Album Reviews : Slash - debut solo album R&FN'R

label: Roadrunner Records

reviewer: Claudia A.

 What can be said about the iconic Slash with his iconic top hat that hasn’t been said (or written) already? Not much really, so let’s cut straight to his debut solo album R&FN'R – a collaboration with some of the most prominent artists from planets rock and pop. A lot can be said about the album though, which is by and large excellent all round.


It features fourteen tracks with guest musicians as diverse as Dave Grohl (Foo Fighers, Queens Of The Stone Age), former Guns N’ Roses and current Velvet Revolver pal Duff McKagan, Ian Astbury, Ozzy Osbourne andSoundgarden’s Chris Cornell to name but a few. 

What really surprises here is not only Slash’s own musical diversity but the fact that each collaboration, although bearing the Slash trademark sound to a certain extend, seems tailor-made to compliment the other artists. While the track 'Dr. Alibi’ with Motörhead’s Lemmy on vocals has been written by Slash, it is a Lemmy Kilmister affair through and through. The same goes for Myles Kennedy, a guitarist, singer and songwriter in his own right who also belts out the vocals for Slash’s touring band. Their joint effort 'Starlight’ has a rather country/bluesy feel to it first, only to drift into classic rock territory and it’s one hell of a track. Two of the biggest surprises have got to be Kid Rock, who obviously no longer wants to be a cowboy but prefers to appear on this debut album with the melodious and somewhat run-of-the-mill sounding 'I Hold On’, as well as Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas – who would have thought! 'Beautiful Dangerous’ is in fact one of the best tracks, with both Fergie and Slash in top form and a kick-ass rhythm beginning to end. The only collaboration missing on the album is with Susan Boyle. Only kidding.

Slash enlisted the services of producing partner Eric Valentine (Queens Of the Stone Age). In addition, bassist Chris Chaney (Jane’s Addiction) and drummer Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails) were drafted in to look after the rhythm of things. Furthermore, Slash handpicked each guest artist and handled the majority of arranging and song-writing duties. Which brings us to the closing track 'We’re All Gonna Die’, which was co-written by Slash and Iggy Pop and no doubt boasts the funniest lines of the album: 'Gee I really like your tits, I’ll say anything that fits / We’re all gonna die, so let’s get high / Pee on the ground and jump around.' You gotta laugh!

The album, simply titled 'Slash’, is set to become a classic, albeit no hard rock classic due to the individual styles of the assembled artists. Not really one for fans who prefer their Slash hard n’ heavy, but definitely for those with an open mind and an appreciation for good music. Rock & Fuckin' Roll indeed