Why Is Slash So Good?
I received this email over the long weekend:
“Slash from Velvet Revolver is considered one of the best guitar players ever, but I know tons of guys who can play as good as he can, is it because he was in famous bands or his top hat or what that makes him so famous?”
This is one of those relative questions that’s hard to answer. As a technician, it’s not like Slash reinvented the wheel. Guys like Eddie Van Halen and Eric Clapton were more innovative. But when he first hit the scene with Guns N Roses in 1987, Slash’s technique went totally against the grain of the times. Whereas speed and tapping was a big deal in the various hair bands that dominated radio, Slash was more blues-based, taking the influence of the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith to a new level. Add in his iconic image and you have one of rock’s great guitar heroes.
In 2005 Esquire magazine awarded Slash their Esky Award for Best Guitarist and wrote the following blurb, which helps explain why he’s so beloved and respected:
“He’s who we see ourselves as every time we strap on an air guitar. The top hat. The hair. The dangling cigarette. The near-death experiences. He’ll always be Slash of Guns N’ Roses to us, but we also congratulate him for beating the comeback odds with a surprisingly legitimate and vital outfit, Velvet Revolver.”