“Attitude and aggression”: the artists Slash said personified rock guitar
What does it mean to be the personification of rock music? Is it having a trademark look that makes you instantly recognisable both within your immediate sphere and beyond? Is it having the sheer bravado and exuberant confidence that rock bands regularly present themselves with, and dealing with the inter-band feuds that inevitably arise due to a clash of egos? Is it drawing out the recording process and release of a record due to an overwhelming sense of perfectionism, and then ultimately disappointing fans when it does arrive?
Of course, there are elements of all the above, but the key feature of what makes a rock band is undoubtedly the sound. However, given that there have been many different mutations of rock music from punk to grunge and beyond, you have to take into consideration which strand of the genre is the shining example of rock’s original ethos.
The majority of listeners are going to say that classic rock is the root of all and that everything stems from it, and there are plenty of acts who have stuck true to the roots of rock music throughout their careers. Bands such as Guns N’ Roses, for example, can go down as being a prime example of a group who have embodied everything that classic rock stands for, and it’s probably fair to say that they’ve ticked all of the key points from the opening paragraph at some point during their career.
However, if you were to ask guitarist Slash who the true personification of rock music is, he wouldn’t tell you that it’s him, nor would he nominate any of his bandmates. In fact, one band who significantly influenced Guns N’ Roses in their early years as a band are a far better representation of everything rock stands for as far as he is concerned, and considering a large amount of their identity is hinged on the existence of their predecessors, you have to say that they ought to be high up in the pecking order.
Speaking to Esquire about the most important guitarists in his life, Slash praised the work of Aerosmith’s two guitarists, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, and claimed that they were perhaps the most significant influence on his own style. “Joe and Brad, those two guys just have always personified rock guitar to me,” he told the publication, “and the kind of phrasing and attitude and aggression that appealed to me when I was just picking up the guitar.”
Talking about his earliest exposure to the group, he claimed that hearing their 1976 album, Rocks, was a life-changing experience for him. “That was the catalyst for the direction that I went as a musician,” Slash continued. “That kind of raunchy, barely-holding-it-together, loud, boisterous, frenetic sound. That was the biggest influence on me at the time. And it still is a huge influence on me. And I’ve been playing with these guys every single night, and they’re such fuckin’ great musicians, and they have such a groove in that band.”
While there’s a definite case to be made for Slash himself being the personification of classic rock, there are also plenty of other musicians who ought to be able to contend for the position. That being said, from Slash’s own perspective, it’s understandable that Aerosmith and their two exceptional guitarists sit right at the centre of everything for him.
