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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Time and again I sing your song...", June 30, 1999
Whistesnake was such a lovely rock 'n' roll band in its original format. Coverdale was surrounded by experienced and sincere rockers, instead of accepting the plain mediocre hair metal scene of the late '80s. Even selling tons of albuns, he lost credibility and disappointed people like me. But this album is from the good old days (1981). If you like Deep Purple MkIII and the sound of the true WHistesnake, then you will think COME AND GET IT is "HOT STUFF"!It was recorded after READY AND WILLING, the album that is widely regarded as the best of the old and true Whitesnake. The band didn't lose the strength in this one. The ex-Purple Jon Lord and Ian Paice were still there. They were more discret than in Purple, but that just fits into the band concept: It was a song-oriented team, with no frills but just direct and melodic rock. Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden were the perfect guitarrists for such a band, Neil Murray was a highly dependable bass-player and David Coverdale was at his best. The first six songs are all highly enjoyable, from the cocky sing-along of the title track to the moody "Child of Babylon". Between the two, there are the testosterone rush of "Hot Stuff" (Lord and Paice kick @$$ in this one), the catchy "Don't Break My Heart Again", the bluesy "Lonely Days Lonely Nights" ("I've been burning my bridges/ For too many years..." Who has never felt this way?) and the philosophical statement "Wine, Women and Song" (great boogie fun). "Would I lie to you" and "Girl" aren't as remarkable, but they are ok. Actually, I think "Girl" has quite a groove, but could have benefited from a heavier version. They return to form with the spanky "Hit and Run". Arguably Whitesnake's best riff, another hard-lovin'-man-impossible-to-settle-down tale and a very energetic performance by all. "Till the day I die" follows the formula "gentle acoustic beginning and then hard finale; epic atmosphere all the way". It is a nice ending for the album, but in the same style "Ain't Gonna Cry No More", from READY AND WILLING, is better. Well, assuming that you already enjoy the old Snake, it is a highly recommended album. It may be slightly more commercial than READY AND WILLING and TROUBLE (is this 1978 album out-of-print? What a shame!), but delivers delightful rock and, in tracks 3 and 4, downright beautiful Coverdale-style romance. It was a relief when, during Whitesnake's farewell tour in 1998, Coverdale performed "Don't Break my heart..." and the riff of "Hit and Run', among other gems from the pre-America era. It proved that the singer recognised the value of his more rootsy work and that is the sound their true fans want to listen to. The legions of teenagers who went to his concerts in 1987 when glam metal was cool don't care about Whistesnake anymore. But the ones who keep on playing air-guitar renditions of "Walking the shadow of the blues" still do. David, please make music for the long-time fans! RESTLESS HEART was a step in the right direction, but why can't we have a COME AND GET II?
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by Whitesnake 
