Slash: a fine guitar songwriter

Critics tend to underestimate records put out by guitar players because, in their opinion, they're too self-indulgent and they lack of substance. Though exceptions certainly do not abound, there are remarkable attempts at making good guitar-centered music. Slash's first record as a solo artist is certainly one of those. Using the same recipe Carlos Santana followed earlier with astonishing success, Slash put together a star-studded ensemble of singers to perform his songs. Slash (2010) is a surprising album not only because of Slash's impressive songwriting abilities, but because of the way he was able to bring out the best of whoever took the microphone. Instead of working on the development of a musical voice (or style), Slash preferred to build a platform on which his featured guest were invited to bring their talent to the center. This album shouldn't have really surprised me in such a good way; after all, Slash is not already a guitar legend -he just happens to sound like one.

This is the video for Beautiful dangerous featuring Fergie