I would be STUNNED if you've never heard "Here I Go Again" or "Is This Love?"
Personally, I like the "tipping point" best: Slide It In. I have both versions (the original UK version and the remixed/re-recorded US version) and for me, while I like everything before, it's a little TOO meat and potatoes, and everything after is a little too McDonald's fast food.
Exceptions to that: "Restless Heart" and "Starkers in Tokyo". That was the peak of Coverdale's voice for me.
Coincidentially, I was just yesterday watching "Whitesnake Live!" a live video of the 2004 Tour and man is it... amusing. First off, Coverdale must've re-recorded all his vocals; while it's synched pretty well, the vocal track just feels like it "sits" on top of everything else, and doesn't feel "real". Second, it's a master class in "hard rock/heavy metal shape throwing". Everyone but Reb Beach has all the stock moves down cold, and it's almost too much. It's like one long, 15-song staged music video. Shot: drummer shaking hair and drumming a simple 4/4 beat like he's powering someone's respirator machine? CHECK! Cut to: lead singer throwing mane of hair back and spinning mike stand? CHECK! Cut to: bass player screaming background vocals into said lead singer's mike, even though you can't hear him? CHECK! Cut to: lead guitar player soloing like he's on the last screen of a world record for Space Invaders? CHECK! Cut to: back to bass player with ripped stone-washed jeans and cowboy boots vamping with said drummer? CHECK! Cut to: Hot babe (well, actually her cleavage) jamming to "Bad Boys" like she was auditioning for a back stage pass? CHECK!