Friday, August 19, 2016

Throwback Thursday: Slide It In, by Whitesnake



By the early-mid 80's Whitesnake had gained a decent bit of notoriety in the Europe and somewhat in the U.S. However, band leader/vocalist David Coverdale wasn't entirely satisfied with the band's direction or lack of larger commercial success. Up until that point they had been playing a very Bad Company meets Led Zeppelin style of bluesy rock, but Coverdale wanted to go in a more hard rocking commercial direction in order to crack the U.S. market as well as keep the sound of the band fresh and alive. Coverdale then switched out a bunch of the musicians in the band to write, record, and release their commercial breakthrough album Slide It In.

Slide It In is a transitionary album of sorts, as it moves listeners from the bluesy stuff of the past into the more heavy metal hits that the general public would become familiar with later on. It featured some Whitesnake staples/hits such as: Slide It In, Slow an' Easy, Guilty of Love, Love Ain't No Stranger, etc. There are actually two versions of the album: the UK version that features original guitarist Micky Moody and replacement bassist Colin Hodgkinson and the US version with new guitarist John Sykes and returned original bassist Neil Murray. The US version focuses more on guitar and drums, making everything shinier whereas the UK version has a more hard rocking organic punch to it.

Gambler I will readily admit I like the US version of better. It is definitely a more metal song that suits Sykes's style perfectly. The guitar has more of a crisp edge to it that the UK version kind of falls flat with. That pulsing rhythm also sounds better with the drums turned up in the mix. I do wish the organ would have been kept up a bit more in the mix though because it added a really nice melodic accentuation to the guitar gallops. Overall though it's a pretty solid head banger of a tune while also being passionate.

The title track Slide It In was definitely WAY better in the original UK mix. The US mix made it too glossy and over produced. I like it better in the UK mix because it has this grit and punch to it that makes it seem like way harder of a rock song. It almost has a bit of a thunderous AC/DC kind of feel to it. The real difference though is in the guitar solo. I LOVE Sykes's shredtastic playing, but Moody's original solo is way more melodic and memorable. It's one you can sort of sing along with if you wanted to. Some times melody is more important than flash.

I'll admit that I was hesitant to listen to Slide It In for a long while because I was such an original Whitesnake purist. Despised the hair metal stuff (at that moment in time). However, when I finally broke down and gave it a listen I was pleasantly surprised. Big memorable riffs, that same raucous, yet soulful smooth whiskey Coverdale voice, and that same passion and desire to bring down the house with maximum rock n' roll. For those of you who love rock n' roll in its purest form then this is definitely the album for you. It's also a great way for any old school Whitesnake fan to transition into the more hair metal stuff (which is also great too if you give it a chance).

Slide It In, by Whitesnake receives 5 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

US version:

1. Slide It In
2. Slow an' Easy
3. Love Ain't No Stranger
4. All or Nothing
5. Gambler
6. Guilty of Love
7. Hungry For Love
8. Give Me More Time
9. Spit It Out
10. Standing in the Shadow

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Slide-Whitesnake/dp/B000VZYUN2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1471595661&sr=8-3&keywords=Slide+It+In

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