SLASH

Over the past year I must say my taste in music has diversified greatly. I owe much of this to the diverse groups of people I have met in college. It can also be attributed to my saga of guitar hero interest. As I played the game I began to gain an ear for a number of different artists. One such was Guns N' Roses, and from that evolved an interest in the guitarist known as Slash.

Apparently I lucked up because right around this time Slash was set to release a solo album, previously unheard of for a non-vocal guitarist. So I picked up the album around the end of this past school year. At first I didn't pay it much attention. I was too stuck on the classic Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses. When I finally gave Slash a fair chance, however, it became the soundtrack of my summer easily.

Without sounding too cliche, I must say this album has it all. There is a strong hard-hitting opener, essential for any great record,  entitled Ghost. There are some slower songs for heart rate control, one called Gotten and another called Saint Is a Sinner Too. Both songs, while a bit softer, are interesting and enjoyable to listen to. There are songs that motivate me, notably Promise, I Hold On, and Starlight. Then, of course, are songs to just party and have fun to, such as We're All Gonna Die.

So just like that this album has hyped me up, calmed me down, made me think, and motivated me. And that's only half the album! Slash obviously worked hard on this masterpiece, writing the majority of the lyrics and hunting down the best artists to sing each track. His work on the guitar is stellar, pushing me from having a mild desire to learn the guitar to a near-obsession with it. Just listen to the track Watch This and tell me you don't want to pick up a guitar.

Well, just wanted to share my thoughts on what I feel has become one of my favorite albums of all time. Some crucial factors of a good CD in my opinion are as follows: being able to listen through the entire album, tracks that flow seamlessly together, a mixture of different sounds, and a great opening and closing track. This album obviously passes that test. So check it out if you're into hard rock, or even if you're not. This album could be the one to make you come around. Nice work, Slash.