SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS: Living The Dream(2018)

Hot off the Arena Rock Press….!

SMKC just dropped this record yesterday (9/21/18) on the suspecting world and I can honestly tell you all that it’s a great hard rock album..

In case you’re wondering who did what on this album well here they are..

• Myles Kennedy: lead vocals
• Slash: lead & rhythm guitars
• Todd Kerns: bass, backing vocals
• Brent Fitz: drums, percussion, electric piano
• Frank Sidoris: rhythm guitars

Sure everyone and their dog know’s Slash’s deal! I mean the guy just finished playing on the reunited Guns N Roses juggernaut tour that grossed millions and of course Slash has to pay millions to his ex-wife so what does the dude do?

Well Slash keeps working for one thing!

Hey! Speaking of working. Myles Kennedy! Man what a work ethic this cat has! Since Last December (2017) Myles has released Two Double Live Albums with his other band Alter Bridge. Myles than released earlier this year his own solo album ‘Year of the Tiger’ and supported that release with a tour in support of it.

Myles than hook’s  up with Slash and they together write/record 12 songs and are now on tour with the rest of the Conspirators! Todd Kerns as well is always working as is Brent Fitz with other artists  as well….

Don’t think this band knows what a day off is!

The 12 Songs that makeup up this album have of course Slash’s guitar work which you can notice a mile away!  Myles as well is an excellent vocalist/lyricist and is easily one of my favourites as he always delivers it live and in studio! Micheal Baskette gives this album a real crisp production. This Fella should be commended as well!

1. The Call Of The Wild
2. Serve You Right
3. My Antidote
4. Mind Your Manners
5. Lost Inside The Girl
6. Read Between The Lines
7. Slow Grind
8. The One You Loved Is Gone
9. Driving Rain
10. Sugar Cane
11. The Great Pretender
12. Boulevard Of Broken Hearts

This album is what you would expect from Slash and Crew. Straight ahead Slash N Roll. Lotsa cowbell courtesy of Brent Fitz as well as lot’s of Todd Kerns on the album!   Kerns does  the backing vocals and Todd’s voice  meshes so well with Kennedy which only enhances the hook of the  songs featured!

That’s the thing that sets apart this band from others is that the players all feed off of each other! It only enhances you as the listener as there are no weak musical links in this band!

The band does take some chances though on three tracks which trust me still sounds Slash like but with a different slant on things but still maintaining an edge.

‘Lost Inside The Girl’ caught my listening ear right away as it’s a different kind tune from these guy’s. Kinda ballad like but enough of a punch without whimpering out! Great friggin chorus on this song.

‘The One You Loved Is Gone’ has Myles digging  deep in the vocal delivery and while were at it the lyrics on this album are done exceptionally well. Kennedy is a master of this craft and like his guitar playing in Alter Bridge he gets overlooked but not at my Blog Folk’s!

‘The Great Pretender’ also has a different tempo with Fitz kicking it off but the song soars not only with Slash’s guitar but with Kennedy/Kerns at the mic during the chorus!

Those three tracks are the most interesting ones that show growth in this band that it’s ok to change but stay true to what got you to this level in the first place!

The album has those tracks that you expect like ‘Slow Grind’  which has Kerns/Fitz kicking the song off in a rumble tumble like fashion where Slash’s wah pedal goes into overdrive on ‘My Antidote’. ‘Serve You Right’ has a throwback  70’s opening riff that comes straight out of the Ted Nugent playbook!

‘Driving Rain’  is the leadoff single and in its title does indeed do that. The song drives right along at a nice clip. An all around solid song. Even our local joke of a radio station has been playing this which is impressive…..

Living The Dream is a great rock record in the year 2018! To be totally fair with you all. I prefer Slash doing this band more than ‘Guns N Roses’. Whatever Guns does will be compared to ‘Appetite For Destruction’.  

I will still buy whatever AX N Slash do but I’m not losing sleep if they don’t and I’m fine with it.

Kinda dig the fact that Slash has kept this band intact now for three albums and I like the continuity of having the same guys and not some rotating lineup of musicians. That kind of band rollover bores me to death!

Another strong album from Kennedy/Slash/Fitz/Kerns/Sidoris…

Check it out!