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SLASH
"Made in Stoke - 24/7/11" (Armoury; 2011)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
I'm a sucker for double-live albums. Always have been. So it should come as no surprise when I say I was thrilled to find Slash's two disc "Made in Stoke" in my mailbox.
Consisting of 21 tracks from various eras in Slash's career -- from Guns N'Roses to Slash's Snakepit to Velvet Revolver -- "Live in Stoke" plays through almost flawlessly, sounding more like a live performance of a single band than of three. A lot of that has to do with Slash's consistent guitar style and tone, of course, but it's also a sign of a great band playing strong material. And, say what you want about Slash, but he's created some of the greatest riffs of the past couple of decades, many of which are included here ("Sweet Child O' Mine," for example).
Vocals are performed here by Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge who does the smart thing and gives the songs enough of their original sound not to spoil them, but puts enough of his own spin here to make them sound fresh.
The album was recorded at Victoria Hall in Stoke On Trent on July 24th, 2011 and marked Slash's return to the town in which he grew up, which gives it a little historical value as well.
The usual complaints will be made, I'm sure, regarding those songs chosen to appear on the album and those that were not, but -- as with any live CD or greatest hits collection -- it's just a matter of taste. The 21 songs here are sprinkled with classics and some rarer tracks and it makes for interesting listening.
Perhaps most importantly, "Made in Stoke" makes the listener hungry for more material from Slash and Myles Kennedy and apparently that's exactly what's next. In the meantime, this 2-disc collection (also available in a deluxe edition with a DVD) should be enough to hold fans over.
For more information, check out http://www.slashonline.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2012 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
29 Apr 2012 17:32:42 -0500.
