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.

Twenty five years! Never. But somehow it has been a whole quarter century since my second favourite Whitesnake album was released. Of course, I didn't think that at the time, what with lineup favourites like Bernie Marsden, Neil Murray and Ian Paice having been given the axe. But once I'd bought the "honest 12 inches" as it was advertised at the time, I was hooked. I wasn't too know that it would be the last Blues rooted release from Whitesnake for over twenty years.

Some of the best ever Whitesnake songs are tucked away on this release with `Gambler', `Love Ain't No Srranger' and `Standing In The Shadows' amongst their finest. But then it got really silly as David Coverdale rejigged the lineup even before the album was released. And then the new band re-recorded the guitar and bass parts for the US issue, which came out with a new mix and running order. Which meant the big hair and `1987' was just around the corner.

However, this remains an absolute pearl, and the 25th anniversary has been celebrated properly, despite the US issue being the main portion. It's just wrong! `Slow An' Easy' should always be at the start of Side 2 (in old money), not pushed up to track three. But as most of the four million people who bought this live in America, it probably makes sense, even if the running order here is actually wrong. Although you'll find eight of the ten original recordings appearing as bonus tracks as well as their cover of Little Willie Johns `Need Your Love So Bad', which was a bonus track on the original cassette issue, as well as the B-side of the `Give Me More Time' single, although for reasons unexplained this is actually a later version. Add in the "Starkers In Tokyo" acoustic version of `Love Ain't No Stranger' and a DVD with seven videos including promo clips, a Top Of The Pops appearance and some live cuts, and this is just about essential. Now if they'd just managed to squeeze in the whole UK album, then things would have been perfect.

I read the reviews and the concerns about the remasters but I still went out and bought the cd.I already have both versions.I can't find anything wrong with the remaster of the UK mix, as for the US mix...its a little different but its not a poor mix.John Sykes and Mel Galley are very different in their playing thats all and of course you are gonna hear something different in the mix without Jon Lord.
Really all this cd needs is a little volume from your cd player/mp3 player/computer.
Whitesnake should never be background music, so turn it up and find the beauty again in this classic cd from Whitesnake.Credit where its due to David Coverdale for making sure the fans got something very special with this.
Its just a shame Mel Galley is not around to hear the good things folks are saying about his work with Whitesnake.The whole package, booklet, photos etc is first class and really the bonus for me was the videos.This cd is excellence if it was car it would be a Ferrari, if it was drink it would be Dom Perignon and if it was a movie star it would be Megan Fox.