Good to Be Bad

Good to Be Bad is a comeback album on which WHITESNAKE returned to blues-derived hard rock, centered on David Coverdale’s voice, which holds both gloss and force. Thick riffs, smooth guitar leads and big choruses line up with a heat recalling the band’s golden era. After a long hiatus, the band — with the accomplished guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach — opened a powerful new chapter. On “Best Years,” “Can You Hear the Wind Blow,” “All for Love” and “Summer Rain,” weight, allure and singable melody are balanced well. Songs like “Lay Down Your Love” and “A Fool in Love” breathe an appeal characteristic of old WHITESNAKE too. Rather than mere nostalgia, the playing and production have a matured composure. Establishing the post-hiatus WHITESNAKE, it is a full record that loudly showed the band alive and well, with matured singing and powerful playing harmonizing splendidly throughout.