Bob Dylan rejected Slash solo for sounding to much like GN'R

[Sosso]

“I went into the studio with my happy-go-lucky guitar player attitude,” he explained. “It was a simple song with a I-IV-V [chord] progression called Wiggle Wiggle. Right before I played, Bob asked me to make it sound like Django [Reinhardt, the French-Romani jazz legend]. 

“I didn’t think he was serious,” Slash continued. “I played what I thought was one of my better one-off guitar bits as me, and also did an acoustic track. And I asked Don to send me a rough [mix] when he was ready.”

However, as Slash was soon to find out, the rough mix unfortunately didn’t include his solo.

He added, “A couple of days later he sent me the cassette, and when we get to the guitar solo section, it’s nothing but me strumming acoustic for sixteen bars. I called Don and said, ‘What happened to the guitar?’ He told me, ‘Bob says it sounds too much like Guns N’ Roses.’”

 

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/slash-bob-dylan-solo-rejected

Edited April 4 by Sosso

[lame ass security]

Yeah, I don't know what Dylan was really expecting from Slash. He knew how Slash played then said it sounds too much like Guns. That's like when John Lennon would bring a drummer in and tell him to play it "like Ringo would." Hell dude, if you want it to sound like Ringo, go get Ringo to play it.

[mystery]

14 minutes ago, lame ass security said:

Yeah, I don't know what Dylan was really expecting from Slash. He knew how Slash played then said it sounds too much like Guns. That's like when John Lennon would bring a drummer in and tell him to play it "like Ringo would." Hell dude, if you want it to sound like Ringo, go get Ringo to play it.

Spot on. I'm guessing he thought Slash would go outside his normal style. For context this happened in 1990.

[Oldest Goat]

Weird. Has Dylan ever said what he thinks of GNR's KoHD?

15 minutes ago, lame ass security said:

Yeah, I don't know what Dylan was really expecting from Slash. He knew how Slash played then said it sounds too much like Guns. That's like when John Lennon would bring a drummer in and tell him to play it "like Ringo would." Hell dude, if you want it to sound like Ringo, go get Ringo to play it.

Absolutely. Wish we had more music from The Beatles.

[hudsonsaul]

I seem to recall something similar with Michael Jackson? 

A track or tracks that slash played on was toned down or something due to the same 'sounds too much like guns'. 

Nfi where I'm getting this from but remember reading something about it decades ago. Or perhaps it was toned down and it was more the producer(s) having a concern that it might be too guns sounding. 

Does seem odd to grab his services then ask him to play like Django, particularly in 1990 which was like peak slash sound almost. 

[Sweersa]

49 minutes ago, mystery said:

Spot on. I'm guessing he thought Slash would go outside his normal style. For context this happened in 1990.

I was about to ask, after they mentioned a cassette

[Rovim]

Slash is one of those instantly recognizable guitar players. Some guitar players really excel in imitating other great players. Slash's best quality imo is that his style sounds totally original even if what he was inspired by is fairly easy to detect. I'm a big Dylan fan but he seems weird and grumpy sometimes and it totally wasn't Slash's fault, just bad "casting". Dylan should have known Slash was going to sound like Slash. Would have been really interesting hearing what he came up with for the song cause I believe him when he says it was one of the better contributions to a track as a guest musician.

Edited April 5 by Rovim

[rocknroll41]

You guys know that episode of SpongeBob where the kid is like “I don’t like pistachio ice cream” and the dad is like “then why did you ask for it?”

Well that’s exactly what this shit is…

[mystery]

29 minutes ago, Sweersa said:

I was about to ask, after they mentioned a cassette

It was for Dylan's album Under the Red Sky on the song Wiggle Wiggle. I'm kind of wondering if Slash was doing guest spots with other artists in between sessions for the UYI albums? He also was on Michael Jackson's album Dangerous and the recording for that started in 1990.

[StrangerInThisTown]

Bob Dylan: hires GNRs guitar player

GNRs guitar player: plays something that sounds like GNR

Bob Dylan: *surprised Pickachu face.jpg*

[Ratam]

50 minutes ago, rocknroll41 said:

You guys know that episode of SpongeBob where the kid is like “I don’t like pistachio ice cream” and the dad is like “then why did you ask for it?”

Well that’s exactly what this shit is…

"Sponge Bob Dylan".... 

[Free Bird]

5 hours ago, mystery said:

Spot on. I'm guessing he thought Slash would go outside his normal style. For context this happened in 1990.

Even if Slash's leaving his comfort zone his playing is recognizable because it's Slash. If you hire Slash, don't expect anything else. 

[thunderram]

2 hours ago, Free Bird said:

Even if Slash's leaving his comfort zone his playing is recognizable because it's Slash. If you hire Slash, don't expect anything else. 

Whenever I listen to most Velvet Revolver, I don’t hear as much connection to GN’R. 
 

While SLASH’s signature sound is there, it’s not exactly the same as Guns. Same goes for SMKC.

Then there’s stuff like “Obsession Confession” which most casual or non-GNR obsessed fans are typically surprised and shocked to learn is SLASH.

