Slash's take on 'There Was a Time' (Will it happen?)

[NicoRourke]

I bet it will happen - it's a great song, with great great parts from Robin and Bucket. It certainly should be in setlists from time to time. I understand maybe not every night because it's a demanding song for Axl and they have already a lot of big guns / lengthy pieces, but it would be great to hear Slash's take on it.

On a side note it would also be the total reverse situation, having Slash playing someone else's parts in his band.

Edited March 2, 2016 by NicoRourke
Typo.

[SoundOfAGun]

21 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

The ending Bucket solo is my favorite GN'R solo. I want TWAT to be played but I am sure whatever Slash comes up with will be inferior.

Maybe this is what Slash needs to get his arse in gear and out of auto pilot. His solo work has been meat and potatoes rock for two albums now, don't get me wrong, I like a lot of the recent tracks, but AFD and UYI had guitar solos you could actually sing along to because they were so memorable. He needs to get back to his best, if there is enough fuel in the tank....

[Babooshka]

There is already a thread about possible setlists, could this not have been added to that?

[wasted]

1 hour ago, AlterL said:

What SoulMonster said, I know everyone loves Slash and everything but that's one of my all time favorites and judging by Slash's output I don't think he's gonna make it better. It's interesting for an alternative take on an already interesting song, but otherwise I just don't see it as being an improvement over the previous work. 

Hopefully Slash can take CD to the masses. 

[Ana_1991]

I'm hoping for Estranged like guitar parts

[Rovim]

Slash has many talents musically. One of those is taking a good idea and making it 10 times better. The solos in There Was A Time are heavily influenced by Slash's work on Estranged. My guess is it will sound glorious when inspired.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Rovim

[sonofnazareth]

hopefully not..Bucket did an untouchable solo. What would be cringe-worthy is hearing Slash play the opening riff to CD *shudders*. 

Edited March 2, 2016 by sonofnazareth

[Silent Jay]

There was a tiiiiiiiiiime

[SoulMonster]

Sort of related question: Are there mnay examples of Slash copying someone else's solo? Like when covering a song? Or does he tend to create his own solos for cover songs?

[Ulnar]

The soloing on 'Sympathy' is pretty much a straight follow of Keith's - perhaps with a few extra flourishes.

[Silent Jay]

I can't see Slash doing the killswitch and stuff there's no need of him doing that. Something like the first time Bumble played it in Hammerstein, totally unprepared and raw.

[Ace Nova]

53 minutes ago, Ulnar said:

The soloing on 'Sympathy' is pretty much a straight follow of Keith's - perhaps with a few extra flourishes.

That's not Slash though right?  Axl had Paul Huge record over Slash's parts in that song....if I'm not mistaken, that was one of the reasons they began fighting towards the end. 

[Ulnar]

From what I remember it was Slash - but the 'echo' part is Huge. They added in a 'call & response' type thing after Slash was done, and without his knowledge - and yeah - that's been reported as a contributing factor to it all falling apart for sure. But the main solo is Slash - the echo you hear is Huge.

[Rovim]

5 hours ago, sonofnazareth said:

hopefully not..Bucket did an untouchable solo. What would be cringe-worthy is hearing Slash play the opening riff to CD *shudders*. 

I know what you mean, but that's like selling Slash short. It's also judging Slash's ability before he's been given the chance to attempt it. It's silly anyway, cause Bucket's outro is perfect for the song. But Slash is on the same level when it comes to composing killer solos imo. I'd like to hear what he can do in a similar style to There Was A Time, but on a new song.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Rovim

[sonofnazareth]

25 minutes ago, Rovim said:

I know what you mean, but that's like selling Slash short. It's also judging Slash's ability before he has given the chance to attempt it. It's silly anyway, cause Bucket's outro is perfect for the song. But Slash is on the same level when it comes to composing killer solos imo. I'd like to hear what he can do in a similar style to There Was A Time, but on a new song.

I agree..I should not judge Slash before he has even played the song. 

And yes, that descending chord pattern could provide a great bed for a classic Slash solo. 

[RussTCB]

Imagine a bluesy rock solo in the same key set over the instrumental of TWaT and you've got what Slash will do with it. I don't mean that as an insult like Slash is simplistic or anything, but let's be honest; a bluesy rock solo is what he would do with it.

[SoulMonster]

1 hour ago, Ulnar said:

From what I remember it was Slash - but the 'echo' part is Huge. They added in a 'call & response' type thing after Slash was done, and without his knowledge - and yeah - that's been reported as a contributing factor to it all falling apart for sure. But the main solo is Slash - the echo you hear is Huge.

