Comprare un "Best Of" o "Greatest Hits" che sia, non è mai sbagliato: una raccolta può servire a chi non conosce l'artista, per farsi un'idea, oppure anche all'appassionato alla ricerca di una compilation che racchiuda i maggiori successi o le canzoni più belle dei suoi idoli. Questo degli Whitesnake, uscito nel 1994, dopo vent'anni di carriera studio di Coverdale e soci, non solo ha i migliori brani del primo periodo, ma anche novità e riletture in chiave diversa.
La gran parte delle canzoni viene da "Whitesnake 1987", album di maggior successo, ma altri pezzi rispettabili si fanno strada e completano questo lavoro eccellentemente eseguito. Nati nei tardi '70, epoca di Punk in Inghilterra, ebbero scarso successo all'inizio, facendo pensare al leader "Qualcuno ha definitivamente sbagliato". Chi non sbagliava era lui, che con l'aiuto del pubblico americano ottenne la fama sperata. Non da tutti, soprattutto per chi rischia di portare con se la scomoda etichetta di ex cantante dei Deep Purple.
Solo "Still Of The Night" poteva aprire al meglio l'LP, seguita da una versione per radio di "Here I Go Again", davvero molto gradevole, anche se i veri fan preferiranno la vecchia versione. Proseguiamo con "Is This Love", "Love Ain't No Stranger" e la stupenda "Looking For Love", anche qui in versione inedita, con uno stupendo assolo finale di John Skyes, ad libitum. "Now You're Gone" sembra un inno all'amore, e si sente la presenza di Steve Vai, ma arriva la spumeggiante "Slide It In", seguita da "Slow An' Easy", perfetto stile Coverdale. Altra versione inedita per "You're Gonna Break My Heart Again", mentre "The Deeper The Love" si conferma pezzo storico, anche se forse un po' troppo commerciale, ma ricordiamo tutti che fra le migliori di Coverdale resterà sempre "Soldier Of Fortune", ed è anche questo il suo stile. "Crying In the Rain" chiude il ciclo dei brani presi dal primo album, altro classico confermato, per tornare a sentire Vai spadroneggiare in "Fool For Your Loving", canzone che come argomento nel testo ha sempre l'amore, ma visto in un'altra ottica rispetto alle liriche degli altri pezzi, ed è il pezzo che ha portato il serpente bianco al successo in patria.
Che altro dire, gli Whitesnake consolidano il loro successo con questa raccolta, e rimangono i migliori del loro genere. Chiudo citando le parole di Sal Manna: da "Love Ain't No Stranger" a "Is This Love" a "Fool For Your Loving", gli Whitesnake cantarono le canzoni dell'Hard Rock romantico, e sono fra le migliori hit della decade.
Elenco tracce e testi
01 Still of the Night (06:39)
In the Still of the Night
I hear the wolf howl, honey
Sniffing around your door.
In the Still of the Night
I feel my heart beating heavy
Telling me I gotta have more.
In the shadow of night
I see the full moon rise
Telling me what's in store,
My heart start aching.
My body start a shaking
And I can't take no more, no, no.
Now I just wanna get close to you
An' taste your love so sweet
And I just wanna make love to you
Feel your body heat.
In the Still of the Night.
In the Still of the Night.
Over here baby.
In the heat of the day
I hang my head down low
And hide my face from the sun.
Through the light of the day
Until the evening time
I'm waiting for the night to come.
In the Still of the Night,
In the cool moonlight,
I feel heart is aching
In the Still of the Night.
(Solo)
Tell me here baby.
In the Still of the Night
I hear the wolf howl, honey
Sniffing around your door.
In the Still of the Night
I feel my heart beating heavy
Telling me I gotta have more.
Now I just wanna get close to you
An' taste your love so sweet
And I just wanna make love to you
Feel your body heat.
In the Still of the Night...
Still of the Night,
Still of the Night,
Still of the Night...
03 Is This Love (04:44)
I should have known better
Than to let you go alone
It's times like these I can't make it on my own
Wasted days and sleeplees nights
And I can't wait to see you again
I find I spend my time waiting on your call
How can I tell you babe,
my back's against the wall
I need you by my side to tell me it's all right
'Cause I don't think I can take anymore
(chorus)
Is this love that I'm feeling
Is this the love that I've been searching for
Is this love or am I dreaming
This must be love
'Cause it's really got a hold on me
A hold on me
I can't stop this feeling
I've been this way before
But with you I've found the key
to open any door
I can feel my love for you growing stronger
day by day
And I can't wait to see you again
So I can hold you in my arms
(chorus)
Is this love that I'm feeling
Is this the love that I've been searching for
*Is this love or am I dreaming
Is this the love that I've been searching for
*repeat
07 Slide It In (03:19)
You talk too much,
Never saying what's on your mind,
It's written on your face,
An' in the words you hide behind.
I know what you want,
I can see what you're looking for,
I know what you want from me,
An' I'm gonna give you more.
I'm gonna slide it in
Right to the top,
Slide it in,
I ain't never gonna stop.
Slide it in,
Right to the top,
I'm gonna slide it in, slide it in,
Slide it, in baby.
