Is Slash exceptional?

[D]

Even his solo in KOHD and kind of a throw away song like So Fine are awesome also.


Don't forget his monsters on Coma.

Most guitar solos are to show off and fill space.. Seriously, Joe Perry is a boring solo guy... His solos on Aerosmith songs feel like they take an hour to get over with.
Slash's u memorize the melodies just like u would the lyrics and vocals.


I tell this story all the time as an example of Slash's brilliance. I worked at a health food store filled with nothing but other musicians

November Rain came on the overhead radio thing as we were working, all day long,what was stuck in people's heads, was the last guitar solo.. so all day everybody is humming it and not singing the song.. I thought, WOW, this wouldn't happen with any other guitar player.

[GnR-NOW]

I love GNR, new old and in between whatever.  I love Slash even if I think he's a bit of a sellout, slightly fake, and much too willing to let the folks believe him as blameless in the whole breakup (harder to live with the truth about you...)  I think the SCOM solo is the greatest ever and the next 4 or 5 belong to him as well.  But I know NOTHING about playing the guitar.  My question(s) is this.  Are Slash's masterpieces considered to be DIFFICULT which would suggest an exceptional ability, or are they just awesome SOUNDING making Slash an excellent music writer?  Or both?  I mean, what is most pleasing to my ear isn't necessarily more difficult to play right?  In my totally UNeducated opinion Buckethead is the superior player even though Slash is responsible for the very music I most enjoy listening to.  But for all I know Slash is equally or more adept than Buckethead.

Buckethead is more technically gifted.  Even Slash has admitted that.  But then again Slash has wrote some of the greatest riffs and solo's of all time.  I guess thats the most important thing right? 

I guess Its like having a sports team that play amazing but don't always win trophies.  Its hard to explain but I personally prefer Slash although Bucket is a great player too.

I personally prefer Buckets solo in TWAT over any GNR solo from any player.

[D]

I love GNR, new old and in between whatever.  I love Slash even if I think he's a bit of a sellout, slightly fake, and much too willing to let the folks believe him as blameless in the whole breakup (harder to live with the truth about you...)  I think the SCOM solo is the greatest ever and the next 4 or 5 belong to him as well.  But I know NOTHING about playing the guitar.  My question(s) is this.  Are Slash's masterpieces considered to be DIFFICULT which would suggest an exceptional ability, or are they just awesome SOUNDING making Slash an excellent music writer?  Or both?  I mean, what is most pleasing to my ear isn't necessarily more difficult to play right?  In my totally UNeducated opinion Buckethead is the superior player even though Slash is responsible for the very music I most enjoy listening to.  But for all I know Slash is equally or more adept than Buckethead.

Buckethead is more technically gifted.  Even Slash has admitted that.  But then again Slash has wrote some of the greatest riffs and solo's of all time.  I guess thats the most important thing right? 

I guess Its like having a sports team that play amazing but don't always win trophies.  Its hard to explain but I personally prefer Slash although Bucket is a great player too.

I personally prefer Buckets solo in TWAT over any GNR solo from any player.

That solo is wayyyyyy overrated

Doesn't crack the GNR top 10.

U can compare it to the NFL. Devin Hester may be the fastest player in the NFL but he isn't a top 30 Wide Receiver.

Speed, technical ability means shit in rock n roll.  Technically, Adam Lambert is a better vocalist than Steven Tyler.. but would anybody EVER say he is anywhere close to Tyler? of course not.

[GnR-NOW]

Im not denying Slash wrote some of the greatest solos ever. I love SCOM, Nightrain obviously, but TWAT is my favorite. It has an epic sound to it. I think if Nottingham Lace had Axl's vocals over it, it would make a great GNR song. Could Bucket write SCOM, I don't know but the TWAT is my fav

[D]

Don't get me wrong, u are entitled to ur opinion. I use to have TWAT very high also... listened a couple times yesterday... and I don't think it holds up or is quite as spectacular as people have built it up to be. I also listened after listening to UYI 1 and 2 back to back...

