Reviewer loves Slash BUT sees "accumulation of clichés", finds Myles "a gleaming simulacrum" and asks: "is Slash's heart really in this album?"

[ludurigan]

Is Slash Living the Dream?

Jesse Kavadlo

02 Oct 2018

(below are selected parts of the review)

 

Look. Slash is my favorite guitarist. (...) [BUT] quarantining my own fanboying, it's impossible to listen to the album and not notice the similarities between many of the riffs, arrangements, and certainly lyrics of these 12 new songs—averaging a hard and fast three and a half to four minutes, and, again, which indeed rock—and previous songs (...)

"Slow Grind" is not slow; unlike Skid Row's "Slave to the Grind", is not very grinding; and features the lyrics "Never waste my time / Cause I ain't got time to waste", echoing Van Halen's previous lyric-challenged refrain from "Right Now" (...)

As the songs accumulate, so do the patterns: guitar into, stripped down verse, soaring chorus, halftime bridge, raucous solo, repeat verse and/or chorus. Interview to the contrary, there is nothing remotely political on the album, just the accumulation of clichés with all-iambic song titles like "Serve You Right", "Mind Your Manners"," "Driving Rain", and "The Great Pretender".  (...)

This raises the question: is Slash's heart really in this album? (...)

And then there is Myles Kennedy, Slash's singer, co-songwriter, and right-hand man. (...)

Kennedy can indeed wail, but he's a gleaming simulacrum. And this plasticity makes him too smooth against Slash's authentic grit. As opposed to Axl Rose's outsized, belligerent paranoia or the passionate unpredictability of the late Scott Weiland, who sang with Slash after Guns N' Roses in Velvet Revolver, Kennedy comes across as a sweet, healthy guy, surely great for sharing a tour bus but more like call of the mild on the record. Cheese pizza. (...)

FULL REVIEW ON POPMATTERS - https://www.popmatters.com/slash-living-the-dream-review-2609138398.html?rebelltitem=5#rebelltitem5

[El Guapo]

Maybe reviews like this are a good thing and make Slash realize he got a bit to comfortable and lazy with Myles.

I mean, everybody loves Slash and he surely deserves his nice, safe little band.

Myles is a great person, I'm sure.

But man, Slash is really wasting his time and talent at this point.

Hopefully all of this leads to new Guns music. You got Axl fucking Rose there, Slash.

[Towelie]

Has this reviewer even listened to this album? Its the best thing Slash has done since Contraband. Myles ain't going anywhere.

[AxlIsGod.]

27 minutes ago, Towelie said:

Has this reviewer even listened to this album? Its the best thing Slash has done since Contraband. Myles ain't going anywhere.

We get it, you like it. Most of us don't agree with this statement.

[default_]

Agree completely, at this point Slash is just wasting his time. Id ditch the singer and start a new approach with the amazing instrumentalists he have. 

[soon]

I like the album. First SMKC album Ive got into. I dont care for any stuff Ive heard prior, which is just the singles. I guess, in the reviewers mind, because of Guns Slash is associated with epics so its therefore lazy to cut short and sweet rockers? Because lots of folks love a concise rock song. 

One can frame the length of a song in many ways. If this band was considered young and hip the same content might be described in a review as "Rock, distilled down to its most precious elements. Crafted in an economical manner that refuses to let the listener get lost in the details. Packed with tasty two-guitar interplay and a top shelf rhythm section, this cocksure lineup feels no need to stretch out an arrangement just to belabour the point. This is artisanal rock n roll. Does Mind Your Manners riff sound like Whole Lot of Rosie? Sure. Brazenly lifting riffs like Zeppelin and the Stones before them."

My only concern is how Kerns is always doing duck-lips in the photos.

Edited October 4, 2018 by soon

[action]

Slash doesn't want to work that hard.

[wasted]

Whatever.

[StrangerInThisTown]

33 minutes ago, action said:

Slash doesn't want to work that hard.

Or he works as hard as he can and this is the result. Which I think is true. He just couldn't do a better album than he did at this point. Maybe GNR will raise his songwriting bar

[Nicklord]

Reviews don't mean shit to an artist unless it's a disaster or a masterpiece.

Slash wanted to make a fun 80s Aerosmith kinda sounding record (his words) and he made exactly that. If he tried to make Estranged 2.0 and failed then there's a problem

Edited October 4, 2018 by Nicklord

[moreblack]

on a site called "popmatters"? 

[default_]

1 hour ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

Or he works as hard as he can and this is the result. Which I think is true. He just couldn't do a better album than he did at this point. Maybe GNR will raise his songwriting bar

Hes not trying to sound like GNR with this band, thats the point. Ive always seem SMKC as a "easy listen rock" their music never had much personality, the complete oposite of what Guns N Roses or even his Snakepit albums were.

Thinking like this, I see Myles as a perfect fit for the project: a cool guy that has a great voice on his own but lakes in personality and the kind of turbulent and drammatic emotions we used to associate with the Slash sound. So, this band achieves exactly what I believe hes tryin to do: Easy listen casual rock music.

