Slash on GN'R's 'Chinese Democracy': Buckethead Is a Fucking Amazing Player

[thunderram]

21 hours ago, D.Z.I. said:

If GNR had happened with Buckethead or Dave Navarro on guitar, either of them would have become one of the biggest names in rock/guitar history, and Slash would be just a “niche guitarist”.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any merit or the chops, but if it wasn’t for the exposure that GNR gave him (at that specific time), and the incredible chemistry and context that led them to create those amazing songs, the roles would be reversed, easily.

You're missing the point. GN'R wouldn't have ever happened with Buckethead instead of SLASH. Despite whatever technical prowess Buckethead has, he's not now nor has he ever been a mainstream draw. SLASH's sound and style appeals to a lot more music fans than Buckethead. Period. Just as GN'R's music appeals to a lot more fans than say Dream Theater. Dream Theater are among the best collection of musicians I've ever seen or heard in a band. But they are niche. They aren't what the mainstream or majority wants to hear.

The music GN'R produced with Buckethead in the band was niche. It had nowhere near the following the previous music did with the previous lineup. While there are a faction of fans on this site that like it better, they are in the vast minority (for the record I like CD). If it didn't carry the GN'R name along with it, it would have had even less of a following. Nothing close to what 'real' GN'R was or is.

So, no, Buckethead and Dave Navarro would never have become the biggest names in rock guitar history. Because the music would have been much different than the music that did appeal and speak to the masses. If either Navarro or Bucket were destined for what SLASH has accomplished, they would have done it already. Saying so is just as silly as suggesting GN'R would have been just as big with <insert name of any obscure vocalist over the past 30 years> on vocals rather than W. AXL Rose. It wouldn't have been the same.

[Free Bird]

2 hours ago, Gackt said:

It's okay to be a fanboy, but it's not cool to lie.  

Maybe it's not a popular opinion but it's my opinion so who will argue with me about it?

I prefer Slash's style and sound, especially over any other of Axl's guitarists.

If that makes me a fanboy I'm cool with it.

[D.Z.I.]

2 hours ago, thunderram said:

You're missing the point. GN'R wouldn't have ever happened with Buckethead instead of SLASH. Despite whatever technical prowess Buckethead has, he's not now nor has he ever been a mainstream draw. SLASH's sound and style appeals to a lot more music fans than Buckethead. Period. Just as GN'R's music appeals to a lot more fans than say Dream Theater. Dream Theater are among the best collection of musicians I've ever seen or heard in a band. But they are niche. They aren't what the mainstream or majority wants to hear.

The music GN'R produced with Buckethead in the band was niche. It had nowhere near the following the previous music did with the previous lineup. While there are a faction of fans on this site that like it better, they are in the vast minority (for the record I like CD). If it didn't carry the GN'R name along with it, it would have had even less of a following. Nothing close to what 'real' GN'R was or is.

So, no, Buckethead and Dave Navarro would never have become the biggest names in rock guitar history. Because the music would have been much different than the music that did appeal and speak to the masses. If either Navarro or Bucket were destined for what SLASH has accomplished, they would have done it already. Saying so is just as silly as suggesting GN'R would have been just as big with <insert name of any obscure vocalist over the past 30 years> on vocals rather than W. AXL Rose. It wouldn't have been the same.

 

23 hours ago, D.Z.I. said:

I never said that, and that wasn’t my point at all.

My point was if Slash would have become as big if it wasn’t for GNR.

For the record, GNR wouldn’t have been GNR with any of its parts missing.

 

[D.Z.I.]

5 hours ago, Free Bird said:

Thanks for sharing

Don’t be so hurt and defensive, I was talking about the whole performance, which is atrocious in more ways than not.

to your point, Slash’s solo at the end is not bad... fast picking going up the neck, that’s as close as he’ll get to Bucket’s version. The rest of the song isn’t quite there. I don’t know... maybe this was one of the first times they played TWAT? It really sounds like they showed up unprepared. The timing is awful in general, but Slash got to do his thing at the end with the noodling. The rest is pretty forgettable.

[Free Bird]

1 hour ago, D.Z.I. said:

Don’t be so hurt and defensive, I was talking about the whole performance, which is atrocious in more ways than not.

to your point, Slash’s solo at the end is not bad... fast picking going up the neck, that’s as close as he’ll get to Bucket’s version. The rest of the song isn’t quite there. I don’t know... maybe this was one of the first times they played TWAT? It really sounds like they showed up unprepared. The timing is awful in general, but Slash got to do his thing at the end with the noodling. The rest is pretty forgettable.

I'm not hurt. Opinions differ. You don't like it and that's fine. But I do.

[D.Z.I.]

45 minutes ago, Free Bird said:

I'm not hurt. Opinions differ. You don't like it and that's fine. But I do.

I didn’t say I didn’t like Slash’s solo –which is what you pointed out when you posted the video. As I said, I think he did a good job there, it’s the rest of the song that is a total mess.

[Gackt]

6 hours ago, Free Bird said:

Maybe it's not a popular opinion but it's my opinion so who will argue with me about it?

I prefer Slash's style and sound, especially over any other of Axl's guitarists.

If that makes me a fanboy I'm cool with it.

That exactly makes you a fanboy, which makes it hard to give an opinion merit.  

Slash is stuck in a comfort zone where he can't reach the technical virtuoso performances that Bucket and Bumble can perform, so he needs to dumb them down into improv blues solos whenever possible.  Often times I'd rather have Fortus make the attempt at performing them, since he'd likely put more effort into it to sound more like the studio versions.

[Ralphelmo]

You're entire profile makes you even a bigger fanboy, lol.

