WHOLE LOTTA GROOVE: 33 years later, Slash finds a guitar player that can play proper rhythm guitar

Slash doesn't seem to know this, but I do: Slash sounds better when Slash plays with guitar players that can groove

Slash has never sounded better than when Slash plays with that Izzy guy



Things is...

Slash doesn't seem to enjoy that much having that Izzy fella with him in a band

And...

That Izzy fella doesn't seem to enjoy that much having Slash with him in a band

So

Yeah

It doesn't seem like Slash and Izzy will ever be together in a band again -- which is the biggest rock n' roll waste of them all



So, no Izzy

Not cool

BUT

"Life goes on"

"Move on"

etc

yeah

So what's the next best thing for Slash?

Like second best?

That would be finding a proper rhythm guitar player

Sadly Slash was never really able to do that

Right?

Yeah, Gilby is OK

Yeah, Dave Kushner is OK

(Get out the Door was actually very groovy)

And whoever else played with Slash on his many solo band configurations since the 90s was much less than stellar and sometimes a bit less than OK

BUT

Not this time

For the "Orgy..." album and the "Serpent" tour Slash seems to have found a proper rhythm guitar player

The first proper rhythm guitar player since... Izzy!

I noticed that on the "Killing Floor" video

But I didn't know who that guy was or if he would be on Slash's album or band

It looks like he is on both

Today I have read news about Slash Serpent tour and there it was:

TASH NEAL

That's the name of the guy

Googled it

Youtubed it

FUCK

FINALLY

33 YEARS LATER

Slash has found a proper, groovy rhythm guitar player

Can't wait for this tour

Yeah, one of the best thing with Appetite was the interplay between Izzy and Slash. And one of the worst thing with the Illusions was how this was lost. They didn't work out their guitar parts the same way they had for Appetite, a lot of it was just Slash's lead filling the sonic space, and although Slash's leads are great, there was no Izzy to fill in the spaces, to add counterpoints to Slash, to provide more texture. It was more of a traditional album with a distinct lead and then rhythm. Whereas on Appetite they would trade licks, Izzy would play more lead (also solos)...it just was a very different dynamic.

Soulmonster wrote:Yeah, one of the best thing with Appetite was the interplay between Izzy and Slash. And one of the worst thing with the Illusions was how this was lost. They didn't work out their guitar parts the same way they had for Appetite, a lot of it was just Slash's lead filling the sonic space, and although Slash's leads are great, there was no Izzy to fill in the spaces, to add counterpoints to Slash, to provide more texture. It was more of a traditional album with a distinct lead and then rhythm. Whereas on Appetite they would trade licks, Izzy would play more lead (also solos)...it just was a very different dynamic.

Exactly.

There is a bit of that magic left in the Illusions in some tracks. But it is mostly absent thanks (I believe, given all the info we have) to Slash erasing Izzy's guitar, and/or re-recording Izzy's guitars, and/or mixing Izzy's guitar lower than his, etc etc etc.

"How to hijack a band in 10 lessons with professor Slash"

Do you remember that quote about how Izzy tracks were "too basic" and were not "good enough" to be used on a "serious" album (or on an album of that "level" or "caliber", can't remember the exact words)?

That was just unbelievable

"Hey kids, don't let all those accolades and all that coke get to your head, ok?"

The whole thing is a complete nonsensical absurd

Also unbelievable is how apparently only 1% of the millions of people who listen to GN'R are able to notice how crucial Izzy's guitar playing is for the sound of the band -- both live and in studio

It seems to me that 99% of the people (maybe 99,9%?) do not notice and do not care at all! And that's why Axl can get away with an embarrassing player like his current guitar player, who can't even strum Used to Love Her properly

Does it get any worse than that? Yes it does, here comes Axl's drummer. See, he is reliable. He doesn't take drugs. He doesn't miss rehearsals. He doesn't complain. He doesn't argue. He says yes. He is such a nice, hardworking guy. All the qualities that anyone is looking for in a drummer. Right? (OK, sorry, not going into that today)

Thing is, it seems to me that they don't spend too much time teaching you how to use the right hand on guitar school. And that's where the groove comes from (not only fronm that, of course, but initially from that). If your right hand doesn't do it, you can be as fast or as good as you want with your left hand and that will do nothing.

Back to the magic, thankfully there are a few live shows -- like both nights in Rio 1991, oh my! -- where you can hear this insane interplay in all it's glory. The live versions of You Could be Mine in both Rio nights are in another dimension comparing to anything from 1992 or 1993. The same can be said for many other (or for all the other) Illusion songs that they played on those two glorious nights.

Unfortunately as the 1991 tour goes on it gets harder and harder to hear Izzy. They were clearly turning off his amps and it gets really hard to listen to him.

So here we are, 33 years later.

Slash was never really able to get that interplay with anyone in those 33 years.

Hopefully he has achieved that (or a bit of that) in the blues album with this Tash Neal guy. First track sounds promising. Drummer Michael Jerome sounds very good too. Live shows should be a treat

Maybe Tash will get Slash to stop noodling!

Who knows?

Tash and Slash?

It even rhymes!

Teaser with song snippets:

Orgy of the Damned' features an all-star lineup. Pre-order it now at the link in bio. #slashnews #gibsonrecords pic.twitter.com/fBRH6ZrPvB

— Slash (@Slash) March 22, 2024