In 1985 two bands, Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns, came together to form one of rock’s legendary groups…Guns N’ Roses (also referred to as GNR). While their freshman album Appetite for Destruction may be their best effort, several of their follow ups, and particularly the band members themselves, left a mark on the music industry rarely duplicated. Axl Rose and Slash are synonymous for not only creating renowned music (and in my opinion the inspiration behind the air guitar) but also ugly breakups. In 2007 Slash admitted on the Howard Stern show that he was not fired from GNR but that he left on his own accord after the rest of the band [perhaps mentally] quit. Although rumors had circulated that a GNR reunion was in the works, the band (excluding everyone except Rose) and an array of musicians not part of the original line up, released an over anticipated Chinese Democracy in 2008.Now, after venturing off and starting Slash’s Snakepit, being part of the super group Velvet Revolver, and putting out an autobiography, Slash has released his solo self titled album Slash (which in my opinion was a waste of a perfect name like, given his past, From Riffs to Solo). Going into this I had no expectations of a rehashed Guns N’ Roses but more of a record that delivered a sound, and experience, that could stand on its own. Technically it does that, but unfortunately not in the right direction. An album filled with prominent rock vocalists and musicians might make one think music magic could appear when instead your left feeling more tricked than treated.
So, for the trick…in the very first song from the :18 to :27 second mark I challenge you to sing “Take me down to the paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty…oh won’t you please take me home?” and see how easily it fits. I wouldn’t even have minded, in fact I would have celebrated its symbolism, except that Ian Astbury, front man for The Cult, comes in with second-rate vocal melodies twined with cheesy Saved By The Bell lyrics like “Kill the ghost, that hides, in your soul, Rock 'n' Roll”. For whatever reason, a number of songs that feature a superstar vocalist sound more like a b-side to their own record than a guest on Slash’s creation. This formula seems riddled throughout the album with cuts like: “Beautiful Dangerous” featuring Ozzy Osbourne; “Doctor Alibi” featuring Lemmy of Motörhead; “We’re All Gonna Die” featuring Iggy Pop; and “Baby Can’t Drive” featuring Alice Cooper.
The album takes a more interesting turn down a different road, yet driving the same vehicle, on tracks like “Promise” (featuring Chris Cornell), “By the Sword’ (featuring Wolfmother’s Andrew Stockdale), and perhaps the ballad of the album “Gotten” (featuring Maroon 5’s Adam Levine) by providing listenable, almost even playlist-able, songs that fans from these artists may enjoy. However, in this digital age how many followers will buy an entire album for one, half decent, song that too could be considered a b-side?
For the biggest trick of them all, Slash teams up with fellow GNR and Velvet Revolver bandmate Duff McKagan along with Foo Fighter frontman Dave Grohl on “Watch This”. Watch this is right, with one sleight of the hand…poof…the lyrics have disappeared. Yup, you have one of the industry’s best voices in the studio with you yet only his drumming skills are taken advantage of? Even though the majority of the song is an intense instrumental perfect for a cinematic fight scene, save the Pink Floyd solo, it comes off as incomplete. I’m starting to believe Slash is one of the greatest guitar players of all time, but as an overall song writer…not so much.
For all of these songs above, the music itself isn’t half bad and at times even pleasurable. The downfall comes when the lyrical choice seems cheap or the vocal melody feels forced. Slash may have been more likely to benefit with leaving his influences at home and going in a whole new direction with a singer like Muse’s Matthew Bellamy.
So, where’s the treat you ask? It comes in three interesting pair ups that I personally wouldn’t have thought to be the highlights on this album.
As for the first pairing, from the opening licks of guitar fire to the climactic ending of “I Hold On”, this is easily one of the best, if not the best, songs on the album. Kid Rock’s southern style voice, complements the sound of Slash’s playing. It even has a faint church organ in the chorus and a beautifully written, and performed, guitar solo reminiscent of Slash’s golden years to help package this song as worth replaying. This classic rock throw back mixed with a dash of adult contemporary could fit well into any background from an NBC primetime hit like Parenthood to your next sunny, blue skied barbeque.
The eleventh track is where you’ll hear the next odd pairing. If you ever wondered how Slash would fit in a band like Metallica, accompanied by a vocalist from a watered down poppy version like Avenged Sevenfold, he easily proves that it would come at no difficulty with his performance on “Nothing to Say”. Slash’s transitions from a hardcore barre chord to his melodic licks drape your ears with an intense resonance. If you’re looking for what I call the best “Drive Fast To” song on this album, here it is. All you need is a leggy redhead, who has a problem with puckering her lips continuously, to claw all over you while you take this 5:25 road trip and there you have it…a 1987 music video.
For Slash’s trademark sound and the third anomalous duo go no further than the Japanese bonus track “Sahara” featuring Koshi Inaba. Even though not one word is sung in English and he eerily sounds a bit like Axl Rose, Slash’s brand of riff jumps out at you. These short melodic phrases could easily take you back to the billiards you first heard “Mr. Brownstone”. The guitar solo on this track makes you want to close your eyes and imagine the amount of albums that unfortunately never were.
Overall if you go into this journey only desiring a great effort by Slash as a guitarist, you won’t be disappointed with his self titled record (again, waste of a name with everything he’s been thru). However, if you go into this looking at each song as a complete work you may feel like you bought a various artist record that somewhat fills your craving (depending on your taste). I could have went without Slash being marketed as a one fits all guitar player but hopefully this can now fill his appetite for destruction.
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