Here Today... Gone To Hell!

I don't know how accurate the review is, but it's the first I've seen.  At the link in French, and a rough translation thanks to LaBellaVita.

MARDI 16 F?VRIER 2010

SLASH - "SLASH", la review !

http://sparkaye.blogspot.com/2010/02/slash-slash-la-review.html

My review track by track :

NOTE : 13/20

01. Ghost (Ian Astbury, feat. Izzy Stradlin) (3:34)

Comparable to Billy Idol or the Cult, with some Velvet Revolver. It is mid-tempo and a perfect opening for the album. The review goes on to say how it?s kind of NewYork/East Coast bluesy, but dirty, comparing it to being at the strip club or something.

02. Crucify The Dead (Ozzy Osbourne) (4:04)

?Epic and Icy?, old school/70s feel but very over produced and arranged, making it very modern at the same time. He calls it a ?power ballad? and timeless, and mentions the blatant influence of Black Sabbath on the song.

03. Beautiful Dangerous (Fergie) (4:35)

Very hip hop, Fergie does her best Christina Aguilera/Pink impression. He refers to (I?m guessing Fergie?s) moaning throughout the track to ?rocket queen?. Very mainstream and obviously aimed to be for black eyed peas fans and mainstream. (Overall the reviewer doesn?t seem to like it too much..)

04. Promised (Chris Cornell) (4: 41)

 The reviewer likes it - nostalgic and melancholy..but pop/rock. The reviewer thinks Chris outshines Slash in this piece, perfect for american mainstream, but it?s mature. He doesn?t think the song will have any chance of doing well in France.

05. By The Sword (Andrew Stockdale) (4:50)

The reviewer hates Wolfmother, but the combination of Andrew and Slash is the highlight of the album. Very seventies, compared to deep purple or zeppelin. He comments on how well the song was built, going on to say it was ?Superb. Very good piece.?

06. Gotten (Adam Levine) (5:05)

Acoustic ballad that finishes with a lot of violins and drama. He doesn?t like Adam Levine either, and doesn?t care much for this song and thinks Adam?s singing style isn?t the best for this song, he?d prefer a rougher or ?broken? voice.

07. Doctor Alibi (Lemmy) (3:07)

Good rock n roll with Lemmy of course?the chorus reminds him of ?Doctor Doctor? by UFO.

08. Watch This Dave (Dave Grohl, Duff McKagan) (3:46)

Another strong piece on the album, a cross between metal and progressive rock. ?Heavy, breakable, and destroying?, comparable to ?Slither?(?).

09. I Hold On (Kid Rock) (4:10)

Comparable to Nickelback or Aerosmith, not special to him really?not very original but that?s the market here, typical american.

10. Nothing To Say (M. Shadows) (5:27)

Very avenged-sevenfold, kind of 80s in the beginning, like Iron Maiden, but the sound isn?t powerful. He compares it to a bad ?dream theatre?, and then says the ending is a little Metallica-esque.

11. Starlight (Myles Kennedy) (5:35)

He doesn?t have too much to say, its very pop and blues -- the reviewer also said that the song is heady and addictive.

12. Saint Is A Sinner Too (Rocco De Luca) (3:27)

Acoustic flamenco with a very soft voice and overall just soft... Kind of like Double Talkin Jive?s outro.

13. We're All Gonna Die (Iggy Pop) (4:30)

Great piece for Iggy, very rock n roll. good ending to the album.

Sounds like the reviewer doesnt care for much! lol.  and i dont just mean Slash or his songs but all the guest singers and the american market in general

Now that's disturbing.

The reviewer seems like a bit of a douche though.  But i do think this album will be different.  Its not going to be just 13 tracks with big riffs and solo's.  I think Slash will try to branch out into a few new territories.  There is some pop singers etc, etc.  i think it will have something for everybody.

This is going to be a trainwreck of epic proportions.

and your basing that off a french reviewer? :hihi:

 :rofl:  hehehe!  He sounds like a douche. (reviewer)

And you're basing that off a bellavista translation?

Drives me nuts how people already make their minds up about something before they hear one single note.

Whats funny is, its the same people who bitched about the same thing with CD

so its gotta be one way or the other.. don't be a hypocrite though.

more disturbing is that he said or aerosmith as if you can compare them to nickleback.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but when I said "thanks to LaBellaVita" for the translation...that's a person, it's their username.


A little more -- the reviewer also said that the song is heady and addictive.

not according to that woman up in Boston who is a rock station manager who I cant remember and eddie trunck-they both really liked they heard from it---for some strange reason, I'll take the opinions of a NYer and woman from Boston over the french anyday :hihi:

I hope it's good, people.

Let's not forget that this man gave us Estranged.

Yes, the quality of his work fell of in 'da Snakepit and VR...but he had a long time to work on this solo disc, and he did it his way.  Fingers crossed for some good music.

That'd be Mistress Carrie from WAAF in Boston.

I'm sure the album will at the very least have some good tunes on it.  How could it not, with the lineup of singers/performers?

This seems to be the source of that review, pretty interesting.

To return in the sharp one of the subject, and after some listenings, I would say that roughly speaking this album is a beautiful effort, a beautiful production and there are no faults `?liminatoires'. There is no `surprises' with properly spoken, it acts of Rock' N Roll, sometimes gross, sometimes more sophisticated, but always enjou? and impassioned, Slash clearly has that in blood and one could not reproach him. This said, there are passages a little `commercial', a little less `strong' with an easy inspiration but overall, the man with the top hat leaves himself there rather well. And it makes the things with sincerity. Each song transports us in a different universe, a different sound, to see even a different time? Finally one is not far - in the principle - concept album `Probot' de Dave Grohl, but there it is about rock'n'roll, in the broad sense. This Slash time makes us discover his vision of the `rock': how it is blues, hard rock, metal, pop, progressive, 70ies, punk and sometimes even n?o-metal! Then it is a very heterogeneous album, but the pieces are well produced and rather powerful. Perhaps a little too `propres' on the noise level, but the sound `Appetite for Destruction' is well far, and quasi in-recoverable (dixit Slash himself in its biography `SLASH' published in 2007). All in all, I am rather rather content. It is Rock, unquestionably. There is some waste, it is unequal, but the good pieces are worth the blows!

RATING: 17/20

My review track by track:

01. Ghost (Ian Astbury, feat. Izzy Stradlin) (3: 34) This one is in the Rock'n'roll US FM radio 80's, in Billy Idol, the Cult, with some relents of Velvet Revolver. This piece mid-tempo is perfect for an introduction. We plunged here in a bad telefilm police US standard NYPD blues, at the bottom of a strip club, 3:00 AM, music at bottom?

02. Crucify The Dead (Ozzy Osbourne) (4: 04) Intro super arpeggios melody on bottom of solo `oldschool'. Epic and icy environment in this piece mid-tempo enough overproduced and arranged. It is a `power-ballade' timeless (its and arrangements modern, but atmosphere 70ies, its basic acoustics and the phantom of Black Sabbath which planes on all the piece obviously?)

03. Beautiful Dangerous (Fergie) (4: 35) It begins with Hip Hop/Indus beats, Fergie seems rather sensual, ultra sexy. Then it gets worse? Chorus too `mainstream', one has an impression of Christina Aguilera which makes rock'n'roll or bad Pink. Small disappointment. I preferred the intro enough `sex' and the moanings, quasi-inaudible, on the solo, certainly referring to those of `Rocket queen'? Even if total environment is original and interesting, the song is well formatted and likes, without any doubt, with the teenager fan of Black Eyed Peas and of rock'n'roll to the radio.

04. Promised (Chris Cornell) (4: 41) Another power ballade. But this time I like it. The arpeggios saturated with the topic put immediately in environment, melancholic person and a nostalgic bit. One is in radio operator formatted pop-rock'n'roll still, but of good invoice! Kind the first 2 albums of Chris Cornell in solo (very correct) or the first 3 Audioslave. Moreover the leg of Cornell is more outstanding than that of Slash in this song (except the solo of course). Perfect for the US market, more adult than the precedent, catchy chorus but no chance in France.

05. By The Sword (Andrew Stockdale) (4: 50) Then I hate Wolfmother, but there I must admit that the combination Andrew Stockdale/Slash offers the top of the album to us! For the blow one makes a jump in the Seventies, directly in the line of Led Zeppelin/Deep Purple. The song is well built, it breathes the 70ies with full nose, the refrain is a slaughter, the agreements of Slash puent the rock'n'roll! The voice of Stockdale - well that very stereotyped really the piece carries, and is used as springboard with the flights of Slash. The solo `liquid whah-wah' of the bridge is superb. Very good piece.

06. Gotten (Adam Levine) (5: 05) New acoustic ballade/guitar its light which finishes in fireworks of violins and `guimauve'. Me I am not fan of Adam Levine, I have the impression to hear Maroon 5, and they is not glorious. Damage, it is not the ballade of the century but it is rather not badly, a voice more raucous or broken would have made the deal perhaps better. But it is also necessary to maintain its relations vicinity on the side of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills?

07. Doctor Alibi (Lemmy) (3: 07) Rock' N Roll! With Lemmy in any event it n' there the choice does not have. Ca p?te! the refrain would almost make me think of ' Doctor Docteur' of UFO. Good Rock'n'roll with l' old.

08. Watch This Dave (Dave Grohl, Duff McKagan) (3: 46) Pieces instrumental which cases! Between metal and progressive rock'n'roll, I m' waited that at all. Ca sends severe during almost 4 minutes. Fronts - heavy, breakable and destroying are really effective (one would say almost the `Slither' to the idle). Similar for the solos, and the station-wagon ' claire' medium points out almost Guns to me n' Pinks of the good old day. One of the moments strong of the album.

09. I Hold One (Kid Rock) (4: 10) US rock'n'roll, pop FM, in the line of Nickelback, Aerosmith. Not especially my cam, not hyper original but there low it goes. Typically gone US.

10. Nothing To Say (Mr. Shadows) (5: 27) Piece speed-n?o-metal, in the line of the group of Mr. Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold)? j' there do not see too d' interest? that begins enough hard rock 80ies, limit like a front of Iron Maiden, but the sound is oddly not very powerful. The remainder transfers in traditional n?o-metal in Avenged Sevenfold, sometimes I have even the impression to hear bad Dream Theater. Too much hollow and wrongfully speed, end - `Metallicesque'-catches up with a little the piece.

11. Starlight (Myles Kennedy) (5: 35) Piece heavy Pop, blues and enjou?. The refrain is effective. Ca changes well remainder of the album and it is very coloured, hot and ent?tant.

12. Saint Has Sinner Too (Rocco De Luca) (3: 27) Piece interlude/UFO: acoustic guitar + a soft ultra voice and synth?s arrangements software? the whole in the form of ballade `flamenco' They is soft, very melancholic person and stripped. The solo of guitar resembles a solo of classical music. The environment of the piece is between `Private investigation' Knopfler Mark, `Misty Mountain hop' of Led Zep and the end of `Double Talkin' Jive' de Gn' R.

13. We' Re All Gonna Die (Iggy Pop) (4: 30) Whore of good front, ideal for Iggy. Us revoila in the register Rock'n'roll, gross and effective. Iggy is done insolate as with Stooges and crooners on the sung parts? Chorus hyper gun and effective! Ideal to conclude the album.

I don't think it's the source, but a more thorough translation.  In the other translation she was paraphrasing.

Interesting, and thanks for posting.  So this one came from Sludge without a link.

The original reviewer is asked about the difference in ratings (he gives it 13/20), he says...

Anonyme a dit?
on most forums I found your review with a 17/20 while here I saw a 13/20...what's right? and why eventually you changed your mind?

Spark a dit?
i never put my review on any forum personnaly.
My mark is 13/20 (maybe 14/20 now, with more listening) !
but, once again, its subjective.
Honeslty 2,4,5,6,7,8,11,12,13 are awesome.

His profile says he's a music journalist...

http://www.blogger.com/profile/10670952136538552211

The guy seems like a pretty harsh reviewer.  He thinks NINE songs are awesome and he only gives it a 13/20?  He must have high expectations for albums. 

Sounds like he is being critical just to be critical.

Yeah but meanwhile he's saying NINE songs are awesome.  I don't know about you, but any album that I find NINE awesome songs on would score way higher than 13/20.  His scoring system seems a little off, one way or the other.

9 awesome songs on one alubm is a classic album.  But if he rates it too high he will come off too much as a fan.  He has to find fault to justify his job.  Who knows, he made some contradictory statements for sure.

I was surprised to see what he said about the nine songs.  He seems to be doing a bit of backpedaling -- but he's standing by his 13/20.

There's probably some stuff "lost in translation".

No he isn't. My mark is 13/20 (maybe 14/20 now, with more listening) !  Let's see what score he'll come up with next week.

If he really liked 9 out of 13 songs, then 13-14/20 is the proper score. 13 out of 20 is 65%, and 14 out of 20 is 70%. Take those 9 songs he liked divided by 13 and you have 69%, so the guy is being consistent in how he scored it.

I will be thrilled if I like 9 out of 13 songs. With Slash you know ahead of time there will be a few paint by numbers clunkers that don't sound all that inspired, but somewhere on the album there will be that eureka moment where you're driving along listening to the album and you slap the dash or something wondering why he can't do more of whatever it was that moved you at that moment. I am hoping for that one Street Child caliber moment where I am unexpectedly blown away.

who marks out of 20 anyways?

Strange that he didnt have much good to say about Adam Levine or that song but now its awesome.  And now it appears as if the opening track is not awesome.

OK.  He stands by his 13/20 maybe 14/20 now.  I can't wait 'til the next review. :hihi:

I don't think he is.  It's one thing if you "like" 9 of the songs, but he said 9 songs were "awesome".  That's a difference to me.  Unless he thinks the other 4 songs are utter crap, then maybe his score would make more sense.

Hopefully if its good. But hey guys at least we can give it a funny name if it sucks

"GASH: The Album"

Crickets Chriping

wow my first post in almost five years ... We, french, we mark out of 20 ... from elementary school to the university. And as you already pointed out the reviewer is ... french ! So not a big surprise here.

Lighten up. I know its pretty hard to get a sense of humor when Slash is claiming about making an entire album with Fergie......but its good for your health to laugh!

HAHA, was just kidding.

Single review: Slash - By The Sword

by Will Weir

If you were expecting Floppsy to pop out of that weathered old top hat then you'd be in for a shock as the iconic shadow of Rock 'n' Roll's riff-meister general Slash returns, looming out over your world.

The premiere offering from Slash's imminent self titled release, By The Sword features the haunting, timeless vocal stylings of Wolfmother's Andrew Stockdale and sees the leather chapped ...erm... chap taking a more mature and personal path, which exudes style straight from the back alleys of the blues.

