Description
Whitesnake Saints & Sinners
Label: EMI CDP 7 46725 2, Fame CD-FA 3177
Format: CD, Album
Country: Europe
Released: 1982 . 1996
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock
Tracklist
1 Young Blood 3:30
2 Rough An’ Ready 2:52
3 Bloody Luxury 3:24
4 Victim Of Love 3:33
5 Crying In The Rain 6:00
6 Here I Go Again 5:09
7 Love An’ Affection 3:09
8 Rock An’ Roll Angels 4:07
9 Dancing Girls 3:11
10 Saints An’ Sinners 4:23
…………………………………………..Check Audio (whole album, every song):
Bass Neil Murray
Drums Ian Paice
Guitar Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody
Keyboards Jon Lord
Mastered By Steve Angel
Producer, Mixed By Martin Birch
Vocals David Coverdale
The backing trax were recorded at Rock City, Shepperton; The Truck Mobile at Clearwell Castle, Gloucestershire and Brittania Row, London.
The vocal trax were recorded at Battery Studios, London.
Mixed at Battery Studios Sept/Oct 1982.
Mastered at Utopia.
Re-release, originally released in 1982.
Originally released in 1982, Whitesnake’s fifth studio album, Saints & Sinners, stacks up with the veteran hard rock outfit’s very best. It yielded a silver disc and produced the hit single Here I Go Again, but its success was bittersweet, as it proved to be the last record fashioned by the band’s classic Mk II line-up.
“There was a lot of strong feelings between us”
This iteration of Whitesnake – featuring ex-Deep Purple triumvirate David Coverdale, Jon Lord and Ian Paice, supplemented by guitarists Micky Moody, Bernie Marsden and bassist Neil Murray – remains crucial for the group. Working up a tough, yet radio-friendly hard-rock sound, they broke into the mainstream on the cusp of the 80s, with their third and fourth albums, Ready An’ Willing and Come An’ Get It, both going gold. Indeed, such was the degree of Whitesnake’s success that Come An’ Get It was only held off the UK No.1 spot by Adam And The Ants’ seemingly omnipresent Kings Of The Wild Frontier.
Those big-selling titles spawned evergreen hits such as Fool For Your Loving and Don’t Break My Heart Again, and took Whitesnake to the very cusp of mass success. Yet, in typical rock’n’roll fashion, just as everything seemed theirs for the taking, it all threatened to go south.
“I think David enjoyed that particular line-up, because there was a lot of strong feelings between us,” Micky Moody told Hard Roxx in 1997. “We were all mates originally when the band started. We had such a great time playing and partying together. We had a great sense of humour.
“By 1981, people were becoming tired,” he added. “We had too many late nights, too much partying. We were making nowhere near the kind of money we should have been making. Whitesnake always seemed to be in debt, and I thought, What is this? We’re playing in some of the biggest places…”
“WHITESNAKE WROTE GOOD SONGS, THEY ALWAYS HAD GOOD MELODIES”
Further business-related problems, and serious health-related issues affecting Coverdale’s daughter, also blighted the creation of Saints & Sinners. Though helmed by Martin Birch, a producer known for his efficiency, the album went through a lengthy gestation period across 1981 and 1982, while relations soured between band members. Though most of the record was created by Whitesnake’s classic sextet, only Coverdale, Lord and Moody remained by the time it was released – and Moody had departed during the sessions, only to return on Coverdale’s insistence.
To the band’s credit, they left their personal baggage at the studio door, ensuring that Saints & Sinners still ranks highly among Whitesnake’s most accessible, focused and consistent albums. It’s generally remembered for housing the original versions of Here I Go Again and the epic, blues-tinged Crying In The Rain (both of which were re-recorded for 1987’s multi-platinum-selling Whitesnake album) but they’re by no means the record’s only stand-out tracks.
Refreshingly free of filler, Saints & Sinners opens in style with the edgy, driving Young Blood and rarely lets up from thereon in. It wouldn’t be a Whitesnake album without a few quintessential innuendo-laden anthems (Rock’n’Roll Angels, the lust-fuelled Dancing Girls), but Coverdale and co were never mindless boogie merchants. In fact, as perfectly executed set pieces such as Victim Of Love, Bloody Luxury and the album’s potent title track all make abundantly clear, Whitesnake always sought to match muscle with melody – and they invariably got that balance right here.
“WE’D FOUND OUT STYLE AND SOUND”
Released on 25 November 1982, Saints & Sinners did good business for the group. Peaking at No.9 in the UK, it led to the band undertaking a world tour (including a Castle Donington Monsters Of Rock slot in 1983) in support. However, internal disagreements persisted, and Coverdale recruited a new-look Whitesnake, involving veteran drummer Cozy Powell, ex-Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes and a returning Neil Murray, to record their next album, 1984’s Slide It In. Nonetheless, while Saints & Sinners effectively marked the end of an era, it’s a period that all concerned recall with some affection.
