Customer Reviews

Slip of the Tongue

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Of all Whitesnake's albums, this is the heaviest one. Sure, 1987 had a bunch of killer radio hits and they where back then at the top of their songwriting skills (I think that John Sykes played a main role on that), but "Slip of the tongue" showcases a darker (well, a grayer ;-)) and heavier side of the band, and I personally welcome the change with wide open ears.

My preferred track on this album is "Judgement Day", which has a powerful riff that reminds me the style of Dio (or something in that mood). I also like the explosive "Slip of the tongue" (in where Steve Vai perfectly fits in), "Sailing Ships" (in spite of Vai's solo: I'm sure that for this one Sykes or Campbell would have done a better job) and "Wings of the Storm" (in which Vai really shines with his energetic playing and a flashy solo).

There's no doubt about the good job that Sarzo and Aldrige did here. And of course, the powerful voice of David Coverdale is the main ingredient of the entire recipe - well, love lyrics are a tad kitschy, but who cares after all? :-) But again, Steve Vai on guitar duties seems to be the most controversial subject about this album, isn't it? My thoughts about that: It is true that he is one of the best players in the world (and perhaps the most "musical" of all rock axemen ever), but it is also true that he has few (if something) to do with Whitesnake.

The problem with Vai is that he always tries to sound like himself, because he's a very authentic player. In doing this, he tries to avoid using blues and pentatonic-based licks. Instead of playing standard metal clichés, he overplays with his killer (but rather progressive) chops, going for unexplored avenues. The result is that, in a band like Whitesnake, he frequently moves away from the main song's focus, so the (average or uneducated) listener suddenly finds himself lost in a bunch of notes, weird whammy-bar abuses, "screams" and harmonies that are atypical in radio-friendly hits. This is almost a disaster. Nevertheless, still in some songs on this album ("The deeper the love", "Sailing ships", "Now you're gone" and "Slow poke music") Vai stays discrete enough to sound "right" for the band. But the guy is not a filler. He is a star on his own and can't help "going for it" almost all the time - and that's not always a very good idea, as this album witnesses in several places.

Given these facts, some people point to Vai as the main responsible of the lack of deep emotion all along this release. However (and to be fair), note that Steve Vai was just hired as a player for "Slip of the tongue". These songs were all written by Coverdale and Vanderberg, so I don't think that Vai is to blame for the overall lack of "bluesy" feeling. Instead of that, Vai is rather another victim of John Sykes' departure, as Sykes' talent to write wonderful songs is undeniable (Coverdale and Vanderberg together couldn't match Sykes' pen, sad but true). Producers could also be guilty, as they could have said to Vai: "stay yourself playing the blues and forget about those weird things!" But well... :-)

To conclude, this is a very good album that differs from the others Whitesnake did before. Its production is excellent, and Vai surely overplays, but the final delivery doesn't sound bad neither. I spite of its defects, this album remains one of the bests from the band, and still has soul and enchanting power. That's why I give to it four stars and two thirds (so five stars here :-)). Enjoy!

This CD is great. It has some really hooky tunes and the guitar playing by Steve Vai is phenomenal. I don't know why people give Steve Vai so much criticism for this album as I really do think his playing brings alot of excitement to the Whitesnake sound. Coverdale's vocal melodies are really strong too. Compared to Whitesnake's legendary 1987 album with John Sykes on guitar (which I also love), the sound of this album is a bit more commercial and produced. Personally I think it was a positive move even though most Whitesnake fans probably don't agree.

This album was critically panned and didnt perform too well commercially , but I for one consider it a fine effort. Certainly if you dont like this style of music (and you will likely only need to see a photograph of the band to decide) it is highly unlikely you will enjoy this release. It is a fairly archetypal 80's rock record, although a number of factors set it above the crowd. Firstly, David Coverdale's vocals are superb: he has a very strong voice, excellent singing style, and his lyrics are simple yet effective. One has to love his showmanship, use of innuendo and flair, which harkens back to days when singers really worked a crowd. Secondly, Steve Vai's guitar playing is nothing short of incredible: this virtuoso axe-master seems fairly out of place in such an outfit, but his extremely technical, experienced and accomplished style adds touches to this allbum lacking from the genre since Van Halen ceased creating quality albums.
You arent going to achieve any sort of deep enlightenment or find intellectual stimulation here: what you will find is world class playing and a sense of fun and enjoyment that is very uplifting.
'Cheap An Nasty', for instance, is a likeable hard rocking number, resplendent with stunning solo (as are most tracks included here), anthemic qualities and consistent writing. Elsewhere 'Now You're Gone' seems a stereotype 80's ballad, yet it is so well written and executed one is overwhelmed. Also, album closing epic 'Sailing Ships' is a wonderful song, with various sections and emotive qualities. The only downside to this album in my opinion is the rather gratuitous 'The deeper the love' which I feel really could have been omitted: it doesnt seem to be up to the standards of the rest of the tracks, hence the dropped star.
In conclusion, a consistent and well written album with some unique facets which fans of the genre should definitely pick up, although non fans should avoid like the plague.

This is a good album with some great songs on it like 'Kitten's got claws', 'cheap and nasty', 'Slip of the tongue' and 'Fool for your loving', BUT the cheesy keyboards do this album no favours whatsoever. Keyboards can have their place in rock music but I feel that these songs suffer due to excessive ammounts of electronic gorgonzola.

