GREAT WHITE — Once Bitten (review)

GREAT WHITE — Once Bitten album cover Album · 1987 · Hard Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Negoba
Very Nice Bluesy Glam Metal

Once Bitten was written and recorded long before Great White hit the big time, and for me sounds much more like the band has their heart in the music. From the opening pull-off lick that leads off "Lady Red Light," the band plays with both heart and stones, and ends with one of the best power ballads of all time "Save Your Love." Sure nothing here is out of the ordinary, but it's all done really well.

Great White had paid their dues in bar bands, and all were quite solid players. Singer Jack Russell had a bluesy tone that was able to slip into a glammish hue, settle in to Robert Plant style, and then belt out a bluesy rocker. Mark Kendall had plenty of laid-back tasty phrasing, but also had a little bit of firebreathing in his bag of tricks as well.

The big hit on this one was "Rock Me," which follows the Stairway to Heaven formula of starting slow and ending with full on rock. In this case, however, the quiet start is big open blues shuffle and the end is a monster guitar solo that is one of the best in glam history.

There is a reverb on this album that gives it a distinctive sound. What's more, the bluesy metal sound was just starting to resurge at this point, with increased interest in Led Zeppelin. This album was released at a perfect time to scratch those itches. Unfortunately, the band would choose to intentionally pander on their next album.

Bottom Line: Deserving Hit Song, with an entire album to back it up.
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