“Whitesnake wrote good songs, they always had good melodies and a strong melody will always last,” Moody said in 1997. “A lot of the heavy rock bands, even in those days, it was just a singer shouting on top of a guitar riff, but Whitesnake had good lyrics and modern playing. Certainly from 1980 and Ready An’ Willing onwards, we’d found our style and sound.”
5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the early Whitesnake albums
Like many people, I first discovered Whitesnake in 1987 when they released their smash hit self-titled album. Growing up with that album and the bands 1989 follow-up Slip of the Tongue made listening to the bands early works a challenge. Its a challenge that paid off though. I’m not a huge blues rock fan, but something about these early Whitesnake albums really works for me, and I’ve come to love them (almost) as much as the later albums I grew up with.
Originally released in 1982, Saints & Sinners is the last real “old school” Whitesnake album before the band evolved into their better known “hair metal” phase. At this point the band had pretty well perfected their bluesy, soulful hard rock sound. All they were really missing was a wider audience. They had the technical chops, an amazing vocalist in David Coverdale, and some potential singles in “Here I Go Again” and “Crying in the Rain”. Hearing the original versions of these familiar 1987-era hits is a real eye-opener. Unfortunately, when you consider the more popular new wave, arena rock and metal sounds at the time, even an album as impressive as Saints & Sinners sounds out of touch and dated.
Popularity issues aside, Saints & Sinners is a completely infectious blues rock album. Unlike previous albums, the songs on Saints & Sinners are much more up-tempo and generally “rock out” more. This may have been due to the departure of guitarist Bernie Marsden. I love the rockin’ “Young Blood” and “Rock `an Roll Angels” is a great old school party rock anthem, but honestly the whole album has a charged, energetic vibe thats impossible to resist.
Saints & Sinners is probably my favorite of the early Whitesnake albums, and one that I’d definitely recommend it to all serious Whitesnake fans, as well as anyone into old school blues-based rock & roll. I’d also recommend it as the perfect starting point for fans of the later Whitesnake albums to start exploring the bands roots.
5.0 out of 5 stars I’m down on love…,
Whitesnake was on a run of accomplished albums in the early `80s which included `Saints & Sinners’ from late 1982. The overall quality of the record is even more impressive when one considers that the band was going through some severe turmoil from which they would really never recover in their original form. Bernie Marsden and Mickey Moody both left during various stages of the recording process and would soon leave for good when the LP was completed along with Neil Murray and Ian Paice. Despite that fact Coverdale would soldier on enjoy his greatest commercial success towards the end of the decade. As far as `Saints & Sinners’ goes, the record is chock full of songs that epitomize the best of Whitesnakes first era – “Bloody Luxury”, “Victim of Love” and “Rough n’ Ready”. “Here I Go Again” and “Crying in the Rain” also make their original appearances here and while many people prefer these versions, I still like the ones from `Whitesnake’ (when I usual prefer the former – see “Fool for Your Loving”…eesh!). Again `Saints’ was only a success in Europe and not the USA which is where Coverdale knew the big money would come from. And he was right….
5.0 out of 5 stars Truly rockin’ Whitesnake!,
In the mid 80s I went in search of the entire snake back catalogue (on vinyl, of course!). When I found this I was happy. I immediately loved it. My favorite track is Here I Go Again. This, to me is the REAL version of the song, with the original lyric; “Like a HOBO, I was born to walk alone.” (It was changed to DRIFTER, in 1987.) I LOVE the more bluesy sound of the song. Far superior to the 1987 remake. The same goes for this version of Crying In The Rain. I also love the title track, Bloody Luxury, and Victim Of Love, all of which truly rock! Definitely a classic! I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to hear a truly cohesive band. The guitars of Micky Moody (one of Britain’s most underrated slide guitarists!) and Mel Galley are great! The rhythm section of Neil Murray on bass, Deep Purples Ian Paice (drums) and Jon Lord (keyboards) really hold it together.
5.0 out of 5 stars “Whitesnake” moves from blues rock to hard &heavy on this rocking album,
“Saints and Sinners” is the 5th studio album by legendary hard rock band “Whitesnake” originally released in 1982. At the time “Whitesnake” had established their reputation as a leading hard rock act in Europe with continuous chart success in their home country. “Whitesnake” was the last album to be recorded under the original line up of lead singer David Coverdale, guitarists Mick Moodie and Bernie Marsden, bassist Neil Murray, keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice.
Although most fans would consider “Slide it in”(1984) to be “Whitesnake”s major transition from a blues-rock band to an 80s-rock group, I personally consider “Saints and Sinners” as Coverdale’s first attempt in the hard & heavy sound. Songs like “Young Blood”, “Rock’n roll angels”, and “Dancing girls” are prime examples of early `80s melodic hard rock with a spicy/kinky twist. In addition the album carries two early versions of songs which would later rank amongst the greatest rock anthems of the decade-non other than “Crying in the rain” and “Here I go again”.
