Slash

[Page-ist]

I have been a GNR fan ever since I first heard Welcome to the Jungle, and I think they were really great to play some of the bluesy and pure rock and roll in a time where it was as dead as it had ever been.

However, since that guitar hero game came out, a lot of people have been claiming that Slash is better guitar player than I think he really is. Don't get me wrong, I think he's great, but I would not put him on the same level as, say, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, or, God forbid, Jimi Hendrix, as some people are doing nowadays. I can't find that special something that puts him in with the "Guitar God" crowd, in terms of his playing. Can anyone else see this?

Edited December 23, 2009 by Page-ist

[Wolfman]

You have to see him live. Pretty damn amazing.

[SteveAJones]

I have been a GNR fan ever since I first heard Welcome to the Jungle, and I think they were really great to play some of the bluesy and pure rock and roll in a time where it was as dead as it had ever been.

However, since that guitar hero game came out, a lot of people have been claiming that Slash is better guitar player than I think he really is. Don't get me wrong, I think he's great, but I would not put him on the same level as, say, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, or, God forbid, Jimi Hendrix. I can't find that thing that just sets him off from the rest, in terms of his playing. Can anyone else see this?

He's charismatic which makes for great stage presence, very adept at playing the blues and has got great tone.

IMHO, he's certainly not in the same league as Page; more comparable to Perry.

[Conneyfogle]

one of his better solo's

[kaiser]

I've never been a Guns N Roses fan but Slash is a damn fine rock guitarist. He came out at a time when the majority of his peers were just rehashing EVH's style through even more speed to impress, while Slash was coming up honest to god rock guitar riffs & sounding simply like himself. Slash & Dave Navarro from Jane's Addiction were really the only young hard rock guitarists playing that way in the late 80's. I always respected him & what he was doing even though I didn't care for G'N'R as a band.

[John Bonham Fan]

He good at what he plays I just don't think he was as creative as jimmy hendrix or others.

[Page-ist]

I've never been a Guns N Roses fan but Slash is a damn fine rock guitarist. He came out at a time when the majority of his peers were just rehashing EVH's style through even more speed to impress, while Slash was coming up honest to god rock guitar riffs & sounding simply like himself. Slash & Dave Navarro from Jane's Addiction were really the only young hard rock guitarists playing that way in the late 80's. I always respected him & what he was doing even though I didn't care for G'N'R as a band.

Yeah, I'm not trying to put him down or anything: I'm just tired of him being put on the same level with Hendrix, when people like (sometimes) Clapton, BB King, and Robert Johnson, hardly get any respect.

Ex. http://www.the-top-tens.com/lists/greatest-guitarists-ever.asp

Also notice the length and elegance of the comments for Jimi, and how the comments for Slash are like: DUDE!!!!!!! SLASH ROCKS MY SOCKS!!!!!WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE!!!!WOOOOO!!!!

Edited December 23, 2009 by Page-ist

[danelectro59]

i would put him near the top of the second level of guitarists. He's not quite in the league with Page, Beck, Clapton or Hendrix, but can certainly trade licks with nearly anyone else. And just let me say, I most likely wouldn't have liked GnR as much without him. Same goes for Velvet Revolver

[Page-ist]

i would put him near the top of the second level of guitarists. He's not quite in the league with Page, Beck, Clapton or Hendrix, but can certainly trade licks with nearly anyone else. And just let me say, I most likely wouldn't have liked GnR as much without him. Same goes for Velvet Revolver

I concur. I think what sets the first level players apart from the second, persay, is the amount of inovation and revolution that the first level had.

[lead ballon]

You've got to look at the generation that listens to the music. The generation of people who grew up with GN'R and even some of the younger kids today don't listen to the good old stuff of Zeppelin, Stones, The Who, AC/DC anymore (however acker dacker seems to be one of the bands that if you mention everybody knows who they are).

If you grew up with EVH and Slash and the rise of heavy metal, or afterwards and grew up in todays music which I try and stay as far away from as possible, you're gonna have a different idea of what it's all about. My brother tries to get me to listen to slipknot and disturbed solos which I cant stand. Yet if I try and get him or my friends to listen to a Jimi Hendrix or Clapton solo they think its rubbish.

It's what they've got and anything outside of it seems weird and strange. Don't expect to get people praising Page or Beck in a generation that has never listened to em or even heard em.

Yes he is good, but I don't think he's up there with the other greats before him.

[Deborah J]

This is just my humble opinion. If I had to list the greatest guitarist:

1.) Jimmy Page

2.) BB King

3.) Jimi Hendrix

4.) Jeff Beck

5.) Stevie Ray Vaughan

6.) Eric Clapton

7.) Eddie Van Halen

8.) Chuck Berry

9.) Carlos Santana

10.)Les Paul

Each of them had a different feel and I know there are a lot of great ones, and Slash is awesome and let's not forget Robert Johnson or Prince, Tommi Iommi to name another few- but the above are my overall favorites.

Edited December 23, 2009 by Deborah J

[Page-ist]

You've got to look at the generation that listens to the music. The generation of people who grew up with GN'R and even some of the younger kids today don't listen to the good old stuff of Zeppelin, Stones, The Who, AC/DC anymore (however acker dacker seems to be one of the bands that if you mention everybody knows who they are).

If you grew up with EVH and Slash and the rise of heavy metal, or afterwards and grew up in todays music which I try and stay as far away from as possible, you're gonna have a different idea of what it's all about. My brother tries to get me to listen to slipknot and disturbed solos which I cant stand. Yet if I try and get him or my friends to listen to a Jimi Hendrix or Clapton solo they think its rubbish.

