The riff Slash called a “guitar tour-de-force”
Slash has spoken at length about Guns N’ Roses, both their good and bad aspects. In an interview he did previously, he took time to shed light on who he believed was the most underrated member of the band, highlighting the fact that while he and Axl Rose claim the spotlight, a lot of their music, particularly their debut album, wouldn’t have happened without him.
“Steven [Adler] was always underrated in Guns N’ Roses because of the obvious,” said the guitarist, “But he provided a type of groove and a type of energy, and the Appetite record particularly, that is half of its fuckin’ charm. A lot of people don’t even recognise that.”
It’s true that Guns N’ Roses simply wouldn’t have been able to deliver their unrelenting and widespread sound without the contribution of every member of the band. However, even in light of that, because of how dominant both Slash and Axl Rose are as musicians and performers, it is hard to watch the band play and divert your eyes anywhere else.
Slash is widely considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time because of his work in Guns N’ Roses and as a solo artist and collaborator. The first aspect of his guitar playing is his soloing, as he can play both at speed and slowed down, but equal playing styles are laced with melody. Consider a song like ‘November Rain’, which has both steady and fast-paced guitar solos; both contribute to the song in a massive way and never feel like filler.
A much more famous part of his guitar playing is his ability to write killer riffs. There are a great deal of Guns N’ Roses songs that are recognisable almost immediately because of how iconic the riffs he’s written are. The first few notes on songs such as ‘Welcome To The Jungle’, ‘Double Talkin’ Jive’ and ‘Sweet Child O Mine’ are a call to arms for rock music lovers.
Slash’s proficiency with riffs means that he has racked up a massive list of his favourite pieces of guitar music over the years. He now has an encyclopaedic knowledge of guitar riffs that he can call on whenever asked, and this means that when people ask him what the best riffs by other people are, he has a vast amount of great songs to recommend to anyone who would listen.
One song he praised was ‘Show Your Love (I’m the One)’ by Van Halen. It’s no secret that Eddie Van Halen was a completely revolutionary guitar player, as his playing, tone, and tapping technique changed the way that people approached writing rock music. Slash had a lot to say about this particular song, going so far as to call it a “Tour-de-force.”
“Some bands come out with the perfect first album, and that first record is so indicative of the band’s unique sound,” he said, “Van Halen’s one of those bands that had it down pat on their first record. It’s raw, and beautiful, and it’s got a real energy, like a fuckin’ in-your-face guitar tour-de-force.”