He clearly can and does play in a style that doesn’t immediately remind or sound too much like Guns.

Edited April 5 by thunderram

[drlaban]

23 minutes ago, thunderram said:

Whenever I listen to most Velvet Revolver, I don’t hear as much connection to GN’R. 
 

While SLASH’s signature sound is there, it’s not exactly the same as Guns. Same goes for SMKC.

Then there’s stuff like “Obsession Confession” which most casual or non-GNR obsessed fans are typically surprised and shocked to learn is SLASH.

He clearly can and does play in a style that doesn’t immediately remind or sound too much like Guns.

That was 15-30 years later than the Dylan thing though. 

[SoulMonster]

7 hours ago, hudsonsaul said:

I seem to recall something similar with Michael Jackson? 

A track or tracks that slash played on was toned down or something due to the same 'sounds too much like guns'. 

Nfi where I'm getting this from but remember reading something about it decades ago. Or perhaps it was toned down and it was more the producer(s) having a concern that it might be too guns sounding. 

Does seem odd to grab his services then ask him to play like Django, particularly in 1990 which was like peak slash sound almost. 

Slash was always a "mercenary for hire". In the early days he mentioned having a bad reputation for this when talking about almost joining Poison. The A4D history section is scattered with chapters on Slash collaborating with various artists while still in GN'R. 

At first Axl loved it:

Axl: "It's like the first time I met Slash, I said, "The world's gotta see this guy." That's why when he plays with other people or does solo things it totally gets me off and makes me happy. It secures his place in rock history as a guitarist" [Hit Parader, June 1993].

But later on when Slash prioritized other projects over GN'R, Axl became more lukewarm to it all.

Slash and Michael Jackson: 14. NOVEMBER 1991-APRIL 1992: THE BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD (a-4-d.com)

Slash and Bob Dylan: (45) 11. 1990: MOVING FORWARD WITH A NEW LINEUP (a-4-d.com)

[Stay.Of.Execution]

Bob Dylan is overrated and annoying

[ToonGuns]

It still sounds like Slash to me, quite faintly in the outro. 
 

Not a great song.

[jamillos]

He hired Slash. Slash sounded like Slash. Confusion. 

[AtlasShrugged]

1 hour ago, WhazUp said:

That is ironic, because I reject modern day Bob Dylan songs because it sounds too much like modern day Bob Dylan's voice

I'm sure he's worried

[El Nono Pololo]

13 hours ago, lame ass security said:

Yeah, I don't know what Dylan was really expecting from Slash. He knew how Slash played then said it sounds too much like Guns. That's like when John Lennon would bring a drummer in and tell him to play it "like Ringo would." Hell dude, if you want it to sound like Ringo, go get Ringo to play it.

To be fair, probably some suit or producer told Dylan he should use Slash since he was in the hottest band at the moment, and Dylan was like: *shrugs and mumbles unintelligibly*. But when Slash came around and laid down his parts, Dylan was all like *frustrated incomprehensible mumbling*. It was just a bad fit.

[mystery]

4 hours ago, El Nono Pololo said:

To be fair, probably some suit or producer told Dylan he should use Slash since he was in the hottest band at the moment, and Dylan was like: *shrugs and mumbles unintelligibly*. But when Slash came around and laid down his parts, Dylan was all like *frustrated incomprehensible mumbling*. It was just a bad fit.

This is exactly how it went down. Also that album had a lot of guests on it so it's a bit of a different album for him. In 2014 Slash did his own version of Wiggle Wiggle with Aaron Freeman of Ween.

[SoundOfAGun]

Slash making a Bob Dylan song sound like Guns N'Roses was the best thing that could happen to it. The grump old cunt should be grateful IMO.

[Rovim]

4 minutes ago, SoundOfAGun said:

Slash making a Bob Dylan song sound like Guns N'Roses was the best thing that could happen to it. The grump old cunt should be grateful IMO.

that is if you're not a Bob Dylan fan and you're a Gn'R/Slash fan. Say what you will about Dylan, but he has released many outstanding albums. He can probably use almost any group of musicians in his style and still release a great album. (if you're into that sort of music)

[IrishgunnerII]

FFS. Bob Dylan got annoyed that the lead guitarist of GNR  did a GNR style solo on a song from 1990 ? That’s the music equivalent of when you visit the leaning tower of Pisa and being disappointed that it’s actually a fucking tower that leans in Pisa.  

Edited April 5 by IrishgunnerII

[Free Bird]

13 hours ago, thunderram said:

Whenever I listen to most Velvet Revolver, I don’t hear as much connection to GN’R. 
 

While SLASH’s signature sound is there, it’s not exactly the same as Guns. Same goes for SMKC.

Then there’s stuff like “Obsession Confession” which most casual or non-GNR obsessed fans are typically surprised and shocked to learn is SLASH.

He clearly can and does play in a style that doesn’t immediately remind or sound too much like Guns.

I don't know... to me all that yiu mentioned sound like Slash, though. Even in different styles. And Slash's a big part of the GNR sound. So yeah... even if the music is different, the guitar is still recognizable Slash.