Fresh Air

What made Slash such a breath of fresh air in the late 1980's when Guns N' Roses broke into the big-time was that his tone and style was a throwback to another time. In an era when shredders like George Lynch, Greg Howe, Jason Becker, Steve Vai, etc. were dominating the guitar scene, Slash came along and was totally different. He had that f**k-off swagger to his playing. Yeah, he could play with speed and flash, but his real appeal was that raunchy dirty playing previously found with guys like Keith Richards and Joe Walsh. He gained instant credibility. He wasn't the most technically proficient player from the era, but he had a distinctive tone. Check out his playing on the classic "Appetite For Destruction" album as well as scattered gems like "Coma" on the "Use Your Illusion" albums. 20 years later, Slash's playing from his Guns N' Roses stint still comes across as a breath of fresh air.