“Saints and sinners” puts forward a great deal of performance aggression with speed, heaviness and technique moving upwards on the “Whitesnake” agenda of goals. While David and co always put forward song-writing, on “Saints and Sinners” the man decided that performance should weight as heavily as composing. Overall “Saints and sinners” is amongst “Whitesnake”s undervalued records although it can easily stand up to the quality of their later works. The albums commercial success also led “Whitesnake” headlining the Donnington `Monsters of rock’ festival in 1983 for the first time.
5.0 out of 5 stars 4 1/2 stars. The last really great Whitesnake album,
I much prefer Whitesnakes bluesy late seventies/early eighties efforts to their later pop metal and poodle-rock, and “Saints & Sinners” is the last album before the transition began.
Bernie Marsden is gone, unfortunately, although he does get a few writing credits, but Mickey Moody, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice are still there, and the combination of former Deep Purple frontman David Coverdales sandpaper voice and guitarists Mel Galley and Mickey Moody is superb on raw hard rock thumpers like the thunderous heavy metal of “Victim Of Love” and “Crying In The Rain”, as well as on power ballads like “Here I Go Again” (the original version, thank you, not the evil, re-recorded pop metal version from the “1987” album).
There is barely a weak track on this fine album – “Love An’ Affection” and “Rock An’ Roll Angels” are not musical or lyrical heavyweights, sure, but they are both good-time, sing-along barroom boogie. “Rough An’ Ready” is pure raunchy machismo. And the almost unknown “Bloody Luxury”, one of the few Whitesnake songs never to show up on any compilation, is an irresistible slice of melodic hard rock, boosted by some fierce boogie piano playing by Jon Lord.
Again, the lyrics are not great art, as I’m sure you know, although Coverdale does try on a couple of songs, but, hey, look upon it as a break from all the Bob Dylan and Neil Young that you should also be listening to!
This is a fine collection of blues-and-boogie riffs and great hooks, and it is definitely among the best three or four Whitesnake albums (along with “Ready An’ Willing” and the wonderful “Live – in the Heart of the City”).
4 1/2 stars. Fans of the “real” Whitesnake won’t want to miss this one.
5.0 out of 5 stars whitesnake rocks,
This is very bluesy,soulful,and rockin CD. Anyone who likes the WHITESNAKE sound of the late 80s and early 90s are in for a surprise because this cd is just plain hard edged rock and roll. This isn’t 80s hair band this is DEEP PURPLE,ROLLING STONES AND AC/DC WRAP INTO ONE. A VERY GOOD CD.
5.0 out of 5 stars A “forgotten” masterpiece,
Whitesnakes “Saints & sinners” is an album that somehow never got the attention it deserves. Everybody’s talking about either their heavy metal effort “1987” (featuring John Sykes) or their hard blues rock masterpiece “Ready an’ willing”. But the truth is that “Saints & sinners” is a very very good album.
On this release you get the original versions of both “Crying in the rain” and “Here I go again” which Coverdale & Co re-recorded for the “1987” album. These original versions are better! “Bloody luxury” is a piano driven rock `n’ roll song, similar to “Wine women an’ song” from the album “Come an’ get it”. There’s also a couple of fast rhythm & blues based tracks like “Rough an’ ready” and “Love an’ affection”. In “Rock and roll angels” as well as “Young blood”, they guys are going for straight rock with no frills, and in the great “Victim of love” and “Dancing girls”, they slow things down a bit but surely keeping the groove. This album should not be over looked.
5.0 out of 5 stars The Whitesnake of old (pre 1987 smash self-titled album) was the real Whitesnake. Influenced by both Coverdale’s old band Deep Purple, and by Bad Company, the import albums from the late 70s and early 80s are great. This is one of the classic LPs Coverdale and crew released. The price is excellent. The disc is great because it is made by Geffen (which is manufactured by Warner Brothers), so you know your getting a quality disc. This album features John Lord on organ/keyboards. Look for 1980s “Ready and Willing” for Whitesnake’s best line-up (John Lord and Ian Paice on drums). A classic….for a classic price!
5.0 out of 5 stars Heavy rock at its best for Whitesnake,
A great album by David Coverdale (ex-Trapeze, ex-Deep Purple member) and crew. Two of the songs off this one helped put Whitesnake over the top later in the 80s. But this one really kicks butt, as well as their other early albums, (which are their best), and after falling in the shadows of Deep Purple, really made a name of themselves. A classic for the ages.
5.0 out of 5 stars One Of Whitesnakes Best Ever,
SAINTS ‘N’ SINNERS is one of the best albums that Whitesnake ever put out. The early band (up to and including SLIDE IT IN) was like a metal version of the Southern rock- melodic, yet raw and honest. The version of “Here I Go Again” that’s here surpasses the excellent 1987 version by miles. The group would equal this one with SLIDE IT IN, but their self-titled 1987 album was not quite as good. If you get this album, also try to find LOVE HUNTER, READY AN’ WILLIN’, and COME AN’ GET IT. They are much more real than WHITESNAKE or SLIP OF THE TONGUE.
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