For all those of you (like me) who couldn’t afford the super-glossy CD/vinyl/booklet jobbie which was the “big” box of snakes (see this post), here’s the “cut down” but still dead good version in the form of the Little Box O’ Snakes. All the good Whitesnake CDs reissued in one box. Everything from the legendary Snakebite EP through to Saints and Sinners and everything in between. Eight classic heavy/bluesy rock from the NWOBHM days and a band who really, really did cut it back then – yes, I’m of the faction who thinks Whitesnake fell off a cliff when is became all about style over substance. But anyway – the Little Box O’Snakes works out at an average of about £3 per CD and that’s a total and utter bargain to give your ears the listening pleasure which they’ll not stop thanking you for.
During the period in question, Whitensake basically had no equal when it came to classic blues-tinged hard rocking. Coverdale, fresh out of Deep Purpple, put together a real band who could all play. The awesome twin guitars of Mickey Moodie and Bernie Marsden could riff it up and solo with any others though always without being flashy because they could be. Fine, fine playing indeed. The equally awesome Neil Murray looking after the bass lines and the marvellously named Duck Dowie on drums. Ex-Purple buddies Jon Lord and Ian Paice would soon join in due course though after Saints and Sinners it just wasn’t the same when the wholesale line-up changes arrived and image became all-important.
Back to the (little) box…..The Snakebite EP is a great taster of things to come. Debut album Trouble hammers along sounding like a heavier hybrid of Free and Bad Company sort of. Only let down for me by a lame cover of the Beatles’ Day Tripper. Lovehunter turns it right up to eleven with Moodie and Marsen putting up a masterclass. Ready an’ Willing cements that with of course the “hit” single Fool For Your Loving. Come an’ Get It and Saints & Sinners is more of the same general awesomeness.
During this period, the boy Coverdale and his buddies were some live act too. Saw them many a time and moneys worth was always over-delivered. To remind us all of how great they were live, the Box also contains the two live albums of the era – Live at Hammersmith and Live in the Heart of the City.
All the eight CDs are in simple cardboard covers replicating the original artwork. Just the one gripe – the main box itself is of a strange construction with a flip open top not dissimilar to a cigarette packet. Makes it a bit tricky to get to the CDs and I doubt the main box will stand up to too much opening and closing before falling inn to a state of disrepair. I’d suggest taking out all the CDs first (very carefully) and not putting them back in the box. Keep them separately in their own cardboard sleeves.
Classic rock like this never gets old. To have all eight together for a bargain price is heavenly. Why don’t they make bands like this any more…….
>> CHECK OUT THE LITTLE BOX ‘O’SNKES FOR YOURSELF <<
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