Slash exudes a strong rock ‘n’ roll presence when he takes the stage, captivating audiences with his guitar skills, despite his preference for avoiding the spotlight. While he appreciates various music genres, not every rock band has earned his endorsement.
However, Slash wasn’t particularly selective about the artists he chooses to collaborate with. Slash has put in time working with Michael Jackson, Carole King, and Nine Inch Nails during his time away from Guns N’ Roses, all the while producing solos that, despite the genre clash, perfectly suit the song.
Nonetheless, Slash owed a debt of gratitude to the artists who came before him when he was working on his first scales. The young guitarist listened to bands like Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin. They took the sound of a Les Paul and made it sound like the embodiment of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. And that is what kept him going while he was working on primary lead lines.
Slash adopted a different tack during a period when the majority of guitarists were still concerned with trying to imitate Eddie Van Halen. He restored a rootsy flair to rock ‘n’ roll and made all hair metal bands appear comparatively quiet. When Slash looked at the previous bands, he usually saw drab clones of Kiss’s original work.
Kiss produced some of the most striking rock music in the nation. Even before the Sunset Strip emerged as the hub of the hard rock scene. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley was on the way to create the ultimate rock and roll circus. Their goal was to make music loud enough to echo through an arena. They also created soon-to-be anthems on tracks like ‘Detroit Rock City’.
Slash acknowledged that there was some good guitar work going on behind the scenes. But he said he was never really into the songs Kiss would play. Slash believed their top live show visuals were hindering discussions about his musical background.
Slash claimed that he never quite connected to Kiss. He told Revolver, “I never really related to [it] because it was always very animated to me,” when discussing how performers like David Bowie took on stage personas. For some reason, even though I adore Rocky Horror, I never really understood why bands would put on that whole persona on top of the music. It has therefore always been fairly basic for me. You know, I never wanted to get real colourful”.
That didn’t stop Slash, though, from adding his own flair to the classic rock and roll aesthetic. Throughout his career, he is spotted with his hair in his face, slaying licks with no care in the world. Even though he acknowledges that he wore the top hat to hide his face from the crowd. Kiss may not have been Slash’s first love, but he effortlessly established a rock and roll persona.
