What's the big deal about Slash?

[Davis Sharp]

I should probably just keep my opinion to myself, but there are plenty of artists that I just don't get. Guns n Roses are one. Bruce Springsteen is another. U2? they had a couple of good songs, but biggest band in the world.? Please! I mean they're all....OK?I don't know, I must be missing something, what is the big deal?

OK, now pile on.......

For a long time, I didn't get Springsteen either. - I mean, his most complex songs have 3 chords . But as I got older and listened closely, I've come to think of his music as folk music with a hard edge. Now I strongly doubt that I was the only one not looking at that perspective at the height of his popularity (forgive my arrogance, but I don't think that the wider musical audience thinks as much as I do about music). So I'm not sure why he was as popular as he was. No doubt he busts is _ss on stage and maybe his songs have some simple hooks that resonate with people.

I didn't like U2 until the Joshua Tree album. But they are also able to make an emotional connection with people. And, when you strip away the musical and lyrical credentials of the band, music is all about making people feel something.

But I get what you're saying. Setting aside the Beatles and Elvis, many bands have a few big songs or a couple of notable albums. Why some of them become outrageously famous and others don't is a mystery to me.

 

[Otto99]

I think most every band has one good song in them. Hell, I even liked a couple of Ratt tunes, although the lyrics were stupid. Pearcey kept saying he’d tell us why, but he never did. And I, too don’t get Springsteen’s near saint like status, but that’s maybe just me. EDIT: After reading Davis’ reply, I like that definition of Springsteen, and it makes sense.

 

[Raiyn]

For a long time, I didn't get Springsteen either. - I mean, his most complex songs have 3 chords

Well, his songs are easy to sing (or mumble incoherently) along with. He taps into that same "Americana" vein as John (don't call me "Cougar) Mellencamp where the songs can resonate across generations.

 

[DaveInSoCal]

"Greatest Rock Band Of All Time" is incredibly subjective. I understand there are some metrics cited in the case of U2, but I personally wouldn't call them the greatest. Maybe that's just my own bias, they did have a few good songs to be sure. But everyone has their own opinion on that.

To be completely honest the actual "Greatest Band Of All Time" is any band I have been in of course!

 

[Raiyn]

"Greatest Rock Band Of All Time" is incredibly subjective. I understand there are some metrics cited in the case of U2, but I personally wouldn't call them the greatest. Maybe that's just my own bias, they did have a few good songs to be sure. But everyone has their own opinion on that.

To be completely honest the actual "Greatest Band Of All Time" is any band I have been in of course!

I did say subjective

 

[RTH]

I'd rather Slash get the endorsements and attention than Axl. But just remember that it was Izzy that wrote all of those awesome riffs in Appetite. Slash didn't join until the 12th hour.

 

[Raiyn]

I'd rather Slash get the endorsements and attention than Axl. But just remember that it was Izzy that wrote all of those awesome riffs in Appetite. Slash didn't join until the 12th hour.

Yeah, screw Axl.

 

[Supersonic]

I really like the G N' R Lies record. Slash plays some great acoustic stuff on it.

 

[John]

Yeah,but has Bono ever found what he was looking for?

If he had looked Somewhere Over The Rainbow he'd of found it....

 

[DustnBones]

Hi all,I'm a 62 year old guy,been around music my whole life.Can anyone explain to me the deal with Slash?He's everwhere,guitar mag covers,Epiphone guitars,Gibson guitars,picks,strings,probally hair products and a limited edition tophat,so many endorsements.And touring with GnR.He's a guitar god?Why?I love GnR,but can anyone tell me what he's done in the past 30 years to be a guitar god?Sure,everyone plays some GnR in GC,but does he have any other riffs or songs that alot of people recognise?Yeah there's Slash's Snakepit,and touring with Miles Kennedy,but I never hear anything new from him.But he seems to have found a big pile of money with all the endorsements.

 

[Raiyn]

-

 

[Juke Box]

Hi all,I'm a 62 year old guy,been around music my whole life.Can anyone explain to me the deal with Slash?He's everwhere,guitar mag covers,Epiphone guitars,Gibson guitars,picks,strings,probally hair products and a limited edition tophat,so many endorsements.And touring with GnR.He's a guitar god?Why?I love GnR,but can anyone tell me what he's done in the past 30 years to be a guitar god?Sure,everyone plays some GnR in GC,but does he have any other riffs or songs that alot of people recognise?Yeah there's Slash's Snakepit,and touring with Miles Kennedy,but I never hear anything new from him.But he seems to have found a big pile of money with all the endorsements.

I just watched a Jonesy's Juke box interview with Slash where he reveals how he got the nick Slash. It has nothing to do with knives. Turns out a Dad of one of his friends early on noticed that Slash would visit but only stay a minute or two So the Dad started calling him Slash due to his speedy visits.
Thus I suspect Slash is the type that works all the time. He's always on the go. Slash is a hard worker so he is involved in many things business wise

 

[MerrChan]

Ok I give. Don't know!

 

[DustnBones]

Called marketing lol.. Programming that's what music is all about .. The artist that breaks away and does things totally different stand out themself ... Intill sales drop and it becomes the same ole same ole then a new style comes and a new face so on and so on..

That's the excitement i guess.. Things come and go .. Think ur great when you die and 20 years later people still use ur music for themself to make money haha..

Intill the next dead guy comes along lol..

 

[Raiyn]

That's the excitement i guess.. Things come and go .. Think ur great when you die and 20 years later people still use ur music for themself to make money haha..

Intill the next dead guy comes along lol..

ur? Please don't be that lazy. It's two (or three) letters.

Think you're great when you die and 20 years later people still use your music for themself to make money

 

[Jay Bones]

Well if you have to ask you'll never know...

As far as recent music my local rock station has been playing his latest song with Miles Kennedy (Driving Rain or I Won't Stop Now, or whatever its called).

His tone is pretty classic rock (LP & Marshal), his technique can be sloppy at times (solo on Paradise City) but so was Page's (another LP slinger), the top hat thing is a little cliche but I haven't seen him sporting it in a while.

On the endorsements, he sure has his share. Doesn't stop me from gasing for the amber LP that can only be bought in a pack with an amp and accessories.

Looks like if I want a new one I'll be forced to buy everything. But for low $300 not unreasonable.

 

[Dudemeister]

OK, I'll toss my 2 cents in here.

I think Slash is a a very good, if not great guitarist. I personally find it ironic that Gibson would endorse him with all the special issue models, considering that throughout most of his early GNR career he didn't even play a "real" Les Paul, rather he had custom made Les Paul replicas. In particular, the first LP he used was a '59 replica made by Kris Derigg.

But, if legend is to be believed, it was Slash and his Les Paul playing that revived interest in the guitar, at a time when most other (hair) bands were brandishing either exotics or superStrat types.

Slash minimalistic use of effects and great tone, made everyone stand up and listen, and buy a Les Paul. So in a sense, all these endorsements are really Gibson's way of saying "Thank you, Slash !".

 

[Shadow Explorer]

True that.
For me playing with Les Pauls was a happy accident, I did not care about Jimmy Page, clapton or Slash when I got mine.
I completely ignored 60s,70sm 80s and early 90s music. But hey I have a lot of cool stuff to catch up!!!
Modern music is kinda meh.....

About his LP made by Derrig, Gibson did the same thing with Les, when he was playing epis, they just changed the inlay to say Gibson (oh the irony eh?) so it's not new for them, and to be fair it doesn't matter.
It's just marketing... PRS made a strat and so on.