Slash on not being highly rated in guitar magazine polls: 'There's this obsession with technical prowess.'

[appetite4illusions]

21 hours ago, Ant said:

I remember him saying a lot of dudes come to his shows nowadays with an arms-crossed, “show me what you got” guitar nerd vibe.

I mean... I'm a guitar nerd... but that’s pretty lame.

I would say you can’t expect Slash to play anything but Slash. What you can expect from him is that he will play with the full range of his talent.

If there’s any moment I’m crossing my arms at Slash, it’s at home when I’m hearing his latest material for the first time.

I’m not waiting for him to do some Yyngwie craziness...I’m waiting for him to do something with the emotional resonance of glory days GN’R.

I’m waiting for another lead, another solo in the pantheon of Sweet Child, November Rain, Rocket Queen and Don’t Cry. He hasn’t crafted an iconic solo in a very long time. A good solo, yeah, but an iconic solo?

To me, he’s still the same guitar player and there is nobody tying his hands up, so there should be no reason he can’t approach that same level of talent and craft. 

It might come down to inspiration and he might not have the wishing well of inspiration he had when he was nineteen.

But, it’s most discouraging on his solos for the Chinese Democracy material. He’s getting the chance to do whatever he wants on big, bonafide ballads and his work leaves a lot to be desired. He (seemingly) can’t even top a bunch of musicians most would consider to be second-tier artists. I do not think that bodes well. I can only say, he probably only digs the songs to a minimal degree.

[Gibson87]

18 hours ago, wasted said:

There’s much less personalties in rock music.

There’s bands but no characters like Keef or Lemmy. There’s no megalomaniac singers. There’s no one with anything to say. I guess everyone says enough on twitter. Music is a soundtrack to posting memes or part of somekind of celebrity fashion thing. 

I think part of the reason is that people kinda look like posers when they do that nowadays, it seems like they're intentionally being reckless/dangerous/whatever as opposed to that just being their personality. Part of what made Axl so cool back in the day was his insanity wasn't an act, he was legitimately crazy.

[Alejandro GNR]

26 minutes ago, appetite4illusions said:

I would say you can’t expect Slash to play anything but Slash. What you can expect from him is that he will play with the full range of his talent.

If there’s any moment I’m crossing my arms at Slash, it’s at home when I’m hearing his latest material for the first time.

I’m not waiting for him to do some Yyngwie craziness...I’m waiting for him to do something with the emotional resonance of glory days GN’R.

I’m waiting for another lead, another solo in the pantheon of Sweet Child, November Rain, Rocket Queen and Don’t Cry. He hasn’t crafted an iconic solo in a very long time. A good solo, yeah, but an iconic solo?

To me, he’s still the same guitar player and there is nobody tying his hands up, so there should be no reason he can’t approach that same level of talent and craft. 

It might come down to inspiration and he might not have the wishing well of inspiration he had when he was nineteen.

But, it’s most discouraging on his solos for the Chinese Democracy material. He’s getting the chance to do whatever he wants on big, bonafide ballads and his work leaves a lot to be desired. He (seemingly) can’t even top a bunch of musicians most would consider to be second-tier artists. I do not think that bodes well. I can only say, he probably only digs the songs to a minimal degree.

I insist on Elan’s “Street Child” solo being the last pure magical solo he has made.

of course there are good and veery good ones like Wicked Stone...but the one on Street Child just makes my skin shiver every fkn time

Edited October 13, 2018 by Alejandro GNR

[Ralphelmo]

47 minutes ago, appetite4illusions said:

I’m waiting for another lead, another solo in the pantheon of Sweet Child, November Rain, Rocket Queen and Don’t Cry. He hasn’t crafted an iconic solo in a very long time. A good solo, yeah, but an iconic solo?

90% of Slash's solos after GNR would've been iconic if they were released under GNR name. You won't name ONE iconic solo from Page after Led Zep, from Wylde after Ozzy, from Darrell after Pantera, from Perry besides Aerosmith etc. Simple as that. 

