Best Band: Slash

[Alex]

I thought of trying a new thread series focusing on musicans and their various different bands. It was an idea that I'd been mulling over for a while after doing an art project. The idea was there have been various musicans who have been in at least two bands. Sometimes one was more commerically successful another might be more musically successful. I wanted to find out which one of the multiple musical endevours a musican had been in was seen as the best. You can look at it from a musical standpoint, a commercial standpoint and your own personal preference.

So lets look at a guy who's been in quite a few bands over the years. Slash

Guns N Roses

Joining the line up of vocalist Axl Rose, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler (being replaced by Matt Sorum in 1990) Slash would play on the bands debut album Appetite For Destruction, GNR Lies (made up of an earlier EP and an acoustic EP) Use Your Illusion I and II and The Spaghetti Incident. Slash would leave the band after arguements with Axl Rose (who would eventually become the sole original member)

Guns N Roses is still what people know Slash for. He created memorable riffs and solos in his time in the band and most of these songs (Sweet Child O' Mine, Paradise City, Welcome To The Jungle etc) are ingrained in the public conciousness in part due to Slash's guitar work.

Slash's Snakepit

Started to give him something to do in 1995 while Guns N Roses was on hiatus Slash made two albums with the band. It's Five O'Clock Somewhere and Ain't Life Grand. Standard blues rock, most of the stuff is very Guns N Roses like but just doesn't have the bite of Guns N Roses, in part due to Slash being the only constant member before breaking up the band in 2002

To me It's Five O'Clock Somewhere is a good album, it just doesn't stand out as a brilliant album (it's good though) and the second album I thought was eh'


Velvet Revolver

Slash started the band with former GNR alumni Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, being joined by rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner and Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland.

Releasing two albums in Contraband and Libertad. Contraband is a great album very Guns N Roses esque with great vocals by Weiland. Libertad was more hit and miss (emphasis on miss) with only a few good tracks. The band would go on 'hiatus' (essentially breaking up) after Scott Weiland left to rejoin Stone Temple Pilots.

Solo

Slash embarked on a solo career in 2010 releasing his self titled album with guest vocalists on each track following it up with Apocalyptic Love which was had his touring band on it, made up of Alter Bridge vocalist Myles Kennedy, Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz.

I really like the first solo album each song is different and they sound amazing, that in part due to the guest vocalists. The second one is just ok. It's got some good songs and Myles Kennedy is a brilliant vocalist but the album just doesn't jump out in my opinion.

It should come as no surprise I feel Guns N Roses was the best band Slash was in. Songs from that era are still played today and even casual fans know them and the songs just have a punch to them that his later work just doesn't have which I feel owes more to his fellow musicans in the band than Slash himself.


Constructive criticism would be nice so I can try and get better at this thread series malarky

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Clearly its GNR. He did his most notable stuff then. Of course, I might be biased since I am a child of that era. But November Rain is still one of my all time favorite songs. Which, coincidentally, when you mentioned his greatest guitar solos, you forgot that song.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

The answer is obviously Guns 'N' Roses and it's not even close.

I have everything Slash has ever done, from his days in Guns, the Snakepit stuff, VR and both of his solo albums and I enjoy all of it, Slash is a personal hero of mine and seeing him live in Manchester when he was touring his first solo album was amazing...my head nearly exploded when Mr Brownstone started!

However, there are no tracks from any of his other bands that will go down as ICONIC. While pretty much everything he has done since leaving G'N'R is great, there is just that little something missing to stop these songs from being as good as Guns' stuff. The greatest bands are when all the members fit together perfectly, and that was the case for the original line up of Guns 'N' Roses. Axl, Slash, Izzy, Duff and Steven were made for each other, and the music they made was genius. Just look at Appetite For Destruction...it is a masterpiece. Almost every song is world class.

Slash is great as a solo artist with Myles Kennedy, he was great in VR, great in Snakepit...but GREATEST in Guns 'N' Roses

 

[Owen 3:16 says I just stole your Slammy!!]

You wanted the Best? But they didn't fuckin' make it! Guns N' Fuckin' Roses!!!

I love GN'R (I'm actually an Axl guy), They might of been together for 8 years but those years were memorable in rock history. Slash and Axl might had there differences, but they were perfect for each other. There studio albums were great, I especially love the illusion era from '90-'93. The whole band was great live, the Live Era '87-'93 cd is a must keep.

 

[Dirk]

Slash is one of my favourite guitarists of all time. He's not the fastest and he doesn't know the most scales, but dammit, that man can make love to a guitar! With his look, stage persona and amazing skills, I don't think the band would have made it without him.

GnR was Slash's project with the biggest commercial success by far. When I first heard Velvet Revolver, I thought they were going to have a huge (if cult) following, but that didn't happen. At least not here in the Republic.

Commercial success does not always mean critical acclaim, though Gunners had a amazing albums. Each member of the band (including Izzy and Duff) was incredibly talented and the interaction between the instruments was AMAZING. So to say that GnR was best only because of commercial success is a teensy bit simplistic, but that isn't the case here.

My personal favourite incarnation of Slash is his solo work, though. I love most songs on his first album and it gave me a whole new respect for Fergie. What I like most about it (except for the more emphasis on Slash), is the potential it has. He already worked with a bunch of people, but he can go the Carlos Santana route and there are so many people he can play amazing songs with.

Also, he should hurry it up, because that 'fro is thinning.

Spoiler

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Slash is one of my favourite guitarists of all time. He's not the fastest and he doesn't know the most scales, but dammit, that man can make love to a guitar! With his look, stage persona and amazing skills, I don't think the band would have made it without him.

My personal favourite incarnation of Slash is his solo work, though. I love most songs on his first album and it gave me a whole new respect for Fergie. What I like most about it (except for the more emphasis on Slash), is the potential it has. He already worked with a bunch of people, but he can go the Carlos Santana route and there are so many people he can play amazing songs with.

I think you are dead right with Slash going down the Santana route. He is that talented. On his first solo album, he plays so many different styles to suit the person who is doing the vocals on that particular track. I was so surprised to hear how he played on "Nothing To Say" with M Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold- that is not a regular Slash style at all. Whether its fast metal, ballads, straight up Motorhead style Rock n Roll (that he did with Lemmy singing), Slash can do it all.

Just as Santana has done with the likes of Chad Kroeger, Wyclef Jean, Steven Tyler and Rob Thomas, Slash can add something great to any type of music and he won't be retiring anytime soon. I expect alot more solo albums from him- he is working on a 3rd right now, and then many more guest appearances on other people's albums in the future.

Slash is the man.

 

[Starcaller_Nasath]

Clearly Guns N' Roses, though I love Velvet Revolver's debut.

I'm more of an Axl guy, as well. I'll take Chinese Democracy over any post-GN'R Slash material.

In regard to the person who mentioned Live Era '87-'93, it's an alright album, but it's missing a few live staples (Civil War, Live and Let Die, etc.) and the vocals on most songs were re-recorded by Axl in approximately 1999 when the then-current lineup had re-recorded Appetite For Destruction.

There are some great quality bootlegs out there, especially from the Illusion tour, like the three hour Inglewood show.

 

[CmPunker]

i am not a big fan of rock because i just dont like it. i usually like to listen to rap because it relaxes my mind. rap is also more popular and sounds cooler than rock. so imo the best singer is kanye west