Slash's 'Living the Dream' - Album Review

While a certain record-breaking reunion has taken up most of guitar vagabond Slash's time over the past couple of years, fans of the top-hatted Les Paul-slinger were pleased when he announced the release of his fourth solo album earlier in the year. While Slash has always been in the public eye, I think it is fair to say that the recent Not in This Lifetime... Tour, the ongoing Guns N' Roses partial-reunion, has raised Slash's stock to even greater heights than it has been previously. The Guns N' Roses shows have been an all-round success, and surely now the logical next step would be for the band to write and record some new material? Maybe that will happen, or maybe it will not, but Slash seems to want to keep being creative either way and has continued to work with his solo band (The Conspirators) and singer Myles Kennedy despite the obvious distractions that have come his way in recent years. Slash's last solo album, World on Fire (which I reviewed here) was released back in 2014 and actually made it into my Top 10 Albums of the Year list for that year. I was initially reluctant to buy it due to the still-obscene amount of songs that fill it, but I was glad as I did as - despite its length - the album is remarkably consistent throughout. A Slash riff is almost always instantly recognisable as such, and World on Fire was packed full of them, along with a sleazy and dynamic vocal performance from Kennedy. The two have been working together for a number of years now, and seem to have struck up a solid writing partnership. With his work with Slash being quite different from his work with Alter Bridge or on his recent solo album Year of the Tiger (which I reviewed here), Kennedy is truly able to channel his inner rock star when fronting Slash's band. He is sometimes just as much of a star as Slash, and the two seem to have a really great chemistry. Not wanting to let this slide, Slash has continued to with write with Kennedy during the Guns N' Roses tour, and he and the band recorded this new album, titled Living the Dream, earlier this year. Living the Dream, not to be confused with the also-recently released Uriah Heep album, continues the sound forged by Slash, Kennedy, and The Conspirators on their last two full band outings. Despite the obvious similarities, I feel that there seems to have been a bigger emphasis placed on the bluesy side of Slash's playing this time around which helps to create a slightly different vibe throughout the twelve songs presented here. I do not find Living the Dream as anthemic as other previous Slash albums, but I have found it growing on me over repeated listens. Joining Slash and Kennedy here as ever are bassist Todd Kerns and drummer Brent Fitz, as well as guitarist Frank Sidoris who makes his debut in the studio with the band here. Sidoris has been touring with the band for quite some time now however, so has fitted into the sound of the album perfectly. Having another guitarist on board probably allowed for a more 'live' production to take place, which could account for a slightly looser feel and bluesy overtones.

A stuttering, bluesy riff heralds the opening of The Call of the Wild, the album's first song and a fast-paced rocker that certainly ensures the energy levels are high from the off and the album picks up from where World on Fire left off. Apart from the opening riff, the song is not packed with particularly memorable musical motifs, but instead is carried by its energy. Fitz sets the pace with his punchy drumming, with the two guitarists locking in for a tight verse rhythm that allows Kennedy's drawling vocals to stand out. The song's chorus is not particularly memorable either in all honesty, but is helped by the continuous propelling energy. While I would have preferred the album's opening to be more hooky than this, it certainly does not fail to pack a punch - and shows the whole band firing on all cylinders from the off. Serve You Right is more of a mid-paced bluesy strut, which sees Kennedy using his lower register during the early part of the song before everything opens out with one of Slash's tasty licks. The song is much more expansive from this point onward, but continues to lay down a powerful groove with Fitz and Kerns continuously locking together perfectly to compliment Slash's snaking guitar rhythms. The chorus is more of what you would expect here, with plenty of vocal harmonies to emphasise Kennedy's melodies. While not as catchy as it could be, it proves to be the first sing-a-long moment of the album which, along with the loose riffs elsewhere, makes for a strong combination. My Antidote ups the quality further, and opens in a slightly grungy way with choppy guitar strikes with murky clean arpeggios to back it up. This is somewhat off-beat for a Slash song, but a huge riff soon kicks to remind you who wrote the piece! It is one of my favourite riffs on the album, and it really harks back to the early Guns N' Roses sound as it has that raw, energetic sound that filled their early work. The choppy guitar work forms the basis of the verses, which are somewhat low key in comparison to the rest of the song, but the chorus soon comes along to give everything a real kick in the behind. Kennedy shows why he is one of the genre's best vocalists here, mixing lower register croons with higher howls to great effect. The chorus is packed full of memorable melodies which, when also combined with the blistering bluesy solo that Slash lays down towards the end, makes My Antidote the best piece on the album so far. Mind Your Manners keeps the quality up, but introduces more energy back into the proceedings. This is a song that never really lets up, and features some simple riffing and plenty of excellent driving bass work from Kerns which really gives the verses their bite. This is an uncomplicated song, but it has another great chorus which throws back to the more direct style established on World on Fire. This is a song made to be played live, and the production style utilised here gives it a perfectly raw edge.

