MattA75's Full Review: Libertad by Velvet Revolver
There is any one of a millions reasons you could've chosen to expect Velvet Revolver's sophomore effort to fail. After all, the first record, 2004's Contraband, was enjoyable, if generic. Lead singer Scott Weiland is probably still battling drugs (I don't think I'll ever buy that he's clean), and former Guns N Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum are getting older. Besides, just imagine the ego clashes that surely take place while writing an album amongst this band (rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner rounds out the group). It's probably no wonder Weiland came out last year and basically said they couldn't get anything done until producer Brendan O'Brien came in.
But somehow, they managed to make a cohesive, exciting, and positively a*s kicking album called Libertad. Weiland's vocals sound the strongest they have since 1995's Tiny Music back when he was with Stone Temple Pilots. Meanwhile, the band is writing music that stays true to their hard rock roots while allowing enough room for experimentation.
Let's get the small bit of negative out of the way first. The band has essentially re-written the two biggest hits from Contraband for this album. First single She Builds Quick Machines is a re-write of Slither. The main riff sounds like a variation of the Slither riff, and the rhythm section follows in lockstep. It's not a bad song, but it's no Slither.
Second is Gravedancer, the final listed track on the album (a hidden track follows; more on that below). It begins with a waterfall of a guitar melody that immediately recalls Fall to Pieces. This song isn't quite as obvious a ripoff as She Builds Quick Machines, but Weiland even quotes lines from Fall to Pieces in this song, while singing a similar vocal line. Again, an enjoyable song, but it's no Fall to Pieces, which was the emotional centerpiece of Contraband.
With that out of the way, we can start praising this album for what the rest of it is: a hard rocking, energetic, and at times experimental affair that works quite well. Forget what you've read about this record being quite different from Contraband; the main difference is that the songs are better developed, more cohesive as an album, and Weiland's vocals are much improved.
He sounds smooth as silk on the opening blast called Let It Roll, and his smooth vocals contrast nicely with the rough hewn punk edge the song has. Later on, the same could be said of Spay, another hard edged, punk influenced song that barely hits the three minute mark.
The band doesn't waste a lot of time with ballads. Aside from the aforementioned Gravedancer, only The Last Fight can be put in that category (it's scheduled to be the second single to radio). It doesn't have that slow of a pace to it. It's much more mid-paced, with some nice melodic work from Slash coming out of the choruses. It might have been more interesting had they stayed with the military style drum roll intro throughout the song, but that's a minor complaint.
Weiland once again seems to address his drug problems on Pills, Demons, etc, which features the best and most catchy hook of the album on the chorus ("you've got your demons and your ways of life, you could pull the trigger and end the strife").
The band also covers ELO on Can't Get It Out Of My Head. I can't say I'm big on ELO or very familiar with them at all, but I dig this cover. It has a bit of a psychedelic feel to it while not overdoing it. It's really a nice mix of midtempo rock and atmosphere.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hidden track, Don't Drop That Dime. Velvet Revolver might be the least likely band to record a downright country hoe-down, but that's what it is, and it's the one really lighthearted moment on the album, a nice coda to an album full of hard driving riffs and enjoyable hard rock.
Libertad is a welcome surprise in 2007; the band has managed to create something close enough to the sound of Contraband to satisfy meatheaded rock fans, while also crafting a true album that flows extremely well. Add in Weiland's vocals, which again, are the best he's sounded since 1995, and you have a true winner.
Lock up your daughters! Velvet Revolver, rock s ultimate supergroup, is back. Once again, Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots), Slash, Duff McKagan and...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.