Slash described Aerosmith as the coolest American band of the 1970s, praising their combination of blues-based hard rock, aggression and swagger. The comparison matters because Aerosmith’s sound and image were presented as a major influence on Guns N’ Roses, particularly Slash’s approach to guitar playing.

Slash said Aerosmith had an “aggressive, psychotic, drugged-out” quality alongside a Rolling Stones-style blues feel, which he felt no other American act matched at the time. The article contrasts them with contemporaries including Kiss, the Eagles, Foghat and the New York Dolls, arguing that Steven Tyler and Joe Perry brought a heavier, funkier edge to rock; Slash’s solos are described as seeking their swagger rather than directly copying them.