To the traditionalists we say fear not! For all those heavy grooves and electric licks are still most definitely present and accounted for!

If By The Sword is anything to go by then Slash is definitely set to be one of the rock fan albums to own for 2010.

http://www.purplerevolver.com/music/reviews/12344-single-review-slash---by-the-sword.html

Songs Streaming From Upcoming Slash Album

March 23, 2010

It's not Guns N' Roses, but at least Slash is putting himself out there and being productive. As a matter of fact, the above tracks aren't that bad. On "By the Sword," Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother builds on a creepy riff and delivers an Axl-worthy screech. The second song, featuring Dave Grohl and Duff McKagan, sounds like something from a Lord of the Rings concept album. Though both songs feature Slash's signature virtuosity and therefore force one's hand into the horned position, the main problem with the album, which drops on April 6, might be that there's not a clear point of view guiding it.

http://www.prefixmag.com/news/songs-streaming-from-upcoming-slash-album/38905/

Slash - R&Fn'R [Album]

Roadrunner Records

March 23, 2010

After spending quite a while trying to get this darn CD to play, it finally kicked in after the fifth try. I think it was waiting for me to try a stereo with a decent set of speakers, which later proved the best decision I made.

Now, we all know who Slash is and if you don?t, you need to crawl out from under your rock and wake up. Scanning down the list of guest artists on this album, some names include: Ozzy, Chris Cornell, Lemmy, Dave Grohl, Duff McKagan, Myles Kennedy and a number of others. Perhaps, like me, you?ve always been put out by those frustratingly out of place songs which appear on every compilation (e.g. Chumbawamba?s - 'Tubthumping') which quite frankly plagued much of the 90?s ?hits albums?. Anyway, my worry returns when I see a collaboration by Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. When you are planning to release the ultimate rock album, even Andrew Stockdale (Wolfmother) and Kid Rock seem to have been having a lucky day when that phone call came through. With that apprehension looming over the record, I had fingers and toes crossed that the song writing would be strong enough to overcome this.

Ian Astbury (The Cult) does a great job in opening the album and the all important guitar work by Slash is kept relatively simple without overshadowing the guest vocalist. This is well suited for Astbury, seemingly well within his vocal range without pushing the envelope. Slash dives in with a brief solo before the final chorus arrives, complete with harmonies and overlayed vocals. This moves into ?Crucify The Dead? featuring none other than Ozzy Osbourne. Already I question if the title is far too ?Ozzy?, although I was fully expectant of this and more so of the old Sabbath inspired guitar riffs. Surprisingly this goes down the route of a rock-ballad, with the heaviest sections during the choruses and verse needed simple clean guitar, allowing Ozzy to shine through. There is no denying this song was written with one man in mind, from the extended words on the end of individual sentences, giving that Ozzy tone. Again, a refined solo is featured and this gives some indication that Slash didn?t want this to be an album solely focused on him. We?re certainly off to a promising start with the two vocal performances so far and with Fergie up to take the helm next, I'm sat in place, ready to loathe it.

OK, so this actually sounds like Garbage at first (the band, not my opinion... yet). With over-excitable, quickly spoken lyrics, it is genuinely difficult to make out many of the words. I am fully aware that Fergie has some pipes on her, however these are not truly explored within ?Beautiful Dangerous? and it is at this point I now question how relevant it was to feature her. I think we needed a female rock singer at this point, which sadly Fergie gives a good crack, but she feels out of her comfort zone in my opinion. Which does prove also that a great solo can?t save a track.

With Chris Cornell I am more inclined to approach this with less anxiety. I was hoping for a Soundgarden-esque onslaught, but it took the direction of latter Cornell solo work, not really showing off his vocal ability and this falls into the category of being very average, with nothing exciting arising for any of the four minutes and forty one seconds. Probably the biggest disappointment for me, being a long time Cornell fan. It has a similar to vocal to his James Bond ?You Know My Name? ? although that was actually better.

?By The Sword? from Andrew Stockdale has already had sneak peeks available on YouTube posted by fans. The response has been rather mediocre, much the same as the new Wolfmother effort funnily enough. At least he is being consistent there. Yet again, I find myself questioning the thought process of getting this vocalist on board, if anything, this is closer to Raconteurs material and so Jack White should have been called in. Just when I hoped things might take a more positive turn, we get Adam Levine making his input. Remember him? No, me either. After a Google of his name I was even more disappointed to read he fronted Maroon 5. This album is becoming more of a tribute album to forgotten individuals than a genuinely hard-hitting rock album. The best part of this song, other than when it stops, is the guitar work of Slash. Some nice, clean electric guitar work does meet the vocal perfectly, despite it being far too centred around the failed sound of Maroon 5, than the heavier vibe I was previously expecting from this album.

Placing all my hopes on Lemmy to regain some quality, it was re-assuring to hear his voice bellowing over the distorted, although very simple power chords of Slash. I will say at this point that the guitar playing seems to have taken a back seat and although I mentioned this gives vocalists space to breathe, I still like to hear the iconic wails of Mr. Slash. I listened to this track twice to get the full benefit and it sounds better on the second time round, once I had become accustomed to the vocal and instrumental work. There is no denying that this album started strong and is now teetering on the edge of disappointing. Ever reliable Grohl and McKagan produce a throaty riff-hungry rocker which builds on the basics we all love and quite frankly expect. A little factor I must make clear, this is a purely instrumental track and although for a moment I was intrigued what this might sound like with the growl of Grohl, I was more than content with the arrangements on offer from the mighty threesome of Slash, McKagan and Grohl. It sounded a bit Led Zeppelin in places, which was cool to hear.

Over to Kid Rock to keep up the positivity now regained. Yeah, it?s OK, but nothing more than that. One of those safe album tracks which you would skip if it featured on a Kid Rock album. Sorry I can?t really go into more detail as there really isn?t much else to say. You have no idea how much I was praying for this release to really open up and give me something to rock out to. ?Nothing to Say? featuring M Shadows has the best music by far and I can only put that down to the Avenged Sevenfold influence. There was no way Shadows was planning on singing some naff acoustic junk ? he came for metal and that is what he delivered. Head and shoulders above the rest, reflecting the kind of album this ?could? have been if Slash had chosen vocalists of a similar ilk. Don?t get me wrong, I am a big fan of Slash, but for that reason alone I had huge expectations of this being an iconic CD for years to come.

Boosted from the previous track, I was pumped for my man from Alter Bridge, Mr. Myles Kennedy. One of those Lynyrd Skynyrd, deep down West country songs which keeps vocal and guitar minimalistic through verses, with a partial step up for chorus. Kennedy does some overly high-pitched bits and pieces that are slightly misplaced at time. I can?t help but feel let down by people who should know better. Obviously the songwriter(s) have a hand to play in this release, but some really needed screening again by an impartial producer first, because Slash could have done far greater things with this album.

I never planned to write this review with a negative spin, however I can already tell I'm in muddy waters and it seems unlikely that this album will pull back into epic territories. The Rocco De Luca song is most definitely the most forgettable song I have heard and I'm finding it a struggle to even concentrate whilst listening, given the odd musical styles on offer. I can only place all my eggs into one basket in extreme hope that Iggy Pop is going to end this release with a monster tune. Yeah, he does a pretty good job actually, certainly in keeping with my expectations of Iggy?s vocal work and this keeps it familiar and enjoyable.

So, what is the verdict? In all honesty "R&Fn'R" doesn?t have enough strong songs on it to warrant it becoming a highly acclaimed release. There were moments which I have cited as being above the rest, however it isn?t the type of album you will return to time and time again. There were many vocalists who no doubt would have jumped at the opportunity to appear on this and it seems a real shame that the ones chosen didn?t truly step up to the mark (expect those praised above).

I am sure that many people will say this is flawless and that Slash is God, but in all honesty there are multiple flaws and disappointments here. A genuine shame.

http://hangout.altsounds.com/reviews/116242-slash-r-and-fnr-album.html

This review is exactly what i expected from this record & from what I've heard so far.

According to I have heard so far, that review make feel lunatic ... or deaf!!
I'm not agree at all with that review.

the dude was from Roadrunner, so its of no surprise he loved the Avenged Sevenfold song, but didnt seem to give Fergie, Levine, or any of the other "soft" vocalists a chance.  It is not a metal album.  He thought Levine was a has been,  Maroon 5 sells more records than most of the bands on roadrunner, he seems to be out of touch with music outside of the  metal genre.  He seemed to have his mind made up before he listened to the album.  He did praise Slash's guitar work though, but thats not hard. He is the best at what he does.

No, the record is being release by Roadrunner, that's why I included it.  The reviewer is from altsound.com.

Yeah, I doubt Roadrunner wouldn't give its own album a glowing review.... :P

damn shame ;D

ahh ok.  I take back the part where I said he is from Roadrunner.  Other than that I stand by my analysis of his review.

The reviewer is a self proclaimed Slash FAN, so that's probably why he liked the guitar work.  I agree with him for the songs I've heard so far.  I have NO complaints with the guitar work on the 6 or so songs I've heard.  It's the lyrics, vocals, etc. that's the problem for me with songs not named "By The Sword" or "Starlight".

the guy reviewing this seems like a metalhead and slash has never been a metal guy

Look at the above quote.  Are reviewers always that close minded? 

I think most people coming into this album will be ready to loathe the track that quote refers to. Unlike him, though, everyone I've seen so far have been surprised at how awesome it is. It's still currently my favourite out of everything I've heard.

Has anyone gotten their Classic Rock magazine yet? I pulled this from the Alter Bridge forum where they posted the Myles stuff. If anyone has, scan it in the computer as I have been waiting to read this one and the Rollinstone review whenever that comes. Here is all the person posted:


I have just received the latest edition of Classic Rock magazine here in the U.K..There is a double page review of the new Slash album and it received a rating of 9/10 !.
The reviewer (Mick Wall) also says....

"The 2 tracks from Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy are another revelation:Back from Cali (like Velvet Revolver with a proper singer) and Starlight (harking back to a time when rock didn't come with a capital 'R' but sure had alot of heart and soul).We knew Kennedy was good,which is why Page identified him as a plausible replacement in Zeppelin for Plant.We didn't know he might just be the best frontman Slash has worked with since you-know-who,inspiring him to perform with the kind of arched back enthusiasm we remember from you- know- when"

i thought it was April 7th...

just saw this comment on the classic rock page though.

"I got my CR on Saturday.

What a suprise to see the CR enduced Slash overhpyed album get 9/10!"

I think this is the current issue of the actual magazine. Not the Slash special that comes with the album.

http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/pre-order-brand-slash%E2%80%99s-new-solo-album/ (http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/pre-order-brand-slash%E2%80%99s-new-solo-album/)

This is the cover for the Slash fanpack album.   Due out on April 7th.


Axl Reznor, i have the current edition and i didnt see a review???  admittedly, i just scanned through the magazine once though.
 
The pre orders are all sold out now also..  think there was 1000

I think the 1000 figure was the number of copies that could be pre ordered in the US.

Nope. It was the number overall.

Still good news that they're all ordered.  Hopefully lots of people will pick it up from the shelves.  I know i will be.

http://www.aardschok.com/cd-van-de-maand (http://www.aardschok.com/cd-van-de-maand)

From Google translator: 

If you just enough to plates of famous fellow pop up, all those celebrities you sooner or later invite your own solo album. So it must be about gone. The past decade Slash ubiquitous, both at the plate and on the stage. On his first solo album by guitarist (ex-Guns N 'Roses, Velvet Revolver) adorned merely sounding names, including Dave Grohl, Lemmy, Ian Astbury (The Cult), Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge), Kid Rock, Iggy Pop Chris Cornell and Ozzy Osbourne. Now guarantees a rich address book no top plate, but that's "Slash" have become accidentally. The guitarist, the songs on the body of his guests wrote, without denying himself. As always tasteful and virtuosic game acts as a thread. The album starts with the pumping "Ghost", with Ian Astbury and the protagonist (played the guitar), Izzy Stradlin. Ozzy late in the moody "Crucify The Dead" still belong to sing, even if evil tongues in recent years have claimed otherwise. One of the topnummers is also the first single: the Led Zeppelin-like "By The Sword", with Andrew Stockdale (Wolfmother) on vocals. Because that guy can reverberate! Actually falls anywhere in the plate. Everyone seems to put his best foot forward, even Lemmy in "Doctor Alibi". Iggy Pop sound of the fatalistic "We're All Gonna Die" even more vital than his most recent solo albums. Myles Kennedy is the only two songs to hear. It is no coincidence. He will slash a permanent singer accompany the upcoming world tour. Here and do all Velvet Revolver colleagues note. With the band comes also be okay.

This is a top Dutch Rock magazine.  Slash gets album of the month with an 8.5

Slash Review

Released: Apr 6, 2010
Genre: Rock
Label: EMI (US), Universal Music (Japan), Roadrunner Records (Europe)
Number Of Tracks: 14

Featured review by: Ultimate Guitar Team, on april 02, 2010

Sound: Slash has pulled out the big guns for his debut solo CD, and Guns N? Roses (and Velvet Revolver) devotees will be relieved to know that the iconic guitarist doesn?t misfire. You might make the automatic assumption that Slash would deliver an album full of his trademark blues-rock riffage, and there is some truth to that notion. But the self-titled CD, although creatively driven by Slash, branches off into several musical arenas ? due largely in part to the eclectic group of musicians recruited for the project. There aren?t many artists who would have the guts to include the likes of Adam Levine (Maroon 5), Fergie (Black Eyed Peas), and Iggy Pop on the same album, but you?ve got to hand it to the man with the top hat. He works it out.

The album?s 14 tracks (which include the last-minute addition ?Back From Cali,? featuring Myles Kennedy on vocals) always bolster trademark Slash moments, but the unique styles of the guest artists are also huge driving forces. It?s a veritable laundry list of the who?s who in rock, with Slash usually writing the musical portion with specific individuals in mind. Iggy Pop?s ?We?re All Gonna Die? certainly carries the most punk-heavy vibe on the album, while the Lemmy Kilmeister-fronted ?Doctor Alibi? contains all of the attitude and rawness one would hope and pray would embody the spirit of Motorhead. With pretty much every track, you?ll receive a good dose of soloing from Slash, who wows with his wah-fueled work in the first single ?By The Sword? (featuring Wolfmother?s Andrew Stockdale).

Utilizing the skills of Fergie and/or crooner Levine could possibly induce fear and trepidation into any Guns N? Rose purist. Thankfully Slash?s songwriting is steering the ship. Fergie?s performance on ?Beautiful Dangerous? takes a huge leap from her usual hip-hop repertoire, and the slithering rock tune ends up being one of the most satisfying tracks on the album. Levine does not necessarily shock with the pop-rock ballad ?Gotten,? but Slash has mentioned in interviews that writing that particular track was a labor-intensive process. Between its intricate arrangement (complete with a string section) and emotional intensity, ?Gotten? is an uncharacteristic, but oddly satisfying offering.

