Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Whitesnake
Label: EMI Records
Released: 1984
Running time: 40:40
Rating: 5/5
»Slide It In« was the sixth studio outing from British hard rock heavyweights Whitesnake. You could say it worked as a sonic bridge between their old, romantic blues rock days (1978-1984) and the new hard rock look (1987-1990), tailor-made for American mega-stadiums. At the time of »Slide It In«, which is probably their most interesting record ever thanks to that transitional sound, and which came out in two different versions, Whitesnake were standing at the most important turning point of their career.
The legendary singer and band chief David Coverdale, who by then had the managerial reins firmly in his own hands, turned into a proper dictator. For the commercial success of his band, above all a breakthrough on the other side of the Atlantic, he was ready to pay a steep price and sacrifice plenty, old friendships included. Cult guitarist Micky Moody, a founding member alongside Coverdale, felt it on his own skin more than anyone, and he left soon after the original British version of »Slide It In« came out. The old friendship was over soon after Coverdale caught the smell of green (dollar bills) and signed a deal with the well-known American label Geffen (for the US market only; everywhere else they stayed loyal to EMI). In later interviews Moody mentioned more than once that his best friend suddenly started acting as if he didn’t know him anymore. What’s more, according to Moody, Coverdale completely changed his personality and fitted it neatly to the materialistic, selfish spirit of the eighties.
The original »Slide It In« lineup, which recorded the British version of the album in January 1984, featured, besides Coverdale and Moody, drum legend Cozy Powell (ex-Rainbow), the highly talented former Trapeze guitarist/singer Mel Galley, versatile bass master Colin Hodgkinson, who was equally at home in blues and jazz, and legendary keyboardist Jon Lord. Lord left as early as April 1984 because of the Deep Purple reunion, right before the American version of »Slide It in« came out (the musician hidden behind a curtain, so to speak, finished the remaining tour dates: former Magnum keyboardist Richard Bailey). That lineup looked like a dream on paper, and its version of »Slide It In« is in many ways far better than the American one, but sadly it never found the right chemistry to become a solid unit, which Moody, the soul of the blues rock version of the band, soon sensed.
The last straw came when Coverdale met the young and, for the MTV masses, extremely good-looking (and otherwise excellent) guitarist John Sykes (ex-Tygers of Pan Tang, John Sloman’s Badlands, Thin Lizzy). At that moment Moody realized he’d become redundant and decided to leave the band he had given so much to, which finally closed a chapter. Hodgkinson soon followed him. His complex style suddenly seemed unsuited to Coverdale’s further vision for the band, so Coverdale invited an old pal into the ranks: original Whitesnake bassist Neil Murray, who in that ‘in-between’ period (1982-1983) had been playing in the band of legendary guitarist Gary Moore, along with cult drummer Ian Paice (also a former Whitesnake member). Compared with his predecessor Ian Paice, the legendary Cozy Powell, with his much harder-hitting drumming, was on the other hand exactly what Coverdale wanted in his quest to build the most punchy, almost metal version of the band. He had big plans for Galley too back then, though Galley didn’t last long in Whitesnake because of a hand injury.
After recruiting the young Sykes, Coverdale decided to take the band’s lineup apart and rebuild it completely from scratch, before it had even properly taken shape, tweaking it audio-visually on the fly to suit American taste. Plenty of old fans still hold that against him today, since they remember the blues rock beginnings very well. Before that, though, at Geffen’s urging, he decided to record the American version of »Slide It In«, which came out in April 1984. That version was commercially more successful than the British one, since its production was adapted to the American taste of the day, and it was their first major success on the other side of the Atlantic. Coverdale wanted much more, though, and he got it with the next Whitesnake album.
Both versions of »Slide It In« have their qualities, charms and advantages, but the winner’s crown still belongs to the British one. There are several reasons for that. Apart from the fact that its production pushed Lord’s traditionally complex organ and Hodgkinson’s bass lines up front, you could still feel some of the romantic blues rock charm of the good old Whitesnake on it. The American version, on the other hand, had more pronounced, punchy Sykes guitar lines and crushing Powell drums in the production, with which Coverdale wanted to reach an even harder, ‘metal’ sound. Meanwhile the meddling with extra synth textures, directed by session musician Bill Cuomo, who with his efforts almost completely ruined Lord’s original keyboard masterpieces, was a totally unnecessary move and almost a sacrilegious mockery of a legend and an old friend of Coverdale’s. On individual tracks Sykes contributed guitar solos completely different from those of his legendary predecessor, so the differences between the British and American versions are anything but negligible.
