David Coverdale was on top of the world in 1987. His band, Whitesnake, had just conquered the United States with a self-titled juggernaut that sold over eight million copies. "Here I Go Again" was everywhere. The hair was huge. The videos were iconic. But then came the follow-up, and things got weird. Slip of the Tongue Whitesnake remains one of the most polarizing moments in hard rock history, a record that saw a blues-rock legend pivot toward a neon-drenched, high-shred spectacle that no one saw coming.
It wasn't just another album. It was a chaotic collision of egos, injuries, and technical wizardry.
The Steve Vai Factor: A Sudden Left Turn
Most people forget that Adrian Vandenberg was supposed to be the guy. He’d been recruited specifically to be the new guitar hero after the 1987 lineup imploded. He even co-wrote all the songs with Coverdale. But then, disaster struck. Vandenberg developed a severe case of tendonitis—some reports suggest it was linked to specific hand exercises he was doing—and he couldn't play his own parts for the recording sessions.
Enter Steve Vai.
Fresh off his stint with David Lee Roth, Vai was the most "alien" guitar player on the planet. He didn't just play the blues; he played the stratosphere. When Coverdale hired him to record the parts Vandenberg had written, the DNA of the band shifted instantly. If you listen to Slip of the Tongue, you aren't hearing a traditional Whitesnake record. You’re hearing Steve Vai’s interpretation of a Whitesnake record. It’s dense. It’s quirky. Honestly, it’s a bit over-the-top, but that’s exactly why people still argue about it in record stores today.
The guitar work on tracks like "Cheap an' Nasty" or the re-recorded "Fool for Your Loving" is objectively insane. Vai added layers of whammy bar flourishes, odd-meter fills, and harmonized screams that sounded nothing like the gritty, Moody-Marsden era of the late 70s. For some fans, it was a betrayal of the band's R&B roots. For others, it was the pinnacle of late-80s production value.
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Why "Fool For Your Loving" Divided the Fanbase
The inclusion of a remake of "Fool for Your Loving" is arguably the biggest point of contention on the whole project. The original version from 1980 was a soulful, gritty blues-rock anthem. It had dirt under its fingernails. The 1989 version on Slip of the Tongue is a glossy, chrome-plated beast.
Coverdale has gone on record saying he never felt the original was "finished" or produced to its full potential. He wanted that massive, stadium-filling sound that dominated the MTV era. By bringing Vai in to rework the riffs, the song became a technical masterclass, but it lost that "bar room brawl" energy that early fans loved. It’s a fascinating study in how production can completely change the emotional core of a song. One is for drinking whiskey in a dark pub; the other is for driving a Ferrari through a neon-lit tunnel.
The Production Wall of Sound
Keith Olsen and Mike Clink were the architects of this sound. They wanted something that could compete with Hysteria by Def Leppard. They achieved it. The drums sound like cannons. The vocals are layered to the point of sounding superhuman. It’s an expensive-sounding record. In 1989, that was the goal.
However, this "wall of sound" approach came at a cost. The nuances of the blues—the space between the notes—basically vanished. Everything was filled with a Vai-ism or a massive drum fill. When you look at the tracklist, songs like "The Deeper the Love" show the band's attempt to keep their power ballad momentum going. It worked—the song was a hit—but the soul felt different. It felt like a Hollywood version of a love song.
The 1990 Tour and the End of an Era
The tour for Slip of the Tongue Whitesnake was gargantuan. We’re talking about the Liquor & Poker world tour. They headlined Castle Donington (Monsters of Rock) in 1990. The lineup was a "supergroup" in every sense: Coverdale, Vai, Vandenberg (who was healthy enough to play rhythm live), Rudy Sarzo, and Tommy Aldridge.
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Looking back at the footage, the chemistry is... interesting. You have Vai, who is a performer from another dimension, standing next to Coverdale, the ultimate rock god. It was a visual feast, but the musical tension was palpable. Vai has since spoken about his time in the band with a lot of respect, but he always admitted he was a "hired gun" who brought his own flavor to someone else’s kitchen.
