Music Review: Whitesnake - Slide It In / Slip Of The Tongue Anniversary Special Editions - Page 2

Slip Of The Tongue is probably the most reviled album in the Whitesnake catalogue, so you'd think they would be sweeping this under the carpet but, no, here it is packed out as a 20th anniversary edition. And although time has been kinder to it than you might imagine, there are still some absolute clunkers here.

The metallised version of "Fool For Your Loving" remains a sin, and no-one should have to hear "Kitten's Got Claws" or "Slow Poke Music" ever again. But look again, and there are a few songs here that are good as anything Sir David and his Whitesnake have ever done. It's not surprising that they turn out to be ballads, as Lord Coverdale has always excelled at them, and I'll defend "Now You're Gone", "The Deeper The Love" and "Sailing Ships" to the end.

However, some of the Steve Vai guitar work is execrable and Coverdale comes close to admitting that in the liner notes when he says about the Adrian Vandenberg demos "I know we lost some of that ballsy, soulful feel on the finished album". Shame then that we don't get to hear any of them as the bonus tracks include a couple of irrelevant remixes alongside the B-side "Sweet Lady Luck", and a couple of tracks from their 1990 Castle Donington Monsters Of Rock set. Don't go looking for the track listed, Live...In The Shadow Of The Blues visit to "Judgement Day", though. It's not on the early editions, although you can swap it for a proper one over at the Whitesnake website!

Over on the DVD, there are the promo clips to "Fool…", "Now You're Gone", and "The Deeper The Love" along with "Deeper…" and "Sailing Ships" from the Starkers In Tokyo DVD, the video to the missing "Judgment Day" and the Monsters Of Rock clips. Of all the anniversary sets we've had and will be getting, this remains the least of them, but reappraise some of the songs, and you'll be in for a pleasant surprise.

Article Author: Stuart A Hamilton

Mr H is a compulsive reviewer who has foisted his opinions across the internet, as well as in UK publications like Record Collector and Blues Matters, where he is a contributing writer. If you really want to know more go to stuarthamilton.co.uk But …

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