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 - Good for its price4 stars because 1-Great Whitesnake songs, 2-Great Booklet, 3-Good pricing, 4-Buy it to support Whitesnake (so they will release new cds). 1 star missing because 1-Same old songs (no unreleased material) PS: The first track (Don't Break My Heart Again) has a problem, there is a jump in the middle of the song. Maybe it's just my cd, maybe not. Rating:  - A really good one!!I am a product of the 80's Hairband generation. I remember seeing Whitesnake live in Atlanta at the OMNI (its gone now). These guys were a powerful force then. The energy and attitude were raw and just pulled you in. I remember the first time I heard "Slide it in", I was hooked. I dug around and listened to everything i could find of theirs. This CD is a good one because it does cover a vast catalog of music. Yes they were MTV favorites but they were really talented musicians and Coverdale knew what a frontman was suppose to do. Buy this CD and you won't be disappointed... Rating:  - surely not!Come on guys, get real! The only true definitive collection is a remastering of the entire back-catalogue. Saints and Sinners had all the good songs on it, as did Come An Get It, the latter probably the single best Whitesnake album of their early period. With such a long history and varied members, one disc, or even two, is only going to diminish the greater achievements of the full-length albums. This is one rock band that deserves more than just another compilation that will surely just end up in the cheap bins. Rating: - Vast overview of WhitesnakeTHE BAND: David Coverdale and an assortment of players from the late 1970's through the late 90's. Most notably playing on one or more Whitesnake albums: John Sykes (guitar), Steve Vai (guitar), Adrian Vandenberg (guitar), Micky Moody (guitar), Tommy Aldridge (drums), Aynsley Dunbar (drums), Ian Paice (drums), Cozy Powell (drums), Rudy Sarzo (bass), Neil Murray (bass), Jon Lord (keyboards/organ). THE DISC: (2006) 18 songs clocking in at approximately 79 minutes. Included with the disc is a 14-page booklet containing plenty of band photos, a 5-page history (mainly showcasing Coverdale), song titles/credits, what songs came from which albums, and Billboard chart success. Oddly, there is no mention of the musicians/players in any shape, manner or form. Label - Geffen. ALBUM REPRESENTATION: Come An' Get It (1), Love Hunter (2), Snakebite (1), Ready An' Willing (1), Slide It In (3), Whitesnake (4), Slip Of The Tongue (4), Greatest Hits (1), Coverdale-Page (1). COMMENTS: I grew up with Deep Purple and Whitesnake in the 1970's. Coverdale had smoking bluesy vocals that absolutely rocked... especially in those early (1974-75) Deep Purple days of "Burn", "Stormbringer" and "Come Taste The Band". He continued to rock with Whitesnake in the late 70's and early 80's despite the music industry bashing his sexist lyrics that were full of innuendos. Coverdale had a way with surrounding himself with very accomplished rock musicians - providing slightly different flavors on each album. On Whitesnake's self titled release in 1987, things changed and the Coverdale power ballad was born. The slower tunes were good, but this wasn't the Whitesnake I had grown to love. It took some time to get used to it. The radio stations ate these songs up and Whitesnake was reborn in the late 80's ("Now You're Gone", "Is This Love", "Here I Go Again", "The Deeper The Love" were all mega hits for the band). Now, mellowing with age perhaps, these power ballads are more tolerable, though my favorite songs are still the harder crunchier types. This "Definitive" collection is dead-on with the songs selected, though a few big songs are missing. One of my all-time favorite tunes (featured on the 1st "greatest Hits" disc) is missing here, "Crying In The Rain". I also would have liked to have seen "Slip Of The Tongue" here due to Vai's incredible guitar playing... he simply shreds on this track. One third of the songs here (6) are power ballads. Several albums are overlooked in the Whitesnake catalog. You'll find NO songs included here from "Trouble" (1978), "Saints & Sinners" (1982), "Whitesnake" (1977), "Restless Heart (1997), or anything 'live', most notably "Live In The Heart Of The City" (1980). The inclusion of non-Whitesnake song (Coverdale-Page) "Pride & Joy" is mysterious choice to me, but a welcome one. It comes from a very underrated album. However, this opens up a whole other can of worms - why not axe one of the power ballads and throw one of Coverdale's masterpiece songs from Deep Purple (i.e. "Burn") in exchange? If you're looking for a more comprehensive compliation, look for Whitesnake's 2-disc 36-track "Silver Anniversary" edition from 2003 (now an import). All in all this "Definitive" mix has great digitally remastered sound; contains all original studio versions (no edited crappy pop remixes); has a nice booklet with lots of info; and a nice selection of songs. A great intro to the band, even if it does showcase much of their softer side (4.5 stars). Rating: - OutstandingThis is as good as it gets when it comes to a single CD with Whitesnake's Greatest Hits. I liked it so much I bought two, one for me and one for a special one (who likes good rock too). This band and its music are pretty much unique. So, if you like the snake and you are considering this CD, do yourself a favor and get it :) I hope you like it as much as I do.
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