And 'iconic' means November Rain, No More Tears, Cementery Gates or Stairway to Heaven level. Everyone knows those, right? A solo being iconic comes from the range of people who actually listened to it, not only from how good it is. You can't match counting hundreds of milions audience of Guns N' Roses to a few milions of people that follow Slash. If a song is played on the radio for 25 years it will become legendary at some point, that's how human mind works.

Edited October 13, 2018 by Ralphelmo

[wasted]

13 minutes ago, Gibson_Guy87 said:

I think part of the reason is that people kinda look like posers when they do that nowadays, it seems like they're intentionally being reckless/dangerous/whatever as opposed to that just being their personality. Part of what made Axl so cool back in the day was his insanity wasn't an act, he was legitimately crazy.

There must be legit crazy people around but maybe they end up playing PS4 or posting on twitter. 

Why I think being crazy is somekind of prerequisite to being a rock star I don’t know. I suppose it’s that Morrison, Ozzy, Axl lineage. 

Maybe it’s just how you project the artists. In the 80s everything was big, so rock stars were projected larger than life. Now it’s all a bit more understated, or it was until it went pc. 

Yeah maybe it’s just not cool or doesn’t fit to be loud and crazy these days, everyone’s tuned into the politics things. It’s strange Trump is the most flambouyant guy  and Kanye sort of and everyone wants them to shut up. Even rappers have started mumbling. Dice is doing a podcast. Things gone change. 

[Gibson87]

9 minutes ago, wasted said:

Maybe it’s just how you project the artists. In the 80s everything was big, so rock stars were projected larger than life. Now it’s all a bit more understated, or it was until it went pc. 

I think the culture shifted with the grunge movement and the rock star personality wasn't cool anymore. I agree with the everything being too PC. One wrong move these days and a new band will get torn apart 

[Sosso]

3 minutes ago, Gibson_Guy87 said:

I think the culture shifted with the grunge movement and the rock star personality wasn't cool anymore. I agree with the everything being too PC. One wrong move these days and a new band will get torn apart 

Yeah, but nearly all of the classic rock bands like AC/DC, The Stones, The Who, etc. were still successful in the 90's and 00's. 

Edited October 13, 2018 by Sosso

[appetite4illusions]

20 minutes ago, Ralphelmo said:

90% of Slash's solos after GNR would've been iconic if they were released under GNR name. You won't name ONE iconic solo from Page after Led Zep, from Wylde after Ozzy, from Darrell after Pantera, from Perry besides Aerosmith etc. Simple as that. 

And 'iconic' means November Rain, No More Tears, Cementery Gates or Stairway to Heaven level. Everyone knows those, right? A solo being iconic comes from the range of people who actually listened to it, not only from how good it is. You can't match counting hundreds of milions audience of Guns N' Roses to a few milions of people that follow Slash. If a song is played on the radio for 25 years it will become legendary at some point, that's how human mind works.

Yes and no. The song itself has to be iconic for the solo to be as recognized but what I'm talking about goes beyond the pure definition of "iconic." 

Let's confine iconic to this forum and the working knowledge the members have here. Most of us have heard a good deal of material from Slash over the years, could a large number of us point to one or two really special solos as "iconic" to us? I'm talking about post-GN'R stuff. Could a wide range of members reach a consensus that several of the solos he's done since are worthy of being under the banner of "the best he has to offer."? I don't know.

I do know it's purely academic to say that 90% of his solos could have been iconic. What we're talking about here is November Rain and Sweet Child quality. That's a high bar. 

 

30 minutes ago, Alejandro GNR said:

I insist on Elan’s “Street Child” solo being the last pure magical solo he has made.

of course there are good and veery good ones like Wicked Stone...but the one on Street Child just makes my skin shiver every fkn time

I totally agree and I myself made this point several days ago in another page. To me, it's the last real time I can point my finger and say "he didn't waste a note." The problem is, Street Child goes back almost twenty years now and there's not too many solos you can point to where he does the same thing, since.

I would think you would have a hard time finding a mass of forum members to agree on a solo of that quality that has been done since. I think he's still very capable of doing Street Childs...but I don't hear them nowadays.