It's what they've got and anything outside of it seems weird and strange. Don't expect to get people praising Page or Beck in a generation that has never listened to em or even heard em.

Yes he is good, but I don't think he's up there with the other greats before him.

I also agree with you. Most kids today listen to shit including: Disney pop, death metal(whatever they call it), and "R and B"( an over-complicated term for rap, which is a disgrace to the motown classics of the 60s/70s). Of course with the rare exception of gems like me, who know how to appreciate the lost art of Rock and Roll.

However, a lot of these people who place Slash on the top of the mountin with Hendrix, do exactly that. To put Slash up there with Page, and Hendrix, you have to put Page, and Hendrix up there in the first place, right?

[SteveAJones]

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=3cpytcgL31E

This clip is almost embarrasing to watch 'cause all those people gathered to watch him shred yet he literally had next to nothing to say musically.

Edited December 23, 2009 by SteveAJones

[Janet]

You've got to look at the generation that listens to the music. The generation of people who grew up with GN'R and even some of the younger kids today don't listen to the good old stuff of Zeppelin, Stones, The Who, AC/DC anymore (however acker dacker seems to be one of the bands that if you mention everybody knows who they are).

If you grew up with EVH and Slash and the rise of heavy metal, or afterwards and grew up in todays music which I try and stay as far away from as possible, you're gonna have a different idea of what it's all about. My brother tries to get me to listen to slipknot and disturbed solos which I cant stand. Yet if I try and get him or my friends to listen to a Jimi Hendrix or Clapton solo they think its rubbish.

It's what they've got and anything outside of it seems weird and strange. Don't expect to get people praising Page or Beck in a generation that has never listened to em or even heard em.

You're right, but as young people listen to more music, including "classic rock" as the recyclers call it these days, they will understand more about the roots of rock music and see how the musicians of the 50s and 60s paved the way for the 70s and gasp! 80s.

I grew up in the 60s and 70s and I like Slipknot and Disturbed, but like GNR, EVH and ACDC, they only have one style of playing, which becomes predictable and boring after the 2nd album. Sure, everyone loves ACDC but how many times are they going to come out with the same material?

[Conneyfogle]

This is just my humble opinion. If I had to list the greatest guitarist:

1.) Jimmy Page

2.) BB King

3.) Jimmy Hendrix

4.) Jeff Beck

5.) Stevie Ray Vaughan

6.) Eric Clapton

7.) Eddie Van Halen

8.) Chuck Berry

9.) Carlos Santana

10.)Les Paul

Each of them had a different feel and I know there are a lot of great ones, and Slash is awesome and let's not forget Robert Johnson or Prince, Tommi Iommi to name another few- but the above are my overall favorites.

Oi Deborah!!! you missed out Blackers tch

[lynxwizard]

Slash is good but not a great one,and Blackmore is the most underated player there is, when people talk about the great ones his name is rarely included,in America anyway. a league 1 player that easily sits with the others talked about here.

[Xtazy]

For me it has to do a lot with the tone, but he's really creative too and in the end he stands out in some way.

Actually that was the thing with GNR, they weren't so spectacular, but they found themselves in the right place at the right time. Even Axl said it once, if they had played this kind of music in the early-mid 70's, they wouldn't have been so popular, but at that time they were like a breath of fresh air. They were the bad boys and the public loved them.

And Slash had that kind of attitude and charisma (his dressing-style helped too) that appeals to the audience. Not to say he's not a very skilled guitarist.

[zeppphead]

This is just my humble opinion. If I had to list the greatest guitarist:

1.) Jimmy Page

2.) BB King

3.) Jimi Hendrix

4.) Jeff Beck

5.) Stevie Ray Vaughan

6.) Eric Clapton

7.) Eddie Van Halen

8.) Chuck Berry

9.) Carlos Santana

10.)Les Paul

Each of them had a different feel and I know there are a lot of great ones, and Slash is awesome and let's not forget Robert Johnson or Prince, Tommi Iommi to name another few- but the above are my overall favorites.

You completely forgot to mention John McLaughlin- a true legend...

[danelectro59]

You completely forgot to mention John McLaughlin- a true legend...

seems like everyone has their own interpretation of who should be in the top ten.

you can ask a hundred people and possibly get a hundred different combinations. it comes down to personal taste and, in that case, i would certainly add Rory Gallagher to that list. yet quite a few folks have never heard of him.

[zeppphead]

Rory Gallagher

Was a real guitar hero.

[JethroTull]

Gay.

[SgtPepper67]

I think he's a very good guitar player but totally overrated

[Page-ist]

I think he's a very good guitar player but totally overrated

Thank You. Slash is a great player, but, like I said, since Guitar Hero came out( in which Slash was a big part) a lot of kids who think they know something about guitar make Slash out to be the best ever or something.

[lead ballon]

Even though its clear to see in guitar hero that Lou is better than Slash.

[bigstickbonzo]

I've always loved him and GnR. I wouldn't put him in the same league as the greats from the 60s/70s generation because he doesn't belong there, but he certainly, next to Morello, is one of the last Guitar Gods of the 20th Century. And yes, his image has alot to do with his legacy, but his playing is uncanny. One thing that does put him in league with Page is the soul he puts into his playing, it's brilliant.

And it really is ridiculous to get into the whole notion of who is or what is better. Michael Hedges blows Page/Clapton/Hendrix away with what he did. Do I think he's better? Nope.

And I think Mike McCreedy is probably the most underrated guitarist in the past 20 years. He fuckin' wails live but I've never seen him crack the top 50 on anyone's lists.