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!
- The Call Of The Wild
- Serve You Right
- My Antidote
- Mind Your Manners
- Lost Inside The Girl
- Read Between The Lines
- Slow Grind
- The One You Loved Is Gone
- Driving Rain
- Sugar Cane
- The Great Pretender
- 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!
I agree with you on preferring this to some new GNR. On batting average alone Slash has made more great records in the last 20 years than Axl has probably heard. My preorder of red vinyl isn’t here yet but my anticipation is building after reading this review.
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“Slash has made more great records in the last 20 years than Axl has probably heard”. I had a proper LOL thing going on there.
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I’m here all week… I’m here every week
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Yes u are Sir! I Thank You For it!
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Nice look forward to your review and u gave me a good chuckle on the fact that Slash has made more albums than Axl has heard hahaha
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I’ve never had a great deal of time for Slash and Myles stuff. Some great tracks, but I just get a bit jaded listening for any length of time. But… but… I’m gonna check this out, cause I like that track there. Plus, I’m kinda getting more familiar with the Kennedy guy’s other stuff. Anyhoo, that track is like a hybrid of Velvet Revolver (maybe not as ganrly as anything on Contraband, though) and Use Your Illusion-era rockers… so, worth jumping in again.
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The big thing for me J is this is a band and not some Coverdale rotating donkey show lineup! Same lineup pretty much since 2010.!
Thats saying something….
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Yeah, that’s true… they seem like a proper band. Unlike GNR.
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Good to hear it is such a good record. I will give it a proper listen, but I have to be in the mood for Slash and Myles and right now I am not. So I don’t want to listen until I can give it a fair opinion.
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Fair enough John! But I think once you dig in you will be happy with your findings!
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I heard a couple pre release songs but they didn’t really grab me. I need to check out the album.
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You know thats the funny thing as when I preordered it 3 tunes dropped and I listened to them and yeah they are good…
I need to hear the whole album ..thats why we are old school and not the pick and Apia track here and there…
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The pre released songs were good but once I listened to the whole album I really fell in love with it. So bummed I didn’t get to go to the show while they were here.
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It’s a decent album for sure! Very talented bunch of musicians Slash has put together for sure
Thanks for reading and the follow!
Welcome!
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