This album is the result of the songwriting collaboration between singer David Coverdale and guitarist John Sykes, and it has everything one could ask of good pop music: melody, wit, energy, and immaculate production. Coverdale is in very fine voice, and Sykes' guitar playing--well, it simply must be heard to be believed. This man is a virtuoso's virtuoso; his fingerwork alone is worth most guitarists' tapping. One scintillating solo follows another, but the fireworks are always in the service of the songwriting, which is largely first-rate.

Unfortunately, David Coverdale's personality is not one that cultivates collaborative bliss. By the time this album was released, Sykes had been fired and the Whitesnake lineup was completely transformed. Indeed, the big hit off this album, "Here I Go Again," was a recycled 'Snake song from the 1982, and featured a solo from Sykes' replacement, Dutch guitarist Adrian Vandenberg (and a fine solo it is). That said, this is still very much Sykes' album, and an enormous accomplishment at that.

Who knows what heights Whitesnake would have reached had Sykes stayed and continued to write with Coverdale. The band's follow-up, "Slip of the Tongue" (1990), was relatively lackluster, despite some good tracks, and they never again reached the level of this album. Oh, well--at least this still makes good listening. Even for people who are now older and wiser.


John Sykes is GOD!!   February 4, 2006
Michael (Australia)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

You must hear this record. John Sykes is one of the greatest guitarists of all time - I am not joking. He writes killer songs and the solos are outstanding. He has created a musical masterpiece with this release. His songwriting skills shine and in particular his arrangements of the songs are brilliant. These songs are destined to be played forever. You will not be musically complete until you hear this stuff.


ULITMATE '80s hard rock album!   January 12, 2002
Brad (CT)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

This album was among "the best of the best" of all the great hard rock albums that came out in 1987. The combination of classic and melodic hard rock make this an all time mainstream rock masterpiece.

"Still Of The Night" is, beyond a doubt, one of the best hard rocking tracks of all time. Clocking in at just over 6:30, this song just doesn't let up! Begins and ends heavy with a slight slowdown in the middle for dramatic effect. Obviously the two huge radio hits "Here I Go Again" and "Is This Love" are fantastic--the epitome of a time when pop radio was listenable. "Give Me All Your Love" is an underrated track--I particularly love the exploding drums at the end of the track. "Cryin' In The Rain" and "Children Of The Night" both are great heavy rockers, and "Don't Turn Away" is an excellent anthem to end the album.

Quite simply, there is not a bad track here. Nearly 15 years after its release, this album is just as rocking and enjoyable to me today as it was when it came out. Absolutely an essential purchase for fans of '80s melodic hard rock.


This is REAL rock people!   April 22, 2006
Joy Elizabeth Teets (Fairfax, VA USA)
6 out of 9 found this review helpful

I am so sick of people saying that Whitesnake sold out in the 80's! How can anyone NOT love the greatest anthem, Here I Go Again? This is REAL rock!

You have awesome rock songs like Here I Go Again, Bad Boys, Still Of The Night, Crying In The Rain and one of the most awesome rock ballads, Is This Love that not only made number 1 and has one of the most dramatic and awesome guitar solos but is a REAL rock song!

Still Of The Night has not only one guitar solo, but TWO guitar solos and it's over 6 minutes, very epic! Very Whitesnake! Any Whitesnake fan or hard rock fan for that matter would be crazy not to love this song!

I just totally love Bad Boys and Crying In The Rain for the guitar solos and melody! I mean, you listen to these songs and you hear ROCK!! You hear flawless musicianship, they're definitely some of Whitesnake's greatest accomplishments! This is just amazing!

The entire album just screams METAL/ROCK like every other Whitesnake album ever made! You need this CD if you are a ROCK and/or WHITESNAKE fan!

I just can't understand how people don't like this. It's NOT bad just because it's not like their earlier stuff!

I love their earlier albums, the blues sounding albums but one thing to remember: EVERY SINGLE WHITESNAKE ALBUM IS REAL ROCK!!! Please stop saying it's POP rock!! Yes, it's considered Hair Metal but guess what?

Hair Metal ROCKS!! Hair Metal has awesome ROCK sound, awesome ROCK guitar solos, awesome lyrics, awesome vocals, awesome melody, and awesome ROCK drumming!

All of Whitesnake's albums are REAL rock!! Whether it's Hard Rock, Hair Metal, Blues Rock, IT'S ALL ROCK!!!

I just hate how people have this perception that if it's Hair Metal, it's not Rock and that cannot be further from the truth! I love almost every kind of Rock ever and you know what they all have in common? ROCK!! It all ROCKS!

So please, stop dissing this amazingly talented band and get ALL their albums because I own everything from the beginning up to now! Please, don't be closed minded or think Pop Metal or Hair Metal isn't REAL rock because it is!

Just like Poison, Warrant, Ratt, Scorpions, Def Leppard, Dokken, Winger, Europe, Cinderella, and Bon Jovi: IT'S ALL REAL ROCK!!


A hard rockin' classic!   November 27, 1999
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

If you love rock music you should buy this album.

The songs on it are musically superb and John Sykes really shines on this album. Some of the songs are a little bit cheesy at times but not to the extent that would spoil the album. 'Children of the night', 'Heat of the night' and 'bad boys' are all great rock songs. Although I'm very fussy when it comes to ballads (I always either really like them or totally ignore them) I think that 'Cryin' in the rain' is one of the best ballads ever written, having said that I don't like 'is this love' at all.

This album is a favourite of mine and I would reccomend it to anyone.

Oh yeah, while I've possibly got the attention of a few Whitesnake fans. Is it me or is David Coverdale's speaking (Not singing) voice very similar to Roger Moore's (a past James Bond)?. David Coverdale, the next James Bond? Far fetched and somewhat surreal but it would be cool!