Whitesnake – Slide It In
Universal Music
www.whitesnake.com
Rating: A
To
celebrate the 25th anniversary of this classic
Whitesnake album, Universal Music has, in collaboration with
David Coverdale, himself, put together a deluxe edition,
complete with an impressive booklet written by Coverdale and
featuring lyrics to the songs and photographs of the era.
This is the
best album Whitesnake ever released, despite the fact that the
self-titled release sold more. On Slide It In, David
Coverdale had not yet become a god and his band mates were
allowed to write some amazing music in the spirit of teamwork.
There were still a couple of holdovers from the Whitesnake that
was popular in England but not in the states, as Micky Moody,
Jon Lord, Mel Galley and Cozy Powell all appeared on the
original album.
It was,
however, in the USA, that Whitesnake underwent serious changes
as the album was released with different members and a different
mix. The US mix featured, in addition to Coverdale, Whitesnake
long time bass player, Neil Murray, and hot shot guitarist John
Sykes. It was this mix, and these players, that took Coverdale
to the level of rock god – with the help of MTV.
Universal
Music has released a commemorative 25th anniversary
deluxe package CD that includes both the US Mix and the original
album. The differences are truly noticeable and it can be
argued that without Sykes and Murray this album may not have
been as successful. The US Whitesnake led the way for bands
with loud guitars and big hair to conquer the airwaves.
The
strength of the album lies not in the look of the band but in
great songwriting, executed perfectly. There is not a clunker
on the entire album. The big three, “Slide It In,” “Love Ain’t
No Stranger” and “Slow & Easy” are all rock staples. The rest
of album rocks just as hard. “Guilty of Love,” “Spit It Out,”
“All or Nothing,” “Hungry For Love,” “Standing in the Shadow,”
“Give Me More Time” and “Gambler” are all arena rockers that
stand the test of time.
The bonus
DVD features the promo videos for “Guilty of Love,” “Love Ain’t
No Stranger” and “Slow & Easy” as well as many live performances
including a 1983 Castle Donnington appearance and a 1984 Top of
the Pops appearance. “Love Ain’t No Stranger” gets two more
appearances, one acoustic, which sees Coverdale really wanting
to be Paul Rodgers!
This is,
obviously, a great album and should be played loud and often.
Whitesnake never regained the fire that they had on this album.
There may have been bigger hits, more exposure and more costly
videos made in the band’s career but Slide It In is,
hands down, the best this band has ever done musically.
By Jeb
Wright
