WHITESNAKE - The Definitive Collection

Posted: 04/18/06

Reviewed by: Dirt

Category: Hard Rock

Released: 02/07/06

Label URL: www.umeportal.com

Artist URL: www.whitesnake.com

My first introduction to Whitesnake was when my girlfriend loaned me 1984's Slide It In. Shortly after, I saw their videos for "Slow An' Easy" and "Love Ain't No Stranger," and I was hooked.  The band's combination of sexual innuendo, hooky guitar work, memorable verses and choruses, powerful drumming, and the manly voice of David Coverdale grabbed me from the album's beginning to end.  To this day, it's my favorite Whitesnake album.  

Whitesnake certainly delivered many other great tunes, both before and after Slide It In.  Obviously, 1987's Whitesnake was the pinnacle of the group's career with singles and videos like "Here I Go Again" (which actually appeared on 1982's Saints & Sinners) "Is This Love," "Give Me All Your Love and "Still Of The Night," all of which appear on The Definitive Collection.  This 18-song collection goes deeper than the obvious hits - all the way back to 1978's Snakebite with "Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City," 1979's Lovehunter with "Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues" and "We Wish You Well," the title track from 1980's Ready An' Willing, and 1981's Come An' Get It with "Don't Break My Heart Again."  Considering the fact that 1987's Whitesnake went eight times platinum, the platinum status of 1989's Slip Of The Tongue  was an abysmal failure.  Nevertheless, "Fool For Your Loving" (which originally appeared on Ready An' Willing), the ballads "Now Your Gone" and "The Deeper The Love" were hits and are included here.  Surprisingly, the Coverdale/Page collaboration "Pride And Joy" is here as well.

The Bloody Truth: Whitesnake is currently enjoying a bit of a resurgence.  David Coverdale has assembled a different lineup (except for drummer Tommy Aldridge) than the classic lineup of the late 80s, but they are just as wicked.  The definitive collection is a nice compilation for those who want a refresher or those who need an introduction, and it's great to see that Universal believes the band deserves to be heard again.  Clearly, The Definitive Collection could have been a double disc set, as songs like "Come On" (from Snakebite), "Lovehunter" (from Lovehunter), "Rough An' Ready" (from Saints & Sinners), "Slide It In," "Gambler," "Guilty Of Love," "Standing In The Shadow," and "Spit It Out" (from Slide It In), and "Bad Boys," "Children Of The Night," and "Crying In The Rain" (from Whitesnake) are unfortunately absent.