For as much time as Slash poured into a complex arrangement like the one heard in ?Gotten,? it?s the straight-on jam song that makes one of the biggest impressions. ?Watch This,? which showcases the talents of drummer Dave Grohl and bassist Duff McKagan, is a grinding rock instrumental that is reminiscent of GN?R?s early days. Apparently Grohl refused to provide vocals, and the man must have known what he was doing. ?Watch This? is a celebration of all the qualities that has elevated Slash to guitar god. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: While Slash is essentially the man behind the music, the vocalists took control of the lyrics. Given the varied nature of the artists, Slash?s record delves into a broad range of themes. In one moment the record tackles relationships (Levine?s ?Gotten? ) and in the next Kid Rock?s ?I Hold On? is delivering the staple message of just-take-life-one-day-at-a-time. Who gets the award for being most brutally honest? Mr. Iggy Pop in ?We?re Gonna Die,? of course. You can?t deny the punk appeal of lyrics like: ?I?m in the mood; So let?s intrude; Pee on the ground and jump around.? // 9

Impression: Don?t expect a carbon copy of Appetite For Destruction or Contraband with Slash?s self-titled debut. The guitarist has plenty more up his sleeve, and his diverse musical tastes have never been more evident. While that variety may still scare some listeners out there, the vast majority of tracks are memorable, infectious, and inspired. Slash channels Jimmy Page with ?By The Sword,? and may singlehandedly revive Ozzy Osbourne?s music career with ?Crucify The Dead.? A word of advice to any beloved musician who is looking to ?go solo? in the future: Take notes from Slash. // 9

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/slash/slash/index.html

 :beer:

That's exactly my thought.

I don't know- guess it depends on tastes- heard it several times now. guess he did a decent job, but i just don't think it Rocks Hard enough!  Personally i think it's nothing more than a cool Novelty don't think anyone will give a fuck a few mos. from now.

Ghost (featuring Ian Astbury & Izzy Stradlin)
The album gets off to a pretty strong start with the help of The Cult's Ian Astbury and Slash's old bandmate, Izzy Stradlin. The lyrics leave a little to be desired, but the vocal melody more than makes up for it. As does the awesome riffage throughout.

Beautiful Dangerous (featuring Fergie)
A lot of people were understandably worried when it was announced that Fergie would be singing on Slash's record. From the first note of the fruits of the collaboration however, it is evident that all of those fears were completely unfounded. Fergie's voice is oddly perfectly suited to the music that Slash has written for her, with her sultry verses erupting into a full-on rocking chorus. If this isn't eventually released as a single, I'd be worried about the people promoting the record. It's not only easily the catchiest, most immediate track on the album, but as it turns out possibly the best.

Crucify The Dead (featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Taylor Hawkins)
The first misfire on this album is also one of the tracks I was most looking forward to. Completely ignoring the songs subject matter (which I don't think Ozzy has any place singing about), the song overall is just not all that could. Pretty dull from start to finish, with only a few nice guitar parts left to elevate the song above mediocre. I never thought I'd have more positive things to say about Fergie's song than this one.

Back From Cali (featuring Myles Kennedy)
Oh dear. What can I say about 'Back From Cali' other than the fact that this song is cheesy as all hell? I don't know if Myles Kennedy's bad Axl Rose impressions in the chorus' combined with his constant need to prove whose lungs are the biggest is the only problem, or whether the music was also cheesy. If this was on a Snakepit album, this would have been one of the better songs... unfortunately, that doesn't mean it's good.

Promise (featuring Chris Cornell)
Thankfully Soundgarden's Chris Cornell is around to get things back on track. Myles could learn a lot from Chris, who has a similar range but doesn't bombard the listener with everything he can do in each song. The music itself is pretty offbeat compared to what's come before, but it mixes with Cornell's voice incredibly well. In fact, if this song was on Chris' 'Carry On' album, it would have benefited the album's overall quality (not that 'Carry On' was a bad album by any means).

By The Sword (featuring Andrew Stockdale)
The albums first single features Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother on vocals. A lot of people seemed surprised about how well Andrew's voice fit into the track when they first released. I didn't find it all that surprising at all to be honest, because what Slash has done here is practically write a Wolfmother song. Luckily, this is a 'Cosmic Egg' era Wolfmother song, and not in the style of their overhyped and quite dreadful debut. With Andrew's wail, and Slash channeling Jimmy Page in the guitar solo, this song couldn't go wrong really. It's one of the best songs on the record.

Gotten (featuring Adam Levine)
Here comes a big shocker. This track features Adam Levine from Maroon 5 on lead vocals, and it doesn't suck! In fact, not only does it not suck, but it's one of the most intricate and emotional tracks on the album. Slash's delicate picking in the verses, complete with brief bluesy licks is probably the most understated that the guitarist has been for years.

Doctor Alibi (featuring Lemmy)
I'll get this out of the way. I am not a Lemmy fan in any way. I think his style of bass-playing (?I turn it up real loud and hit it real hard?) is crap, and his voice is even worse. I know it's forbidden to say this stuff about the man who brought us 'Ace Of Spades', but there we go. Right, now we've got that out of the way... I really enjoyed this track. It comes as a bit of a shock to the system after the previous track, but man does it pump your adrenalin. Even if the riff is completely identical to 'Main Man' by The Ramones (and I think Slash knows The Ramones enough to know this), and the lyrics are a glorification of all the things that Slash himself doesn't do any more, because his doctor told him it won't be alright.

Watch This (featuring Duff McKagan and Dave Grohl)
As much as I love the band that plays with Slash through the majority of this album (Chris Chaney on bass, and one of my personal favourite drummers ever, Josh Freese), this track probably has the most incredible rhythym section I thought I would never hear. Duff McKagan and Dave Grohl fucking rock it in another of my favourite tracks on the album, an instrumental featuring some truly incredible soloing by Slash. In fact, if I were to base his songs entirely on his guitar-playing, this would without a doubt be the best thing he's done since 1991. Nice and heavy, with a bluesy refrain. The three of them should record an entire album together, either entirely instrumental or with Duff and Dave sharing vocals.

I Hold On (featuring Kid Rock)
This track features Kid Rock. I absolutely loathe Kid Rock. What a surprise then, that this is not the awful mess that I assumed it would be. Kid Rock seems to channel Steven Tyler throughout this Aerosmith-style ballad, and it works very well. So well that I think the Grammy's should create a new category this year... ?Award For The Artist Who Made Kid Rock Sound Good?. This won't be everyone's cup of tea... anyone who hates Aerosmith post-'Permanent Vacation' will hate it. But to me, this is a truly great track.

Nothing To Say (featuring M. Shadows)
A main riff consisting of a palm-muted open-E string played over and over again at speed. Shredding lead guitar. Jesus Christ, this is Slash? I didn't think I'd ever hear him do a song that was so heavily influenced by thrash metal. Really, there were only a few people who Slash could get to sing this song, and M. Shadows (being one of the biggest Guns N' Roses fans in modern music) was an obvious choice. The result is what would have happened if Slash had joined Avenged Sevenfold during the 'City Of Evil' sessions. Coming from other people that would have been an insult, but when Slash is on top of his game as he is here, he's my favourite guitarist of all time. And 'City Of Evil' is one of my favourite albums in the past ten years, so it's kind of a dream track.

Starlight (featuring Myles Kennedy)
This is the second song on the album to feature vocals by Myles Kennedy. Which is a shame, because with someone else I probably would have really liked this song. But with Myles needlessly yelling out the chorus with his bad Axl impression from 'Back From Cali', it turns into another song I don't care much for. Seriously, if he held back on the high notes, he'd be great. (I know his voice is technically great, but to me it's akin to a guitarist who plays at a million notes per second whilst forgetting to add feel and emotion to the song. All power, no soul).

Saint Is A Sinner Too (featuring Rocco DeLuca)
This is another big surprise, with Slash stepping outside of his comfort zone to write a song which is entirely different to anything else he has ever written. Relative unknown Rocco DeLuca's voice doesn't really do much for me, but it fits for such a mellow and interesting track. It's not fantastic, but worth a listen.

We're All Gonna Die (featuring Iggy Pop)
The album ends with this track featuring Iggy Pop. I can see this one being a favourite at live shows, for which it's chorus of ?we're all gonna die, so let's get high? is practically custom-made to have thousands of people yell in unison. Was there any doubt that Iggy would do a great job on this song, really? It's almost good enough for me to forgive those car insurance ads. Almost. Has some of  the most unashamedly rockin' soloing from Slash on the record, too.

Overall
After 'Libertad', I didn't have particularly high hopes for this album at all. I thought that Slash had been past it since leaving Guns N' Roses, and that 'Contraband' being awesome was obviously a fluke. Given a few years, and more freedom than he's ever had before, however and Slash has re-emerged, reinvigorated. I won't say that this is a perfect album, because there are a few tracks that I'm not too fond of, but there's enough great music on here to make those forgivable. In short, this is the best album that Slash has put out since 1991.

Ghost - 9/10
Beautiful Dangerous - 10/10
Crucify The Dead - 6/10
Back From Cali - 5/10
Promise - 9/10
By The Sword - 10/10
Gotten - 8/10
Doctor Alibi - 8/10
Watch This - 10/10
I Hold On - 9/10
Nothing To Say - 10/10
Starlight - 6/10
Saint Is A Sinner Too - 7/10
We're All Gonna Die ? 10/10

Overall - 9/10

Bonus Tracks (I'll add the other bonus tracks if/when I get them)
Mother Maria (featuring Beth Hart)
This track has been out a few months now, and it's quite different to what I was expecting from Slash. Other than 'Sahara' and the new version of 'Paradise City' it was the first thing released from the sessions for the solo record, and it really made me realise that the album would probably be a lot different to what I expected. Nice strong vocal from Beth Hart, and some some great playing by the band and Slash. Probably wouldn't have worked as part of the album, but I'm glad it's a bonus track for anybody who hadn't already bought it.

Chains & Shackles (featuring Nick Oliveri)
The music on this track is identical to that of the music on 'Nothing To Say', but with a completely different interpretation by Nick Oliveri. It's difficult to say which is better, as they're both so different, and I think equally good in their own way. But M. Shadows' take was probably a better choice for the album, as it's more accessible.

Paradise City (featuring Cypress Hill and Fergie)
What the fuck? Dude, if you have to play this song with these guys, go right ahead. If you wanted to record it with them for your own personal collection, fair enough. But why, oh why did you have to go and release it? Now don't get me wrong, Fergie's vocals on the track made me sit up, listen and realise that just maybe she can pull the rock chick thing off after all. But Cypress Hill? They're own material is good, but this song should not be rapped. Seriously! It's not as bad as I originally thought it would be, but even if I loved it I don't think Slash should have gone there.

Where did you get that Review AxlReznor? any link?

It's his own review

Slash - Slash

(Roadrunner) UK release date: 10 May 2010

Apart from the inevitable and unnecessary Chinese Democracy comparisons, Slash is already getting some flak from diehard fans. How could he invite Maroon 5's Adam Levine or Fergie to appear on his new solo album?

But this is a guy who has performed with countless artists out of his genre including Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. He is not ashamed to call himself a "music whore".

The top hat-wearing guitar hero has gingerly handpicked a diverse palette of vocalists to accompany each of the 16 tracks and contribute to the lyrics, while he takes care of the riffs. Written mostly during the last Velvet Revolver tour, Slash offers a mix of rock, blues, metal and even pop with a little help from his friends. While his guitar gently cries its iconic wail, Nine Inch Nails drummer Josh Freese and ex-Jane's Addiction bassist Chris Chaney take care of the rhythm section. Yet the iconoclastic guitarist is careful to never upstage his guests.

Continue here: http://www.musicomh.com/albums/slash_0310.htm

nice review AR!
agree with most of the things said, but I DO like Myles Kennedy's singing. I first had this 'He could better sing some soulless Nickelback'-feeling, but the man is such a great technical singer! and the Axl comparison is a bit easy, he doesn't really 'scream'... he's maybe better compared to lots of heavy metal singers from 85-90 IMO

All in all, a great album with all songs (incl Nothing to say) growing on me. seriously no bad ones, though Chains & Shackles needs to grow some more... ;)


Oh, and AR: Mustaine's shit?! come on!

I agree with AR's review for the most part. But I like MK's voice.

I need to gargle, eat a mint, and then step on a landmine to get that taste out of my mouth...this is "not good enough for VR" material.  THANK YOU AXL for resisting this CRAP...and I really hoped I would like it.  Sad.  I don't know if embarrassing is too far, but it came to mind.

I guess Slash is Slash, and thats why he is where he is.

Yes, Slash is Slash, the last huge rock guitar hero.  Well I guess him and Zakk were the last two.  Sucks to be Slash...   ::)

you mean in the same legend category as Jimmy Page and Joe Perry?

thats exactly what he means.  :smoking:

I think he has moved infront of even Joe Perry....  Slash's name is not out of place with the following.... (Page, Beck, Clapton, Hendrix, Slash, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhodes, Angus Young)  I am not saying Slash is better than those guys, but he definately has earned his place among them.... 

i think thats overstating it

i'll have a review of the album in a few days.  want to listen a couple more times and take a lil more time

Please post your own reviews in this: http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/board/index.php?topic=59517.0 thread, and leave this thread for professional reviews.

are you really that out of touch??  Exactly how many of his peers and critics have to refer to the guy as "legendary guitarist" for him to be considered a legend in your eyes?  How many millions of records does the guy have to sell?  How many players have to say how they have been inspired by him?   Go pick up a Guitar World and learn something.  The thing is I know you are just saying things like that to get a rise out of people and here I go giving you exactly what you want.  Your jealousy or animosity or whatever your deal is towards Slash is really pathetic at this point.  Why even bother posting a review of the album? nobody here is going to take it seriously.   

absolutely.  He is on their level, who you prefer in that group all comes down to personal preference, they are all great in their own way.

if you don't like my posts, you are free to skip over them

i'm not denying the guy's popularity, I just think putting him next to Page is overstating it.  Thats all.

i can be objective when reviewing an album.    while i'm not what you would consider a fan of slash's present stuff, i am a fan of his work in GnR(obviously).   Given my appreciation of the old guns songs, naturally I will give anything put out by anyone from GNR's past a listen, even if out of sheer curiousity.  I can give an objective review of this and I will.  Just want a few more days to let it all sink in.    My animosity isn't so much at Slash as it his a portion of his fanbase who troll GnR boards.

when your posts are quoting something I said, I wont skip over them.  Slash fans trolling GNR boards is just as bad as Slash haters trolling VR sections on GNR boards, the only difference is the Slash haters don't get their posts deleted as often.  As I have said before, GNR fans who rip anything having to do with GNR past present or future confuses the fuck out of me. Im not sure if the troll comment was aimed at me, I dont think it was since I am the furthest thing from a troll and have never mentioned Slash in a thread that didnt concern Slash, and have never knocked the present line-up of GNR once.  I love GNR the way it is today.  I am not a reunion guy by any means.  But I do enjoy Slash and Duff's other projects, nowhere near as much as I enjoy "Chinese Democracy" but still I enjoy them regardless.  It feels like that is a crime in the eyes of some GNR fans on this board, and it makes no sense to me.  As a supporter of the new band, I also get tired of Slash's name coming up when it concerns GNR, but that is the way its always going to be, I wont let that stop me from enjoying the ex members work.

i wasn't talking about you when i talk about trolls

Again, I'm pretty sure this topic reads " 'SLASH' The Album - Reviews" not debating the legitimacy of his place in rock n roll history, we can save that for another place and another time  : ok:

Im looking forward to Jim Bobs review.  If Slash's harshest critic can give even 4/10, that would be great. 

don't bother, we already know what it will say

Review: Slash better off as a man of mystery

By The Associated Press

April 04, 2010, 11:10PM

Can we all agree that Slash, the infamously top-hatted guitar god, is the coolest dude on the planet? His awesome ostrich-nest hair helps; not wearing a shirt for 44 years is impressive, too. But what has really made Saul Hudson stand out is his incredibly uncool co-workers: Guns N' Roses' surly leprechaun, Axl Rose, and Velvet Revolver's zombie scarecrow, Scott Weiland.

