SLASH Is 'Looking Forward' To Hearing 'Chinese Democracy'

June 25, 2007

James Wigney of Australia's Herald Sun recently conducted an interview with VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

On his current relationship with GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose:

"I'm just glad that he (Axl) is out there doing his thing again. We didn't know what was happening with him for a long time, but I'm looking forward to hearing this album. I heard a live track from a concert supposed to be one of the new ones, but it was so long ago I don't even remember what it sounded like."

On the fact that many observers have been surprised VELVET REVOLVER has held together long enough to record a second album:

"I don't think it surprised us, it was more a media thing. So this is kind of a big middle finger raised in their faces. We always looked at it as a continuing thing."

On how he and some of his bandmates hit a few speedbumps during the making of "Libertad":

"Everyone is really good right now. But a few of us lapsed back into some old habits. The only one who stayed completely sober actually was Scott [Weiland, vocals]. Dave [Kushner, guitar] doesn't count because he has been clean for years. The thing is that even though you have those urges and might slip back into old habits because you have done them when you were younger, when you get there the shine comes off it pretty quickly. We are all here and have been through it all, so if one of us reaches out, the others know what he has been through."

"I thought it sounded like a great title for an album. (The concept) was really Scott's thing and I didn't have anything to do with it. "I don't really get into concept albums — I think they are either good songs or not. Really, the only concept album I ever liked was THE WHO's 'Tommy' and that didn't really become a concept album for me until it was made into a movie."

On failed working relationship with veteran producer Rick Rubin and the hiring of producer Brendan O'Brien, who oversaw the early '90s efforts of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and PEARL JAM:

"I just want to make it clear that we really admire and respect Rick. But because he is such a busy guy with so many things on the go, we just felt that when it came down to it he wasn't there. So we had written all these songs and we went in and I felt he wasn't being particularly encouraging and we parted ways — quite amicably, I might add. Scott had worked with Brendan before and always spoke very highly of him and he worked out great."

Find more on
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).