22frets

Waiting for the Epiphone version so I can buy one. 

Looks like Slash really reached into his hat and pulled out a completely fresh style of playing with this album. I've listened to almost every song Slash has put out and his playing on Oh Well is unlike anything I've heard him do before.

32 minutes ago, steelestar said:

Some samples are up:

 

 

Has the makings of being the best Slash solo album ever! Sounds like it's mixed really well too. 

7 hours ago, gabmmor said:

When the song started I thought Knopfler was playing "My Heart Will Go On". 

Apparently, Jeff Beck played that part.

2 hours ago, SoulMonster said:

You didn't like the editing of the Perhaps video?

Perhaps was one of the decent ones with some pretty cool live footage. But I still like Killing Floor's video more.

I'm just in awe of how good the editing on the music video is. It's a stark contrast when compared to the recent GnR releases we got that look like they were thrown together by an intern in a hurry. 

Quite a cool appearance that I really wasn't expecting to see! Pretty decent solo too, though I prefer what he did in the movie version. Not really a fan of the tone though, this song was begging for a neck pickup solo with the tone rolled down (November Rain, Estranged, etc), not one which sounds like the treble knob was turned all the way up on the amp. 

Pity they turned down his guitar at the end when he really started to rip. Wish we could hear what he was playing! 

Got tix for the very last show in Grand Prairie, TX. The ticket booking website (AXS) was a pain, though. Didn't let me view or choose available seats and just assigned me something random based on price level after I had completed the purchase. Ended up getting tickets in the first section in the rightmost side but I guess it's alright because right is where Slash usually stands anyway! 

Edit: Just realized the desktop version of the website actually shows you the seat you're going to get before buying, unlike the mobile version that I used. But you still can't select them manually. 

30 minutes ago, Voodoochild said:

Slash just announced this:

 

They finally included Texas after skipping it in the SMKC tour! I think I might go. 

20 minutes ago, Ralphelmo said:

 

Sounds great. If I'd heard it playing somewhere, I'd never guess it's Slash and Brian Johnson on it. Sounds quite different from anything Slash has played before. Even his tone is remarkably different! 

On 2/29/2024 at 1:07 AM, 22frets said:

I think it's similar to how some people who learn fancy new words can't help but use them in every sentence and make them overly complicated even though they could have used simpler words to convey the same message. 

Slash probably picked up all these fast and complex licks as his playing evolved and cannot stop himself from using them in every solo he plays, even when it doesn't fit the song's melody. I guess he doesn't find the same excitement in playing the slow licks anymore. 

I found this and I think it's a pretty good example of what I'm talking about: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4LuzHEh7L5/?igsh=aDI5NHBwc3RpMWRl

Fill My World has some of the simplest licks from Slash's repertoire. But when playing it live, it seems like he finds it hard to restrain himself from overplaying and replaces the simple melody with poorly-timed fast licks that don't really fit the song. 

7 minutes ago, Rovim said:

I meant the Sucker Train Blues solo, not just cause of the Floyd Rose, it sounds like when Slash is playing it live imo. do you, by any chance, got any links for those interviews? I think I've missed it.

https://www.vintageguitar.com/3334/slash-2/

Did you use a variety of guitars for different sounds?
Yes. A good example is the first song on the record, “Sucker Train Blues.” I used a six-string bass, a Telecaster, and a Strat, which is pretty much unheard of, for me. I don’t know where that came from, but it worked out great. 

Apparently the solo was played on a '65 Strat. Interesting. 

https://www.slashparadise.com/discography/albums-velvet-revolver-2004-contraband.php

Sucker Train Blues: "This song developed from one of my riffs, basically. When I presented it to the band, it was 10 times slower, but the sped the whole thing up. This is a very different kind of song for me because i recorded it with an old Fifties Telecaster and played the solo on a '65 Strat. I also put a baritone Music Man underneath the guitars."

56 minutes ago, Rovim said:

right, it sounds like the Mockingbird on Sucker Train Blues for example, but it sounds like a type of Gibson in YCBM, not even sure if it's a LP, if Slash did use a Gibson (the album versions)

he used a vintage Flying V for the KOHD solos on UYI so who knows. used a bunch of guitars for those albums. that said, if I had to bet on it, I'd say it was a LP for YCBM.

Based on interviews, Slash used a Strat for the lead and Tele for rhythm on Sucker Train Blues. However, I doubt the solo was played on a Strat because it sounds like a Floyd Rose. 

1 hour ago, StrangerInThisTown said:

It's strange he's playing it with a Les Paul if he does remember. He always changes to the type of guitar he recorded the songs with, like on YCBM for example, where he changes also.

He probably didn't plan that far ahead to bring his Strat with him on tour. Might have been too late by the time he remembered that he used it in the song. 

