Slip Of The Tongue bonbed - why?

[Anthrax442]

Sykes/Campbell? That never happened.

You're right, my bad. For some reason, I thought there was some overlap, but I guess there was always only one guitarist in that weird period between Slide It In and David being like "Fuck it" and starting over.

[Van Ailin']

Sykes/Campbell? That never happened.

You're right, my bad. For some reason, I thought there was some overlap, but I guess there was always only one guitarist in that weird period between Slide It In and David being like "Fuck it" and starting over.

I read (somewhere) that he liked the material John was doing but that he felt like it was too expensive having to re-do some of it to the get the sound right (they eventually got a great-sounding album). But I also read that John felt he was so involved that he deserved a place in the partnership, and Coverdale didn't want to give up that power over the business. And indeed, it might have put him either out a lot of money or in a partnership rather than employer position with John. Whatever it was, I can see arguments from both sides on that issue. So John was out before they even toured 1987. Vandenberg was first on board, such that they overdubbed one solo onto the 1987 album. (And of course, we'll never know how many of the guitars were or were doubled by Dann Huff. Given that Blue Murder album sounded so good and Dann's playing is so different on the single version of Here I Go Again, I wonder if Dann's involvement is a bit oversold). Campbell then toured with them, and the story is that they re-convened and tried start SOTT with that band and Vandenberg's riffs. I'm guessing whatever Campbell brought was not felt to be up to snuff. Either that or he got the Riverdogs offer and saw a chance to be more involved in co-ownership. Of course, Riverdogs were more based on Rob and Nick's writing than Viv's.

With Roth's band not filling arena's after loss of Sheehan, and with Vai knowing that he had is best work about to come out, he was smart to take that gig with Whitesnake. Rather than touring clubs or very small theaters with his own band on Passion and Warfare (which he could have done well), he got to go out in front of 3000-10000 people all year and negotiated a full song (with Whitesnake band playing it) as his solo spot. His and Eric Johnson's were probably the last of the 80s guitar-hero albums to really break at the tail end of that little movement. But it cemented the whole rest of his career. Business-wise, it was Joe Satriani who was really smart as G3 brought his career back and gave Vai another strong outlet, too. That carried them through the otherwise-lean post-grunge years. Vai's recent very successful run with Beat will have also elevated his profile, and I would guess you'll see a bigger number on his next solo album. And he has a tour with Satriani this spring.

I wish there had been an EEASmile reunion at some point, but when I hear those two albums, Roth sings some really high vocals and not in that screamy way that he did later. I'm pretty sure he would really struggle to do some of that material now. But with a Brett Tuggle replacement who can really sing, they could. Just getting Gregg is hard now since he works so much with Ringo - a better gig.

Sheehan had the same issue on the supposedly final Mr. Big tour last year as Eric Martin finally just can't do it anymore. We could hear that coming on their reunion album 10-15 years ago, but it's really obvious now. He just can't sing those songs.

[Van Ailin']

The band and album seemed "dated" by the time it was released, and Via's sterile, soulless style didn't help.

Vai is the opposite of "sterile, soulless." His careening playing style is pretty wild and you almost always get the unexpected. That said, Whitesnake always had a big blues element, and Vai is not a blues player. Further, Vandenberg isn't a blues writer. He's more from the Ritchie Blackmore school but nowhere near as good. Even Sykes isn't all that much of a blues guy, but he had a little, and he had that big wide vibrato that worked so well on slower songs.

[Anthrax442]

The band and album seemed "dated" by the time it was released, and Via's sterile, soulless style didn't help.

Vai is the opposite of "sterile, soulless." His careening playing style is pretty wild and you almost always get the unexpected. That said, Whitesnake always had a big blues element, and Vai is not a blues player. Further, Vandenberg isn't a blues writer. He's more from the Ritchie Blackmore school but nowhere near as good. Even Sykes isn't all that much of a blues guy, but he had a little, and he had that big wide vibrato that worked so well on slower songs.

This is a big part of it as well. Vai is fantastic, but he's also clearly his own thing, and sometimes hiring someone just because they're talented enough to play the parts doesn't necessarily make them a good fit. The album stands out in the Whitesnake catalog because of this, the guitars just sound way different than on any other album.

[olivier]

Fool for your loving : best whitesnake song ever
The album failed because it sucks
Pre 1987 whitesnake was so much much better !

[FreddyFender]

I mean, it went Platinum in 1990, it's not like it didn't move at all. And Fool For Your Loving is a fine song, although, if I'm honest, I THINK I prefer the original version.

