Odds and Ends

Each week I use this space to post some mini-reviews, cool tracks, random thoughts, neat news, or whatever else I damn well please.

Looks like I am not the only one disappointed with the new one from The Cars. See more reviews here.

Review: Raining Jane “Paper Nest” EP (2008)
Raining Jane is comprised of four women creating high quality organic folk pop. Exquisite songwriting, vivid imagery, and harmonies that remind me of what the Bangles might have sounded like if they were folkier. Check them out if you like Dar Williams, Melissa Etheridge, or Sarah McLachlan. They are working on their next record in the midst of collaborating with Jason Mraz and opening for Sara Bareilles.

Surprise of the week:
The latest from Sixx A.M. is killer – one of the best modern hard rock records so far this year. Full review coming soon.

Can’t miss this:
Goo Goo Dolls John Rzeznik performs with Daryl Hall on the latest installment of “Live From Daryl’s House”. Check out the news here.

Live Whitesnake double-album and DVD package coming June 7
CD1 : Slip Of The Tongue; Slide It In; Judgement Day; Slow An Easy; Kitten’s Got Claws; Adagio For Strato; Flying Dutchman Boogie; Is This Love; Cheap An’ Nasty; Crying In The Rain (featuring Tommy Aldridge Drum Solo).
CD2: Fool For Your Loving; For The Love Of God; The Audience Is Listening; Here I Go Again
Bad Boys; Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City; Still Of The Night.
DVD: Slip Of The Tongue; Slide It In; Judgement Day; Slow An Easy; Kitten’s Got Claws; Adagio For Strato; Flying Dutchman Boogie; Is This Love; Cheap An’ Nasty; Crying In The Rain (Featuring Tommy Aldridge Drum Solo); Fool For Your Loving; For The Love Of God; The Audience Is Listening; Here I Go Again; Bad Boys; Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City; Still Of The Night.

Random iPOD song of the week:
Slaughter “Street of Broken Hearts” from their sophomore release “The Wild Life”

Classic melodic rock CD of the week

By Stephen Kasenda

WHITENSNAKE "Whitesnake" (1987)

Reinforced by the howlin' wolf of David Coverdale and the prowling Tygers of John Sykes, Whitesnake successfully invaded the States and racked up eight platinum rewards with this sensational eponymous record. The victorious conquest even boosted the prior album, "Slide It In" from gold to double platinum status and most of the band's videos received heavy rotation on MTV, featuring Tawny Kitaen who later married the singer. The musical composition is a bluesy hard rock extract that's soaked with lavish commercial hooks and savage shreddings.

"Still of The Night", a classic Zeppelin-Snake heavy metal slap, is considered their best with the distinctive Coverdale wail, but it is not my favorite. I still prefer "Children of The Night" - this is their heaviest tune with frantic riffage and the "Are you ready to rock?" shout being a huge concert igniter. The gigantic single, "Here I Go Again", is better here compared to "Saints and Sinners" era, and I love how Sykes abuses his whammy bar in "Cryin' In The Rain", probably his best offering throughout the album. Almost all tracks here are enjoyable, including the party anthem, "Bad Boys", "Straight For The Heart", and "Give Me All Your Love".

The second biggest single, "Is This Love", is no doubt the greatest ballad the Coverdale-Sykes pair has ever written, showcasing an outpouring of emotion, this song is the most frequent Whitesnake song you may encounter in your local karaoke station. While "Lookin' For Love" has potential to be their bluesy hit, takin' off slow and easy before flying high with Sykes’ stunning solo, "Don't Turn Away" on the other side, is a blunt attempt and perhaps the worst one here.

This is a quintessential release of 1987 and can be a very good start if you're new to the band. Many old fans hated their significant departure from the idealistic bluesy hard rock platform, but if you're curious on how they blend the blues and the typical catchiness of late 80s glam metal, "1987" is the best option around.

Read more of Stephen’s features at MetalMusicArchives.