Whitesnake, before their self-titled 1987 album, was steering their music more towards hard rock, particularly with the additions of Mel Galley and Cozy Powell. Still, after changes in their lineup, they shifted towards a more Americanized sound, starting with the release of ‘Slide It In’ in 1984.
Later, they achieved mainstream success with ‘1987.’ This period marked a pivot to a more polished and radio-friendly sound, a departure from their earlier, more blues-influenced hard rock roots. Apparently, this change in their sound didn’t appeal to the Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose.
Rose Critiques Whitesnake’s Shift In Sound
In a 1987 chat with Steve Harris, the interviewer mentioned the prevalence of ‘crunch guitar’ in that period, referring to names like Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, and Ozzy Osbourne. In response to that, Rose said:
“I don’t call Whitesnake crunch guitars; I call Whitesnake the biggest sellout I’ve heard this, you know, the biggest sellout I’ve heard in a very, very long time.”
When asked why he thought of Whitesnake as the ‘biggest sellout’ band, the singer detailed his point, explaining:
“I’m not knocking, [starts talking to someone else in the room] I don’t know, man, I mean making a mellow version of your song so you can get HR radio to play it, that’s like so served. It’ll make you sick. If that’s the way you wrote the song and intended it, then that’s nice, but just doing it for the sake of getting money kind of makes me nauseous.”
The Vocalist Praises Individual Musicianship
Still, Axl didn’t have an issue with the band members’ talent, as he went on to say:
“Now, I’m not talking about the players, especially the players in a new band, Vivian Campbell blows my mind on guitar, you know. I’m just saying I don’t enjoy the record. David Coverdale made a comment to someone I met in Carolina, saying there wouldn’t be bands like Mötley Crüe, Guns N’ Roses, and stuff if it wasn’t for him and I’m sorry, he hasn’t been influencing anything I’ve ever done.”
Clarifying why David Coverdale’s music didn’t influence him, Rose added:
“I like about two to three songs to the guys; that’s about it. I think he’s a great singer but I’ve never sat around singing David Coverdale songs. I’m thinking about his approach to life. I mean, I think ‘Slide It In’ was a much more rocking record than the new one. Took a lot more chances.”
Coverdale’s Reflections On Whitesnake’s Evolution
The Whitesnake frontman also reflected on that period, speaking on the band’s YouTube channel in 2022. He said that after the album’ Slide It In’, Coverdale saw this as an opportunity to rebuild and refresh the band’s lineup and sound, particularly when he moved to America. He noted:
“I didn’t have a band after ‘Slide It In,’ so it was coming to America to start over, as it were. A huge element was working with John Sykes, the guitar player. He came with a bunch of ideas; I had a bunch of ideas. I wanted more electric musicians, ‘Notice me, not afraid to come on stage,’ and walk up and own the crowd.”
So, the collaboration with guitarist Sykes was important, bringing in new energy and musical creativity that helped shape the band’s future direction. They combined their ideas to craft a sound that moved Whitesnake into a new era of success.
