Slash Wants to Leave Days of Guns N' Roses Behind

via Spinner
Slash has said he wants to leave his days as a member of Guns N' Roses behind him as he prepares to release his first solo album.

"I just feel for people that don't seem to get it. All things considered, it's been a really long time, and everybody's moved on," he told BBC 6 Music.

"At the same time I appreciate that I was part of a band that had such a huge impact and touched so many people, and I feel bad for them that it's not around - but it is what it is..."

His forthcoming solo album will be released on Roadrunner next spring and features the vocal talents of Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, Lemmy, Fergie, and Andrew Stockdale.

He said he had taken his time to lift the lid on the heavyweight guests appearing on the record. "I've been very low key on this, because I was waiting for all the releases for all the different singers, but some of the cats are out of the bag. There's a lot of people on the record."

He added, "It's just nice to be in charge of my own destiny, even if it's just for one record. Just not to be in a group situation, and at the mercy of what everybody as a whole feels, but being responsible for my own decisions and having the final say. It's nice, ‘cause I've been doing this diplomatic band stuff for so long, I needed to get it out of my system."

All that diplomacy has given Slash some skills to take to his work as a solo artist, especially when collaborating with vocalists.

"As a musician, the more experience you get from playing with a lot of different people, the more you learn how to adapt.

The other is perseverance - keep going no matter what. To establish in your mind what you're going to do, and you just keep plodding along. The longer you do it, the more you realise that you have a purpose."

Slash has another hope for his solo effort – that it might stop people asking him if he's going to rejoin Guns N' Roses.