You are not logged in. Please register or login.
- Topics: Active | Unanswered
- jimmythegent
- Rep: 30
Re: Slash's 2010 solo album
So... I really enjoyed this album when it came out but hadn't listened to it in several years...
I put it on yesterday and was pleasantly surprised with how enjoyable a listen it is ... not only the playing and array of quality vocalists, but specifically the songwriting and arrangements.
This got me to thinking - could it be that some of this material was the vaunted 'greatest GN'R album ever written' prior to VR?
Specifically, Ghost (which would have been a belter of a GNR track), Crucify the dead, the Kid Rock one, the Lemmy one and even the Adam Levine number. Hell even the Myles Kennedy numbers (who i'm not a fan of) sound 10* better than anything I heard subsequently...
At any rate...it's a solid album and for those who haven't checked it out, you're in for a treat...
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: Slash's 2010 solo album
Related to this is that there's that VR audition demo (before scott) "pleasing" which features the riff from Ghost but arranged a bit differently.
My theory is that Slash has complained a few times in the media about how hard it was to write in VR - so I suspect over that period he came up with a lot of riffs the band didn't use - and busted them all out in that solo record.
If you consider the time after snakepit 2 dissolved until after libertad.....that's a lot of years.
Meanwhole AL and WOF are only 2 years apart.
So I consider the solo album almost a "best of stuff i've come up with this decade" - whereas the more recent albums have great songs but also some filler amongst them.
That said...the solo album could use a Wicked Stone and Anastasia.....but I do live By the Sword and others.
Re: Slash's 2010 solo album
My theory is that Slash has complained a few times in the media about how hard it was to write in VR - so I suspect over that period he came up with a lot of riffs the band didn't use - and busted them all out in that solo record.
Guns/Snakepit, anyone?
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: Slash's 2010 solo album
Guns/Snakepit, anyone?
Indeed.
Especially "It's 5'Oclock Somewhere" - those riffs absolutely reek of GNR style. It's the "should have been" return to AFD style that could have followed UYI had Slash and Axl been able to maintain a working relationship.
As for VR - seems there were again disagreements. They could have released the Slash solo album as a VR record with guest singers. This would work well to adjust the public to the idea that VR is still a supergroup but no longer has Scott. Then his next 2 albums could have been done with Myles fronting VR (not as big a name as scott but as the guy from AB it's still legit a celebrity band). But slash needed to go sail his own ship or however he put it.
It must be hard to always do stuff in a group.
- monkeychow
- Rep: 661
Re: Slash's 2010 solo album
If he did save up stuff I would think much of it was used in VR since that was "the big project".
I recall scott saying he went through 2 full CDs of Slash-Izzy riffs and cherry picked the 3 or 4 tracks he liked for contraband.
Re: Slash's 2010 solo album
It must be hard to always do stuff in a group.
Therein is his problem. All of his solo albums definitely fall under 'serviceable', at least, with some great tracks. Slash knows how to make a blues-based rock album, no sweat. His Achilles' heel appears to be that he lacks the focus or motivation to work on it beyond a certain point. When it's recorded, mix, release, tour, repeat. That's the way he likes it.
When he has someone like Axl in his court, things change. The instrumentals are recorded and Axl starts to tinker with it. What Ax did with the UYI tracks is essentially producing. He has a ton of musical awareness, in terms of both music history and the things he hears. While Slash may be a bit aloof as to what there'd be to improve his stuff, Axl sees the many points to address in various ways, and if he keeps his whims in check, he can thoroughly elevate the work to the next level.
To me, that sort of coins the Slash-Axl working relationship. One is good in laying the foundation, while the other has a vision of what it could become. Slash's solo works are different beasts to Estranged, while Axl's works lack the unifying lead guitar. It seems they grew apart because, as time passed, they lost respect for one another's contributions. Axl could've elevated those 3-4 Snakepit songs, but Slash grew tired of waiting on him. Axl felt Slash was irreverent and replaceable. They both lost, there.
- metallex78
- Rep: 194
Re: Slash's 2010 solo album
I'm a bit so-so to the Slash album. As to me, it is like Slash saying - this is the best of what I can do by putting just his name on it, and its a very hit and miss affair. Some songs are quite bland as far as what Slash is capable of, while others are excellent.
The almighty Watch This and Nothing To Say are of excellent caliber, while We're All Gonna Die and I Hold On are pretty average.
I don't really think much of By The Sword either.
As for the stuff that came after that on his Conspirators albums, that could have been killer new Guns tunes - Anastasia, Standing In The Sun, Wicked Stone, and even great riffs on songs like Withered Delilah and Too Far Gone would have made KILLER Guns tunes with Axl on top of them.
Re: Slash's 2010 solo album
To me, that sort of coins the Slash-Axl working relationship. One is good in laying the foundation, while the other has a vision of what it could become. Slash's solo works are different beasts to Estranged, while Axl's works lack the unifying lead guitar. It seems they grew apart because, as time passed, they lost respect for one another's contributions. Axl could've elevated those 3-4 Snakepit songs, but Slash grew tired of waiting on him. Axl felt Slash was irreverent and replaceable. They both lost, there.
Don't see Axl ever losing respect for Slash creatively. He bent over backwards trying to make it work. He only considered him replaceable in the sense he would rather continue without him than be under his thumb.
If waiting was the only thing Slash tired of he would have allowed Axl to work on a few select songs while he went out on tour. According to Slash he needed to be on the road to stay clear of drugs. Axl "screwing up the material" had little to do with it.
That to me suggest the real issue was Axl controlling the band and Slash resenting it.
Re: Slash's 2010 solo album
I'm a bit so-so to the Slash album. As to me, it is like Slash saying - this is the best of what I can do by putting just his name on it, and its a very hit and miss affair. Some songs are quite bland as far as what Slash is capable of, while others are excellent.
I'd be careful reading too much into the album being self titled as a representation of him saying "this is the best I could come up with". The album was named for brand recognition,Minot out of pride at the material.
The hole guest singers on a guitarist album blueprint is as old as rock n roll fueds. I've no doubt Slash wrote some killer stuff & worked his balls off. But it was, and remains, so unappealing to me due to the singers. The one that still stands out for me is Watch This.
Kid Rock & Adam Levine are two examples are what's wrong with humanity, never mind this record.
