BLUE MURDER — Blue Murder (review)

BLUE MURDER — Blue Murder album cover Album · 1989 · Hard Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Negoba
That Other Guy Makes a Statement

Whitesnake 1987 was one of the biggest metal albums of all time, the high point of a collaboration of two egomaniacs. The first of course was Tawny Kitaen's ex David Coverdale, but the second was one of hard rock / heavy metal's best guitarists ever, John Sykes (previously with Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tang.) The two parted ways long before Whitesnake 87 was even released, and though Sykes' monumental guitar is what made that album the monster it was, his face was in no videos or posters. (I think he got a fine share of royalties though).

Before Coverdale could get Steve Vai to do all the work for the Whitesnake followup, Sykes had enlisted veterans Carmine Appice and Tony Franklin for this album, Blue Murder. And it is this album, not Slip of the Tongue that was the proper follow-up to the hit. Sykes guitar tone is if anything more enormous than before, with some of the most beautiful speed soloing and some monster riffs. And the guy's voice was not only passable but GOOD.

The heaviest songs on the album "Ptolemy" and "Valley of the Kings" benefit from a middle eastern tonality that adds a darkness that really gives this album an identity. Even the balladish "Jelly Roll" has plenty of soul. The whole album oozes with Sykes' enormous personality. The biggest drawback is the lyrics which are pretty superficial, but that's no difference than the Whitesnake record.

Bottom Line: Another chance to take in John Sykes' monster guitars.
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Negoba wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Checked it out and it was actually named Whitesnake 1987 in some parts of Europe. Just fixed the date on the review.
Negoba wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Whitesnake's main self-titled album is often referred to this way. I'm not sure if there was another self-titled album early in their career before they were known on this side of the pond.
m@x wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Cool positive and incitative review!!!!

Question: "Whitesnake 1986 was one of the biggest metal albums of all time". To my knowledge, there is no album with the name 1986 ?

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