No guitarist deserves to be immortalized on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles more than Slash. On 1987’s Appetite for Destruction, Guns N’ Roses immortalized the sleazy dark side of L.A.’s Sunset Strip with an album so ferocious it almost single-handedly obliterated the androgynous, pretty boy pop metal and ’80s new wave that had become synonymous with the city. It also introduced a whole new generation of guitarists to the power and beauty of the Les Paul. Slash’s playing was as raw and powerful as the song’s subject matter—and the band’s lifestyle. Here, for a world of starved rock ’n’ roll fans, was the true Hollywood, blasted through 100-stacks, and more than any other guitarist of his time, Slash was able to turn the tawdriest tale of sex, drugs, alienation into something epic. From the majestic, arena operatics of “Paradise City” to the greasy, funk breakdown of “Welcome to the Jungle” to the Bo Diddley grit of “Mr. Brownstone,” Slash invested the songs with a drama and passion that few guitarists have ever been able to match.

In the years since leaving Guns N’ Roses, Slash has assumed a role of true guitar hero, appearing on albums by artists as varied as Michael Jackson and the Yardbirds. In 2003, he formed Velvet Revolver with Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland, and Gun N’ Roses bassist and drummer Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum. Once again, Slash was at the center of a band that was redefining and revitalizing guitar-heavy hard rock for a whole new generation of fans.

Congratulations, Slash. More than 20 years ago, you made an indelible impression on rock ’n’ roll and Los Angeles. Now it’s official.

The fantastic Slash Signature Gibson Les Paul is still available from Dolphin Music. VIEW ITEM