[Alejandro GNR]

19 minutes ago, appetite4illusions said:

Yes and no. The song itself has to be iconic for the solo to be as recognized but what I'm talking about goes beyond the pure definition of "iconic." 

Let's confine iconic to this forum and the working knowledge the members have here. Most of us have heard a good deal of material from Slash over the years, could a large number of us point to one or two really special solos as "iconic" to us? I'm talking about post-GN'R stuff. Could a wide range of members reach a consensus that several of the solos he's done since are worthy of being under the banner of "the best he has to offer."? I don't know.

I do know it's purely academic to say that 90% of his solos could have been iconic. What we're talking about here is November Rain and Sweet Child quality. That's a high bar. 

 

I totally agree and I myself made this point several days ago in another page. To me, it's the last real time I can point my finger and say "he didn't waste a note." The problem is, Street Child goes back almost twenty years now and there's not too many solos you can point to where he does the same thing, since.

I would think you would have a hard time finding a mass of forum members to agree on a solo of that quality that has been done since. I think he's still very capable of doing Street Childs...but I don't hear them nowadays.

I guess most of us believe Axl is capable of bringing that Slash out.

I really hope they do something together, I believe in them

[wasted]

1 hour ago, Gibson_Guy87 said:

I think the culture shifted with the grunge movement and the rock star personality wasn't cool anymore. I agree with the everything being too PC. One wrong move these days and a new band will get torn apart 

Guns would’ve got cancelled for OIAM these days. Parental Advisory stickers were a badge of honor. 

In a way when the president is un PC it’s not cool anymore. It used to be the right that was censorship now it’s the left or both. 

90s bands were anti rock star but still behaving like rock stars. 90s movies were pretty un PC. Tarantino is pretty crazy for these times. 

It might just be that conspicuous excess isn’t cool anymore. But rock stars probably still living in luxury. They just don’t flaunt it. The Strokes had a chance to behave pretty badly and get away with it but they opted to just stay indie rock. I guess hip hop is now like 80s hair metal. 

[Ralphelmo]

I will still defend my point that we consider a solo epic/iconic because we're being attacked with it from every angle for so many years and this entire offensive is determined by popularity of the band that released that song. Is our little forum community familiar enough with Slash's solos after Guns N' Roses to become a representative sample in this 'research'? I don't know, but I will share with you few examples that I consider to be at least not worse than Slash's most recognizable solos from GNR era. And I'm ready to say that if they were released under GN'R banner, they would've become iconic, not just because of the publicity that GNR has, but because they're that good. Hotlinks will take you right to the solos, feel free to revisit them:

Slash's Snakepit - Back and Forth Again

Slash's Snakepit - Back To The Moment

Velvet Revolver - Fall To Pieces

Velvet Revolver - You Got No Right

Velvet Revolver - Messages

Slash - Starlight

Slash - I Hold On

Slash - By The Sword

Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators - Battleground

Adler - Just Don't Ask

Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators - The Great Pretender

And my three ALL TIME favorite Slash's solos, guitar wise they're just magnificent.

Slash - Mother Maria

Velvet Revolver - The Last Fight

Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators - Far and Away 

Slash evolved, in a good way. Songs can't match November Rain or Estranged, but solos are awesome. I intentionally skipped heavy solos (songs) but there are true gems among them, like in Slash - Nothing to Say. - composition of that solo is beyond perfect, one of the best build-ups in Slash's catalogue. Also "World On Fire" is full of kickass solos (Wicked Stone, Beneath The Savage Sun, The Unholy). With "Living The Dream" we got some fantastic, well thought-out solos (Boulevard of Broken Hearts, Serve You Right, Lost Inside The Girl).  Using the anology I described above, I'd call them Nightrain level. I hope you'll find something interesting in those I have posted @appetite4illusions. I know you seek for newer solos rather than Snakepit/VR so here you go! Cheers  

 

*Something rare, song no. 13 (Playing in the Rain) nice acoustic-electric solo from Slash, quite unusual. You need to open it on Spotify www.