Sometimes you seem
Just like a stranger to me,
But, all the games you play
Make it so easy to see.
You're looking for love,
Tho' you try to deny,
The things you put me through
Tell me what I've got to do to you.
I'm gonna slide it in,
Right to the top,
Slide it in,
I ain't never gonna stop.
Slide it in,
Right to the top,
I'm gonna slide it in, slide it in.
(Solo)
You talk too much,
Always treating me so unkind,
I know what I've got to do,
To get me some peace of mind.
I'm gonna slide it in,
Right to the top,
Slide it in,
I ain't never gonna stop.
Slide it in,
Right to the top,
I'm gonna slide it in, slide it in,
Slide it in,
Right to the top.
Slide it in,
I ain't never gonna stop.
Slide it in,
Right to the top,
I'm gonna slide it in, slide it in, slide it,
Slide it in, slide it in,
Right to the top, baby.
08 Slow an' Easy (06:09)
You keep on pushing, babe,
Like I've never known before.
You know you drive me crazy, child,
An' I just wanna see you on the floor.
I wanna superstitious woman
An' she got a superstitious mind.
I can't see you, baby,
I can't see you anymore, no more.
You keep on loving me
Like I've never known before.
I wanna superstitious woman
With a superstitious, a superstitious mind, an' I don't mind, baby.
My heart is beating faster, babe,
It's beating like a big bass drum.
You know you got me speeding, child,
Faster than a bullet from a gun.
You're a superstitious woman
An' I got a superstitious mind, an' I don't care.
So take me down slow an' easy,
Make love to me slow an' easy.
I know that hard luck an' trouble
Is coming my way,
So rock me 'til I'm burned to the bone,
Rock me 'til I'm burned to the bone.
I don't care about, oh,
I don't care about love, no more.
The way you keep abusing me
Oh, I can't take no more.
I wanna woman
She got a superstitious mind.
So take me down slow an' easy,
Make love to me slow an' easy.
I know that hard luck an' trouble
Is coming my way,
So rock me 'til I'm burned to the bone,
Rock me 'til I'm burned to the bone,
Rock me 'til I'm burned.
(Solo)
So take me down slow an' easy,
Make love to me slow an' easy.
Take me down slow an' easy,
Rock me 'til I'm burned to the bone.
Take me down slow an' easy,
Make love to me slow an' easy.
I know that hard luck an' trouble
Is coming my way,
So rock me 'til I'm burned to the bone...
09 Judgement Day (05:16)
The night is gone,
The time has come
To find a new day has begun,
An' it promises to stay.
To soothe the pain of wasted years
An' kiss away the bitter tears
A love to light the way.
And from the darkness
Comes a smile,
That reaches out for many miles,
Touching everyone.
No more shadows of the past,
Your spirit free to fly at last,
Shining in the sun.
Like the rolling thunder,
I feel the power of love,
It's a gift from heaven
And the Lord above.
We walk toward desire,
Hand and hand
Through fields of fire.
With only love to light the way
On the road to Judgement Day.
Take it easy, take it slow,
I'll take you anywhere you wanna go,
Places never seen before.
'Cause I love you, an' I need you,
I'll do my best to please you,
My love can open any door.
When you hear the thunder
In your darkest night,
I'll be there to hold you
When the lightning strikes.
So don't you worry,
You can ease your mind
'Cause we'll be dancing
At the end of time.
Who loves you, who needs you,
Who'll do his best to please you,
I love you, I need you
I'll get down on my knees.
We walk toward desire,
Hand and hand
Through fields of fire.
With only love to light the way
On the road to Judgement Day.
(Solo)
So don't you worry, baby
On the road to Judgement Day.
Who loves you, who needs you
On the road to Judgement Day.
So I love you, and I need you.
My love can open any door.
My love can open any door.
12 Crying in the Rain (05:36)
A black cat moans
When he's burning with the fever,
A stray dog howls
When he's lonely in the night,
A woman goes crazy
With the though of retribution
But, a man starts weeping
When he's sick and tired of life.
I keep on dreaming dreams of tomorrow
Feel I'm wasting my time
Lighting candles in the wind.
Always taking my chances
On the promise of the future
But, a heart full of sorrow
Paints a lonely tapestry.
The sun is shining
Oh, but, it's raining in my heart.
No one understands the heartache,
No one feels the pain,
'Cos no one ever sees the tears
When you're crying in the rain,
When you're crying in the rain,
Crying in the rain.
I can never deny
All the sweet things I have tasted,
Tho' I've been mistreated
I keep coming back for more, more, more.
I know where I'm going
There's no hope of absolution,
I can't seem to separate
The good times from the bad.
The sun is shining
Oh baby, it's still raining in my heart, in my heart.
No one understands the heartache,
No one feels the pain,
No one ever sees the tears
When you're crying in the rain,
When you're crying in the rain,
When you're crying in the rain,
When you're crying in the rain, no, no, no.
The sun is shining
But, it's raining in my heart.
No one understands the heartache,
No one feels the pain,
No one ever sees the tears
When you're crying in the rain...
Crying in the rain,
Crying in the rain.
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