By the time the tour ended, Coverdale was burnt out. He put the band on ice shortly after, leading to his collaboration with Jimmy Page. Slip of the Tongue ended up being the final punctuation mark on the "Big Hair" era of Whitesnake before the grunge movement changed the landscape of the music industry forever.
Behind the Scenes: The Writing Process
Adrian Vandenberg's role shouldn't be overlooked despite his injury. He co-wrote the entire album. If you strip away Vai’s virtuosic layers, the songs themselves are very much in line with the 1987 formula. "Sailing Ships," the album's closer, is a masterpiece of dynamic songwriting. It starts as a delicate acoustic piece and builds into a massive, epic conclusion.
It’s often cited by fans as the best track on the record because it allows Coverdale’s voice to truly breathe. His performance on this track is soulful, vulnerable, and powerful. It’s the one moment where the "old" Whitesnake and the "new" Whitesnake seem to shake hands and agree on something.
Fact-Checking the Myths
- Did Vai write the songs? No. Vandenberg and Coverdale are the credited writers. Vai rearranged the guitar parts and recorded them.
- Was it a flop? Absolutely not. It went platinum in the US and reached the top 10 in multiple countries. It just felt like a "step down" only because its predecessor was such a freakishly large success.
- Why the title? Coverdale has a penchant for tongue-in-cheek (literally) sexual innuendos. It fit the brand.
The Gear of Slip of the Tongue
For the guitar nerds, this album is a holy grail of tone. Vai used his signature Ibanez Universe seven-string guitars, which were revolutionary at the time. This was one of the first major rock records to feature the low B-string of a seven-string guitar, adding a weight to the riffs that six-string bands couldn't replicate. He ran these through modified Marshall heads and a variety of rack effects that created that shimmering, liquid lead tone.
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The bass playing of Rudy Sarzo on this record is also underrated. Playing alongside Tommy Aldridge, the rhythm section had to be incredibly precise to keep up with Vai’s rhythmic oddities. They provided a rock-solid foundation that allowed the melodies to fly off the rails without the whole song collapsing.
How to Listen to It Today
If you’re revisiting Slip of the Tongue in the 2020s, you have to contextualize it. It isn't a "blues" record. It’s a "maximalist" record.
- Get the 30th Anniversary Remaster: The original 1989 CD pressings can sound a bit thin by modern standards. The 2019 remastering process brought back a lot of the low-end punch and cleaned up the "fizz" on the guitars.
- Listen for the Layers: Use a good pair of headphones. Vai tucked dozens of little "ear candy" moments into the mix—spoken word whispers, strange animal-like noises from the guitar, and complex harmonies.
- Watch the Donington 1990 Live Film: To see how these songs translated to a stage, this is essential. It captures the band at their most bombastic and visually over-the-top.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into this specific era of Whitesnake, here’s what you should do:
- Track down the "Sailing Ships" acoustic versions. They highlight the raw songwriting quality that often gets buried under the studio production.
- Compare the Vandenberg demos. Some of the 30th-anniversary box sets include the original demos with Adrian playing. Listening to these side-by-side with Vai’s final versions is a masterclass in how different guitarists interpret the same riffs.
- Check out the "Now You're Gone" music video. It's a time capsule of 1989 aesthetics and features some of the best cinematography of the band’s MTV period.
- Don't ignore the deep cuts. "Wings of the Storm" is perhaps the most high-energy track on the album and features some of the most aggressive drumming Tommy Aldridge ever tracked for the band.
The legacy of Slip of the Tongue Whitesnake is complicated. It’s an album that marked the end of an era, a transition from the bluesy hard rock of the 70s to the technical excess of the late 80s. It might not be the "purest" Whitesnake album, but it is undeniably one of the most interesting. It represents a moment in time when a legendary singer and a guitar virtuoso from another planet tried to speak the same language. The result was loud, flashy, and completely unforgettable.