As those singers unleashed diva destruction, the shy ax slinger with the serpentine style remained a mystery, hanging back, uncorking snake-bitten solo after solo. Welcome to the Jungle is 23 years old, and Slash's stuttery licks still give me chills.

But on a self-titled new solo album being released Tuesday, Slash is finally emerging from the sideman shadows and revealing himself. He co-writes and jams with a who's who of stars, including Fergie and Kid Rock, but he's calling the shots. So what kind of frontman is he? The answer is not as cool as you'd hope ? unless you're a 16-year-old 7-Eleven clerk stuck in 1986.

Slash is such a majestic talent, I expected a head-snapping array of genre-mashing. Have you ever heard him do the Godfather theme? Mind-blowing. Instead, most of Slash is vaguely Dokkenesque ? overly slick production, ripe lyrics, rote power chords. Hey, at this very moment I could sing along to at least 10 Ratt songs ? not including Round and Round. But even the suburban dirtball in me is bored.

Opening cut Ghost, featuring Ian Astbury from the Cult, is a midtempo clunker: "Kill the ghost that hides in your soul / Rock 'n' roll." Ozzy Osbourne shows up on Crucify the Dead, a direct shot at Axl Rose: "We were like brothers with the world in our hands / You always had too much to say / Someday you'll look back and you'll wonder why / You let it all slip away." That's a decent punch, but the song ultimately plays like a lame Bark at the Moon B side.

The missed opportunities are myriad. Old pal Duff McKagan and Foo Fighter Dave Grohl jam on Watch This Dave, which never reaches the expected transcendent highs. Wolfmother's Andrew Stockdale, the one guy with bigger hair than Slash's, shows up on By the Sword, but the pseudo-mythic vamp only skirts greatness. Slash's playing on Doctor Alibi is ferocious, a Jackson Pollock painting come to life, but Motorhead's Lemmy sounds as if he's singing it from a busted wheelchair.

There are a few highlights. Fergie and Slash are sexy as all get-out, so it makes sense that the gentlemen's-club grind of Beautiful Dangerous works, especially her high-wailing Axl impression. I Hold On is more Kid Rock than Slash, but it has the gospel-tinged makings of a hit. And who would have thought that the strange-bedfellows inclusion of Maroon 5's Adam Levine would pay off? The black-and-bluesy Gotten features Slash's best solo, slowly exploding like a broken heart.

This is a chummy album: newbies paying respects, Slash nodding to his heroes. But something's off. Maybe the problem is that, for all the madness of Rose and Weiland, Slash thrived on insanity, darkness, danger. Or maybe, for a man who hides his face from the world, he's better off lurking in the shadows and simply letting the mystery be.

http://www.mlive.com/music/index.ssf/2010/04/review_slash_better_off_as_a_m.html

Ghost  I like it, great to hear Izzy and Slash playing together again and Ian does a good job on vocals.  its a good opener to the album but its nothing special.  i prefer the opening tracks on Contraband and Libertad. its a good song though.

Crucify the Dead  I had high expectations for this since im a huge Slash and Ozzy fan but the song is a let down.  Maybe i just havent gotten into it yet but i find myself hitten next when i get to this.  Its just kinda boring..

Beautiful Dangerous This really picks the album up IMO.  Catchy as hell and Slash's solo and outro solo are awesome.  Surely it will be a succesful single if chosen.  Also ironic how all the people bitching bout Fergie for months actually seem to like this :)

Back from Cali  I like the riffing and its a cool rock track.  its a cool song to rock out to. I like Myles.

Promise  Havent really listened to this enough but im not too impressed so far. i like Slash's playing but the song is a bit boring.

By the Sword  probably my favourite on the album.  Zeppelin like riffs and stockdale even sounds a bit like Plant.  Great rocker and it will have me headbanging at the live show.   :smoking:

Gotten  Biggest shock on the album.  its deep and adam does a great job.  Slash's solo is really cool and fits the song. i really like this.

Doctor Alibi  One word: Awesome!  I dont care that the riff is the same as the Ramones cos its just 3 or 4 powerchords.  This rocks hard and Slash's solo is fast as fuck.  he uses a similar lick as in Dirty little thing at one point.  I love the "I will haunt you for 1000 years" too!  :hihi:

Watch This  Again, this is awesome.  love Slash's playing and the heavy riffing.  I know a lot of people arent mad on this, but ive heard people complain that the solos arent long enough. This song is basically a solo.  Enjoy.

I hold on  Sounds like Aerosmith to me. cool track.  it didnt get great reviews so i think people are pleasantly surprised when they hear this.  Solo is cool. uses some similar licks to Messages.

nothing to say  Slash playing thrash metal!  great track, especially for the A7X fans.  Heavy riffing, catchy chorus, cool soloing.  what more can we ask for?

Starlight  This is one that people seem to love or hate.  I love it.  myles does an amazing job on the chorus and its a great Slash solo. 

Saint is a sinner too  Surprisingly nice track.  Some people will be like WTF, but at least Slash has tried some other styles.  i like the guitar solo.

We're all gonna die  This is sort of a fun track.  some neat soloing and very funny lyrics.  its a cool track to close out with!

Sahara  i love Slash's playing even though the song aint great.  cool riffage and soloing!

Baby cant drive  just listend once and it seemed like a cool but cheesy song.  probably best that its a bonus.

Chains and Shackles  Same as Nothing to Say really, except i prefer the latter.  not mad on the scremo vibe.

Mother Maria  Beautiful solo!!!

its a cool album for me.  Better than Libertad but probably not quite as good as Contraband.  It starts a bit slow for me but gets better as it progresses.  by the Sword, beautiful Dangerous, Doctor Alibi, Starlight and Nothing to Say are probably my favourites.  but promise and crucify the dead are disappointing.  The biggest shock is people seem to dig the Fergie and Adam Levine tracks a lot!  Definitly worth an 8/10.  Beautiful Dangerous has potential to be a big single if Slash goes there... 

Overall:  8/10   Will probably be my favourite album of this year but i do hope VR get back on track.  Cant wait for the live shows and the setlist!



PS: looks like good old wiki don't seem to know josh freese is the drummer on this album.  They have listed Travis Barker! oh dear!  He didn't even play at all!

Slash - 'Slash' Review

Slash's First Solo Album Boasts a Lot of Big Names but Not Many Surprises

Slash?s star-laden solo album Slash is a very mixed bag. Probably the only record this year to include appearances from Kid Rock, Maroon 5?s Adam Levine, Black Eyed Peas? Fergie, Ozzy Osbourne and Iggy Pop, Slash finds the Velvet Revolver guitarist bouncing around between rock and pop. But while the record?s far-ranging sound helps to illuminate little-seen sides of Slash?s musical personality, the quality of the material is all over the map. Anybody hoping that this solo effort would be a hard-rock monster akin to Slash?s glory days in Guns N? Roses will be disappointed, but on the whole this uneven effort works.

A High-Concept Solo Album

Slash consists of 14 tracks featuring different high-profile vocalists. (Only Alter Bridge?s Myles Kennedy shows up more than once, and one song, ?Watch This,? is an instrumental starring Foo Fighters? Dave Grohl and Slash?s Velvet Revolver bandmate Duff McKagan.) Before the album?s release, Slash?s most intriguing aspect was the fact that we?d get to hear singers from across the musical map lend their voices to Slash?s sonic concoctions. In reality, though, the success rate isn?t as high as one would like. Interestingly, Chris Cornell is one of the spotlighted vocalists, and in a way Slash is much like Cornell?s 2009 collaboration with hip-hop producer Timbaland, Scream, in that it transplants a known rock commodity into the mainstream pop world. Granted, Slash still feels for the most part in the same genre as Slash?s output with GNR and Velvet Revolver, but it?s largely a rock album for people who normally shy away from the aggressiveness of an Appetite for Destruction.

Slash, Pop Star?

Slash is best known for his work in the rock world, but he?s also done guest spots on albums for artists like Bob Dylan and Michael Jackson, suggesting that he?s not someone who?s narrow-minded about what constitutes ?rock.? By inviting people like Levine and Fergie to sing on Slash, the guitarist is perhaps arguing that musical creativity transcends rigid genre definitions, and on occasion he proves his point. Levine?s ballad ?Gotten? feels very much cut from the same cloth as your typical Maroon 5 single, but it?s nonetheless an inviting middle-ground between Levine?s adult-oriented pop and Slash?s expressive solos. But then you have Fergie?s ?Beautiful Dangerous,? which is an unmitigated disaster. Going for a slice of sleazy, sultry stripper-rock, Fergie snarls and moans throughout ?Beautiful Dangerous,? but the track ends up sounding like a pop star?s lame idea of hard rock, and as a result it?s nothing but cheesy. Often, the individual pop tracks feel more like that particular singer?s work than they do the product of Slash. For example, Kid Rock?s ?I Hold On? is a standout mid-tempo tune, but it draws heavily from the soul-infused sound Kid pursued to great effect on his Rock N Roll Jesus. Ironically, Slash?s solo album may be the first case of an artist ceding too much of the limelight to his guest stars.

The Album Highlights

Maybe not surprisingly, Slash is at its best when the guitarist hooks up with veteran rock and punk vocalists. Lemmy?s ?Doctor Alibi? is a terrific burning-rubber rocker filled with bad attitude and strutting riffs, and Iggy Pop?s ?We?re All Gonna Die? celebrates the inevitability of mortality by throwing one decadent party. But beyond being album highlights, these two songs reveal Slash?s pleasures as well as its limitations. It?s fun to hear all these different vocalists teaming up with Slash, but the songs can sometimes seem too tailored to the singer?s individual styles. Rather than a brilliant meeting of the minds, Slash is just a solid piece of craftsmanship that plays it a little too safe. You?ll be entertained by Slash but not blown away. Then again, maybe a conservative approach was wise ? the most daring song on here is the Fergie track, and perhaps tellingly, it?s also easily the worst.

'Slash' ? Best Tracks:

?We?re All Gonna Die? (Purchase/Download)
?Doctor Alibi? (Purchase/Download)
?Saint Is a Sinner Too? (Purchase/Download)
?I Hold On? (Purchase/Download)
?Gotten? (Purchase/Download)
Release date ? April 6, 2010

http://rock.about.com/od/reviews/fr/SlashSoloAlbumReview.htm

If the critics hate it, the fans usually love it....  HA...

http://www.musicomh.com/albums/slash_0310.htm

Slash - Slash 
(Roadrunner) UK release date: 10 May 2010
 
by Talia Soghomonian 
 
4/5

Apart from the inevitable and unnecessary Chinese Democracy comparisons, Slash is already getting some flak from diehard fans. How could he invite Maroon 5's Adam Levine or Fergie to appear on his new solo album?

But this is a guy who has performed with countless artists out of his genre including Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. He is not ashamed to call himself a "music whore".

The top hat-wearing guitar hero has gingerly handpicked a diverse palette of vocalists to accompany each of the 16 tracks and contribute to the lyrics, while he takes care of the riffs. Written mostly during the last Velvet Revolver tour, Slash offers a mix of rock, blues, metal and even pop with a little help from his friends. While his guitar gently cries its iconic wail, Nine Inch Nails drummer Josh Freese and ex-Jane's Addiction bassist Chris Chaney take care of the rhythm section. Yet the iconoclastic guitarist is careful to never upstage his guests.

On their very first north American tour, back in 1987, Guns N' Roses opened for The Cult, and here is Ian Astbury kicking off Slash's album with Ghost. It's a classic rock number, an ode to their (g)olden days, especially when the signature dual guitar with former Roses member Izzy Stradlin kicks in. This is R & F'n R, man, and it is fun and unadulterated. But rock is also about atmosphere, provided on Crucify The Dead. This is pure Ozzy, from the poignancy of the lyrics and vocal interpretation to the discrete airs of Black Sabbath that wafts through like a ghost.

Rock legends abound - the ubiquitous Iggy Pop closes the album with We're All Gonna Die - but Slash is smart enough to cater to every generation of fans and celeb friends alike. Which may explain his choice of Fergie. After her live rendition of the Roses classic Sweet Child O' Min, the world discovered a rock chick disguised as a Black Eyed Peas member. She's got the attitude and energy of a younger Pat Benatar and a voice well suited to rock, and Beautiful Dangerous offers a look at her more perverse side.

Perhaps the most surprising collaboration is with Levine. Even if the tune is not Maroon 5, Levine's instantly recognizable voice inevitably brings his band's sensitivity to it. Clearly Slash has chosen these songs with particular people in mind, much like I Hold On with Kid Rock.

Promise generates more interest as it features Chris Cornell, one of the greatest voices in rock. This melancholic rock ballad is one of a couple on the album, alongside the heavy Back From Cali, one of the two tracks (the other is Starlight) sung by Myles Kennedy. The Alter Bridge vocalist, slated to tour with Slash, apparently replaced Jack White; he didn't want to sing, but rather just play drums or guitar. Similar conditions were also set by Dave Grohl.

The killer tune Watch This, featuring Grohl and ex-Roses member Duff McKagan, ended up being a proggy instrumental. Grohl's dynamic drumming pumps as much power as a zillion drumming bunnies running on Duracell, all in less than an unbelievable four minutes.