And this... Buckethead has ears for some great melodies, like in Soothsayer, but there's nothing complicated in his music. Going up and down on blues scale, tapping, killswitch, multiple effects. Bumble and Fortus are better technically. There's nothing exciting about Buckethead when you're getting familiar with actual guitar virtuosos and/or learn to play guitar yourself.

Edited October 11, 2018 by Ralphelmo

[moreblack]

Bucket likes to create soundscapes but sometimes it feels as if the musicality is sacrificed to make them. But I'm not gonna knock him for it, if that's what he has inside and is how he wants to express himself. I will knock him for not much of it being all that listenable to a rock audience. That sound, that style is so not GNR. 

[Len Cnut]

32 minutes ago, moreblack said:

Bucket likes to create soundscapes but sometimes it feels as if the musicality is sacrificed to make them. But I'm not gonna knock him for it, if that's what he has inside and is how he wants to express himself. I will knock him for not much of it being all that listenable to a rock audience. That sound, that style is so not GNR. 

Perhaps he's not concerned with catering specifically to rock audiences.  I really rate Bucket.  its not really my kind of thing, though I have listened to a couple of albums and I like a few songs I'm not a massive fan but he's kind of on another planet musically, like you say, soundscapes and that, perhaps its someday a thing I might really be into, I can't see it now but never say never.  I have a lot of respect for musicians like that, John Zorn and Sun Ra didn't appeal to rock audiences but I don't think its something to knock em over.

[Free Bird]

2 hours ago, Gackt said:

That exactly makes you a fanboy, which makes it hard to give an opinion merit.  

Slash is stuck in a comfort zone where he can't reach the technical virtuoso performances that Bucket and Bumble can perform, so he needs to dumb them down into improv blues solos whenever possible.  Often times I'd rather have Fortus make the attempt at performing them, since he'd likely put more effort into it to sound more like the studio versions.

Well, I prefer the style and sound of many many guitarists over the guitarists on CD. Does it make me a fan boy of these 50+ guitarists as well? 

To the rest of your post: GNR was never about virtuosity and Slash is a big part of their sound and one of the main reasons why I became a fan of this band.

It shouldn't be a big surprise that I prefer his sound over any other guitarist in this band. And that's the reason why I even prefer most of his attempts on CD stuff. 

But there are exceptions like Fincks Better solo...

Wait, does it make me a Finck fan boy now?

[shotsfired cro]

its hard for me to rate a person who puts a KFC bucket on his head and says he grew up with chickens in ANY shape or form.

[Kickingthehabit]

GNR would have been waaaay bigger had Buckethead stood atop the piano with nunchucks in November Rain. 

Even if you ignore the music -- Slash drew the fucking logo. He handled so much of the art in the early days. Take Slash away and you lose so much of the iconic band's image. 

Edited October 11, 2018 by Kickingthehabit

[-W.A.R-]

1 hour ago, shotsfired cro said:

its hard for me to rate a person who puts a KFC bucket on his head and says he grew up with chickens in ANY shape or form.

Hes weird forsure but talent is talent and Bucket is pretty fucking talented.

[moreblack]

3 hours ago, Free Bird said:

GNR was never about virtuosity and Slash is a big part of their sound and one of the main reasons why I became a fan of this band.

Let's be honest, without him it doesn't really work.

Edited October 11, 2018 by moreblack

[D.Z.I.]

Jesus, how did we get from Slash being appreciative of Buckethead’s skills to this ridiculous need to take sides and see everything in black & white?

[Free Bird]

1 hour ago, moreblack said:

Let's be honest, without him it doesn't really work.

There's no bigger proof to that than the past two decades

[janrichmond]

14 minutes ago, D.Z.I. said:

Jesus, how did we get from Slash being appreciative of Buckethead’s skills to this ridiculous need to take sides and see everything in black & white?

It's a forum!! People have opinions and voice them.

This place would be pretty bland without them 

[F*ck Fear]

I've always preferred Slash's style to that of Buckethead. That being said, there is no doubt that Buckethead is the better player.

[Sosso]

Bucket's playing is very emotional in some of his songs, even more so that Slash's. 

Edited October 11, 2018 by Sosso

[WhazUp]

To me Bucket was probably the MVP of nuGuns.  His moments like the TWAT solo were some of the best parts of that era and I enjoyed his take of stuff like the Nightrain outro solo. 

If Axl didn't force GNR to be sonically and visually totally different than public perception and expectation and did CD as a solo album I personally think it would be held in much higher regard.  But you can't take a band called "Guns n' Roses" that was one of the biggest bands of its time period, and go around not having the vibe, look, or sound of that band anymore without getting shit for it.  

To me, a GNR without Slash is not truly GNR because Slash's guitar work is inexplicably at the very core of GNR's identity.  So to me overall I think instead of thinking in terms of "who is the better player" I think in terms of "who is the better fit for GNR" and Slash is the only answer I can think to give

Because overall their playing styles are just so different, a total "apples and oranges" type of thing

Edited October 11, 2018 by WhazUp

[Sosso]

I seriously doubt that Slash could ever release an album like this 

 

[janrichmond]

16 minutes ago, Sosso said:

I seriously doubt that Slash could ever release an album like this 

I seriously hope that Slash would ever release an album like that 

[Sosso]

2 minutes ago, janrichmond said:

I seriously hope that Slash would ever release an album like that 

Have you even listened to the whole thing yet? Your opinion is based on nothing, then. 

[janrichmond]

Just now, Sosso said:

Have you even listened to the whole thing yet? Your opinion is based on nothing, then. 

Nope. Just my opinion based on everything else he plays. I don't like his music.

He's pretty good on them nunchucks though.