It was released at the end of the hairband era, for comparison's sake, Blaze of Glory only went Double Platinum, and ALAE sold just under a million, so I'm not sure what people were expecting, it's not like 1987 was going to happen again.

And you can talk all you want about Vai/Vandenberg being a downgrade from Sykes/Campbell, but I think the real issue is that, for marketing purposes, Coverdale was already 100 years old when 1987 hit, and he was now two years older. He simply wasn't going to be able to compete with younger bands like Firehouse/Trixter/Warrant in the youth market.

Platinum was a major disappointment considering the money and effort Geffen put into the record. I mean, they dropped a million bucks just to get Vai to show up. The return on investment wasn't there.

But I agree 100% on Coverdale's age. He was actually leaning into looking older in 1987, but did the opposite for SOTT and looked silly. He looked RIDICULOUS in the tank top + black gloves. Nothing shows your age as badly as trying to look young.

[alleyrulez]

I was always under the impression that Vandenberg played on the initial recording sessions and Vai took over for the album.

but apparently that's not the case. I was excited to hear the 30th Anniversary album, which is pretty extensive, assuming the Vandenberg sessions would be there.

nope.

[diablomozart]

Sykes/Campbell? That never happened.

You're right, my bad. For some reason, I thought there was some overlap, but I guess there was always only one guitarist in that weird period between Slide It In and David being like "Fuck it" and starting over.

yes and no...the vast majority was sykes with vandenberg providing a solo on here i go again and apparently dan huff played on the album in some form as well...campbell did do a solo for the single/video of give me all your love tonight after the fact which may account for your confusion on the matter...d.m.

[diablomozart]

I was always under the impression that Vandenberg played on the initial recording sessions and Vai took over for the album.

but apparently that's not the case. I was excited to hear the 30th Anniversary album, which is pretty extensive, assuming the Vandenberg sessions would be there.

nope.

there are rough songwriting demos with adrian playing out there...i don't think he did any actual real recording for the album though...d.m.

[Bono Nettencourt]

The band and album seemed "dated" by the time it was released, and Via's sterile, soulless style didn't help.

Vai is the opposite of "sterile, soulless." His careening playing style is pretty wild and you almost always get the unexpected. That said, Whitesnake always had a big blues element, and Vai is not a blues player. Further, Vandenberg isn't a blues writer. He's more from the Ritchie Blackmore school but nowhere near as good. Even Sykes isn't all that much of a blues guy, but he had a little, and he had that big wide vibrato that worked so well on slower songs.

This is a big part of it as well. Vai is fantastic, but he's also clearly his own thing, and sometimes hiring someone just because they're talented enough to play the parts doesn't necessarily make them a good fit. The album stands out in the Whitesnake catalog because of this, the guitars just sound way different than on any other album.

Yeah he's just not a band guy.

[NeonKnite]

The 87 album is vastly superior to SOTT.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Really? Tell us more.

[FreddyFender]

I was always under the impression that Vandenberg played on the initial recording sessions and Vai took over for the album.

but apparently that's not the case. I was excited to hear the 30th Anniversary album, which is pretty extensive, assuming the Vandenberg sessions would be there.

nope.

There's two whole discs of Vandenberg stuff on the deluxe edition - the a disc of demos from the writing sessions and a disc of monitor mixes of the initial sessions pre-Vai.

Deeper The Lover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4UHpZFlOFo
Slip of the Tongue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iUlSEAw_Pc
Fool For Your Loving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2jeXujDxnM

(At least I think the above is pre-Vai?)

The demos disc isn't on Youtube, but it's more interesting because you can hear what they were going for. Vandenberg plays a lot of clean bluesy stuff and some leads on "Deeper The Lover" .... sounds exactly like how to played on Restless Heart.

[pieceofme]

Really? Tell us more.

[alleyrulez]

I was always under the impression that Vandenberg played on the initial recording sessions and Vai took over for the album.

but apparently that's not the case. I was excited to hear the 30th Anniversary album, which is pretty extensive, assuming the Vandenberg sessions would be there.

nope.

There's two whole discs of Vandenberg stuff on the deluxe edition - the a disc of demos from the writing sessions and a disc of monitor mixes of the initial sessions pre-Vai.

Deeper The Lover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4UHpZFlOFo
Slip of the Tongue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iUlSEAw_Pc
Fool For Your Loving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2jeXujDxnM

(At least I think the above is pre-Vai?)