The way I see it, if we ever get a new GNR album with Slash, everything we desire will be there, as he said himself that he has riffs for GNR and riffs for SMKC, a different state of mind. 

Edited October 4, 2018 by default_

[Free Bird]

Other reviews praised every song. The only question that matters is if you like it or not. A review is not gonna change my mind otherwise I wouldn't been a music fan myself.

And I truly don't think Slash has to raise his songwriting bar. His game is at it's best on this album. Almost every solo could have been on a Gunners album.

In Guns he was responsible mostly for riffs and solos. That's what he still delivers. Now imagine Axl instead of Myles on this record. No annoying voice or generic melodies. Much more exciting vocals overall. That alone would be a huge improvement.

If Izzy'd worked on those songs this record could have had Guns quality even without own Izzy and Axl songs.

What could have been if they'd decide to record an album with the best ideas of each member and let everybody work on them?

[StrangerInThisTown]

1 hour ago, default_ said:

Hes not trying to sound like GNR with this band, thats the point. Ive always seem SMKC as a "easy listen rock" their music never had much personality, the complete oposite of what Guns N Roses or even his Snakepit albums were.

Thinking like this, I see Myles as a perfect fit for the project: a cool guy that has a great voice on his own but lakes in personality and the kind of turbulent and drammatic emotions we used to associate with the Slash sound. So, this band achieves exactly what I believe hes tryin to do: Easy listen casual rock music.

The way I see it, if we ever get a new GNR album with Slash, everything we desire will be there, as he said himself that he has riffs for GNR and riffs for SMKC, a different state of mind. 

I've said this before but you people who didn't like WOF - you're gonna have a bad time with a new GNR album. Because that's exactly the music Slash is gonna keep on making. A few Axl ballads and his voice alone, who knows how it sounds like these days in studio, won't magically make an album like WOF good to you. Unless Myles is your only point of contention with WOF, and you otherwise think it's great, perhaps. But there are many people out there who don't like Slashs "cock-rock" music. Which I find retarded as he's basically never changed his style of music since AFD, except for VR and that was a concious move, which he in the end said he didn't like.

[default_]

15 minutes ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

I've said this before but you people who didn't like WOF - you're gonna have a bad time with a new GNR album. Because that's exactly the music Slash is gonna keep on making. A few Axl ballads and his voice alone, who knows how it sounds like these days in studio, won't magically make an album like WOF good to you. Unless Myles is your only point of contention with WOF, and you otherwise think it's great, perhaps. But there are many people out there who don't like Slashs "cock-rock" music. Which I find retarded as he's basically never changed his style of music since AFD, except for VR and that was a concious move, which he in the end said he didn't like.

I like most of WOF, but still see it as a less sophisticated Slash, a simpler approach on what he used to be. Its drama free and maybe just what SMKC lakes of: dramatic and emotional approach. He'll get this point of view back with Axl and Duff I guess, thats why I believe a GNR record will sound like a GNR record and not some bland and forgetful "cock rock".

[StrangerInThisTown]

58 minutes ago, default_ said:

I like most of WOF, but still see it as a less sophisticated Slash, a simpler approach on what he used to be. Its drama free and maybe just what SMKC lakes of: dramatic and emotional approach. He'll get this point of view back with Axl and Duff I guess, thats why I believe a GNR record will sound like a GNR record and not some bland and forgetful "cock rock".

Songs like Nightrain, ISE and Anything Goes ARE "cock-rock". Musically aswell as lyrically. That's not a bad thing, it's just people labeling those type of songs that way. I really liked Sugar Cane from this last album, but to many people, like Anything Goes, it's just immediately dismissed as "cock-rock". To me, I enjoy good rock songs about getting drunk like Nightrain or fucking like ISE or AG. Those type of songs made up the majority of AFD too. And Slash is never gonna change that sort of style and who can blame him, he does it better than anyone else these days and arguably back then.

Edited October 4, 2018 by StrangerInThisTown

[thomlarke]

8 hours ago, El Guapo said:

Maybe reviews like this are a good thing and make Slash realize he got a bit to comfortable and lazy with Myles.

I mean, everybody loves Slash and he surely deserves his nice, safe little band.

Myles is a great person, I'm sure.

But man, Slash is really wasting his time and talent at this point.

Hopefully all of this leads to new Guns music. You got Axl fucking Rose there, Slash.

Axl Rose isn't Axl Fucking Rose anymore. To be fair to him, no one is really.

[Rovim]

don't really matter what they think honestly. Slash is doing what he's good it and what he enjoys the most. putting together notes turning it into full compositions without overthinking it too much.

this is not Guns, it's a band where certain element of improvisation in the music is important to Slash and every band member. In Guns I would expect maybe a different approach but here Slash is free to keep it as organic as possible. It's a positive, not a negative.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Rovim

[Towelie]

6 hours ago, AxlIsGod. said:

We get it, you like it. Most of us don't agree with this statement.

Plenty of people are happy with the album. You're not, whoopdee-fucking-do for you. That's your loss.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Towelie

[DieselDaisy]

Slash is settling comfortably into middle-age reminiscent of AC/DC. 

