Does anyone else feel Slash is holding back GN'R?

[ITARocker]

Brain, buckethead, bumblefoot... Great players but... In gnr they still played 4/4 tempo songs...

[zombux]

well, based on old demos and final ChiDem cuts, I can safely say that Buckethead had by far the hugest influence on GNR sound direction. too bad he had so little chance to shine. now, it's a question if GNR will get back to their roots or will pursue some kind of hybrid way. it would be a shame if they completely dropped the 2000+ sound

[LIGuns]

Nope.....Check out Slash's last 2 albums...They remind me of where GNR may have been heading.The guitar playing was more complex like Locomotive, Coma YCBM or Pretty Tied Up rather than basic blues rock..l

[Voodoochild]

This is dead horse to me, I think we've been discussing this "style/feeling vs. technique/hability" forever now since Buckethead first joined the band in 2000. 16 years!

I know a lot of you play guitars here, so think about it: is there ANY progressive stuff in Chinese Democracy? The backbones of the songs are just straitghfoward rock and hardrock, nothing too complex. The only thing I feel sounds a bit more tricky is Shacklers. But Slash could play any of those riffs and rhythm with ease, and his solos would fit just fine in there.

well, based on old demos and final ChiDem cuts, I can safely say that Buckethead had by far the hugest influence on GNR sound direction. too bad he had so little chance to shine. now, it's a question if GNR will get back to their roots or will pursue some kind of hybrid way. it would be a shame if they completely dropped the 2000+ sound

Don't think so. Bucket had a huge influence, yes, but the majority of the songs pre-date him. He reworked the solos and it elevated the album, but I don't think he influenced that much with riffs and song writing: Scraped and Shacklers were cool but those didn't sound that much different than Riad and Better in terms of song structure to me (Im not talking about quality).

[zombux]

of course most stuff pre-dates him, but just have a listen to the "1999 early demos" - same songs, but the outcome is just like day and night. ultra-prominent guitars and much heavier sound are (I believe) mainly Bucket's influence, because those simply weren't there before. 2001 shows hinted the change a bit and 2002 tour got those even more apparent.

[Voodoochild]

of course most stuff pre-dates him, but just have a listen to the "1999 early demos" - same songs, but the outcome is just like day and night. ultra-prominent guitars and much heavier sound are (I believe) mainly Bucket's influence, because those simply weren't there before. 2001 shows hinted the change a bit and 2002 tour got those even more apparent.

The much heavier sound may be from the mixing, specially on the drums sound and not really the guitars: just listen to OMG, that was heavy as fuck.

[Nikki_Sixx]

I was listening to one of the Hammerstein 2006 shows the other day.  When Robin did his little intros to certain songs (or even classic trademark GNR solos), I couldn't help but cringe.  I had apparently forgotten (or had deceived myself) how sloppy he is/was...

Avant garde ?  Maybe...  Progressive ?  Hell no.

Also, there is a reason every person in the world knows at least one GNR (87-93) song, and hardly anyone knows a Buckethead or Bumblefoot song.

Think about it.

[Dr. Blutarsky]

Slash is moving the band forward......The tenure of Bucket and Bumblefoot  added a new dimension to GNR, but  Slash's guitar tone and style is signature GNR , even when he wasn't playing with them.
 


 

[axlvai]

Slash is holding up in his shoulders the name of Guns N' Roses.

This is a totally success!!

[draguns]

CherryGarcia, you have been coming up with some  insane topics as of late. Slash holding back GNR?? WTF! I can't even.

[Wooody]

Plus, he writes cool music on his own, BH and BBF do not.

lol yeah, right you should check their stuff first, before you write something so utterly untrue.

I already have checked out their stuff. Its called an opinion.

[doooodickiebr]

Stupidest thread ever!!!;;;

[WAR41]

I mean... I feel like this is a troll attempt, but I am not sure. 

Anyways, I think everyone on this site would agree that Axl and Slash working together is a good thing as they both push each other outside of their boundaries to create amazing music.  This seems to be a big part of why the band broke up.  Hell they were young guys with huge egos, a ton of money and they owned the music world for a solid 3 years and they each thought they could be successful without the other. 

[Thorned Rose]

No.

His sound is a large large part of the Gn'R sound. It always will be. He's clearly the best guitarist that Gn'R has ever had.

He plays a blues/rock style that has soul to it. While technically Bumblefoot or Ashba might be close in skill, they don't play or have that feeling as much. Maybe it is just me though?

Notes per second or whatever doesn't qualify someone being good at guitar. It is the creativity of it. Kurt Cobain was far far from being a good guitarist. It was he creativity and style that makes him so popular with people and legendary. Cobain vs Slash? Slash blows him always with 4 notes lol.

Cobain had style. He's an great example as to how a very average guitarist can use cool effects and a cool style with a great vision and be great in their own way.

No Slash isn't holding anyone back. I've read every book on Gn'R that their is. Axl Rose held Gn'R back.

[Bridge]

While technically Bumblefoot or Ashba might be close in skill, they don't play or have that feeling as much. Maybe it is just me though?

Notes per second or whatever doesn't qualify someone being good at guitar. It is the creativity of it.

Exactly.  Slash was a better guitarist emotionally, which is what people will remember.  Few people ever remember the technical guitarists no matter how "great" they are.  The ones that play their instruments from their hearts are the ones who, in turn, communicate that to the listeners' hearts.  That's why Slash is remembered.  That's why he'll never be replaced as the ultimate Guns N Roses guitarist.

[Thorned Rose]

This^^^^^

[D-GenerationX]

Exactly.  Slash was a better guitarist emotionally, which is what people will remember.  Few people ever remember the technical guitarists no matter how "great" they are.  The ones the play their instruments from their hearts are the ones who, in turn, communicate that to the listeners' hearts.  That's why Slash is remembered.  That's why he'll never be replaced as the ultimate Guns N Roses guitarist.

Spot on.

And, as a bonus, people can stop pretending they always hated him now that he's back.  Win-win!!