The demos disc isn't on Youtube, but it's more interesting because you can hear what they were going for. Vandenberg plays a lot of clean bluesy stuff and some leads on "Deeper The Lover" .... sounds exactly like how to played on Restless Heart.

ah, I've only heard the digital release of the album, and there's no mention on the Wikipedia page of Adrian being on the deluxe edition.

thanks for the heads up.

[Kajsa]

It was a shit record.

Any other retarded shit needed to be asked

[pieceofme]

Songs like kittens got claws and cheap & nasty are so cringeworthy they would make poison blush.

[pieceofme]

They remind me of those shit basic twisted sister songs like be chrool to your school.

[pieceofme]

They remind me of those shit basic twisted sister songs like be chrool to your school.

[Van Ailin']

Songs like kittens got claws and cheap & nasty are so cringeworthy they would make poison blush.

As had been "Bad Boys" and "Children of the Night" and "Give Me All Your Love."

Then there are: "Slide It In," "Slow An' Easy" and "Spit It Out." The trifecta on that album were something else.

[FreddyFender]

Bad Boys is cringe, but Give Me All Your Love is fucking killer.

[Van Ailin']

Bad Boys is cringe, but Give Me All Your Love is fucking killer.

No, it was awful. At the concert, Coverdale tried to turn it into a crowd singalong. I remember almost feeling embarrassed for him as it as a total failure. Further, since about half the crowd was high school-aged girls, I remember being immediately aware of the problem with this. It was totally cringeworthy.

[Kid-Wicked]

as of 1990 it sold 4 million worldwide. 4 times platinum isn't a bomb. just a disappointment after selling 8 million with the previous release. i wonder how many more units have sold in the past 35 years.

[Hellsinkey]

A weak album overall, with Steve Vai saving his best material for his solo projects.

Vai didnt write anything. All the songs were already written and recorded with Adrian Vandenburg doing all guitars. The record company heard it and said wtf, this playing is pedestrian and all the songs are in the same key! They demanded a hotshot guitarist be brought in to replace all the guitars. They paid Steve Vai a million bucks to do it and concocted the “Adrian had a wrist injury and couldn’t play on the record” story to save face.

This is the only time I've seen an excuse/apology on record sleeve.

[Love_Industry]

Bad Boys is cringe, but Give Me All Your Love is fucking killer.

Quite the opposite.

[Hellsinkey]

This is the only time I've seen an excuse/apology on record sleeve.

What did it say?

It's on very small print on my cd sleeve, but still it's lame:

"Unfortunately due to injury Adrian was unable to perform on this recorded work. Our thanks to Steve for fulfilling all guitar responsibilities".

[Bono Nettencourt]

Bad Boys is cringe, but Give Me All Your Love is fucking killer.

No, it was awful. At the concert, Coverdale tried to turn it into a crowd singalong. I remember almost feeling embarrassed for him as it as a total failure. Further, since about half the crowd was high school-aged girls, I remember being immediately aware of the problem with this. It was totally cringeworthy.

Yeah I remember them playing it after SotN and I was like "why?" They definitely tried to shoehorn it into the encore slot and it just didn't work. After SotN there was nothing left.

[skinni]

Whitesnake's Slip of the Tongue remains a cherished album in my collection. I still find myself drawn to its powerful sound, revisiting it from time to time.

While the guitar style and tone undeniably differ from John Sykes' era, Steve Vai's virtuosity is undeniable and his guitar work on this record is nothing short of extraordinary.

Every concert I attended on that tour was an unforgettable experience. The energy and intensity were palpable, and Vai's stage presence was mesmerizing. It was a truly electrifying period for the band.

[pieceofme]

as of 1990 it sold 4 million worldwide. 4 times platinum isn't a bomb. just a disappointment after selling 8 million with the previous release. i wonder how many more units have sold in the past 35 years.

8 million in the US alone.

And those worldwide numbers should be taken with a pinch of salt.

[Wild Obsession]

Whitesnake's Slip of the Tongue remains a cherished album in my collection. I still find myself drawn to its powerful sound, revisiting it from time to time.

While the guitar style and tone undeniably differ from John Sykes' era, Steve Vai's virtuosity is undeniable and his guitar work on this record is nothing short of extraordinary.

Every concert I attended on that tour was an unforgettable experience. The energy and intensity were palpable, and Vai's stage presence was mesmerizing. It was a truly electrifying period for the band.

So I assume Nelson's "After the Rain" and Danger Danger "Screw it" round out your "top 3"?