6. Whitesnake / 1987. 1987. 5/5

Depending on when you came into this album and band, your view on the relative merits of Whitesnake [aka 1987] will probably be slanted one way or the other. For those that were into Whitesnake from their beginnings, from the ashes of the first demise of Deep Purple, this album can sometimes be seen as a sell out, one where the blues base of the band is washed out like acid-washed jeans. Those that come across it in recent years probably think that this is far too rooted in the late 1980's with its sound and production. Then there will most likely be others like myself, whose first meeting with the band was on this album, permed hair and Tawny Kitaen music videos and all, and it is where I first discovered my love of their music. The music videos drove the popularity of this album, being played on TV on all of the weekly video programs, and once the album had been procured, there was lots more to like.

The album is packed full of songs that forced this vinyl to be played over and over again. this was released during my final year at high school, and it remains a part of the soundtrack of that time of my life. Anytime I listen to this now it sends me back to those days, when so much of the first part of my life came to its conclusion. The songs here became anthems for that. "Still of the Night" led that charge with that riff and Coverdale's vocals belting out the opening lines. "Bad Boys" crossing all the boxes, that leading riff into Coverdale's howl is just perfect. "Crying in the Rain" is again started out on the right night with the leading vocals starting it off before we even break into the song. "Children of the Night" picks up the tempo again exactly when it is needed, along with "Straight For the Heart" and then "Don't Turn Away".
Yes, the album does have a couple of songs that can easily be skipped if you are of a mind to do so. "Looking For Love" does tend to go on a bit too long, and misses the mark with me. "Is This Love" is pretty much the same deal, it really is a power ballad, a song that much certainly have targeted radio airplay. I tolerate it only because of the album it inhabits and the time it came from.
Coverdale's vocals sound terrific on this album. He had recently had surgery on his troublesome sinuses, which had delayed the recording of the album, but it seems to have done no harm. They combine perfectly with John Sykes' guitaring. Some of the riffs he has written and performed here are legendary, and along with his solo's would dominate any other record. This pairing, who co-wrote the majority of this album together, has done an amazing job. It seems almost ludicrous then that Sykes was sacked before they started touring this album, and was replaced on tour by Adrian Vandenburg and Vivian Campbell. Sykes went on to form Blue Murder, where his songs generally disappointed. Is this album just a perfect moment in time for him? Could he have done more of the same if he had stayed? We'll never know, and given that Steve Vai came on to record Slip of the Tongue it remains a superfluous question.
As I mentioned, this album invokes memories that I will never forget, and so it is always viewed with rose coloured glasses by myself. Whether or not it can be seen as a perfect album, there are songs here for me that will always stand the test of time, and in the long run that is the best way to judge any album.

Rating:  I'm getting ready, I'm in the mood to fool around.  5/5