Slash in USA Today, 11-2-14

[Nosaj Thing]

Poor Slash! He doesn't have the artistic abilities to recreate GNR how we want to see it.

How would a fifth of what made Guns N' Roses one of the greatest bands in the world, be able to "recreate" that monstrosity? He's not stupid enough to think he is GN'R.

Axl is a lot of things. Stupid is not one of them. Axl said he tried to convince Slash to stay. Axl said in 1999 that Slash was the reason he couldn't make a Guns album for a long time was because Slash wasn't in the band. (or something like that, not his exact words)

Yeah, but Axl lies.

I don't think he lies. He believes all the insane shit he says.

That's even worse, but yeah, maybe.

[Damn_Smooth]

It's good to see Slash doesn't want to embarass himself with Axl

Thank christ. Slash is doing a fantastic job of embarassing himself on his own.

How so?

Playing to backing tracks. Playing with ridiculous pop acts. Playing anything ever with Myles Kennedy. You name it.

[SoulMonster]

The fact is that all of these men were better artists as a team than any other way since. They are neither better nor worse artistically than what they were in the heyday of GNR, just missing each others unique critical input and filters on their own musical ideas.

I think that is a very bold statement. I would surprised if they have somehow managed to remain AS GOOD as they used to be. That sounds unnatural to me. And I think that by looking at Slash's output, he isn't as good as he used to be - he certainly isn't to me. Of course this is a matter of taste, but I sincerely doubt that if you replaced his contributions in GN'R with his recent efforts, it would make GN'R music worse.

Edited November 4, 2014 by SoulMonster

[Rustycage]

It's good to see Slash doesn't want to embarass himself with Axl

Thank christ. Slash is doing a fantastic job of embarassing himself on his own.

How so?

Playing to backing tracks. Playing with ridiculous pop acts. Playing anything ever with Myles Kennedy. You name it.

Most of the public doesn't see that as embarrassing, though. So who is he embarrassing himself to? Damn_Smooth? No one else seems toreact to it with facepalms.

[Damn_Smooth]

It's good to see Slash doesn't want to embarass himself with Axl

Thank christ. Slash is doing a fantastic job of embarassing himself on his own.

How so?

Playing to backing tracks. Playing with ridiculous pop acts. Playing anything ever with Myles Kennedy. You name it.

Most of the public doesn't see that as embarrassing, though. So who is he embarrassing himself to? Damn_Smooth? No one else seems toreact to it with facepalms.

Nobody reacts because nobody outside of his dwindling fanbase and the forum dwellers pay attention. Edited November 3, 2014 by Damn_Smooth

[Rustycage]

It's good to see Slash doesn't want to embarass himself with Axl

Thank christ. Slash is doing a fantastic job of embarassing himself on his own.

How so?

Playing to backing tracks. Playing with ridiculous pop acts. Playing anything ever with Myles Kennedy. You name it.

Most of the public doesn't see that as embarrassing, though. So who is he embarrassing himself to? Damn_Smooth? No one else seems toreact to it with facepalms.

Nobody reacts because nobody outside of his dwindling fanbase and the forum dwellers pay attention.

You're saying this in a topic about him being in USA today.

[Damn_Smooth]

It's good to see Slash doesn't want to embarass himself with Axl

Thank christ. Slash is doing a fantastic job of embarassing himself on his own.

How so?

Playing to backing tracks. Playing with ridiculous pop acts. Playing anything ever with Myles Kennedy. You name it.

Most of the public doesn't see that as embarrassing, though. So who is he embarrassing himself to? Damn_Smooth? No one else seems toreact to it with facepalms.

Nobody reacts because nobody outside of his dwindling fanbase and the forum dwellers pay attention.

You're saying this in a topic about him being in USA today.

I've known those tidbits of information for years. They obviously don't pay attention.

[Rustycage]

It's good to see Slash doesn't want to embarass himself with Axl

Thank christ. Slash is doing a fantastic job of embarassing himself on his own.

How so?

Playing to backing tracks. Playing with ridiculous pop acts. Playing anything ever with Myles Kennedy. You name it.

Most of the public doesn't see that as embarrassing, though. So who is he embarrassing himself to? Damn_Smooth? No one else seems toreact to it with facepalms.

Nobody reacts because nobody outside of his dwindling fanbase and the forum dwellers pay attention.

You're saying this in a topic about him being in USA today.

I've known those tidbits of information for years. They obviously don't pay attention.

Or they obviously don't see it as embarrassing.

[Damn_Smooth]

It's good to see Slash doesn't want to embarass himself with Axl

Thank christ. Slash is doing a fantastic job of embarassing himself on his own.

How so?

Playing to backing tracks. Playing with ridiculous pop acts. Playing anything ever with Myles Kennedy. You name it.

Most of the public doesn't see that as embarrassing, though. So who is he embarrassing himself to? Damn_Smooth? No one else seems toreact to it with facepalms.

Nobody reacts because nobody outside of his dwindling fanbase and the forum dwellers pay attention.

You're saying this in a topic about him being in USA today.

I've known those tidbits of information for years. They obviously don't pay attention.

Or they obviously don't see it as embarrassing.

I don't know how you've managed to draw that conclusion when anybody that paid an even small amount of attention would know every one of those things already.

[downzy]

Alright, alright... DS, please, let's refrain from posting in Slash threads unless you have something other to say than how much you loath the guy. It's getting a little predictable and not helping the discussion.

And FYI, Axl/GNR also uses backing tracks.

Let's return back to Slash being in the McDonalds's equivalent of American newspapers.

[Damn_Smooth]

Alright, alright... DS, please, let's refrain from posting in Slash threads unless you have something other to say than how much you loath the guy. It's getting a little predictable and not helping the discussion.