9 hours ago, Alejandro GNR said:

It should be named Bad Solos…WTH has happened to Slash’s playing, my god

I think it's similar to how some people who learn fancy new words can't help but use them in every sentence and make them overly complicated even though they could have used simpler words to convey the same message. 

Slash probably picked up all these fast and complex licks as his playing evolved and cannot stop himself from using them in every solo he plays, even when it doesn't fit the song's melody. I guess he doesn't find the same excitement in playing the slow licks anymore. 

3 hours ago, kingcanyon said:

i asked this in the Offical Media discussion, but is it me or is this a different mix of the song?

 

 

Sounds like it's in standard tuning instead of the usual half-step down tuning of the original. This is the second time I've heard them do this. Knowing the management, it could very well be a mistake while editing the video that they failed to notice. 

51 minutes ago, RodrigoNH said:

Don't Damn Me, Pro-Shot From Cosquín Rock, Argentina, 11 febrero 2024:

https://dai.ly/k2KrPNFC3HW22PzYY7G

Nice performance apart from the solo that was a bit rough with a bunch of bad notes at the end. Todd's vocals are growing on me and he sounds fantastic in this song! 

4 hours ago, Voodoochild said:

And here's yet another version, this time in Belo Horizonte, Brazil (starts at 14:00). 

 

Love how he jumps the gun on the solo during the verse but seamlessly goes back to playing the riff without missing a beat. Not an easy thing to do! 

The solo he played there is such an "SMKC-style" solo. Not necessarily bad but just quite different. 

2 hours ago, evilfacelessturtle said:

The thing i don't understand is how he's become more sloppy than when he was drunk all the time. He misses way more notes now than back in the '90s. The only explanation I can think of is that he's playing so fast that he's actually going beyond his ability. That and the cleaner tone just does not work with shredding. All you hear is pick noise.

I think it's because back in the 90s, his speed was lower and he mostly played fast runs with hammer-ons and pull-offs, which are a lot more forgiving as you can get away with a sloppier picking technique. Of course, he also had a better tone to mask his bum notes. 

Nowadays, his playing involves a lot of fast alternate picking which combined with his lower gain tone and somewhat loose picking technique makes mistakes more obvious. I guess age is a factor too because he doesn't fully seem comfortable playing super fast and seems to lose tempo a lot more often in the recent years.

1 hour ago, evilfacelessturtle said:

I've been saying it for a while, he's verging into shredder territory these days.

It seemed to start on the Libertad tour, when he started doing tremolo picking (see 3:36)

However, he still has a pretty good feel there and wasn't missing half the notes like he does these days.

Then, he did Nothing To Say on the solo album. AL was more classic style stuff, but then WOF delved into metal.

My favorite quote from Slash is "Instead of playing patterns, hear the melody you're going for."

Sadly, he seems to have lost sight of that himself.

Well said. I think at a certain point he felt the need to expand his guitar playing technique and started leaning more into faster playing techniques like tremolo picking. 

Back in his GnR and Snakepit days, you could clearly see that his playing was somewhat limited in terms of technique and he used a lot of the same licks in many of his solos. But the key difference was that he heavily relied on phrasing and note choices to make the solos stand out and fit the song like a glove. He played each note with a purpose and did not try to overdo it. 

Present Slash is definitely a lot more skilled in terms of what he can do on guitar but his sense of phrasing and melody has been on the decline (moreso in live settings) because he leans more on fast technical playing to get through a solo. Even while playing his older solos, he just tries to string fast licks together without giving them room to breathe. 

Coupled with the fact that he's always been an off-the-cuff player who doesn't try to play his solos note-for-note (apart from the ones he considers iconic enough), it gets tiring when a lot of his soloing is taken over by really fast licks without much structure or melody. 

That said, Slash is still an amazing player and still manages to strike gold in albums and live performances. But I wish he'd dial down a bit to go back to his roots that made him the player that he is. 

Full song but not the best audio quality. 

Props to Slash for trying to learn a brand new instrument! 

Edit: Found one with better audio! 

31 minutes ago, Ralphelmo said:

Another angle 

 

I wasn't sure based on previous video, but now I am - he forgot to palmmute last chorus.

It's sounds quite good for a first attempt (apart from the solo). But he does play the riff in a more loose way than the album version. It's also missing some of those short palm muted chug notes that give the riff a percussive effect. 

Considering how long it must have been since he last played it, I'm sure it'll all come back to him after a few shows. 

3 hours ago, moreblack said:

Or they'll drop it from the set, it's not a life or death part of the setlist .

I'm sure they'll keep it for a while since they put all that effort to learn it, probably alternating between Perfect Crime and Bad Apples. Plus, it's a killer song! 

9 hours ago, Ralphelmo said:

 

Only 2 minutes :A

 

It's sad that he shits all over one of his best solos in the album the first time he ever played it live. Hope he eventually gets into his stride.