After four tougher rock tracks, the fifth song here Lost Inside the Girl strips things back a little and introduces a murky blues feel throughout. Despite a more powerful chorus that sees Kennedy at his expressive best, this is a song that goes more for feel than power. Slash, unsurprisingly, takes every opportunity here to throw down as many wah-drenched bluesy licks as he can, while Kerns' bass lines add some real depth. While not a true ballad, the song is a definite change of pace when compared to what has come before. Slash is known as a rocker, but he is more than a capable blues player too and songs like this allow him to really showcase that side of his playing. His soloing throughout this song is packed full of feeling and shows why is so highly regarded by rock fans and guitar students alike. It has never been a secret that Slash is a big fan of Jimi Hendrix, and the opening riff Read Between the Lines certainly takes influence from the guitar pioneer's repertoire. The wah-drenched riffing might be sailing a little too close to pastiche to feel like a true classic, but it certainly gets the blood pumping and raises the energy levels again after the somewhat downbeat previous song. This is a song that sees the album rocking again, but also incorporates much of the bluesy influences that were on display previously. The song's solo is a showcase in blues rock lead playing, while the chorus - with its juddering melodies - has a great old school blues rock vibe. Unsurprisingly, Slow Grind is a groove-based piece - but it is not as slow as it might otherwise seem. I was expecting some down and dirty blues with a title like that, but instead the piece is a mid-paced rocker that showcases much of tropes that fill the album. Kerns' bass playing is very important here however, and he shines throughout; including during the opening riff which seems to based around his playing. Despite the great groove that is ever-present throughout the piece, it is not a particularly memorable song melodically. The chorus is lacking any real hooks, and the song eschews big riffing for a continuous groove. This works to an extent, but it also leaves things somewhat lacking at times. The One You Loved is Gone is the album's first, and only, true ballad and is packed full of heartfelt moments that are genuinely moving. Slash has always been good at coming up with guitar pieces for slower songs, and Kennedy's vocal style lends itself to this type of song. There are actually quite a lot of similarities between this song and some of Alter Bridge's ballads, so this really sounds like a song that Kennedy had a big hand in constructing. The guitar solo is excellent here too, and is a great example of the signature Slash sound. His tone is instantly recognisable, and as soon as he launches into the solo here you know it is going to be another classic.

Speaking of Slash's signature tone, the main riff to lead single Driving Rain is full of that typical Slash sound also. This is another riff that sounds like something that could have appeared on an early Guns N' Roses album, and the song is a melodic feast that is one of the album's highlights for me. The chorus is packed full of hooks, and the little leads that Slash throws in here and there really help to spice things up. It was also this song that made me realise how perfect a fit Fitz is for this band. Slash's riffing style has a rolling feel, and Fitz's drumming seems to compliment this perfectly. While what he is playing might not seem that different from the norm, or overly complicated, he really nails the groove here. I think Fitz is a big reason why Slash's solo band tick as much as they do, and his work on this album is a perfect showcase of this. Sugar Cane picks up the pace again and opens with a frantic flurry of notes constructed into a tight riff, and the song continues at a similarly quirky pace from then on. It is not one of the most melodically-memorable pieces here, and it lacks any real hooks, but the slightly off-kilter feeling the riffing and grooves create is pretty memorable. It does not sound too dissimilar to anything else here, but has enough going for it to make it worthy of its inclusion. The Great Pretender slows things down again, and goes for a laid back approach with loose guitar arpeggios and a chorus that has a bit of a country/pop vibe to it. Again, this is not a true ballad but a song that revels in its slower pace and uses this to give Kenendy a bit more breathing space vocally and also allows for some really expressive guitar playing. Slash excels at fast rock solos, but his slower, more emotional, efforts are also very strong. Songs like this allow this side of his playing to shine, and that is always welcome. The album closes with Boulevard of Broken Hearts which opens with a buzzing guitar note, that soon expands into a dark-sounding little riff. While this is quite an expansive rock song, it builds from a fairly low key opening towards a chorus that sounds like something Slash would have come up with during his days with Velvet Revolver. It has that slightly darker feel, but it is not so different from the rest of the album that it feels out of place. As a closing piece I feel it works well, as it has an urgency about it, but also a somewhat more expansive feel that gives the album a more epic send off. It is not the most memorable song here, but I feel it is a fitting number to close the album on. It still has enough melodies to make it memorable, and the darker feeling showcases something else different as the album fades out. Overall, Living the Dream is another strong album from Slash and co. which has grown on me a fair bit over repeated listens. While I feel that stronger songs exist elsewhere in Slash's solo catalogue, this is an album that rewards loyalty, and those who give it time will find plenty of Slash's instantly recognisable guitar playing, as well as passionate performances from the rest of his band.

The album was released on 21st September 2018 via Snakepit Records/Roadrunner Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Driving Rain.