Go check it out yourself, and as you listen read through this cool track-by-track description from Leslie himself that I found on MusicRadar.com:
Track By Track from MusicRadar.com
Here's what he says about the tracks with Zakk and Slash:
* Nothing's Changed (featuring Zakk Wylde)
“Joe Pizza wrote this one, too. I helped with some of the guitar chords, but it’s really his tune. It’s about being with the same girl for a while and how, well, nothing’s changed! [laughs] It sounds like something I might have written in my 20s or 30s.
“I knew Zakk should play on it, because when it came time for the solo, it needed something fast. I don’t play that way, so Zakk was the logical choice.
“I do play the first part of the solo, kind of setting it up, and then Zakk comes rip-roarin’ in and slams it down. At the end, we play together. I don’t think there’s any way of confusing our styles – I’ve got my thing, Zakk’s got his. We blend well.
“Zakk's quite a character. One of the funniest guys you could ever meet. [laughs] When I play, he looks at me with this big smile on his face. It’s beautiful. He even calls me ‘Dad.’ Isn’t that something? He always tells me what a big influence I’ve been on him. You can’t get tired of hearing that.”
* Mudflap Mama (featuring Slash)
“It has the same kind of heavy rock feel of Mississippi Queen. There’s a cowbell in it, too. We weren’t trying to copy it or anything, but the two songs do sound like they can go together.
“I wrote the riff with a slide, and immediately I could tell there was something to it. Then I looked at my wife, Jenni, and you know, she’s beautiful - she looks like a mudflap girl. There was the title. Actually, Jenni wrote the lyrics, which is good because I couldn’t get away with the words if I did them. ‘My vertical position serves my intuition’ – I couldn’t write that!
“I knew I wanted Slash to play on the song, so I sent him the track. He really liked it, but he said, ‘Why do you need me? Where would I fit?’ I already had my guitar recorded. I told him, ‘You’ll fit in fine, Slash. Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing.’
“He came to the studio – no roadies, no handlers – and he played on these sections I picked out for him. Guy did a killer job. The only request he had was ‘Don’t Pro Tool me’ – he wanted his playing to sound honest.
“Man, he’s got some technique. I was watching him, trying to figure out how to steal his licks. He sounds like a harmonica or something. Incredible tone. When we were done, I gave him one of my Leslie West guitars as a gift.”
* The Party's Over (featuring Slash and Zakk Wylde)
“I used to do this song live sometimes after Mississippi Queen. It's a Willie Nelson song, one of his many, many great ones. I played it for Fabrizio one day, and he said, ‘That’s terrific. Let’s cut it.’ So we laid it down with an acoustic, and then Kenny put in a bass drum and handclaps and fingersnaps.
“When Zakk was in the studio, he did a solo for the track. It’s not country and western, it’s something I can’t even define – it’s Zakk! [laughs] He brings his own style to anything he does. The only thing I told him was not to use the wah-wah; I wanted what was coming out of his fingers.
“After that, we had Slash put a solo on it. It’s a real treat, having me, Zakk and Slash playing together. The order of it is Zakk plays the first solo, then there’s me, and Slash does the last one.
“The song smokes. It’s a nice blast for all the guitar fans out there.”
And lastly... check this video out. Guitar World and Fret 12 bring you a video featuring the meeting of Leslie West and Zakk Wylde! A conversation between two legends.