Lemmy Kilmister both sings and plays distorted bass on Doctor Alibi, and his lyrics pretty much sum up his life, Slash's and every other rocker's. Doctor Alibi is a sort of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for hard livin' rock stars. One tells him that he'll die if he keeps up his lifestyle, while the other reassures him that living it up is good for you, ridding the rocker of any shred of guilt about sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, three themes that the Mot?rhead frontman continues to explore 30 years on even on other people's music.

Elsewhere, Slash revisits his favorite musical epoch on the brash By The Sword, featuring Wolfmother's Andrew Stockdale, a serious rival for the guitarist in the hair department. It's indicative of how the entire album was made: Slash sends someone a track, they write the lyrics, they meet and record, and it's in the box. Yet there is no trace of self-indulgence here, no Chinese Democracy level of faux-perfectionism and certainly no Axl Rose-type promises of musical superiority.
 
 

http://www.culturebully.com/slash-solo-cd-review

Slash : ?Slash? Review

There is little left to be said about Slash?s past work that hasn?t already been dissected a million times over: The guitarist is widely considered to be one of the greatest soloists of all time?if not one of the greatest guitarists of all time?and the songs created during his years playing with Guns N? Roses will forever be remembered as some of the best in the history of rock music. Furthermore, Slash?s ability to reestablish himself in a new era with Velvet Revolver only goes to further cement his status a vital member of the modern rock community; not to mention his million-plus selling Slash?s Snakepit project and his countless guest contributions over the past 20 years. To say that Slash is a departure from the guitarist?s past work is a bit of a stretch, but in describing the new album?his first ?solo? record?it would be achingly difficult not to suggest that it further reinforces the idea that Slash as one of the best in the world, regardless of time and supporting cast.

That?s not to say that the lineup performing with Slash on the album isn?t remarkable though, as the distinguished rhythm section alone, featuring bassist Chris Chaney (Jane?s Addiction, Alanis Morissette) and drummer Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle, the Vandals), offers up a wealth of talented support. But when considering that Ian Astbury (the Cult), Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Cornell, Dave Grohl, Iggy Pop and Lemmy Kilmister (Mot?rhead) are but a few of the guests who make contributions throughout the album it quickly becomes apparent that Slash has surrounded himself by some of the best in the world when taking on this new project. Even when you?re one of the best in the world it doesn?t hurt to surround yourself with legends.

Astbury is the first of the bunch to join in, lending his voice to ?Ghost? which leads off the album. With the track Slash, accompanied by his long time Guns N? Roses counterpart Izzy Stradlin, quickly identifies a trend which is followed closely throughout Slash: Rather than taking the spotlight he focuses on playing to the strengths of the vocalist. In this case ?Ghost? sounds less like Astbury standing in on a Guns N? Roses track and more like Slash joining the Cult for a rumbling journey into the band?s history. The same can be said for ?Crucify The Dead? where Slash slows things down and takes the approach of an epic soloist lurking in the background while Ozzy Osbourne controls the song.

One of the first unexpected developments on the album is Slash?s collaboration with Black Eyed Peas vocalist Fergie on ?Beautiful Dangerous.? Having previously performed with Slash at his 2008 birthday celebration, Fergie comfortably steps in as an unusually sharp rock soulstress in the track, with Slash creating a wave of sound which carries her voice far beyond initial expectations. This isn?t to say that Fergie isn?t a talented singer in her own right, but simply that her ability to carry the song?s chorus is completely unexpected?no matter how tacky her hurried verses might be.

Myles Kennedy, formerly of Alter Bridge, follows with the slow rolling ?Back From Cali,? his first of two appearance on the record (his second comes with the bluesier ?Starlight?). With the pair of tracks Kennedy and Slash reveal an unusually compatible chemistry which translates well with the recordings. Oddly enough, at times Kennedy ends up sounding more like Chris Cornell than Cornell himself, who follows with the jagged ?Promise.?

After Wolfmother?s Andrew Stockdale steps in with the record?s second single, ?By The Sword,? the album?s second unusual pairing pits one of Slash?s slow-moving riffs against the smooth vocals of Maroon 5?s Adam Levine. And while the slowed down pace of the song might be the most uncharacteristic on Slash, ?Sword? does find the guitarist once again placing himself humbly in a position where he?s supporting the vocalist to allow for their talents to shine.

The album continues as Lemmy Kilmister lends his legendary growl on the raucous ?Doctor Alibi,? Dave Grohl and former G?n'R Duff McKagan accompany Slash on the album?s only instrumental ?Watch This,? and Kid Rock lends his voice to ?I Hold On.? But it?s the third, and possibly the most striking, surprise which again reinvigorates the record. In ?Nothing To Say? Slash joins Avenged Sevenfold?s M. Shadows with an edgy riff that wouldn?t be entirely out of place within the group?s driving mainstream metal. While ?Nothing To Say? is neither the best song on the album nor the best depiction of Slash?s talents it does showcase another uncharacteristic sound on the record, something which gives Slash a fresh feeling all the way through. Following Kennedy?s second appearance and the acoustic ?Saint is a Sinner Too,? Slash is joined by Iggy Pop on ?We?re All Gonna Die.? Pop?s vocals on the song sound about as flat as his 2007 Stooges reunion album The Weirdness however, leaving the record fading away on an unfortunately sour note.

It?s hard to fault anything Slash does musically as the man is steady in his craft and has delivered time and time again for well over two decades. But when adding the element of outside influence, as with the laundry-list of contributors who were invited to join him with Slash, the risk of becoming a parody of oneself becomes a real one: In each of the album?s tracks Slash could very well sit back and be the top hat wearing, chain-smoking icon we know him as, steadily jamming out while each vocalist sits in and tries to fall into line with the guitarist?s sound and mystique. But instead each track comes across as not only an honest collaboration of ideas, but an oddly out-of-body experience for the guitarist. With each track Slash steps out of the sound which we?ve come to expect from him and showcases an unexpected side to his talents. In terms of an individual musician this might not seem like that big of a deal. But when considering history?s greatest guitarists and their tendency toward insisting on being the unwavering focal point of their songs, Slash translates as something far more incredible.

Duff McKagan: What to Listen For On Slash's Solo Record (Besides Me!)

By Duff McKagan, Monday, Apr. 5 2010

I am excited for my good buddy this week. Slash is putting out a new record that, if you saw things from where I am sitting, he has probably been working on in one form or another, since 1994. After the last Velvet Revolver record and tour, we were all pretty damned burnt out on that whole thing. Slash repaired himself in a studio in Hollywood and recorded some damn fine rock music. Here's a look at a few tracks of his self-titled record:

"Live By The Sword": This first single from Slash's record showcases the grandiosity that is too often these days, missing from rock songs. Andrew Stockdale kills it!

"Ghost": Great riffage featuring the guitar tandem of Slash and Izzy...which is always great to hear. Ian Astbury is the featured singer on this song and he is always great in my view.

"Watch This": Well, because me and Dave Grohl play on this instrumental, naturally!

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/reverb/2010/04/duff_mckagan.php

From the Washington Post:

Album review of Slash's eponymous solo debut

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

SLASH

Slash can't sing, so the former Guns N' Roses guitarist enlisted a motley assortment of veteran rock icons, Sunset Strip hangers-on and present-day pop stars to provide the vocals for his first official solo album, "Slash."

If you've ever wondered what a GnR album would sound like with Adam Levine from Maroon 5 subbing for Axl Rose, here's your answer: kind of strange, but not unpleasant. Everybody on "Slash" sounds like a disembodied, slightly harder, late-'90s version of themselves, as if they were auditioning for an early incarnation of Velvet Revolver.

A rundown, by category:

All-Purpose Grizzled Vets

Ian Astbury, "Ghost": Reminiscent of a great unheard Cult track mixed with a techno-y version of "Welcome to the Jungle."

Ozzy Osbourne, "Crucify the Dead": "You cannot crucify the dead," reasons Ozzy on this freakishly mild number. We're pretty sure he's right about this.

Chris Cornell, "Promise": Cornell's role as frontman of the hair-metal-killing grunge behemoths Soundgarden would have made this sludgy semi-ballad/superpower summit unthinkable a decade ago. Otherwise, it's amiable but unremarkable.

Current Superstars Whose Participation Indicates They Were the Recipients of Poor Career Advice

Adam Levine, "Gotten": One of the disc's few slow songs, this unfortunately hews closer to a Maroon 5 ballad than to a post-millennial "November Rain."

Fergie, "Beautiful Dangerous": This slinky, hard-grinding pop-metal track suggests Fergie could have a future in stripper anthems, if she wanted one.

-- Allison Stewart

Recommended tracks:

"Ghost" (Astbury), "Beautiful Dangerous" (Fergie)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/05/AR2010040504320.html

saw the above earlier on..... most reviews have been a blood bath so far.

That means people will like it.  :hihi:

Slash is the number 5 trending topic on yahoo right now.

TRENDING NOW
Elin Nordegren
Scottie Pippen
Erin Andrews
Boeing X-37
Slash
Steven Tyler
Dancing With the…
Harry Potter
NCAA Championship
Calexico

Hopefully the first result of the search is a link to purchase the album.   :hihi:

He had moved up to number 4 but now he's out of the top 10.  Apparently that list changes quite quickly.  The latest links are reviews for the album and Slash saying how Axl Rose is phenomenal.

I am VERY happy with the album!  Its a grower for sure and on just one listen alone I can see why it may not get the high praise... But Back from Cali, Starlight, Saint Is a Sinner Too, Watch This, Nothing to Say are all Class songs.....

Slash is now #3 on that list.

on my way to buy the album right now! Can't wait!

There have been a lot of negative reviews.  This one from the Calgary Herald gives it 2 1/2 out of 5.  But one from the University Of Iowa is more positive.

Slash & Burn

Review

Slash Slash

2 ? out of five

http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Slash+Burn/2767525/story.html

CD Review: Slash

http://www.dailyiowan.com/2010/04/06/Arts/16545.html

Edit: to change Calgary Herald to 2 1/2

that AP review is spot on. after the writer clearly documents their love fest for slash, they basically say the record is a huge disappointment.

the conclusion isn't a new one, it's what we have known for years...slash is one of the greatest guitar players, but he's not a great song writer. he needs an Axl (or other genius) to take his talents and frame them for him. end of story.

he didn't really seem to give ANYbody on that list anything higher than what a 3 lol?!  :rofl:  :peace:

I hit refresh and it now says...

Slash Slash

2 ? out of five

we all know reviews means jack shit, this has nothing to do with my feelings towards this album

you'd be surprised though.  My bro is usually cautious about seeing movies if Empire gives it a bad review.

I think this album has something in for everyone. More I jam to it more I like it. I think fergie has a great rock voice. There isn't any really good rock chicks out there. She works for me.  :beer:

some of these reviews seem to have been copied and pasted a few times over by different reviewers rather than someone actually listening to the record and writing a review of it; I must have read the same review from 4 pub's seperately-fucking lazy bastards

411mania ? Music ? Album Reviews
 
Slash - Slash Review

Posted by Aaron Titan on 04.06.2010

The Album

Just to preface before I begin here, I?m only going to be reviewing the Standard Edition that?s being released here in the U.S. (and most of the globe from what I gathered on Wikipedia). There are other versions with other tracks on them that feature other artists you?ve heard of, such as Alice Cooper and Flea. You can actually peep out this album via AOL Music just like I did. Not sure how long this will stay up on that site, but I figure it?ll be there until release day and a few days afterwards.

OK, so I just got done listening to Slash?s solo album from start to finish. I?ve been reading and reporting about this thing for several months now (via my column here on 411Mania: The Music 3R?s) and it?s finally arrived. Most of you know the story behind the album here, but if not, essentially, Slash decided he wanted to have some fun and make a solo album.

Velvet Revolver has been stagnant for a really long time now, ever since the departure of vocalist Scott Wieland in 2008. Slash and company haven?t been able to find a proper vocalist to fill this vacancy despite their endless auditioning process. So now, he?s got the time to do this solo project he mentioned in his autobiography (read that shit if you haven?t yet!).

From what I read about this album, Slash wrote a bunch of music and guitar riffs and shopped them around to potential collaborators he thought would sound well on each track. If the artist bit, he brought them into the studio and they arranged and recorded the song. Think Santana?s Supernatural album, but like, heavier and without Rob Thomas.

The result itself was incredibly underwhelming considering the parties involved. On paper, this album looks pretty bitchin? overall, doesn?t it? I can honestly say that I was pumped after seeing the tracklisting and who was on each song. I?ve been a Gn?R fan since forever, dug Velvet Revolver?s first album, and like many of the artists Slash got on board for this project; however, overall, it just doesn?t cut the mustard.

I mean, you?ve got Slash and Ozzy doing a song together, which is cool and all, but it would?ve meant much more like, at least ten years ago when Ozzy hadn?t lost all the cred and respect he had left. The bigness of this collaboration just wasn?t there for me and ?Crucify the Dead? is just mediocre at best.

The Fergie song ?Beautiful Dangerous? sounds passable from a musical perspective. Slash?s riffing isn?t the problem at all. It?s just that you?ve got Fergie on there trying to be something she?s not: a rock singer. She?s a hip-hop Wack-Ass Peas singer and she?s going out of her way on this song to put some rock n? roll grit on her voice like she?s Lita Ford or something. It just doesn?t work and comes off pretty annoying, though I can see a lot of fans liking this song for whatever reason.

And fuck man, not that Kid Rock is that great of a vocalist to begin with, but how did Slash and his sound engineer sit there and master this album and not recognize that ?I Hold On? has the worst sounding vocals on the entire album? It?s really weak and gaspy at times and Kid Rock was capable of much more than that.

Also, you?ve got a lot of mediocrity on here in places you wouldn?t expect it. The Chris Cornell and Adam Levine tracks, ?Promise? and ?Gotten? respectively, while cool and interesting collaborations in theory, just don?t work and end up sounding like anything else on rock radio, which is where this album will undoubtedly find some decent success.

What did bum me out was that M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold didn?t come in and kill it on a track like I thought he would. ?Nothing to Say? ends up sounding like a B-side AX7 wannabe of a song in the end in every sense possible. I mean, I could see where you could make an argument that Synyster Gates, the lead guitarist of AX7, takes a lot of cues from Slash?s iconic playing and sound, but on this track I just felt like Slash was trying to play like Gates to accompany Shadows? singing, which isn?t necessary or even desirable on YOUR OWN SOLO ALBUM. I figured these two would be a killer pairing but it just wasn?t meant to be.

