Here I Go Again - The Whitesnake Collection

Album Review

2002's two-CD Whitesnake compilation Here I Go Again: The Whitesnake Collection assembles remastered versions of all three of the band's biggest albums for Geffen — 1984's Slide It In, 1987's blockbuster Whitesnake, and 1989's Slip of the Tongue — as well as non-album mixes and B-sides. When vocalist David Coverdale first formed the band, Whitesnake didn't meet with much success in America; Slide It In changed that. It had a sleazy charm with killer tracks like the title cut, "Slow an' Easy," "Spit It Out," and the melodic, explosive "Love Ain't No Stranger." Whitesnake was a smash, and deservedly so thanks to the songs Coverdale and guitarist John Sykes wrote; it was more calculated and slick than Slide It In, but there's no denying the quality of "Here I Go Again," "Is This Love," or the Led Zeppelin homage/rip-off (you decide) "Still of the Night." The flaccid radio mix of "Here I Go Again" is included. The single version of "Give Me All Your Love" isn't as drastically removed from the original. The outtakes "You're Gonna Break My Heart Again," "Looking for Love," and "Sweet Lady Luck" appeared on 1994's Greatest Whitesnake. "Need Your Love So Bad," a Little Willie John cover, was a B-side with just Coverdale and keyboardist Bill Cuomo. Slip of the Tongue was largely a disaster. Since Adrian Vandenberg had suffered from a bizarre injury, hired gun Steve Vai played all the guitar parts and his flashy, technically gifted style overpowered the formula. The re-recording of "Fool for Your Loving" is a catchy exception. "The Deeper the Love" and "Judgement Day" are OK, but they ultimately suffer from trying to re-create Whitesnake. "Sailing Ships" does have a sincere majesty. For convenience and completeness, Here I Go Again: The Whitesnake Collection is a worthwhile set.