Of all Whitesnake's albums, this is the heaviest one. Sure, 1987 had a bunch of killer radio hits and they where back then at the top of their songwriting skills (I think that John Sykes played a main role on that), but "Slip of the tongue" showcases a darker (well, a grayer ;-)) and heavier side of the band, and I personally welcome the change with wide open ears.

My preferred track on this album is "Judgement Day", which has a powerful riff that reminds me the style of Dio (or something in that mood). I also like the explosive "Slip of the tongue" (in where Steve Vai perfectly fits in), "Sailing Ships" (in spite of Vai's solo: I'm sure that for this one Sykes or Campbell would have done a better job) and "Wings of the Storm" (in which Vai really shines with his energetic playing and a flashy solo).

There's no doubt about the good job that Sarzo and Aldrige did here. And of course, the powerful voice of David Coverdale is the main ingredient of the entire recipe - well, love lyrics are a tad kitschy, but who cares after all? :-) But again, Steve Vai on guitar duties seems to be the most controversial subject about this album, isn't it? My thoughts about that: It is true that he is one of the best players in the world (and perhaps the most "musical" of all rock axemen ever), but it is also true that he has few (if something) to do with Whitesnake.

The problem with Vai is that he always tries to sound like himself, because he's a very authentic player. In doing this, he tries to avoid using blues and pentatonic-based licks. Instead of playing standard metal clichés, he overplays with his killer (but rather progressive) chops, going for unexplored avenues. The result is that, in a band like Whitesnake, he frequently moves away from the main song's focus, so the (average or uneducated) listener suddenly finds himself lost in a bunch of notes, weird whammy-bar abuses, "screams" and harmonies that are atypical in radio-friendly hits. This is almost a disaster. Nevertheless, still in some songs on this album ("The deeper the love", "Sailing ships", "Now you're gone" and "Slow poke music") Vai stays discrete enough to sound "right" for the band. But the guy is not a filler. He is a star on his own and can't help "going for it" almost all the time - and that's not always a very good idea, as this album witnesses in several places.

Given these facts, some people point to Vai as the main responsible of the lack of deep emotion all along this release. However (and to be fair), note that Steve Vai was just hired as a player for "Slip of the tongue". These songs were all written by Coverdale and Vanderberg, so I don't think that Vai is to blame for the overall lack of "bluesy" feeling. Instead of that, Vai is rather another victim of John Sykes' departure, as Sykes' talent to write wonderful songs is undeniable (Coverdale and Vanderberg together couldn't match Sykes' pen, sad but true). Producers could also be guilty, as they could have said to Vai: "stay yourself playing the blues and forget about those weird things!" But well... :-)

To conclude, this is a very good album that differs from the others Whitesnake did before. Its production is excellent, and Vai surely overplays, but the final delivery doesn't sound bad neither. I spite of its defects, this album remains one of the bests from the band, and still has soul and enchanting power. That's why I give to it four stars and two thirds (so five stars here :-)). Enjoy!

This CD is great. It has some really hooky tunes and the guitar playing by Steve Vai is phenomenal. I don't know why people give Steve Vai so much criticism for this album as I really do think his playing brings alot of excitement to the Whitesnake sound. Coverdale's vocal melodies are really strong too. Compared to Whitesnake's legendary 1987 album with John Sykes on guitar (which I also love), the sound of this album is a bit more commercial and produced. Personally I think it was a positive move even though most Whitesnake fans probably don't agree.

This is a good album with some great songs on it like 'Kitten's got claws', 'cheap and nasty', 'Slip of the tongue' and 'Fool for your loving', BUT the cheesy keyboards do this album no favours whatsoever. Keyboards can have their place in rock music but I feel that these songs suffer due to excessive ammounts of electronic gorgonzola.

If you are a whitesnake fan then you'll enjoy this album, if you haven't heard much whitesnake get their self titled album (sometimes referred to as 1987). That may not have Steve Vai on it but the songs contain much less stilton flavoured synthesizers. Steve Vai is very good on this album but with all those cheezy keyboards the boost whitesnake gets from using his electrifying guitar work is somewhat cancelled out.

I would reccomend this album to anyone who likes whitesnake but not as a first whitesnake purchase.

I don't want to talk bad about this great rock band, I don't want to talk about Steve Vai in this record, but I want to say one thing, this is not the real sound of WHITESNAKE, this is not my favorite album of WHITESNAKE, this is not my favorite album of STEVE VAI, but the song judgement day is a great song, is like kashmir of led zeppelin!

I recently bought Slip of the Tongue and was really suprised about how good of an album it is. Everyone sounds great, including Steve Vai, who was recruited to help record the album after Adrian Vandenberg hurt himself and could not play during the recording of the album.

David Coverdale has one of the greatest voices. Period. I have not listened to every track closely but here are three of my favorites. I love Fool for Your loving, Sailing Ships and Now You're Gone, which alone is the reason you should buy this album.

ENJOY!