WHITESNAKE Slip of the Tongue (Geffen)

No matter how disheartening it may be for the hard rock fan to hear bands like Skid Row and Enuff Z' Nuff saturating album-oriented-rock airwaves, one can always take solace in the possibility that an established band will return to the scene.

Enter David Coverdale and company.

Hide the children, Whitesnake is back. Although the band has been out of the public ear for almost three years, its latest release, Slip of the Tongue, should send it slithering back in to rock 'n' roll's spotlight.

The spotlight is not unfamiliar to Whitesnake. In 1987, the group's self-titled LP went double platinum and produced many memorable hits, including "Still of the Night," "Is This Love" and the radio-popular "Here I Go Again."

Slip of the Tongue strays from the pop formula found on Whitesnake. As a result, the disc is stronger.

Although the band is almost completely revamped, the changes seem to have strengthened it. The additions of guitarist Steve Vai and drummer Tommy Aldridge provide the band with tighter, more organized arrangements prevalent in "Fool for Your Loving" and "Wings of the Storm."

Adrian Vandenberg, who played guitar on the Whitesnake LP, co-wrote several of the songs for Tongue even though he does not perform. He injured his hand before recording began and was later replaced by guitar hero Steve Vai. Throughout his career, Vai has been considered one of America's top guitarists.

As a temporary replacement, Vai does an excellent job filling in for Vandenberg. He slides out some innovative licks on "Kittens Got Claws" and the title track. Although Vai and Vandenberg have contrasting styles, Vai adjusts his style to fit the trademark Whitesnake-ish sound.

In a recent MTV interview, Vai admitted that his studio performance and current tour with Whitesnake is probably just a one time thing. "The cake was finished," he said. "I just decorated it."

Coverdale, on the other hand, is Whitesnake. He pulls out all the stops on the band's latest effort. In all likelihood, Tongue will not garner critical acclaim or Grammy nominations for the band. Songs like "Cheap n' Nasty" and "Slow Poke Music" may be offensive to some -- but Whitesnake does it strictly "tongue"-in-cheek.

"Cheap n' Nasty" has the original rock 'n' blues sound Whitesnake was once known for. It is quite comparable to "Slow and Easy," from 1985's Slide it In. A few songs on Tongue are reminiscent of another older effort, Live . . . in the Heart of the City.

More recently, Whitesnake has mastered the Zeppelinesque sound that so many bands try to duplicate. On "Judgment Day," Coverdale employs the melodic arrangements of which we see fewer and fewer.

Perhaps the most appealing facet of Whitesnake's music is the fact that the group has fun with rock 'n' roll. Unlike many of today's pop bands, Whitesnake does not preach about heavy-handed topics such as nuclear destruction or the benefits of Greenpeace. Instead, the band sings bout having a good time -- and isn't that what rock n' roll is all about?