Skid Row guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill are featured in a new inteview with Guitar World discussing the band's self-titled debut album, which is celebrating its 35th Anniversary this year. Following is an excerpt.
Guitar World: It’s officially the 35th anniversary of Skid Row. Does it feel that long ago? Or is it like it was yesterday?
Sabo: "I don't know if it seems like yesterday, but I personally never thought that I would even make it to 35 years old, much less have a record that I made with my brothers 35 years ago. Thinking back to it is kind of like when you think back to a rerun coming on TV of I Love Lucy or something. You've seen it before, and then you remember, 'Wow – I know what happens next!' Of course, back then we didn't know what happens next. We were just so happy to be in a real studio with a real producer, far away from home."
Guitar World: Michael Wagener (producer) had a long resumé at that time, having worked with everyone from Dokken and Accept to Metallica, Mötley Crüe, and White Lion. How did he get involved in the project?
Hill: "We used to go to record stores and look at the backs of albums. And Snake – maybe you remember this? One day we went to the store and we're pulling records out of the rack and looking to see who the producer was. We pulled out a Stryper record (1985’s Soldiers Under Command) and it said, 'Produced by Michael Wagener'. And that’s how his name came into the conversation."
Guitar World: Do you have a favorite guitar moment from the other guy on that first record?
Hill: "'Sweet Little Sister'. I love that solo of Snake’s. It's like, 'Wow! What was that?' It starts out with, like, a Chuck Berry riff and then rips through some fast notes at the end. It's traditional and aggressive and it flies right by. It's really cool."
Sabo: “I have two with Scotti. One is actually both of us, and that’s 'Youth Gone Wild'. That song became an anthem for us, and it was our story. It summarized the band. And the solos we play are really an extension not only of ourselves as individuals, but the song and the story as well. But my real favorite solo of Scotti's, and this might be obvious, is '18 and Life', because it's just absolutely iconic. Thirty-five years later, it's the most played solo of Skid Row’s of by other guitar players online. It's so hummable and so melodic."
Read the complete interview here.
