In 1990, it seemed like WHITESNAKE were an unstoppable band. Even though 1989's "Slip of the Tongue" had not been quite as successful as their previous self-titled album, they were still touring to sold-out arenas and festivals. Their touring lineup included Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge on bass and drums, respectively, as well as two world-class guitarists in Adrian Vandenberg and Steve Vai.

There are a good number of songs from "Slip of the Tongue," but in a live setting, they sound so much better because they are no longer smothered in bad 80's production and keyboards. Even though John Sykes is probably my favorite of the WHITESNAKE guitarists, hearing Vandenberg and Vai shred it up is a real treat to the ears. Fans of late 80's WHITESNAKE are sure to find their favorites here, and there are a few songs from the early 80's albums too. The sound is nearly perfect; every instrument can be heard clearly.

Each guitarist gets a couple of chances to do their own guitar solo pieces and, depending on how much you enjoy that type of thing, you'll either love hearing their work or else be disappointed that four tracks are used up to placate their egos when they already get plenty of opportunities to shine. David Coverdale sounds good for the most part, but there are a few times where he sounds a bit strained. On one hand, I'm glad that they did not artificially doctor the live audio, but it is something that should be noted.

So if you are a WHITESNAKE fan or love guitar solos, this is probably a release you would want to consider. It's hard to believe that a band at this level would not even be able to find a distributor in America for their follow-up album when it was released a few years later. Even though things would fall apart not too long after this, "Live at Donnington 1990" serves as a glimpse of a band at its peak.