At the start of the month we examined Kiss’s 4 record, Destroyer. That release certainly provided the commerciality & over-the-top nature of the genre, but now it’s time to examine the sexy side of Hair Metal. Without the sex appeal that would help move releases, it would have died off far sooner than it did. For this review, I’ve decided to leave the states, and head over to merry ole England to find a band that would most certainly add the sex appeal. As luck would have it, there is such a band, and their name.....is Whitesnake!
That’s right, we’re taking a look at British icons Whitesnake. Much like Kiss, these guys weren’t a purely metal group: Whereas Kiss had Hard Rock & Shock Rock behind their metal, Whitesnake had Hard Rock and a healthy dose of the Blues in their early work. Upon taking a look at the album cover of today’s subject of review, it was only natural that I give it the green light to show up here. So without further adieu, here’s a review for Whitesnake’s second release, Lovehunter. Let’s begin!
Background
Whitesnake’s beginning was pretty humble, but respectable. In 1978 they released a EP by the name of Snakebite, which included a cover of a Bobby "Blue" Bland song "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City". It was their first hit, and proved that the new wave of British heavy metal could have a chart hit. The EP managed to have some success in the UK, and subsequent reissues of this EP included four bonus tracks from Coverdale's second solo album Northwinds. After that, their debut album Trouble was released in October of 1978, and leaned heavily more in a Hard/Blues/Glam Rock direction. It managed to reach no. 50 on the UK Albums Chart, and Whitesnake would go on tour to promote the release. Even with this success, the band didn’t rest on their laurels, so they went into the studio of May of 79 to record, and in October of the same year they released their second album, Lovehunter.
Lovehunter managed to do really well in it’s native England. It managed to get to no. 29 on the UK Albums Chart, and the lead single (Long Way From Home) made to no. 55 on the UK Singles Chart. The record also managed to make a splash in Japan, landing at the incredibly low number of 194 on the Oricon LP Chart. That’s not the greatest spot to be, but to land on another’s country’s charts when you’re still fresh in an accomplishment!
Basic Description
Sexy.
I’m usually a little more descriptive, but this is one of the few times where a single word can perfectly describe an album. David Coverdale has always been a singer with a voice that invokes love, lust, sexuality, and all other sorts of things that make women (And possibly some men) feel all kinds of tingly. Hell, even when he’s just talking normally, the man is smooth! Not only is he great, but the rest of the band is as well. Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden are great on guitar and backing vocals, Jon Lord is a wiz with the keyboard, Neil Murray knows how to play the bass, and David Dowle kills it with his drumwork. The entire band seems capable of shifting between rock, metal, & blues, and they never once trip up in the process. Even decades since it’s release, Lovehunter still manages to captivate it’s listeners, and has fun doing so!
Best Track
This.....was.....hard! The whole entire album is a blast from beginning to end, so picking a single track to represent the spearhead of Lovehunter is almost a crime. My favorite song, however, would have to go to with the second track of the record, Walking in the Shadow of the Blues. David Coverdale has a great mix of Blues crooning & Hard Rock weight to his voice throughout the track, and the rest if the band is the same way with the instrumentation. Neither fast nor slow, the song has a nice even pace throughout the whole thing, and even if it’s not fully Heavy Metal, it definitely has enough heaviness to get some headbangers moving.
Walking in the Shadow of the Blues
And while it doesn’t have anything to do with the music, a plus has to be given to Lovehunter’s cover art. Taking the sex appeal out of the picture, it’s still an evocative piece of artwork. Which makes a lot of sense, as iconic fantasy artist Chris Achilleos drew it. Fun fact: the original version of the album cover got stolen sometime in the 1980s by a “friend” of Chris, and it was last seen (alongside a few other stolen works by the same person) in a private collection in New York in the 90's, and the current owner has refused to negotiate over their ownership. Scummy to the 10th degree!
Worst Track
The only thing I would say that goes against Lovehunter is how old it sounds & feels. Given it’s 40 years old in 2019 (Turns 4 decades old in October), it’s not exactly surprising. I can’t complain much, as subsequent re-releases really improve the overall sound and quality. Apart from this, any other complaint would be incredibly nitpicky, not to mention a waste of time.
Other
If you’re curious about this album, then click on the link below:
Lovehunter
Overall Impression & Rating
Lovehunter is a blast from beginning to end! Sure, it’s got a bunch of grey hairs on the top of it’s head, but that hasn’t stopped some of the most iconic metal records from being nothing short of wonderful. Whitesnake’s 2nd release might not be a pure Heavy Metal release, but with it’s mix of Hard Rock & Blues, makes for a more varied and unique listening experience. If you want to enjoy a relic from the birthing days of Heavy Metal, why not give Lovehunter some attention?
Lovehunter gets a 9 out of 10.
So that was Lovehunter. Old school to the 10th degree, but loads of fun at the same time. Now that we got the pieces together, it’s time to see what came from this maelstrom, so join me round the end of June for the final review of part 1 of Hair Metal Hysteria for a look at yet another classic album. Until then, keep your love prey in your sights!
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