 

Edited October 13, 2018 by Ralphelmo

[Free Bird]

1 hour ago, Ralphelmo said:

I will still defend my point that we consider a solo epic/iconic because we're being attacked with it from every angle for so many years and this entire offensive is determined by popularity of the band that released that song. Is our little forum community familiar enough with Slash's solos after Guns N' Roses to become a representative sample in this 'research'? I don't know, but I will share with you few examples that I consider to be at least not worse than Slash's most recognizable solos from GNR era. And I'm ready to say that if they were released under GN'R banner, they would've become iconic, not just because of the publicity that GNR has, but because they're that good. Hotlinks will take you right to the solos, feel free to revisit them:

Slash's Snakepit - Back and Forth Again

Slash's Snakepit - Back To The Moment

Velvet Revolver - Fall To Pieces

Velvet Revolver - You Got No Right

Velvet Revolver - Messages

Slash - Starlight

Slash - I Hold On

Slash - By The Sword

Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators - Battleground

Adler - Just Don't Ask

Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators - The Great Pretender

And my three ALL TIME favorite Slash's solos, guitar wise they're just magnificent.

Slash - Mother Maria

Velvet Revolver - The Last Fight

Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators - Far and Away 

Slash evolved, in a good way. Songs can't match November Rain or Estranged, but solos are awesome. I intentionally skipped heavy solos (songs) but there are true gems among them, like in Slash - Nothing to Say. - composition of that solo is beyond perfect, one of the best build-ups in Slash's catalogue. Also "World On Fire" is full of kickass solos (Wicked Stone, Beneath The Savage Sun, The Unholy). With "Living The Dream" we got some fantastic, well thought-out solos (Boulevard of Broken Hearts, Serve You Right, Lost Inside The Girl).  Using the anology I described above, I'd call them Nightrain level. I hope you'll find something interesting in those I have posted @appetite4illusions. I know you seek for newer solos rather than Snakepit/VR so here you go! Cheers  

 

*Something rare, song no. 13 (Playing in the Rain) nice acoustic-electric solo from Slash, quite unusual. You need to open it on Spotify www.

 

I think you're right. I also think the song itself has to be iconic so that the solo can be concidered iconic as well for the general public. A lot of people seem unable to recognize a good solo on its own. I can be wrong but that's my impression.

[wasted]

Definitely bands were big in the 90s because rec comps made videos that aired globally. There was a whole machine at work. Radio, MTV, magazines, movies, tours were all working in unison, everything was in control. But now everything is fragmented, forums, fan videos, leaks, dling music. I’m not sure what kind of budgets bands get now to make a record. Not 14 mil like CD. That was over spill from making 100s of millions for record company. 

So there’s this big platform. I wonder if Slash tried harder on big GNR singles, like rose to the occassion. Axl’s grand all out style might push Slash to do more ott solos. 

The solo stuff seems more about generating energy and fast rockers and not over thinking it. 

You can write a towering epic power ballad that no one even hears because radio plays nostalgia and no one buys cds. There’s no videos. So if your a big band you have to play new songs live to introduce them to the fans. 

[ZoSo]

On 11/10/2018 at 5:05 AM, Ant said:

See that video... I hate the new album... but Call Of The Wild there sounds fucking awesome. Is it just me? Myles is like a black hole for the attitude Slash evidently still has. 

If that song had Axl on it... vintage Axl unquestionably but maybe even current Axl.... less layers...rawer... just a driving DTJ kinda beat... some venomous lyrics. 

That riff is way better than I initially gave it credit for.... but it's lost on that song. 

Same for that slinky Driving Rain verse riff.... now I'm mad about this whole thing again haha. 

100% agree, I'd even take Eric Dover over Myles Kennedy on these songs. Those two riffs you've just identified sound tremendous, especially the Driving Rain verse riff... pure raw Slash.

[Jadeder]

On 10/12/2018 at 8:03 PM, Alejandro GNR said:

but the one on Street Child just makes my skin shiver every fkn time

That might be my all time favorite Slash solo on any record. God damn it's so good