Slash – “Slash” (Music Review)

  

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Written by Greg VictorcloseAuthor: Greg Victor Name: Greg Victor
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About: Greg Victor (Parcbench Culture Editor) is a historian, pop culture critic, and theatrical dramaturg and has stage managed theatrical productions on Broadway and on tour, including Billy Joel's "Movin' Out", Monty Python's "Spamalot" and more.See Authors Posts (225) on April 12, 2010

*** (out of 4 stars)
Label: Dik Hayd Records

Remember Slash (the top hat that liberates the guitar)? He’s back! After more than 20 years, he has finally released his first solo album, titled simply Slash. But it isn’t really very “solo.” It seems Slash has traded an “appetite for destruction” for an appetite for collaboration. Taking a cue from the success of Santana’s Supernatural, the former lead guitarist of Guns & Roses (and more recently Velvet Revolver) has put out a 13 track CD of songs that feature some of his fellow rock ‘n’ rollers, including; Iggy Pop, Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Cornell, Fergie, Lemmy Kilmister, Kid Rock, Taylor Hawkins, and Adam Levine. (Note that Axl Rose is nowhere to be found on this album.)

Verdict: I know some die-hard fans will find fault with some of the guest artists (after all, who could possibly be a fan of every one of these very differently-talented musicians?), but I give the album a pass… if only for the ambition it displays. Besides there’s more no-BS rock in most of these tracks than in some contemporary rock artist wimps’ entire careers. Thank you, Slash, for not being yet one more rock ‘n’ roll disappointment in the 21st century. I salute you.

If the album has a theme other than pooling a variety of unexpected talent, it would be that this album captures the broad spirit of rock ‘n’ roll. The first single is “By The Sword,” featuring Andrew Stockdale (from the band Wolfmother). It has an epic quality that takes nothing for granted. Then there’s a song from Fergie? Seriously? And Iggy Pop? Who makes an album like this? Slash’s recent work habit as a journeyman musician comes in handy, since he has the uncanny ability to fully support and share the spotlight with so many diverse artists.

It’s not all a bed or guns and roses though. We knew this, but it’s still worth pointing out that the track (“Gotten”) with Adam Levine (of Maroon 5) is kind of a disaster. It reeks of tokenism, or some lame record label executive fantasy that should have been ignored.

If Slash’s future artistic endeavors fulfill the promise of this album, all I can say to him is “Welcome out of the Jungle! Now get out on tour so we can hear this stuff live… and then get back into the studio and make more!”

Download these:

“Beautiful Dangerous” – Putting aside her work with the Black Eyed Peas, Fergie makes a case that she is really something of a closet rock ‘n’ roll singer. She rocks, with attitude, as usual. She adds more than the usual female rock explosives here. Her vocals are in total tandem with Slash’s raw guitar sounds.

“Saint Is A Sinner Too” – Featuring Rocco DeLuca, this track brings the album a hazy, romantic side. The song gets the rock royalty treatment. You’ll think you have taken a zeppelin to a hotel in California.

“Promise” – Chris Cornell (of Soundgarden and Audioslave fame) captures the “press-the-repeat-button” award for his contribution to this song. Starting out like a song that Lou Reed forgot to write, it explodes into an infectious rock march that has just enough grunge to keep it interesting.

“Watch This” – If you are here to rock, then this is the track for you. On it, Slash reunites with Duff McKagan (Guns & Roses), and lets Dave Grohl bang the drums. This is kind of a dream team of metal instrumentalists. There’s no vocals here – just the singing of Slash’s guitar in all its glory.

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