WHITESNAKE – Little Box O’Snakes

WHITESNAKE
Little Box O’Snakes
EMI

Not even I could justify the wallet lightening load that was the “Box O’ Snakes” set that came out a couple of years ago. Much as I would have enjoyed the self pleasure it would have given me, the thought of Mrs H catching sight of the bank statement so soon after finding my extremely large Whitesnake, um, collection would have been just too much. I couldn’t face the “but why do you need 4 vinyl copies of “Lovehunter” when you’ve got it on CD” speech. Apparently, there is no right answer to that question.

However, here we have a cut down CD version of the set, without any of the important things, such as the Reading Rock sets and the DVD. And yes, Mrs H, I know I have those highly illegal BBC Transcription records locked away in the Swis bank vault, but that does not mean I don’t want them out on CD. Instead it’s a bare bones 9 disc set covering the period 1978 – 1982. So it’s everything from the “Snakebite” EP through to “Saints &’ Sinners”. There’s no bonus tracks, which I quite like, as I grew up with these records and like them just the way they are. And it includes the Japanese only “Live At Hammersmith” set as well as the more familiar “Live…In The Heart Of The City”.

Musically, I don’t think it got any better than these. It was the music of my puberty and defined my ears for everything that was to come. “Trouble”, “Lovehunter”, “Ready An’ Willing”, “Come And Get It”, “Saints & Sinners” – I salute you. Once you manage to get inside the stupid assed box with its stupid assed flaps, which guarantee they won’t be coming out very often, you’ll find the mini LP replica cardboard sleeves, and some of the finest British rock ever recorded. It’s still over priced and it really is a completists only set, but I’m exactly the kind of saddo this is aimed at, but I don’t care, and shall hold my Whitesnake high for all to see.

Buy at Amazon  or pony up for the full Box O’ Snakes set, and keep your divorce lawyers number close at hand.