- The 2-CD + DVD Edition of 'Slash: Made In Stoke 24/7/11 Live'. - Packaging by Armoury Records
If you were to compile a list of the top guitarists still active today, Slash would undoubtedly be at the upper echelon. His riffs and piercing rock sounds have been the stuff of legends since his cutting-edge time in the 1990's with Guns N' Roses, and his subsequent work with Velvet Revolver.
Since losing lead singer Scott Weiland - who returned to Stone Temple Pilots - the top-hat wearing icon has been juggling finding a new lead singer for Revolver's third album, and working on solo efforts. In 2010, Slash delivered a self-titled album featuring a varying number of singers to lend their voices to his material - including Ozzy Osbourne, Motorhead's Lemy, Fergie of The Black Eye Peas, Iggy Pop, and Myles Kennedy from Alter Bridge.
Kennedy had first garnered Slash's interest in taking over the vocal duties for Velvet Revolver after Weiland's departure, but was unable to leave his own band to do so. However, as the instrument members of Alter Bridge went on a short stint to reunite with Scott Stapp for a Creed project, Kennedy was able to hook up with Slash for a live tour of his album - supplying the vocals for the entire set list.
The tour set down in Slash's birthplace of Stoke, England, on July 24, 2011, and is now offered in a deluxe multi-disc edition featuring the entire performance on two CD's and a bonus DVD containing five video performances of those tracks mixed with interviews of Slash himself.
The 2-Disc CD Performance
The first two discs of the set feature the set list split into two parts, and the concert mixes things up wonderfully by covering not only the songs from Slash's album, but also a good chunk of Guns N' Roses material along with a Velvet Revolver track. Kennedy and Slash also supply some tunes from Slash's other solo works.
The combination of the two talents is a merger made in heaven, and for Guns' N Roses fans Kennedy's voice almost breathes new life into classic tracks like "Civil War", "Rocket Queen", "Paradise City" and more. Kennedy also handles the songs that were initially sung by other artist's on Slash's 2010 album brilliantly, putting good spins on "Ghost" and "By The Sword".
Of course the two really shine with the tracks they created together: "Back To Callie" and "Starlight", and it makes a fan wonder what could be if the two were to form a band on a permanent basis. Listening to the entire set from beginning to end is a rip-roaring joy, as there is nothing like hearing Slash play live and the show does not disappoint. Rating: 5/5
The DVD
The DVD disc unfortunately does not feature the entire set found on the CD's which is a letdown, but you still get a good feel for how the show played with the five tracks featured - all derived from Slash's 2010 album. The songs are intermixed with a behind-the-scenes interview with Slash, as he details the process of putting the album together and how Kennedy became involved when his name came up as a potential replacement for Scott Weiland.
Picture quality is fairly good for a standard definition image, although there's a certain wash that is noticeable across the screen. The DVD comes with multiple listening options depending on your system's capability, with a dynamite DTS transfer, a regular 5.1 surround, and a 2.0 general stereo. Rating: 3.5/5
Still The Man
This multi-disc live concert set still emphatically proves that Slash is still the man behind the strings, and is just as relevant now as he was with Guns N' Roses. The full concert is a fantastic listen, and the DVD is half-decent in offering various sound modes. If the full video concert had made it on here, it would have been the capper to a perfect edition. Consumer/Collector Value: 4.5/5
Ryan Young - Ryan Young is a Film, DVD, and Book article review writer, based in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada.