Thankfully, it?s not all just a basket of throwaways! The riff and vocals of the Ian Astbury- and Izzy Stradlin-feature track, ?Ghost,? are pretty saucy and fun. ?By the Sword,? the lead single off of the album, is in good graces with me too. It?s catchy and Andrew Stockdale of the mighty Wolfmother hasn?t been able to do wrong by this writer as of yet. ?Watch This? is a fun instrumental jam that features Dave Grohl on drums and Jane?s Addiction?s new bass player Duff McKagan on?well, the bass obviously. I could see this song being a key staple of Slash?s solo band?s set when he takes these tunes out on the road this year.

The standout track for me is ?Doctor Alibi? which features the godliness of Motorhead?s Lemmy Kilmeister. It?s just a fuckin? awesome, simple punked-up metal song that makes the rest of the corny poppiness that pervades the majority of the disc sound silly.

In the end though, I just don?t get a ?Slash experience.? Nothing about this album really makes me respect Slash anymore than I did, and I?ll go as far as saying I respect him a little less now. He?s trying to do too many styles here to accompany the myriad of guest spots rather than having those artists instead, adapt to a Slash album and make the whole affair more interesting and unique in that respect.

The 411: While there are a few decent tracks on the album, there's more 'meh' and way more garbage to make the disc salvageable. It's not that there's too much going on style-wise, but it just lacks any sense of the 'WOW' factor that Slash's playing had on past albums he's been a part of. Myles Kennedy should've just joined Velvet Revolver, since his two songs sound pretty decent and he's going to be Slash's touring vocalist anyways. All in all, the album looks good on paper, but unfortunately, we don't have paper in our ears.
 
Final Score:  5.5   [ Not So Good ]

http://www.411mania.com/music/album_reviews/134710

That is YOUR opinion and one i certainly don't agree with. I just bought it and am about halfway through and I personally think it kicks fucking ass.

This is rock n roll.. most reviewers are probably use to emo or this shit rock out today


U know the difference in Slash and most others?

with most bands, u go around singing the lyrics etc.

with Slash, i find myself going around all day singing the riffs and solos.


I've told this story before, but at work once November Rain came on

all day, i would hear my coworkers under their breath humming the solo... not the vocal melodies but all were humming the solo

that is why Slash stands the test of time.


Haven't listened to entire CD yet.. getting ready to take it to the gym but so far everything kicks ass except for Crucify The Dead... think it kind of drags and is boring

Ghost,By The Sword, Beautiful Dangerous and Back to Cali kick fucking ASS!

getting ready to listen to the rest while I lift and run in a few.

I agree that "Ghost" and "By The Sword" are very strong tracks, but "Beautiful Dangerous" to me is one that I find puzzling in terms of the adoration it gets.  It sounds like a stripper anthem, yes, I get that.  Fergie has a good rock and roll voice, no doubt.  But, frankly, I find it melodically unremarkable.  It's not a bad pop song, I suppose, but I think the collaborations with Ian Astbury and Andrew Stockdale are stronger.  Their melodies really compliment and enhance the music Slash crafted.

Ali

after hearing the CD several times, This review is dead on.

Bottom line: about %30-40 is hard rocking woth killer riffage from SLASH

%60-%70 is wimpy to slightly medicre & entirely forgettable.



To bad, cause I was hoping to crank the shit out of this CD to buy some time until GNR tours the US- i just don't think 4-5 songs is gonna last me that long! :crying:

An album with 4 good songs on it is pretty fucking good these days....  Back from Cali cranked in the car fucking rocks!

Ok. I have listened a few times to the album now while running,lifting,walking etc and here is my review right now.. of course its subject to change the more i listen as usually it takes awhile for me to truly gauge an albums greatness


1.Ghost: WOW what a fucking riff and song. I absolutely love this song and jam the fuck out of it. Izzy and Slash's guitar play is just legendary and they've lost nothing here... makes me want to hear the great shelved GNR album they recorded before CB. 9/10

2.Crucify The Dead: Music is cool, but the song is pretty terrible.. i am already skipping it when it comes on.. bad sign.. 5/10

3. Beautiful Dangerous: sounds like it will be a nice radio hit. Reminds me of the Super Bowl when Britney sang or whatever u want to call it Walk This Way with Aerosmith. it has its moments and is very solid 8/10

4. Back to Cali: holy shit this song kicks ass! Wasn't a fan of Myles Kennedy before this, but this song absolutely delivers. 9/10

5. Promise: This song has a very weird intro into the heavy part... sounds like a totally different song got accidentally overdubbed......... so kind of a weird transition. Ive never been a big Cornell fan but this song is great! his voice sounds amazing over Slash's playing. 8/10

6.By The Sword. Everyone knows how I feel about this song. Simply amazing.. sounds like its been a classic song for 30 years. This and "If The World" are very similar in that regard as both sound classic and all time great to my ears: 10/10

7.Gotten: I am a huge Bon Jovi fan, and I am a huge ballad fan... reviewers saying Slash was going for NR are just idiots. to me this is kinda like Fall To Pieces. not quite as good but I think its a damn good ballad. 8/10

8.Doctor Alibi: Raw and awesome 8/10

9.Watch This: never been an instrumental fan......... 7/10

10. I Hold On: I like it, kinda sounds like a B Side from Rock N Roll Jesus though.......... but it is very solid 8/10

11. Nothing to Say: now we are talking, this song fucking SLAMS and kicks ass out of the speakers. Hearing Slash out of his comfort zone is something I want to hear more of. 9/10

12.Starlight: Myles once again wins me over with this song. Not great but very solid and good 8/10

13. Saint Is A Sinner too: I hate it... I think he shouldve stopped with 12 songs 5/10

14.  We're all gonna die: retarded lyrics but its kinda fun to listen to  6.5/10


111.5/140

overall 8/10

Slash,

I love it!

kev money

From the Los Angeles Times:

"Slash"

Two stars (Out of four)

Album review: Slash's solo album

On Slash's first solo album the most faithful approximation of the classic Guns N' Roses sound doesn't come in the track featuring Ozzy Osbourne or the one with Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows. Nor is it in "Watch This," which includes input from another ex-GNR member, Duff McKagan. Rather, it's "Beautiful Dangerous" that comes closest to old hits like "Welcome to the Jungle" and "You Could Be Mine."

The guest vocalist on that cut? Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas.

Slash's recruitment of such a heavy-metal outlier illustrates his determination to find a replacement for Axl Rose, whose paranoid whinny so perfectly complemented the guitarist's arsenal of trashy glam-blues riffs. You can look at the 14 all-star collaborations on "Slash" as evidence of his impressive Rolodex, or you can view them as a series of creative tryouts -- musical speed dating in search of a new Mr. (or Ms.) Right.

Team-ups with Ian Astbury ("Ghost"), Chris Cornell ("Promise") and Wolfmother's Andrew Stockdale ("By the Sword") produce familiar sparks but die out quickly.

And a ballad with Adam Levine of Maroon 5, "Gotten," aims for "November Rain" but ends up pretty soggy.

Slash seems more energized in "Doctor Alibi," a brainless fist-pumper with Mot?rhead maestro Lemmy Kilmister, and "We're All Gonna Die," in which Iggy Pop up offers some of the cheerful nihilism that originally inspired Rose.

-- Mikael Wood

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/04/album-review-slashs-solo-album.html

What kind of online degree do u have to have to be a fucking music critic?

Comparing "Gotten" in any way to NR just shows what a complete idiot this dude is

Gotten is in no way trying to be NR.. it has absolutely nothing in common with NR, there aren't even any orchestras or anything plus it isn't 8 minutes long

just ignorant shit


I don't mind bad reviews with any band i like as long as they are fair, but this is just ridiculous.

I agree..its seems as though anything Slash or the ex members does is "aiming" to be a certain song from their past.  Which it clearly isnt.

"Slash's new self-titled solo album features Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie and Avenged Sevenfold." ? Album review
 
The most anticipated album of 2010, for me, was Slash?s new solo album. I have been following Slash on Twitter: (http://twitter.com/Slash) since last summer. With each update that he gave I got more and more excited about this album dropping and today it is finally here. The album, simply called ?Slash? features a wide variety of singers from Ozzy Osbourne to Fergie and literally everybody in between. I picked up the album today and let me just say that the album doesn?t disappoint.

It?s hard to know what to expect from Slash. With Guns n Roses the ?Use Your Illusion? albums were a lot different than ?Appetite for Destruction.? ?Appetite? was more blues based rock while ?Illusions? had more epic sounding songs. Velvet Revolver is more of a straight ahead rock band, much like Stone Temple Pilots. I wasn?t sure what this album was going to sound like.

So what does the album sound like? Honestly it depends on who?s singing or playing on the song. The first track features Guns alum Izzy Stradlin and Cult front man Ian Astbury. The song is entitled ?Ghost? and it kicks off with your typical Slash riff. It?s a riff kind of like ?Sweet Child O? Mine? with Izzy filling in the rhythm parts?much like on ?Sweet Child O? Mine.? ?Ghost? is the closest thing to a Guns song on the album, but with Ian Astbury singing, it has its own feel to it.

The second song on the album is called ?Crucify the Dead? and Ozzy Osbourne takes the lead vocal role. This was going to be the first single, but Ozzy has a new album coming out and Slash decided that it?s best if he not make this a single, because people would probably assume it?s on the new Ozzy album when it?s not. ?Crucify the Dead? sounds like an Ozzy song. You wouldn?t know Slash played on it except for that it?s Slash?s album.

Up third is Fergie with ?Beautiful Dangerous.? I think this will be the song where Slash may lose some people (or where Fergie will gain some fans). Personally I love the song. It definitely rocks. The guitar playing is great as it is on all the songs and Fergie nails the song, but some people will never give this song a chance because it?s Fergie; others will be pleasantly surprised. She kind of reminds me of Alanis Morissette if she were more upbeat.

Alter Bridge?s Myles Kennedy gets two songs on the album. He also gets to be the front man on the tour supporting the album. Myles can sing anything. Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were considering hiring Myles as front man of Led Zeppelin to replace Robert Plant for a tour, but that fell through. Velvet Revolver even approached Myles, but he was too loyal to Alter Bridge (Alter Bridge features everybody from Creed except Scott Stapp? thank God). I love Alter Bridge and I can?t wait to see Myles with Slash live.

The first single on the album is ?By the Sword? featuring Andrew Stockdale from Wolfmother (you know the band that sings ?Woman,? believe me you?ve heard it a million times, I?d sing it for you, but I?m typing). ?By the Sword? is probably the strongest song on the album. I love Wolfmother; they sound like Deep Purple, Led Zepplin, Yes, Jethro Tull and Black Sabbath combined into one band. ?By the Sword? is no different. You?d have thought Slash wrote this song for them. It has more of an epic feel to it than the other songs on the album, but again the guitar is just phenomenal. I love the tone he has on this song.

The heavily anticipated metal song on the album, ?Nothing to Say? featuring M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold is very much that, a metal song. M. Shadows is the perfect guy for the song too. I?ve always looked at Avenged Sevenfold as a combination of Metallica, Guns n Roses and Good Charlotte and because of that I think he?s a good fit for this song. It?s definitely the heaviest song I?ve ever heard from Slash, but it?s not Slayer heavy. It?s a good song and it?s a lot of fun to listen to Slash play heavy metal.


By The Sword (Feat. Andrew Sto...


There are so many special guests on the album that I can?t go into all of them. Other guest include Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave), Adam Levine (Maroon 5), Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead), Kid Rock (Bob Ritchie), Rocca DeLuca, Iggy Pop (The Stooges), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Steven Adler (Guns n Roses), Duff McKagan and more.

What?s bad? You?re asking the wrong guy. I love Slash and I love this album. I suppose I would say the songs I like least are ?Gotten? featuring Adam Levine and ?I Hold On? featuring Kid Rock, but I like both of those songs. I realize that I?m biased since I?m a big Slash fan, but this album really is great. There is a something on this album for everybody too.

What?s good? Slash does such a great job of making each song belong to the singer. This isn?t a Guns n Roses or Velvet Revolver album; this is a very eclectic album with wide ranges of talent. There are living legends like Iggy Pop, Ozzy and Lemmy, pop stars like Fergie and Adam Levine and everybody in between. You also get to hear Slash playing with Izzy again on a song, as well as a bunch of musical talent. Dave Grohl and Duff McKagan play drums and bass on the instrumental track ?Watch This.? Steven Adler even plays drums on a track. I really enjoy this album and highly recommend picking it up.

Fuck the critics.

I don't need their opinions.

I got my own.

Its a can't win situation

he branches out and does something new and he is "selling out"

but yet if he cranks out the blues riffs he is "tired and doing the same ole shit, not evolving"

so fuck it

Personally, I get sick of all this "Slash is still trying to find a singer to take the place of Axl Rose" crap.

Indeed, fuck the critics.  In my long history of buying records, I've never once bought one (or declined to buy one) because of a critical review.


Anyway, now that I've got the CD, I've been downloading and listening to the songs that are on the international releases.  I'm still trying to find the song "Baby Can't Drive", which features Steven Adler, Alice Cooper, Flea, and Nicole from the Pussycat Dolls.

yeah the reviews I've read seam to be written by GnR fans that want him to outdo AFD and UYI; alot of the "complaints" I've heard from reviewers was slash didn't write an album that sounds like typical slash and was actually a bit of departure for him;

personally I love it and am glad I didn't stream the whole thing and left half of it to be heard after the official album release; now to track down those bonus tracks

Saw Slash and Stockdale on Leno last night playing "By the Sword" - it sounded incredible

Haven't heard the album yet, but this song definitely does it for me

From the NY Daily News:

'Slash'

Slash's brilliant guitar work takes a backseat to showy collaborations on his first solo album

JIM FARBER

Wednesday, April 7th 2010

Slash's first official solo album has the feel of a Facebook page.

The guitarist filled it with just about every well-connected "friend" he ever met or heard of, forging a virtual who's who of heavy metal and hard rock. Turning up to squawk and preen on the CD are everyone from Ozzy and Lemmy to Kid Rock and Iggy Pop.

If Slash sent any "friend requests" to the singers most famously associated with him - Axl Rose or Scott Weiland - they went unanswered. Neither big mouth turned up.

Theoretically, Slash could have settled on a sole fresh shouter to front this project. But he already did that on his woeful band Snakepit. Instead he went this more showy and needy route.

As you'd expect from a project with so many egos in play, it isn't big on coherence. Then again, what's a guy blessed with Slash's particular talents and limitations to do?

Like Johnny Marr after the demise of The Smiths, Slash has wandered through a kind of journeyman's exile ever since the end of his one, great band - the original Guns N Roses - back in 1996.

Though his other longest lasting group, Velvet Revolver, put out two studio albums and endured six years together, they always seemed like a jerrybuilt project - like some lucrative, but tedious, time-filler.

