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"Despite some high level tracks, "Saints & Sinners" leaves a slight taste of unfinished business and shows Whitesnake coming to the end of a cycle."
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4/5
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While the career of the group has been following an ascending curve since its beginnings and it has just linked two real masterpieces with "Ready An' Willing" and "Come An' Get It", Whitesnake is victim of its first setbacks. Indeed, David Coverdale not only had to face a divorce, but his daughter also fell ill, which pushed him to leave everything while the recording of the album was almost over. Produced by the unavoidable Martin Birch, this new collection of 10 tracks will therefore wait for the his leader return, once his daughter is cured, to be definitively completed, which will not prevent it from respecting the annual rhythm of discographic releases that Whitesnake has been ensuring for several years. In the meantime, half of the line-up that recorded this opus has changed, either because of human or artistic differences, or because some members have been involved in new projects during this compulsory break. Exit for Paice, Marsden and Murray, and welcome to Cozy Powell (drums), Mel Galley (guitar) and Colin Hodgkinson (bass).
This instability, synonymous with the end of the cycle, is not without consequences on this "Saints & Sinners". Indeed, it would seem that the magic between the 6 members of the combo was already well underway during the recording, pushing Coverdale to handle almost all of the compositions. The latter going through the trials mentioned above, we are entitled to some emotional jewels translating the suffering of the charismatic leader ("Crying In The Rain"), and the questions and doubts that inhabit him ("Here I Go Again").
Unfortunately, the inspiration is not forthcoming in all the tracks. Not that the tracks on this album are not of sufficient quality to appear on a Whitesnake album, but simply because the formula used sometimes sounds like recycling. This is particularly noticeable at the end of the album with a groovy but banal "Love An' Affection", or "Rock And Roll Angels" and "Dancing Girls", which are clichés used many times by Coverdale and his band.
Fortunately, some tracks raise the level like the bluesy "Victim Of Love", full of a soulful feeling, "Young Blood" both powerful and dynamic or "Rough An' Ready", a very catchy track while the boogie of "Bloody Luxury" and its piano bastringue are of an essential efficiency.
"Saints & Sinners" leaves us a taste of incompleteness. The whole doesn't manage to hide the loss of inspiration and the partial disappearance of the complicity uniting the 6 musicians until then. This seems to be the end of a cycle and leads to some questions about the future of Whitesnake. David Coverdale has asserted his authority and confirms that he is the only master on board, but without the magic that gave all its warmth and groove to the band's music, towards which shores will he steer his ship? - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Young Blood - 3:30
02. Rough An' Ready - 2:52
03. Bloody Luxury - 3:23
04. Victim Of Love - 3:33
05. Crying In The Rain - 6:00
06. Here I Go Again - 5:08
07. Love An' Affection - 3:09
08. Rock An' Roll Angels - 4:07
09. Dancing Girls - 3:10
10. Saints An' Sinners - 4:25
LINEUP:
Bernie Marsden: Guitares
David Coverdale: Chant
Ian Paice: Batterie
John Lord: Claviers
Micky Moody: Guitares
Neil Murray: Basse
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READERS
4/5 (2 view(s))
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STAFF:
3/5 (4 view(s))
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