Slide It In

Part of our Two CDs for £9 offer*

I just can't understand some of the previous reviews slating the sound quality of this remaster. I wonder how familiar the reviewers were with the U.S. mix of this album which did actually feature different guitar work (courtesy of John Sykes) and Neil Murray's bass playing (as opposed to Colin Hodgkinson on the UK version). Perhaps this is why they hear a different version of the album than they were accustomed with- because the US mix is in many respects a different album to the original UK release.
As for the gripes with the sound and the quality of the remastering job, is it again perhaps the US mix rather than the remastering work which others are struggling with? I have had both the US and the UK mixes on CD for many years now and am therefore very familiar with both. I've played this new version in my car, on my hi-fi and on my i-Pod now and I think it sounds absolutely awesome- clear as a bell. I've also compared it to the versions of the very same songs which appear on "Here I Go Again- The Best of Whitesnake", as the tracks were also previously remastered for this US only compilation, and the the new remaster wins hands down. The artwork and design is superb and, if you are a fan of the band, I could not recommend this enough.

Slide It In
Like some of the other reviewers, I ain't no stranger to this classic British rock album. I have considered this to be one of the finest releases from the "classic era" of Whitesnake for the last 20 years or so, and I was keenly anticipating the remastered release of this album to complete the set of the recent 'Snake remasters (which in my opinion have been uniformly excellent).

I love this album not just because of the excellent songs, standard of playing and production of the original UK version, but also because (if you are like me and much prefer the earlier British blues rock era of the band) it illustrates the last great hurrah before David Coverdale turned his sights squarely on the US market, courtesy of David Geffen and John Kallodner in 1984. As a result, the US record company demanded a more radio-friendly mix for the US FM stations of the "just before MTV" era in the States. So we have two versions of "Slide It In" to enjoy - the original (and IMHO by far the best) UK version and the US remix. The US version has a Keith Olsen remix, guitar overdubs by John Sykes and re-recorded bass lines by Neil Murray. By this point, essential 'Snake members Mickey Moody and Jon Lord had already bailed out, taking major components of the classic Whitesnake sound with them.

This remastered package, contrary to the advertisement blurb, does NOT feature the complete remastered versions of both mixes. Instead, you get the US remix in its entirety and only 80% of the UK mix. This is no doubt due to the fact that EMI couldn't fit both versions onto an 80 minute CD. Therefore, the remastered UK versions of "Hungry For Love" and "Love Ain't No Stranger" are missing, replaced by a B side cover version of Fleetwood Mac's "Need Your Love So Bad" and an acoustic version of "LANS" from "Starkers In Tokyo", recorded 20-odd years later.

I would have preferred to have had the focus placed on the UK mix and do without some of the US remixes. "LANS" is available in remastered form on the "20th Anniversary Collection" 2-CD set, but a remaster of the UK version of "HFL" is not available as far as I'm aware.

Regarding the sound quality, I can't find any fault with it - to my ears this is a big improvement on the old CD versions.

The additional DVD includes some "interesting" (perhaps cringing) promo videos, along with some great footage from Donington '83 and slot on Top Of The Tops (yes, it's true).

As a final note, it would have been nice to have had this package released last year, as a celebration of the immense talent of the late (and sadly missed) Mel Galley, who tragically lost his fight with cancer in 2008. His song writing and instantly recognizable guitar playing really made this album special.

25 years after it was released, this album finally gets the CD release it deserves. First of all, the packaging is beautiful and far more striking than the original LP sleeve. Secondly, the 24 page booklet is nice, full of quotes and anecdotes and plenty of pics. The audio quality of the CD is first rate - awesome infact - and it is easy to hear the massive difference that exists between the UK and US mixes. Whilst the UK mix is great, it really does sound unfinished and demo-like compared to the US one. On the US mix, Coverdale sounds like he's in the same room as you and not nextdoor! Yes the drums are noticeably different, but I'd say they sound punchier. John Sykes really makes a huge difference to the album and his much heavier guitar-style suits the songs and raises everything up a notch. The DVD features all the promos, plus a rarely seen performance from Top of the Pops from Januray 1984. All in all, I really cannot see (or hear) why anyone would be disappointed with this. I can fully recommend it.