And FYI, Axl/GNR also uses backing tracks.

Let's return back to Slash being in the McDonalds's equivalent of American newspapers.

It should come as no surprise as to how I feel about Slash, I've only stated it about 10,000,004 times. I'm not trying to be unpredictable. I know that you're a Slash fan and dislike differing opinions but I should be just as free to discuss him as anybody else is to discuss anybody else.

And FYI, comparing Slash to the joke that is GN'R isn't really gaining any points for your argument.

[RandallFlagg]

I don't really listen to anything by Slash outside some VR tracks and GNR. It's not anywhere near bad music, I just find it pretty blunt and what you'd expect from a radio rock band. His stuff is a few tiers up from mere radio rock, the riffs are decent, the melodies and solos are high quality, he doesn't really reach for anything else though. You could say this kinda approach is more or less what people desire from Axl's GNR (they're getting it from shows a lot of the time) but Chinese Democracy is weird and a departure for the most part. Axl fans want Slash to do some off road driving and experiment a bit more. Many dislike BH's shredding and think Finck is too sloppy to take seriously, BBF is too weird, Fortus an Izzy clone and Ashba is a clown. Some think Kennedy is very dry and generic or Weiland is a junky and more irritating than Axl. Some folk enjoy both offerings, others have a black/white divide of opinions, some have solid enough reasons.

[Rustycage]

It's good to see Slash doesn't want to embarass himself with Axl

Thank christ. Slash is doing a fantastic job of embarassing himself on his own.

How so?

Playing to backing tracks. Playing with ridiculous pop acts. Playing anything ever with Myles Kennedy. You name it.

Most of the public doesn't see that as embarrassing, though. So who is he embarrassing himself to? Damn_Smooth? No one else seems toreact to it with facepalms.

Nobody reacts because nobody outside of his dwindling fanbase and the forum dwellers pay attention.

You're saying this in a topic about him being in USA today.

I've known those tidbits of information for years. They obviously don't pay attention.

Or they obviously don't see it as embarrassing.

I don't know how you've managed to draw that conclusion when anybody that paid an even small amount of attention would know every one of those things already.

The public isn't as polarized between Slash and Axl or cool versus promotion as the forums. I don't think most people give a shit about the things you mentioned.

[GUNNER PT]

Listen to your idol and move on, people:

"Fans want to re-create a version of what they thought it was. It doesn't exist anymore. It's not there"

[Damn_Smooth]

Rusty- So most people don't give a shit that anybody that gave a shit about Slash would know these things already? I already knew that.

Edited November 3, 2014 by Damn_Smooth

[Rustycage]

Listen to your idol and move on, people:

"Fans want to re-create a version of what they thought it was. It doesn't exist anymore. It's not there"

If only Axl would do the same by not trying to recreate GNR into what it was, or by playing off of AFD constantly. At the same time, Maybe Ashba should stop the Slash act and trying to tell fans he has written classic GNR sounding material.

The whole nugnr shtick is what you're giving a thumbs down to, bud.

Rusty- So most people don't give a shit that anybody that gave a shit about Slash would know these things already? I already knew that.

Edited November 3, 2014 by Rustycage

[wkuk04]

Amazing how much career mileage you can get with a novelty hat and a catchy ballad intro.

[moreblack]

Having AFD in your resume doesn't hurt. I doubt any of the people involved will ever complain about that.

[maynard]

Amazing how much career mileage you can get with a novelty hat and a catchy ballad intro.

So who are you on GNR Truth?

Edited November 3, 2014 by ProstituteComa

[Apollo]

In my personal opinion, Slash hasn't really done anything to rival his accomplishments in the 80s and early 90s, so I kind of agree with the assessment that he has lost the artistic ability that partly made GN'R great. And I am not talking about the mediocrity of the songs he has released, because I think Slash himself would agree he is not much of a song-smith, but about his solos and riffs, which, although, technically well executed, comes across as just boring blandness to me. Like a very gifted but uninventive Slash copying an original and innovative Slash. If GN'R was to become musically relevant again the last thing the band should do was to bring Slash back in the band to regurgitate the same old 80s guitar tricks. No, what the band would need was someone that is in their prime, musically inventive, updated on the musical zeitgeist, and who had everything to prove. Unfortunatelly, Axl's attempts at that has failed miserably. But going back to the old top hat would be even worse.

The fact is that all of these men were better artists as a team than any other way since. They are neither better nor worse artistically than what they were in the heyday of GNR, just missing each others unique critical input and filters on their own musical ideas.

That statement should close the topic.

[wkuk04]

Amazing how much career mileage you can get with a novelty hat and a catchy ballad intro.

So who are you on GNR Truth?

Don't know what you mean?

[maynard]

Amazing how much career mileage you can get with a novelty hat and a catchy ballad intro.

So who are you on GNR Truth?

Don't know what you mean?

Forget it, then. Oh, and stop trolling. Thanks

[wkuk04]

Amazing how much career mileage you can get with a novelty hat and a catchy ballad intro.

So who are you on GNR Truth?

Don't know what you mean?

Forget it, then. Oh, and stop trolling. Thanks

Not trolling. Slash has peaked in my opinion.

[maynard]

Amazing how much career mileage you can get with a novelty hat and a catchy ballad intro.

So who are you on GNR Truth?

Don't know what you mean?

Forget it, then. Oh, and stop trolling. Thanks

Not trolling. Slash has peaked in my opinion.

Oh you were. Your comment defines what "trolling" means.

[dalsh327]

When the Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Roger Waters, and Rolling Stones did their shows, did anyone feel they were trying to "re-create"?

I think Slash also understands who's reading USA Today - people in hotels with no wifi. I get the reunion questions are tiring and annoying, but why even dignify it with a response?