Whitesnake - Slide It In

After having a huge conversation/discussion about Whitesnake's North American breakthrough I decided to write a little about the awesomeness of the Keith Olsen's produced version. The album was recorded with the Moody-Marsden era UK Snake but it was the re-recording with Olsen that made this band into world wide superstars. Coverdale who was already many albums deep into the WS career over seas was only debuting the band on our shores and in that Kalodner was controlling the product and he wanted a slicker more metal feel and less of the bluesy styling of the previous catalog.

When you take both albums back to back and compare them two camps form one who enjoys the lesser and one who enjoys the glossy edition. I'm all about the glossy version that's what I like and it was served in a package that I fell in love with immediately. I actually heard these songs live the first time as I'd not heard of the band before seeing them open for Quiet Riot. They walked out on a darkened stage started playing "Slow & Easy" with only a white light shining from behind showing only silhouettes of the awesome foursome about to change my life.

Once the power punches of the song filled the Pacific Coliseum and the show was underway I was mesmerized. The band ripped through what I remember as nearly the entire album ending with a cover of Deep Purple's "Soldier Of Fortune" which was voiced by Coverdale in the Mark III line-up of the mighty Purple. It took until the next day when I had the album in my had and was listening to it on repeat for the entire day. I think I played that album six times in a row both sides. Finding that as great as the first side was that there was just as much excellent music on side two.

Still to this day my favorite track is the crushing "All Or Nothing" Coverdale sounds amazing on this track and the epic groove Neil and Cozy lay down here is pretty killer. John Sykes plays the guitars on the re-recording but there are still reminents of Marden and Moody which is fine but the UK version doesn't have the charisma in the guitar playing that Sykes adds. His flashy glam rock leanings really take the songs to the next level.

The strange thing about this album is that when I listen to in 2012 I still get the same enjoyment from it as I did way back in the wonderful year of 1984. The sexpolation that takes place on "Spit It Out" is exactly what a sixteen year old kid driving his kick ass '70 Chevelle SS had on his mind. The brilliant title track was one of those songs that got into your brain at first listen and never leaves. It's just a masterfully written song and the Zeppelinish "Slow & Easy" was the second coming just ask Robert Plant he was very vocal about his distaste of Mr. Coverdale's ability to out sing him at that point in time.

As far as I'm concerned Slide It In is still the best Whitesnake album and their next effort with lame Vivian Campbell never held a candle to this album. The band members changed on every album from her forward and DC never achieved this level of perfection again although he did resurrect an old tune from the past that has become a classic. When buying old Whitesnake albums start here and then go back to Trouble which is great but don't expect the sound of 1987's full metal assault. Then jump to Come & Get It from there you can fill your boots with whatever you choose. But always start with Slide It In because you can't find better hard rock music or better Whitesnake music either.