If you are a whitesnake fan then you'll enjoy this album, if you haven't heard much whitesnake get their self titled album (sometimes referred to as 1987). That may not have Steve Vai on it but the songs contain much less stilton flavoured synthesizers. Steve Vai is very good on this album but with all those cheezy keyboards the boost whitesnake gets from using his electrifying guitar work is somewhat cancelled out.

I would reccomend this album to anyone who likes whitesnake but not as a first whitesnake purchase.

Probably the worst Whitesnake album. Not only do you have stupid song titles: Kittens Got Claws, Slow Poke Music, but you also have Coverdale impersonating Robert Plant: Judgement Day. Does anyone recall Kasmir? I am a big Whitesnake fan and I think Coverdale is a great lyricist. But this album was written just to sell as many copies as possible. The only redeeming songs are Sailing Ships and Fool for your Loving and that song is a remake from the Ready an Willing album

This album could have been considered one of "hair metal"'s finest performances. Slick production, great band, better than average songs, and guitar golden child Steve Vai. And it did quite well, generating a couple of hit singles and going multi-platinum.

And therein lies the rub. This album was Whitesnake's follow-up to the immensely successful "1987". As such, there is no way "Slip of the Tounge" could have measured up to the bar it's predecessor set so high. There is a palpable tension with "1987", as if it were now or never. If Whitesnake was going to obtain rock stardom after a decade of toiling in relative obscurity, they had to hit it out of the park with that album - and they did so brilliantly.

"Slip of the Tounge" is noticeably lacking that hunger. After selling 10 million albums, marrying the video vixen that inspired a thousand teen fantasies, and touring the world to sold-out audiences, Coverdale is obviously resting on his laurels. Throw a bunch of cash at the latest guitar god and record an album - life is good, right?

Unfortunately, John Sykes was a greater factor in the success of "1987" than anyone realized (well, perhaps Coverdale *did* realize it, explaining Sykes' undignified termination.) Vandenberg simply isn't as good of a songwriter, and while Vai is an incredibly talented musician, he's simply a poor fit for the material (hey, I love the guy, but you can't be great at *everything*). Listen to "Slip of the Tounge" and "Passion and Warfare" back-to-back. It's obvious where Steve's passion was during that time - and it wasn't with Whitesnake.

So if you're a fan of the genre, the album is certainly worth a listen and one of the better releases in the post-GnR/pre-grunge timeframe. But there's no escaping the fact that it's predecessor is far and away the superior album.

I don't want to talk bad about this great rock band, I don't want to talk about Steve Vai in this record, but I want to say one thing, this is not the real sound of WHITESNAKE, this is not my favorite album of WHITESNAKE, this is not my favorite album of STEVE VAI, but the song judgement day is a great song, is like kashmir of led zeppelin!

The knives were out for this one. To tell the truth, no matter what this sounded like it was going to cop a hammering given the attitude of certain elements of the hard rock press - especially in the UK. Additional to this was the fact that Steve Vai had been drafted in on guitar for a very hefty fee and there were justified concerns his playing style was totally unsuited to Whitesnake. Not to mention that the cover artwork was similar to that of the 1987 album (a ruse repeated for the '94 Greatest Hits) and this smacked a little of desperation.

So at first glance it's a case of low expectations despite the hope for another great disc as per 1987. And once you get to the music it's pretty clear that this is a hit and miss selection of songs. No complaints with the title track or the follow up cut Cheap an' Nasty. Or the remake of Fool For Your Loving which some felt was sacrilegious in some way. But stuff 'em! Now Your Gone is a decent enough ballad and Vai gets to flex his guitar in all sorts of unnatural ways in Kittens Got Claws but things get a little sketchy as the album moves on. It's not that Slow Poke Music or Judgement Day (an attempt to write another Still of the Night) are poor, it's just that they aren't great. And the more shiny hollow - or gutless, take your pick - production job doesn't help given the awesome power in the recording of 1987 which had more grit and fibre in one song than any three or four of the tracks on display here.

Not to mention that while he's a great guitarist, Vai proved the critics right by not really fitting the more bluesy hard rock mould of the 'snake. Not his fault, the guy is insanely talented in my opinion, but his style just isn't right for these songs. Though at least his inclusion did mean that the 'snake boasted (count 'em) two guitar gods for the tour. Which for some six string aficianados probably made it worthwhile buying a concert ticket regardless of whether they liked the album or not.

The real deal? Not as good as 1987 but few albums are. Some good songs are here but not as well produced and lacking the feel of a Whitesnake record, sounding like this was a job for all involved as there is just no feel on this album at all.

I recently bought Slip of the Tongue and was really suprised about how good of an album it is. Everyone sounds great, including Steve Vai, who was recruited to help record the album after Adrian Vandenberg hurt himself and could not play during the recording of the album.
David Coverdale has one of the greatest voices. Period. I have not listened to every track closely but here are three of my favorites. I love Fool for Your loving, Sailing Ships and Now You're Gone, which alone is the reason you should buy this album.
ENJOY!

Not as good as the 87 Self-Titled album (tough to beat) nor as good as Slide It In, but it is a solid album. Coverdale got an all-star group for this album with Sarzo (Ozzy, Quite Riot), Steve Vai (Quitar Guru) among others. Some good songs but some cheesy songs. Very little hard rock songs. I like Kitten's Got Claws while Sailing Ships is a great song. Slip of the Tongue, Fool For youe Lovin and Wings of the Storm are solid. Judgemant day is ok, but it's sounds way to much like Zepllin.