It’s been nearly 20 years since Slash was a member of the heavy metal band Guns N’ Roses. Since then he’s put out multiple solo albums and was a founding member of the highly successful band, Velvet Revolver.
But in this recent video release the legendary guitarist shows off his incredible chops over his entire musical history. And once again he has teamed up with an exceptional vocalist, Myles Kennedy, who has his own unique singing style and sounds like a cross between Axl Rose and Scott Weiland.
Since Slash has been making his own solo albums for years now, you’d expect to only hear his newer music, but it’s great that he still plays songs from his past. In just about every case when a different singer performs a song other than who originally recorded it, it just doesn’t work. But time and time again, Slash takes over the song and proves that with his songs it’s his guitar playing that makes the difference no matter who is singing.
There is not a single bad song in the bunch and it would be difficult to pick out one that is better than the others. The only thing making two of the songs stand above the rest are the fact that Slash does some extra guitar playing. For “Rocket Queen” he adds an almost 15-minute screaming guitar solo to the song that is so good you can almost hear him daring you not to call him the best guitar player on the planet. And if that weren’t enough for fans, he pulls out the double-neck guitar and shows that he can do more than just wail but can also do some incredible picking on “Anastasia”.
The Blu-ray is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 16:9 format and is visually exceptional. The concert is shot in a small club and you can literally see the smoke floating in the air. And with the great camera angles you are completely immersed in the event so much you actually feel like you are there. The DTS-HD Master Audio is amazing as well and has a great overall mix. The vocals and drums mainly come from the front speakers, but Slash’s guitar is screaming at you from all sides. The sound is crisp and clear, and even if you turn your stereo up to full volume, it doesn’t break or distort.
The only criticism I have is that initially I felt that the four bonus tracks should have been in the original concert lineup, so I wouldn’t have had to change menus just to hear more songs. However, after listening to them I would have to agree that “Stone Blind” and “You’re Crazy” were not as strong and would not have fit well with the rest of the concert, but “Wicked Stone” and “30 Years to Life” should have been included.
I’m not a huge fan of live recordings or concert videos because they usually aren’t very good and I’d rather listen to the album. That being said, this concert Blu-ray is the best I’ve ever seen. It’s pure rock music at its best performed by brilliant musicians giving amazing performances. The quality of the recording is flawless and it truly is the next best thing to being there.
Track listing:
Ghost
Nightrain
Back From Cali
You Could Be Mine
Rocket Queen
Bent to Fly
Starlight
You’re a Lie
World on fire
Anastasia
Sweet Child O’ Mine
Slither
Paradise City
Bonus Tracks:
Stone Blind
You’re Crazy
Wicked Stone
30 Years to Life
