Los Angeles hard rockers Guns N’ Roses formed in the mid-1980s with the classic lineup of Axl Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler. After signing to Geffen Records in 1986, the band set about recording their monumental debut album. As a group of hedonistic youths, only fervent dedication to rock ‘n’ roll kept the ship afloat. With the arrival of Appetite for Destruction in 1987, it was apparent this five-piece had a knack for infectious and virtuosic composition.
At the forefront of the band’s compositional prowess was Slash, the top hat-wearing fretboard magician ever capable of conjuring a catchy lead lick. Although the guitarist didn’t always envisage a career in rock music, his childhood was well-soundtracked, thanks to his mother, Ola Hudson. Hudson was a fashion designer famed for working on costumes for the likes of Diana Ross, Janet Jackson, David Bowie, John Lennon and Ringo Starr.
During the 1970s, Slash grew up with a healthy dose of classic rock, with The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin as two prominent pillars of influence. These bands stood as a gateway of sorts to heavier music by the likes of Aerosmith, AC/DC and Van Halen.
Speaking to Music Radar in 2014, Slash picked out The Rolling Stones’ iconic 1969 album Let It Bleed as an early favourite. “The Stones were definitely the background music to my existence for a long time – and still are,” he recalled. “My parents were really into the Stones, too. There was a particular period when the band put out three records that would have a huge influence on me: Beggar’s Banquet, Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers. Those three were my favourites as a kid.”
At around the same time, Led Zeppelin began to whet Slash’s appetite for heavier rock and roll. One of the British band’s songs had a particularly potent effect on the youngster.
“There is a song that, even before the Rocks Aerosmith record came along, definitely had a big influence [on me],” Slash said, picking out the song that changed his life during a 2019 appearance on live radio (made available by Raised on Radio). “I mean, I didn’t have any aspirations to be a musician. But I really loved music all my entire childhood”.
“So I was really drawn to it and loved pulling out records, putting them on, listening to them,” he added. “I think I can name classic records that [I liked] when I was a kid. But one that really had an impact on me was the Zeppelin II record. The song that means the most to me because it had such an impact on me would be ‘Whole Lotta Love’.”
Continuing, Slash explained that the song continued to inspire him when he subsequently picked up the guitar. “I think that sort of speaks to a subliminal thing that later on when I started to play guitar [was] what I was drawn to,” he added. “So a lot of the music I was really into as a kid, without ever having thought playing guitar turned up later as having a really big influence on me.”
Listen to Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’ below.