[lagr08]

Wow, thanks everybody.  Great to get so much input on something I've often wondered about.  Put all the comments together and I came to the following conclusion; Slash is a great music writer in so much as he is that SINGLE missing ingredient that makes a good recipe great.  Like Axl Izzy and the rest of the guys created a very good painting and Slash was that brushstroke that made it a masterpiece.  Obviously whatever skill he has is sufficient.   
   All the great replies also confirm something all us fans have known for a long time.  The planets lined up and brought that group of guys together.  If each guy was a spark then combined they were lightning.  Eventually the bottle blew up, but not before the entire world caught one hell of a buzz. 
BTW, I still think Slash has somehow lessened his legacy through overexposure...but then again I whine about not seeing Axl enough.  No wonder those two clashed!

[Koskenkorvasieni]

In my opinion Slash is a guitarist whose style is instantly recognizable. Slash actually makes his guitar speak and convey emotion. Not a lot of technically skilled players are able to do that, they sound too clinical, almost robotic.

As far as Slash's writing skills, he's come up with some of the most memorable riffs and solos of rock n' roll history and I think of him as the Keith Richards of the generation, who grew up in the late eighties and early nineties. However, he needs to have other musicians to bounce off ideas with, to really compliment and complete his riffs and make them into great songs. His solo album had some incredible moments on it, but also a bit too much filler material.

[LongGoneDay]

Don't get me wrong, u are entitled to ur opinion. I use to have TWAT very high also... listened a couple times yesterday... and I don't think it holds up or is quite as spectacular as people have built it up to be. I also listened after listening to UYI 1 and 2 back to back...

I can't say I personally hold the TWAT solo as high as AFD-UYI material, but it is definitely a good one. I think it holds up well.
For me, the beat is what makes the song sound a bit dated. I really like Axl's lyrics overall, but the "the devil hates a loser" line is a doozie.
I thought Bucket really shined on Street of Dreams. Just seemed like he and Axl really clicked on that one. I'm surprised not to hear that song on the radio.

[NicoRourke]

A shitload of CD songs should be on the radio

What I love about Slash's solos is that you can whistle them and people around will go 'that's that GN'R song right?'.

BUT in my opinion the material on CD is way more challenging and demanding for the listener, and I love that. I think I've listened to the title track a thousand times, and still can't grasp all the little subtilities!!

[Guitar1281]

I listened to snakepit 2 yesterday and guitar wise the song structures are great, you can't fault him for the rest of the band (mainly rod jackson) for not bringing the chops/feel to the rest of the song to make the songwriting exceptional. The part leading from one guitar riff to another is impeccable in most of those songs as well as the solos intermingling with the chord changes of the songs, there is alot of really good stuff going on in that record guitar wise and i hope his next solo album is much like this but with myles uping the ante on the vocals.

In my opinion what seperates slash is one word TONE, i could explain but you all understand already.

Tone is a big part of the whole guitar player thing that is often overlooked and carressing the subtletly of the tone is something that is much harder than a non guitar player would ever understand. Also I like slash's feel drive and energy, his songs pump forward rarely drag along.  I could go on and on about some other stuff but its mostly been covered.

+1 to Bodhi, Tom Delonge while defenitly not the most technically gifted has produced some of my favorite riffs along with my second favorite tone!

[D]

Tone is what always drew me to Prince as a guitar player.. he has that special something that makes u just go WOW!

Slash has this incredible depth and warmth to his tone that is 2nd to none. Listen to LA Guns an Tracii Guns tone and then listen to Slash... Or even Finck playing Slash's solos... Its the same notes but it isn't the same "FEEL"

[Limulus]

add that Slash's guitar sound is very special, add that his presence (exspec. on stage) is considered to be very cool in the eyes of the main public., add that he did live the hard Rock N Roll style for many years and survived it! combined with some of his outstanding solos/songs he has secured his place in Rock history already years ago.

[One.In.A.Million]

I'd say Slash is exceptional in the aspect of being a rock icon and creating some of the most amazing riffs and solo's ever. His image, along with his exploits make him truely rock n' roll. But in terms of skills, I don't think he is as exceptional as Buckethead or Ron. But it all depends on what you choose to judge him on.... But in general terms, I think it's obvious that Slash is more exceptional than most standard guitarists out there.

[Gunner80]

Slash is an amazing player, anyone who says otherwise is a moron. Shredding doesn't equal great in my opinion, or look at how fast I can play my scales. Slash is a composer for the most part. Something most air headed guitarists aren't.