“Walking in he Shadow of the Blues”. It opens with Jon Lord on keyboards and has great guitar riffs. It is blues track and this one a little more bluesy then the rest. Lord’s playing is a standout, but it is Marsden that delivers a blistering solo that took the song to the next level. It was his second in a row as he had the solo on the first song as well.
“Trouble” which is such a bluesy song as a lot of the early Snake songs are. The song feels a little like Purple’s “Mistreated” or at least in the same realm of comparability for style and form. The solo on this one goes to Marsden and it is fantastic. He lays down some riffs that have great melody and you could sing along with it if you sing your solos.
“Lie Down (A Modern Love Song)” is interesting as it is more pop than blues or even rock. It is a very fast tempo’d love song. The vocals at times have this whole Elton John feel to them and even the vibe of the song with Lord’s piano feels like him as well.
The next track is “Sweet Talker” which was only released in the US as a single, but didn’t really do anything. It is a fun rocking track and it has Jon Lord delivering something he does best…massive keyboard solos.
“Love Hunter” is full of David’s sexually inappropriate lyrics and his lyrics still rock. The song has the that blues tone and some serious slide guitar by Micky Moody and Neil Murray’s bass line is fantastic and lays down the coolest groove. Along with Moody’s slide guitar you get a twin solo with both Moody and Marsden. It is that duo that really brings this one home.
“Don’t Break My Heart Again” reached #17 on the UK Charts. The song is about David’s first marriage. It opens with Lord on organ and then Neil’s throbbing bass. David delivers some emotional and heavy lyrics and the song has a great drum beat throughout and then Bernie delivers on the solo. One of David’s finest performances on this album and many albums.
“Aint’ No Love in the Heart of the City” is a bluesy track that keeps a slow groove and the guitar work Moody does is sensational. The crowd takes over with Murray’s bass thumping away in the background along with Paice keeping time.
“Fool For Your Loving” is more bluesy and has a nice groove and not as rocking as the hair metal version, but that is okay. You have Bernie belting out a great solo that is so different than Vai’s version. This fits the sound of the band at this point in their career and the other fits that version of the band.
“Take Me With You” is a high energy rocker that comes at you at breakneck speed and tempo that it immediately gets you moving. David sounds fresh and throws in a little moaning at the end. There is so much going on musically and always something new each time you listen. The solo on this one is actually a drum solo by Dave “Duck” Dowle, but there are still a lot of guitars including some slide on it so don’t fret.
“We Wish You Well” is a classic Snake song as they play it as fans leave their concerts and it is fantastic. It is a ballad and a little too cheesy, but it is a fan favorite.