Instead of going through that headache again, Slash choose a project that would both allow him to retain control and to reap the p.r. benefits of all the starry names involved. Hey, it worked for Santana on "Supernatural."

It hasn't worked quite that way here.

Make no mistake: Slash's driving solos dazzle throughout.

And the album does include a few collaborations that click. Lemmy attacks the guitarist's riff in "Doctor Alibi" with his delightfully satiric level of savagery. Wolfmother's Andrew Stockdale conjures a convincing, "I-Am-A-Golden-God" Robert Plant impersonation on the single, "By The Sword." And Chris Cornell's erotic snarl pairs so well with the star's chunky riffs in "Promise," it suggests he might have started a worthy group with Slash had he not already agreed to reform his classic band, Soundgarden, this summer.

Most of the other collaborations seem merely hypothetical - like daydreams from metal heads better left to the realm of fantasy. Some of them prove outright laughable, including Fergie performing in guitar drag for "Beautiful Dangerous" or the cameo by Adam Levine from Maroon 5, which reeks of wimp tokenism.

Ironically, the track that works best offers no guest vocalist at all.

"Watch This: reunites Slash with GNR alum Duff, and adds Dave Grohl on drums, to create a teeth-melting instrumental. The result proves that Slash could have gone the Jeff Beck route, letting his brilliant guitar work assume the fullness of a human voice for an entire CD.

One day let's hope he works up the nerve to do so.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2010/04/07/2010-04-07_slashs_brilliant_guitar_work_takes_a_backseat_to_showy_collaborations_on_his_fir.html

Well, everyone at least likes a few of the songs....

how many songs are available?
i'm looking for the official release with the most bonus tracks.
supposely there is a 17track canadian version but i've read about 19tracks should be available?

I have a 17 track version, not sure if its canadian. 

19 tracks are available in total. Well, 20 including the english language version of Sahara.
All the different versions are listed on this page - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slash_(album)

ai, thanks!!
i see, not a full bonus (2)cd-set available for now, gonna be released later hopefully  :beer:

ya, that's it exactly- a few great songs. The rest I skip & will prolly never listen to again.

Not surprising based on your user name.   

anyone know how to get the english version of Sahara if you didn't pre order?

No... but its on youtube if you just want to listen.

Now, you know I have no problem at all. But I've always found attacking someone's opinion based on the fact that they have 'Axl' in their username to be one of the most annoying things that's ever happened on other forums. "Of course you don't like {Insert thing Slash has done here}, you have Axl in your name!", made me want to punch the screen because of the supreme idiocy of that logic.

Slash Crucify The Dead Letras:
The fire started long ago
The flames burned out, still embers glow
So charred and black
There's nothing left to burn, to burn

We had the same dream
Lived life to extreme
A loaded gun jammed by a rose

The thorns are knots around your head
Your ego cursed you till you bled
You cannot crucify the dead
To me you're dead, yeah

The future is unset in stone
Decisions past leave you alone
Betrayed us all with your own selfish greed, your greed, yeah

[M?s Letras en http://es.mp3lyrics.org/4OLC]
New soldiers now say
That your beggars collect
Re-crucified and paid by you

The thorns are knots around your head
Your ego cursed you till you bled
You cannot crucify the dead
To me you're dead, yeah

We were like brothers with the world in our hands
You always have too much to say
Someday you look back and you wonder why
You let it all slip away, yeah

[SOLO]

Crucify the dead
Crucify the dead

The thorns are knots around your head
Your ego cursed you till you bled
You cannot crucify the dead
To me you're dead, yeah



WTF????!!

those are Ozzy's lyrics....but yeah, can be interpretated like many have thought before  : ok:

So if ozzy wrote the lyrics its about Black sabbath.And if you think both bands have lived paralel lives...

Ozzy: Classic Rock magazine, April 2010. Bigass feature on Slash's solo record, and the following quote from OZZY:
I helped write the lyrics and melody for the song with my producer. It's kind of about what I think happened to Guns N' Roses. I often say to Slash 'Y'know what? One day you guys are going to wake up and go "What the fuck did we have and why did we blow it?". The song's what I'd be singing to Axl if I was Slash, y'know, 'They can't crucify you when you're dead'

those lyrics are not entirely correct

"a loaded guns jammed by a rose"

ozzy have said it's his view on GN'R

there are things in sabbath's and GNR's history that are similar, but also many big differencies.. nobody sees ronnie james dio, vinny appice and geezer butler to be recruits as being recruits payed by tony iommi..

why you are talking about the song in this thread, i don't know

Sorry! i read Slash album and entered! .I just realized is only reviews!.Poor Ozzy! maybe he has speak about something he shouldnt!

Fair enough, dick move on my part.  I get the same for my avatar if i post anything slightly negative bout GNR so i know how it feels.
I apologize  :beer:

I was listening to SLASH yesterday.  I am not a guitar player, just a guy who like to hear music so dont danm me!

The album didnt displeased me but it wasnt a love-at-first-listen experience neither. Its a good average album, lacks some ambition in my personal taste...

I would say that lyrics are the weakest aspect of the album. I think it would be interesting that one day Slash make an instrumental album.

While listening I got this thought that the songs didnt reach a proper climax, Im talking about that climax that gives way to a guitar solo to be outstanding, to be special and fill it with meaning and emotion...  Maybe as I said before this is in someway because of the lyrics.

I will listen the album a couple of times more to see how it grows or not in me.

Dont know if I made myself clear, sorry, couldnt find better words.

i thouhght these were interesting quotes from slash talking about the curse of his success:


"It's really a catch 22," Slash says of his Guns N' Roses legacy. "We made a really influential - at this point iconic - first album that's in everybody's record collection and that's the coolest thing in the world. But I quit the band 15 years ago, and there's not been any efforts to get back together because it wasn't a pleasant split ... I was really bitter about being forced to quit my own band."

Despite this, Slash remains diplomatic about his ex-colleague.

"He's a f--king amazing singer. In making [my solo album] there were a couple of times where I'd think, ?Axl would sing the s--t out of this.' "

Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=2773801#ixzz0kX98InQu

U know what my favorite song is right now?

Saint is a sinner too

i rated it very low on my initial review

but have been listening today and WOW it gave me chills

it is so haunting

I think due to it being so different, first listen i didn't give it a chance

but WOW, when it hits, it hits

I also really love the Adam Levine song right now. that song has some great lyrics and feeling



Would love to hear Axl on Ghost though

that could've been one of the best GNR songs of all time with a little tweaking.

I like Saint very much as well

I wish the Adam Levine song never made the cut though - hard to listen to, actually

Another review:

Oh yeah, this is why Slash is a guitar legend

METRO CANADA

April 08, 2010

Slash
Album: Slash
Label: Universal
Rating: ***1/2

I?ll just come right out and say it: this is the best album Slash has been involved with since leaving Guns N? Roses. It?s not a brilliant piece of work, but it?s a good reminder of why Slash is one of the best guitarists on the planet. He whips off solos left and right ? all of which are air guitar worthy ? while the songs themselves are, for the most part, gritty, riff-heavy 90s rockers. He was wise to employ friends like Ozzy, Ian Astbury and Lemmy to sing on these tracks, though he should have held back his invite to Maroon 5?s Adam Levine.

http://www.metronews.ca/edmonton/world/article/497227--oh-yeah-this-is-why-slash-is-a-guitar-legend

Apology accepted & thx for sticking up for me also. :beer:


Despite my screen name, I do usually love anything with Slash also- I saw VR 4 times & met Slash as well. So ya i agree shouldn't make any assumptions- But I do think less than half this Album Rocks & the other half is lightweight,
ballads. I'm fine with ballads, but i like Intense ones Like the ones on Chin. Dem. for example. : ok:

I'll try this again -- but I'm running out of reviews.  :hihi:

Slash: "Slash" (album review)

Although he released albums with the band Slash's Snakepit, the former Guns N' Roses guitarist has never released a proper solo album, until now.  Enlisting a star-studded cast to provide vocals, he has dropped a record of 14 brand new tracks.

Not surprisingly the guitar work is exquisite.  Floating from hard rocking to bluesy to plaintive and everything in between, Slash provides yet another document of why he may in fact be the greatest guitar player alive today.

On the vocal side the album is more hit and miss.  Some of the pairings are inspired, some fall flat, others are downright painful to listen to.

It's no surprise which songs click the best.  The hard driving "Ghost", featuring former Cult frontman Ian Astbury and Gunner Izzy Straddlin, as well as "Doctor Alibi" grunted by Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister burst through your speakers and shake you by your lapels.

On paper collaborations with Wolfmother's Andrew Stockdale ("By the Sword") and Ozzy Osbourne ("Crucify the Dead") look promising.  In both cases though they lack a spark to ignite them.  The same holds surprisingly true for "I Hold On", with Kid Rock on vocals.  Chris Cornell's go at "Promise" is just plain dull.  Iggy Pop's turn on "We're All Gonna Die" is also surprisingly uninspired.

Predictably "Beautiful Dangerous", featuring Fergie, is a disaster.  The music sounds like a Chinese Democracy outtake, while hearing the Black Eyed Pea try to sound hard is laughable.  Maroon 5's Adam Levine is wimpy and out of place on "Gotten".

Some performances are pleasant surprises though.  In particular Alter Bridge's Myles Kennedy proves he can be soulful ("Starlight") and powerful ("Back from Cali").

From a strict perspective of guitar rock, Slash is an undeniable winner.  Toss some questionable vocal performances on top though, and this one is not for everyone.

http://www.snobsmusic.net/2010/04/slash-slash-album-review.html

Seems like most folks do enjoy his playing onthe album.

Yes, download it on limewire.  That's where I got all the bonus tracks.

Only Good Album

 : ok:

Well said my friend. Very well put. I agree.

Yeah I kind of have the same feeling.  I can't say I dislike ANY of the stuff Slash does on this album.  His playing sounds great throughout.  But where the songs fall flat are with the vocals.  And in many cases it's the chorus for me.  I like the verses in a lot of the songs but then the chorus falls flat.

Idem x 3

I think something Instrumental,,, would be better

http://badgerherald.com/artsetc/2010/04/08/slashs_1st_solo_cd_t.php (http://badgerherald.com/artsetc/2010/04/08/slashs_1st_solo_cd_t.php)

cool enough review here.

its out in Germany today! here is my first copy:

(http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/3196/slashslashtotalsealed.jpg) (http://img191.imageshack.us/i/slashslashtotalsealed.jpg/)

 :beer:

number one in HMV CD sales Canada!

http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/yb/143520336 (http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/yb/143520336)

Another blood bath lol...

 Slash -- "Slash" (EMI): Let's be clear about something: It's never easy for a guitarist who doesn't sing to make a solo album that's not instrumental. And the deck was stacked even higher for ax legend Slash because he's not even the most prolific of songwriters; other members of acts like Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver penned most of the tunes. So the solo debut "Slash" had a lot going against it before Slash even went into the studio to record it.

The fact that the record is absolutely boring should not be a surprise, then.

"Slash" is a 14-song work that's both surprising and

----- 

'Slash'

Slash's brilliant guitar work takes a backseat to showy collaborations on his first solo album

Slash's first official solo album has the feel of a Facebook page.

The guitarist filled it with just about every well-connected "friend" he ever met or heard of, forging a virtual who's who of heavy metal and hard rock. Turning up to squawk and preen on the CD are everyone from Ozzy and Lemmy to Kid Rock and Iggy Pop.

If Slash sent any "friend requests" to the singers most famously associated with him - Axl Rose or Scott Weiland - they went unanswered. Neither big mouth turned up.

Theoretically, Slash could have settled on a sole fresh shouter to front this project. But he already did that on his woeful band Snakepit. Instead he went this more showy and needy route.

As you'd expect from a project with so many egos in play, it isn't big on coherence. Then again, what's a guy blessed with Slash's particular talents and limitations to do?

Like Johnny Marr after the demise of The Smiths, Slash has wandered through a kind of journeyman's exile ever since the end of his one, great band - the original Guns N Roses - back in 1996.

Though his other longest lasting group, Velvet Revolver, put out two studio albums and endured six years together, they always seemed like a jerrybuilt project - like some lucrative, but tedious, time-filler.

Instead of going through that headache again, Slash choose a project that would both allow him to retain control and to reap the p.r. benefits of all the starry names involved. Hey, it worked for Santana on "Supernatural."

It hasn't worked quite that way here.

Make no mistake: Slash's driving solos dazzle throughout.

And the album does include a few collaborations that click. Lemmy attacks the guitarist's riff in "Doctor Alibi" with his delightfully satiric level of savagery. Wolfmother's Andrew Stockdale conjures a convincing, "I-Am-A-Golden-God" Robert Plant impersonation on the single, "By The Sword." And Chris Cornell's erotic snarl pairs so well with the star's chunky riffs in "Promise," it suggests he might have started a worthy group with Slash had he not already agreed to reform his classic band, Soundgarden, this summer.

Most of the other collaborations seem merely hypothetical - like daydreams from metal heads better left to the realm of fantasy. Some of them prove outright laughable, including Fergie performing in guitar drag for "Beautiful Dangerous" or the cameo by Adam Levine from Maroon 5, which reeks of wimp tokenism.

Ironically, the track that works best offers no guest vocalist at all.

"Watch This: reunites Slash with GNR alum Duff, and adds Dave Grohl on drums, to create a teeth-melting instrumental. The result proves that Slash could have gone the Jeff Beck route, letting his brilliant guitar work assume the fullness of a human voice for an entire CD.

One day let's hope he works up the nerve to do so.


http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/2010/04/07/2010-04-07_slashs_brilliant_guitar_work_takes_a_backseat_to_showy_collaborations_on_his_fir.html

This reviewer gives the album 2.5/5 stars.

This may be a stupid question, but how do you get the bonus tracks if you download on itunes (ie Mother Maria and Sahara)?

You can find all the bonus tracks on limewire.  I got 'em.

Billboard CD reviews: Slash

ALBUM: SLASH

NEW YORK (Billboard) - He may not be Axl Rose's favorite person these days, but Slash still has plenty of friends -- and he's corralled an impressive group of them on the 14 tracks of his new self-titled solo effort. Filling the gap as he prepares for Velvet Revolver's (presumed) return, the guitarist kicks out some heavy jams with the Cult's Ian Astbury ("Ghost"), Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister ("Doctor Alibi"), Iggy Pop ("We're All Gonna Die"), Ozzy Osbourne on the Goth-flavored "Crucify the Dead" and M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold for the speeding horror rocker "Nothing to Say." And longtime colleague Duff McKagan and Dave Grohl join Slash for the jagged-groove instrumental "Watch This." But the top hat-wearing guitarist traipses in other stylistic directions, exploring rootsy, Americana-flavored terrain with Kid Rock ("I Hold On"), melodic pop (albeit with a bluesy solo) with Maroon 5's Adam Levine ("Gotten") and a slinky "Beautiful Dangerous" that gives us Fergie as we've never heard her before. "Slash" shoots a little too wide for its own good, but the album showcases him as the guitar hero we've always known and as the songwriter we probably haven't appreciated enough.