Opener »Gambler«, which kicks off with a synth intro, immediately serves up a much harder Whitesnake than their fans had known up to then, with Powell flattening everything in sight with his fiery drum fills. The massive sound of Lord’s organ blends beautifully with the punchy guitar passages and rattling bass lines, while Coverdale’s mighty vocal approach is enriched by Galley’s backing vocal harmonies. The American version is even punchier and has an even sharper guitar sound, led by Sykes’ scorching solo. Moody (the old blues rock wolf) and Sykes (the young metal hero with big, shiny hair) couldn’t be more different in either guitar style or looks, and that’s also the main difference between the British and American versions of individual songs. The lyrics, as always throughout Whitesnake’s career, were real ‘brain candy’ and so absurdly predictable it was almost comical. Once again they dealt with David’s romantic frustrations and sexual urges, which is why he earned the title of hard rock’s Benny Hill for good reason.
The title track is a real hard rock bomb straight to the ‘bullseye’, built on a scorching guitar riff and killer drum transitions, while in the chorus a furious David once again chokes on the deceptive charms of femmes fatales. While Moody’s approach here is more bluesy and sophisticated, on the American version Sykes goes wild with an arrogant hard rock solo. »Standing in the Shadow«, another energy catalyst in which Coverdale lays his wounded heart down with a bravura vocal performance, earned its classic status fair and square, mostly thanks to its epic chorus. The same goes for »Give Me More Time«, dressed in moody ambient colors, where Galley’s vocal help in the chorus is especially impressive, taming David’s vocal fury a little and adding a pinch of melodic rock sophistication. The guitar artistry on both versions is worthy of admiration, and together with Powell’s drum cataclysms it cements Whitesnake’s status as the most arrogant hard rock tough guys of the time.
Next comes the big hit single and one of the most beloved Whitesnake hard rock classics ever, the splendid »Love Ain’t No Stranger«, their first evergreen that managed to charm the Americans. No wonder, since it contains quite a few of the elements that, three years later, turned »Here I Go Again« in its new guise into a huge success story. A calm keyboard-and-acoustic intro is followed by a sudden switch into a punchy, epic hard rock section with potent, almost metal-sounding guitar harmonies and a massive layer of organ. The peak arrives in the epic chorus with a classic David erotomaniac outpouring, enough to make the knees of even the most hardened row of groupies go weak.
»Slow an’ Easy«, with its chanting chorus, was also one of their first hit singles on the other side of the Atlantic. No surprise there, since in terms of rhythm and message it’s a proper ‘party’ track, fit for any biker bash. Because Moody had a hand in writing it, it’s the most blues rock-oriented number on »Slide It In«, although it doesn’t lack hard rock bite, mostly thanks to Powell’s merciless pounding on the bass drum. »Spit It Out« is another energetic hard rocker with dirty guitar phrasing, unusual tempo changes and a peak in a mischievous chorus, which means it successfully keeps the uncompromising nature of »Slide It In«. Something similar could be said for »All Or Nothing«, which, amid dirty guitar passages and wild drum fills, does have a somewhat more sophisticated chorus than its predecessor, while Lord thoroughly runs wild with his organ artistry.
The inconsolable white snake’s lament, »Hungry For Love«, is again a somewhat more traditionalist blues rock-oriented number, which, surprisingly, holds true for the American version with Sykes too. At the end sits the hard rock-AOR hybrid »Guilty Of Love«, yet another hit and unforgettable evergreen, which can be counted among the best achievements of their career. Its strikingly hypnotic and melodic chorus rides over mighty guitar phrases and dynamic keyboard textures, while Powell’s drum kit buckles under a hail of violent blows. What’s interesting is that it’s the only track on »Slide It In« that was recorded as a single back in 1983, when they briefly experimented with producer Eddie Kramer (best known for his work with Kiss). They weren’t happy with him, so the legendary Martin Birch (ex-Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Blue Öyster Cult) soon had to return for »Slide It In«.
»Slide It In« in its authentic, more heartfelt British version is still recognized today as a masterpiece, the successful meeting point of two different eras of a legendary band, one that Coverdale’s ego tore down to its building blocks so he could ride the American stars in its trend-friendly ‘hair metal’ guise. With the release of the American version of »Slide It In«, the romantic, heartfelt blues rock era was finally over, and a new era dawned in which Whitesnake, with teased-up hair under Coverdale’s noble dictatorship, became the darlings of American households. »Slide It In« was also the last Whitesnake album with the classic white snake logo.
Note: the rating applies to the British version of »Slide It In«.
Lineup
British version of the album:
David Coverdale – vocals
Micky Moody – guitar
Mel Galley – guitar, backing vocals
Colin Hodgkinson – bass guitar
Jon Lord – keyboards
Cozy Powell – drums
American version of the album:
David Coverdale – vocals
John Sykes – guitar
Mel Galley – guitar, backing vocals
Neil Murray – bass guitar
Jon Lord – keyboards
Cozy Powell – drums
Bill Cuomo – keyboards
Production
Martin Birch
Track list
1. Gambler
2. Slide It In
3. Standing in the Shadow
4. Give Me More Time
5. Love Ain’t No Stranger
6. Slow An’ Easy
7. Spit It Out
8. All Or Nothing
9. Hungry For Love
10. Guilty Of Love