[OmarBradley]

Agreed with the sentiment.

Living the Dream is probably Slash's worst career release. The songwriting is lazy, repetitive, and uninteresting. Don't know what happened, as AL and WoF were full of creativity and stylistic risks. All of that is void within the new record.

He's also doing the GNR thing of playing an identical setlist every night, which he never used to do.

And his Signature guitar shenanigans has always been ridiculous, and this new one is no different. And there's the Explorer for some reason, and the Epiphone version of course because even if you aren't wealthy, Slash still wants your money.

$la$h.

Edited October 4, 2018 by OmarBradley

[Free Bird]

2 hours ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

Songs like Nightrain, ISE and Anything Goes ARE "cock-rock". Musically aswell as lyrically. That's not a bad thing, it's just people labeling those type of songs that way. I really liked Sugar Cane from this last album, but to many people, like Anything Goes, it's just immediately dismissed as "cock-rock". To me, I enjoy good rock songs about getting drunk like Nightrain or fucking like ISE or AG. Those type of songs made up the majority of AFD too. And Slash is never gonna change that sort of style and who can blame him, he does it better than anyone else these days and arguably back then.

I never understood the term cock rock or dad rock whatsoever.

But if Nightrain and ISE fall into this category... hell yeah... all I want is cock rock

[Free Bird]

18 minutes ago, OmarBradley said:

Agreed with the sentiment.

Living the Dream is probably Slash's worst career release. The songwriting is lazy, repetitive, and uninteresting. Don't know what happened, as AL and WoF were full of creativity and stylistic risks. All of that is void within the new record.

He's also doing the GNR thing of playing an identical setlist every night, which he never used to do.

And his Signature guitar shenanigans has always been ridiculous, and this new one is no different. And there's the Explorer for some reason, and the Epiphone version of course because even if you aren't wealthy, Slash still wants your money.

$la$h.

I disagree. There are some songs that could have been on WOF but I think all in all LTD is the more mature album songwriting wise with ... I won't say better ... but with interesting songwriting as well such in songs like Pretender, Serve You Right and the two ballads.

If Pretender isn't good songwriting then what is?

BTW I'm talking about Slash's affords, not about Myles

[Tom-Ass]

18 minutes ago, OmarBradley said:

Living the Dream is probably Slash's worst career release. The songwriting is lazy, repetitive, and uninteresting. Don't know what happened, as AL and WoF were full of creativity and stylistic risks. All of that is void within the new record.

I agree with all of this. I don't necessarily put the blame on Slash though.. While some of the songwriting seems lazy, I still hear some vintage Slash in there for sure.. It is just the cookie cutter song structure and Myles. To me Myles hands down is keeps all these tracks from being anything special. 

[Iron MikeyJ]

I'm sorry but I agree. The ONLY thing rock and roll about SMKC is the fact Slash is in the band. Not hating or trying to say how GREAT NUGNR where (because they werent), just calling it how I see it. Myles is the epitome of post grunge rock singers... boring. He has a good voice, I'll give him that. But he also seems like the kinda guy that volunteers to be DD when going out with the boys. Not very rock and roll, and kinda lame imo. The rest of the band might be good or even great I suppose, but they all look too much alike. When I see pictures of them, it's like 4 Mick Mars wanna be's standing in a row. Which, "looks" shouldn't matter, I know, but it's just how I feel. 

I saw them open for Aerosmith a couple of years ago, and I was slightly bored if I'm honest. They lack any real energy, any real emotion, other than Slash. If Slash's goal was to put together a good sounding backing band to give him room to be the star, he accomplished that goal I suppose. But they are NOT a band that will ever do anything of note going forward. If Guns n' Rose's and Nickelback had a baby, it would be SMKC. Which that's NOT a compliment. 

I hear many of you talk about the drummer being better than Frank, and that VERY well might be true. I'm not gonna argue that point, Frank isn't someone I would say is a MUST HAVE. The rest of the band, isn't even close. It's like checkers vs chess, even Myles.

I listened to them play Rocket Queen the other day, it popped up on fb, so I figured "why not?" It was good, acceptable, passable nothing "bad" about it. The thing I took from it though, is Myles sings it in a VERY similar register to the "Mickey Mouse" version of Axl we give him so much crap for. I honestly thought "Myles is singing the WHOLE song like Mickey". Yet in the comment section (for the YouTube video), I read SO MANY comments about "Myles is better than Axl" and what not. So I just looked up a RANDOM cell phone video of Axl singing Rocket Queen in 2018 (for a fair comparision). Which its NOT even close. Axl sang it better, has 20X the stage presence, passon, emotion, and Guns played the song better. It wasnt even close really, the ONLY case you make is maybe for the drumming. Yes Axl has off nights, but we REALLY need to think about his "Mickey voice" when we hear Myles sing Guns songs. 

My point here, is NOT to bash SMKC. If you like them, good for you. If I'm honest though, I couldn't even make it through the whole driving rain video, I had to turn it off. I didn't like the song, and I dont like the band... It's just boring.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Iron MikeyJ