Fair review and hard to argue with that.

That's for sure been the most unbiased one I've seen so far and I agree  :beer:

If I had to review this record myself, the above would've captured my thoughts exactly.

SLASH

Slash

(Dik Hayd Records)

Reviewed by : Aaron Small
Rating : 8.5

While Velvet Revolver continues its search for a vocalist to replace Scott Weiland, and bassist Duff McKagan works on the new Jane?s Addiction album, guitarist Slash has issued his debut solo disc (the two Slash?s Snakepit releases were considered band efforts). The top-hatted six-stringer and former Gunner composed all of the stylistically diverse music and then contacted vocalists he thought would fit each particular song. Opening track ?Ghost? is a straight-ahead rocker featuring Ian Astbury of The Cult and former GN?R rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin. Ozzy Osbourne sings ?Crucify The Dead?, a song that despite insistence to the contrary, seems to be directed at Axl Rose. ?Beautiful Dangerous?, led by Fergie, is much more pop-oriented, yet it works in a bump and grind kind of way. ?Back From Cali? showcases Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge, who Slash has chosen to be his touring vocalist. Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave takes the reins for ?Promise?, a cool, bluesy number. Wolfmother?s Andrew Stockdale helms the instantly infectious first single, ?By The Sword?. Up next is Adam Levine from Maroon 5 on ?Gotten?. Sadly his delivery is beyond safe and ultra sappy. Leave it to Mot?rhead?s Lemmy to bring the album back to life with ?Doctor Alibi? ? a raucous bruiser of a song. The exciting instrumental, ?Watch This?, follows with contributions from Duff and Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters). Kid Rock is in charge of ?I Hold On? ? a catchy number perfectly suited to his raspy tone. ?Nothing To Say? is undeniably the most metal song on offer and M Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold proves he?s more than capable of bringing the fire. Myles Kennedy returns for his second song with ?Starlight?, a track akin to Bad Company?s ?Shooting Star?. Unfortunately Rocco DeLuca is way too mellow on ?Saint Is A Sinner Too?, and truth be told, boring. Iggy Pop sounds like he?s near death on ?We?re All Gonna Die?, singing uninspired and ?dumb? lyrics about ?peeing on the ground? and ?jumping around.? This is where the regular version ends. However, the deluxe version contains three bonus tracks: the lively ?Sahara?, which introduces Japanese vocalist Koshi Inaba to a global audience. Alice Cooper and Pussycat Dolls? Nicole Scherzinger team up on the fun and frivolous ?Baby Can?t Drive?. Fergie?s back, this time with Cypress Hill, to bring the festivities to a close with a hip hop version of the Guns N? Roses classic, ?Paradise City?, a less than impressive effort. Given the veritable smorgasbord of guest vocalists, peaks and valleys were unavoidable. That being said, the one constant within this incredibly wide variance of music is Slash. His guitar solos are striking and passionate but even more importantly, a naturally expressive nature flows harmoniously, free from the constraints of what would or would not fit within the parameters of a band. With all sides showing, Slash has proven once again that he is truly one of the world?s top guitarists.

Bravewords

I'm from Canada and bought the special edition which came with 3 bonus songs, Sahara(cheesy 80's rocker), and Paradise City remake.

Baby Can't Drive(Alie Cooper) is the other bonus.....it sounds like Stevie Adler playing drums but he's not credited on the album?.....could this be because his Mom would steel $$ royalties?, like what Axl said in a chat?  Maybe Slash just threw him some cash but left his name off the album??

Yes, Steven does indeed play drums on "Baby Can't Drive", and Flea plays bass.

Steven's mom steals his royalties?  When did Axl say that?

I think when asked about playing with former Gunners if I'm not mistaken either that or during a forum QA  ???

Cheesy or not, that song has some killer guitar playing on it, both riffing and soloing.

One of the online chats. 

On celebrity rehab Steve talks about his mom taking his royalty $$$ too, if I remember correctly.

Wonder why Flea and Steve weren't credited for their work ?

To be fair to Steven's mother, it was for his own good that she decided to take his royalties. He still has access to the money if he needs something... but she knew that if he had all of it, he'd spend it all on drugs.

They are both credited on the Classic Rock version

Talent wise yes...judgement wise, I would put him barely 6ft over Jimi Hendrix.  This music does not please me, but if it pleases him, thats all that counts.  Sorry so late in my reply...I don't get on much these days.

Neither are credited on Canadian version??

So Jimmy Page with P Diddy and Joe Perry with Katy Perry and Britney Spears was good judgment?...

I'm as big a Slash fan as anyone, but to put him in Jimmy Page's class is a bit difficult

Don't want to get off topic...so will leave it short and sweet.

The album is pretty good, I think about 1/2 of the tunes are solid.....the other 1/2 may just not be for me

if you were completely objective and read respected music polls regarding various best of all-time lists of various rock songs, riffs, solo's etc.; and saw the # of times slash's name appears in the top 25 per poll and compare it to the # of times Page's name appears in the same poll in the top 25; i bet you would find they are pretty equal

Like I said, not looking to get too far off topic - but if you judge a musician based upon polls and lists you are doing yourself a dis-service. It's not a knock on Slash or what he has accomplished to suggest that he's not quite in Jimmy Page's category. Besides, it's only an opinion

i wasn't basing my opinion on a poll or what have you; but basically taking the position if you knew nothing about great rock guitarists and read some opinion polls from repsected magazines; Page and Slash would appear about the same number of times at the top of the lists-I don't think I ever said I base my opinion on polls or lists; just pointing out a fact and making a case that putting Slash in the same league as Page is not as big of a stretch as some people think

reputations are made over time and Slash and Page's best work have long stood the test of time

Slash's Label Leads The List Of Silly Vanity Imprint Names

Posted 2 hrs ago by Kyle Anderson

After years of toiling in some wildly successful rock bands (most notably Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver), Slash has finally made his way into the center of the spotlight with his first true solo album. It just debuted in third place on the Billboard album chart, moving over 60,000 copies in its first week on the strength of the behatted guitarist's non-stop promotion and the single "By the Sword" (a team-up with Wolfmother frontman Andrew Stockdale.

Slash is actually a tremendous collection of hard rock songs that center around the axe man's signature chunky, swirling riffs. His backing band features all of the original members of Guns N' Roses (Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler ? only Axl Rose is absent). In Santana style, each track has a guest vocalist, some of which work really well (Stockdale, Ian Astbury, Chris Cornell, Dave Grohl) while others stumble a bit (Fergie, Myles Kennedy). On balance, it's an excellent album, and it feels good to have that classic Slash sound back.

But there is one thing that stands out about the record: It has been released on Slash's own imprint. The label's title? Dik Hayd Records. Like the top entry on yesterday's list of ridiculous band names, "Dik Hayd" combines a juvenile joke and bad grammar for a truly silly stew. In fact, it immediately rockets to the top of the list of silliest vanity label names. It sits about the rest of these.

http://newsroom.mtv.com/2010/04/14/slash-album-label/

Theres maybe 3 decent songs on it, and the rest I could do with never having to hear again.

The fergie track had promise but the chorus was so goddamn cheesy it killed the whole song.   Is there an insturmental of that song?

The instrumental version streamed on ESPN for a few days.  What 3 songs did you like?

I like the song, but also as an instrumental.  I wish I had an MP3 of it, here it is on YouTube:

Beautiful Dangerous - Slash feat. Fergie Instrumental Version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWWqgG1ePsE

I found an instrumental of BD on piratebay

Personally I liked Myles' vocal alot more than I liked Dave Grohls.

Slash: Slash

Published: May 8 2010 01:51

The curtain of hair sways, the top hat tips back rakishly, mirrored shades gleam, clouds of cigarette smoke puff as the factory chimneys once did in his native Stoke-on-Trent ? why, it?s heavy metal?s coolest axe hero Slash, stirring himself to make his first solo album.

But the Guns ?n? Roses guitarist turns out to be on disappointingly dull form, laying down torpid riffs as a succession of celebrity vocalists fail to match the whiny edge of his old foil Axl Rose. Motorhead?s Lemmy sounds old and weary on ?Doctor Alibi?, Ozzy Osbourne sings like someone slowly reading an autocue on ?Crucify the Dead? and Iggy Pop makes poor use of his rhyming dictionary on ?We?re All Gonna Die? (?Gee I really like your tits/I?ll say anything that fits?). It?s like a Sunset Strip retirement home for decrepit rockers.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6c6f1730-5803-11df-9eaf-00144feab49a.html


OUCH!

Damn :-\ I take it they didn't like the album!

it's true in a way. none of them will ever match Axl's "whiny edge". but it's still a damn good album! I like most the songs.

Personally, I find Slash's album quite underwhelming. None of the songs has left a long-term impact on me.

To me, the album has only confirmed how important Axl always was in taking ideas and making everlasting gems out of them. Without his contribution, Slash ends up with some nice riffs and some choppy bits that dont quite gel into great songs.

I love Starlight, maybe the the best song on the album.  Cool intro, good chorus, awesome solo, very nice!

Ghost
Gotten
Back from Cali
Promises
Starlight
By the Sword
I'll Hold On
Mother Maria

are all VERY strong tracks to my ears.

lol, in what way would that discredit axl? :rofl:

Anything can be twisted to mean anything....


:-X

That's a load of bullshit.

THose are the 3 best songs on the album. The guy doing the review probably has never heard Lemmy, his vocals are rough, and it may sound old, because duh he's getting old, but that's the point of the song which is my favorite because I can relate to it after going to the doctors, the doctor makes a funny face like iM gonna die and then I go to see a shaman and makes everything cool.

FUCK YOU DOCTORS, YOU KNOW SHIT   :hihi:

AS FOR the Iggy Pop tune, that's gotta be one of the most rocking songs he's ever done in recent years, the lyrics are ironic and devious as always.

And Ozzy? he sounds like he did 40 years ago !

Im not that big of a fan of the record.. I mean fergie... kid rock... adam levine ? wtf?!
But the rock gods delivered, big time !

Yeah, I would agree with this too - I'm not in love with the album by any means, BUT I thought Ozzy sounded incredible on that song - very much like his old self
Lemmy rocks the shit out of that song as well - I think it's one of the more enjoyable ones on the album

well, to be fair, axl didn't have too many everlasting gems off CD so they are even :hihi:

well, that assessment is subjective for each individual.

I know that I keep going back to Chinese Democracy almost 1 and a half years after its release but Slash's album couldnt hold my interest for even a month.

Slash's album couldnt hold my interest for even a month.

Then why are you posting reviews and inquiring about sales on the other thread? If you have no interest.

why not? I didnt like the songs too much bit Im certainly interested in how the album's doing. why is that a problem?

I remember a thread on MyGNR forum suggesting that Slash's album would be "album of the year" when it drops. I find it ironic to match reality to fantasy. 

HTGTH might or might not have people with the same views. either way, Im perfectly entitled to post reviews in this thread and inquiries about sales in the other thread.   

I remember people saying Slash's album would dwarf another certain album because of all the star power involved.  I never bought into that line of thinking, and not that it really matters.  But I see where you're coming from.  Same thing happened with that other certain album to an extent.

I don't think there's much point in comparing the two. They set out to do two completely different things. For me, they're kinda even. Slash's album was better than I thought it might be, while "that other certain album" (? faldor) wasn't quite as awesome as I'd hoped (thatsjustmyopinionpleasedon'tkillme). They should be enjoyed for different reasons. Overall, Slash's album was mostly done as a fun thing.

BTW, wasn't there a thread titled "your reviews" here somewhere?

Well, Slash's wife Perla herself invited the comparison when she tweeted about how Slash's album is great and "didnt even take 17 years to make". If youre going to go that route, you cant complain when the comparison becomes somewhat unflattering to you.

I always find it amusing, this "it was done just for fun" idea. that seems to be Slash's stated rationale for everything- from the Paradise City debacle with Fergie and Cypress Hill to this entire album. However, when you have a song like Crucify The Dead on the same album, the whole exercise becomes a lot more pointed and the "just for fun" line becomes unconvincing.

as for my review, I was posting official ones here but responded to other posters giving their reviews. i imagine that responding to other posters' posts is a rather conventional practice.

But musically, they're two different things. It's like trying to compare an AC/DC album with a Pink Floyd album. They're not trying to do the same thing, and I like both of them for different reasons. CD is more focused, since it's the same band (mostly) playing throughout, while Slash's album feels more loose, with all these different singers with different approaches on each song.




The overall feel of the album is 'fun' I think. It sounds like Slash playing with various singers and seeing what they come up with. He's not trying to record a masterpeice or anything, just jamming with different folks. As for Crucify The Dead, I think it was Ozzy who wrote the lyrics, and he's said that they're about various people, not just Axl and Slash's relationship.




That wasn't directed at anyone really, I just noticed no one had posted anything there for a while, and most opinions had ended up here. No biggie.

Ive listened to Crucify the Dead 50 times and never once did i make any connection to Axl. Ozzy was in Black Sabbath so maybe he is talking about Iommi or hell who knows.

U can't compare the two albums either. One album was really labored over and crafted to be the masterpiece it is. Slash spent a few months gathering up some buddies and throwing down.

Plus where Slash has to depend on other singers, the fact the songs are as good as they are is remarkable, cause i figured a lot of those would give Slash some B Side throwaway type material.

If we are going on pure riffage though, Ghost, By The Sword, Promise and Nothing To Say guitar wise are better imo.

Solo wise, nothing on here tops Bucket's There Was A time solo.

Well, Ozzy said in an interview that it was his interpretation of what went down with the breakup of GNR, so that pretty much spells it out.  Maybe his own dealings with Black Sabbath were a part of it as well.

This is a great record! Ian Astbury's voice on the first track is awesome. Great opener! But the real highlights for me were two songs sung by Myles Kennedy. He would be a perfect frontman for VR. Also Fergie was a nice surprise. She got good rock voice and I also like her song. It would've been intersted in to hear more female singers on this record (like Pink). Iggy and Lemmy were as strong as I wanted them to be. On the other hand Ozzy's song was a big disappointment. I really love Ozzy but I like him to rock! Another big disappointment was Saint Is a Sinner Too. It really doesn't belong on the record like this. I don't like it at all. But 12 awesome or good songs out of 14 isn't bad.

I'm very late to the party with this album, I've so far only heard Ghost, Beautiful Dangerous and Crucify the Dead.  I really loved Ghost, that song is incredible, Izzy's power chords absolutely rock.