Yes:

Slash: [Axl] was ecstatic. "Let's do the song!" he says. So I said "okay". We show up at the studio... who shows up? Matt, Duff and I. That was it. Paul Huge came in with Axl a couple of days later. While we were doing it (recording the song), we had to write down how many bars each section was, because without vocals you don't know where the next change is going to come. But we got it done and the guitar solos on and everything, and then Axl went in to do vocals... and the next thing you know, there's this "answer" guitar going on during my guitar solo! It's Paul Huge! I will probably never forgive Axl for that. But we talked about it. We made a deal that if Paul ever plays on anything, then I should at least be told first, because it really took me off guard. I wasn't there when he did it. Axl likes the song. I haven't listened to it since it was mixed. It's not like it was lousy guitar playing or anything; I think it's how it went down. If people like it, then fine. I haven't gone to see the movie again again because I don't think I could bear it [Simmons (1995), Kerrang! - Jan, 1995]

Here's another quote that is related and paints a vivid picture of the conflict arising between Axl and Slash at the time. This is Duff Ttalking about the atmosphere when recording 'Sympathy for the Devil': It wasn’t good. The huge difference for me was, I was sober, so I was rising, you know? I was really focused on reclaiming my life, and I knew very much that I just survived something. I really gave up. At 29 years old, I told myself “If I live ’til I’m 30, I’ll be lucky,” and I was cool with it. It wasn’t a morbid thought. I was like, “Fuck it, live fast, die young.” And I realized at 30 or 31 that I had a chance to become the guy the 14-year-old me had envisioned. So the band was secondary to that goal at that point. It wasn’t the band first and me second, it was me first. So my whole outlook on what was happening in the session didn’t take over my whole fuckin’ thing. I saw it for what it was. Paul [Huge], Axl’s friend, the guitar-player guy, really saw an opportunity. I saw opportunities being taken advantage of, I saw management freaking out, I saw Slash in a fucking awful, black, and darkened malaise, and Matt had gotten sober. A lot of people were coming to me, management and the record company. I didn’t get a second to be sober, and [they said], “Now that you’re sober, you gotta save this thing.” And I really kinda thought I did for the first year or two, because so many people were saying that to me. I started to figure out in my second year of sobriety, “Oh, I don’t have to do shit" [The Onion A.V. Club, May 2011]

[buzzsaw]

I love Slash as much as anybody, but I can't see him doing better than what TWAT already is.  It will be good, probably really good.  I think art is what it is and when you start messing with it, it doesn't usually become better.  CD could have been a really good album.

[gunsfanoldie]

3 hours ago, SoulMonster said:

Sort of related question: Are there mnay examples of Slash copying someone else's solo? Like when covering a song? Or does he tend to create his own solos for cover songs?

I don't know MOST of the original songs on Spaghetti, at least not well enough to tell how much are copied.

But Hair Of The Dog is largely the same exact solo. Then again thats probably cause it doesn't lead you with much to do. Otherwise I do think he usually adds his own flair and creates something new.

[Tom-Ass]

It would be an absolute waste of a space in the setlist.. Especially at $20 a song.... 

Edited March 2, 2016 by Tom-Ass

[Philipm787]

5 hours ago, Rovim said:

Slash has many talents musically. One of those is taking a good idea and making it 10 times better. The solos in There Was A Time are heavily influenced by Slash's work on Estranged. My guess is it will sound glorious when inspired.

Rovim speaks sense

[Philipm787]

I'm not the biggest fan of Chinese, but I love TWAT, I think its great and I'd love to hear slash play it. I don't think he'd play the solos note for note, more so run with the melody.

[Rovim]

3 hours ago, RussTCB said:

Imagine a bluesy rock solo in the same key set over the instrumental of TWaT and you've got what Slash will do with it. I don't mean that as an insult like Slash is simplistic or anything, but let's be honest; a bluesy rock solo is what he would do with it.

Yeah, plus I think the best Slash solos (and there are many) explore different and interesting things in that realm so even if it is limited and kinda samey, it sounds fresh. Like the mysterious vibe you get in his By The Sword solo and while still bluesy, Safari Inn uses standard licks in a fresh way and the intro of it is kinda jazzy.

It doesn't have to be the same key or anything. He can fuckin' wail on just about any good hard rock progression, but not just that. He recorded his leads on a lot of different albums as a guest so he's a seasoned player that adapts well to fit many musical styles using his (quite diverse) bluesy hard rock sound.

For Axl, I suspect he won't have to adjust too much. He naturally fits with Axl's vocals, ballad style, etc. What he says musically with his guitar and his approach is exactly what Axl's music begs for. It can reach great quality like what Bucket did in If The World, Sorry, and There Was A Time or the outro for Street Of Dreams, but only Slash can do Slash and when inspired it was November Rain and Estranged levels of greatness.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Rovim

[BadApples87]

One of the MANY reasons for the split in the 90's was musical direction.  Why would they play CD songs when apparently there was strife over the direction Axl was going, and Slash was heading?  I don't see it happening.

[Philipm787]

I actually can't see them playing TWAT at all regularly if ever tbh, NR and Estranged HAVE TO be played EVERY night, and they're two very long, incredible songs, a third in the set? Maybe, but I just don't think so. I think they'll play the rockier tunes off CD, (CD, IRS maybe better) and one ballady, but not too long tune, (SOD, TIL, maybe stretch to Madagascar), but I just can't see them playing TWAT, unfortunately. I think there will only be a maximum of 2 CD songs each night, maybe 3 if the shows run for nearly 3 hours.