MattA75's Full Review: Contraband [Edited] by Velvet Revolver
The year is 1987. Bands like Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Poison and Europe rule MTV. Teen pop has exploded once again, thanks to New Kids on the Block, Tiffany, and Debbie Gibson. In short, the music scene is struggling with becoming a bloated parody of itself. Rock has lost all its meaning, pop with brains is no longer popular (at least for the most part), and rap has yet to explode like a bomb on the suburbanites of America. And then came Guns 'N' Roses and Welcome to the Jungle. All of a sudden, rock was dangerous again.
The year is 2004. Rock bands are either faceless or aren't worth knowing. Pop-punk has helped to erode the face of the first punk rock travelling fair, Warped Tour. Michael Jackson is now known better for what he does off the stage rather than on it. And teen pop has defied the odds to actually last longer than five years. While the artists have changed in attempts to keep their careers going (to their credit I might add), and the American Idol phenomenon keeps rolling along, rock fans are left with a bad taste in their mouths. And so, once again, GNR is here to save the day. Well, sort of.
When it was announced last year that guitarist Slash, bassist Duff, and drummer Matt Sorum were putting together a new band, all sorts of speculation came about as to who the singer would be. That's what happens when you're 3/5 of GNR. When it was announced that Stone Temple Pilots lead vocalist Scott Weiland had won the gig, visions of the new rock and roll supergroup danced in rock fans' heads everywhere (the fifth member is rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner). The group contributed a cover of the Pink Floyd classic Money to the Italian Job last summer, and now, close to a year later, they're on the verge of finally releasing their debut disc, Contraband. Make any jokes about the title and Weiland's stupidity with drugs all you want, but this album rocks.
The first single, Slither, is refreshing if for nothing else than it is not to be found on the first half of the disc, a ploy used by all too many bands and record labels lately. Featuring a pair of riffs from Slash, the first a powerdriving chordal structure, the second a melodic ringing riff that brings some excellent atmosphere to the song in the chorus. About the only negative thing I could say about this song is that the solo is typical Slash fare; dare I say you've probably heard it before? That being said, typical Slash fare still beats the hell out of what's on radio these days.
Set Me Free, which for some reason is striking me as a song that was also featured in a movie of some sort last summer, is another solid adrenalized rocker. What may not get much press about this song is the solid bassline laid down by Duff. Duff was never the best bassist, but he was good when placed in the right role, and this song is a nice extension of that.
The album's first half is nearly as strong as the second half. The opening Sucker Train Blues creeps along with a cool running bassline from Duff again (which is somewhat reminiscent of the intro to GNR's own It's So Easy, one of the three or four GNR songs the band is playing on their current tour), before turning into another solid driving rock song.
Just as when Audioslave, a mix of former Rage Against the Machine bandmates and former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, debuted, there are some people who are going to want a Guns N Roses clone with Weiland singing vocals. You are unfortunately going to be disappointed. There are definitely times where the comparison can be made (as I did with Sucker Train Blues), but Velvet Revolver is their own band, just with more famous members than your normal band releasing their debut. In fact, sonically, the album veers closer to Core-era Stone Temple Pilots with better guitar solos than to GNR.
A good example of this is Do It For the Kids, which has a riff straight from Core at its center, with some nice little variations and tricks thrown in. The outright playfulness of the guitars on this track is a lot of fun to listen to, and the song is not so generic as to be called a complete STP re-hash.
For those looking for a power-ballad, look no further than Fall to Pieces, which is, granted, generic as all hell in it's arrangement. But that shouldn't detract from the great melody that Slash uses for the verses.
Thankfully, the album sounds good, with the production being excellent (though some will no doubt say it is over-produced in spots). And its also good to hear Weiland back fronting a band. In an era of lead singers who were not showmen, Weiland was one of the few who was. He sounds energized by working with Slash, and his voice is in surprisingly good form, considering his never ending drug problems (one could also write a whole article about how wise it was to join a band with a bunch of other former (??) drug addicts, but I would hope that if the rest of the band is on the chemicals, they would do it away from Weiland).
For those who want to bang their heads, look no further than Headspace, which has a truly rocking guitar riff at its center. Weiland seems to touch on a variety of subjects here, not the least of which his own problems with drugs and the media's coverage of it.
At times, the songs can begin blending into one another (Illegal i Song sticks out), and yes, it can feel a little generic at times. But for the most part, this album is a solid dose of meat and potatoes hard rock that will no doubt satisfy those who rightfully believe that you can never have enough AC/DC in your daily musical diet. This is no masterpiece, but it is more than satisfactory, especially for the upcoming summer driving season. Pick it up.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
Velvet Revolver is on tour now. Besides most of the cuts from this album, they are also playing a few GNR covers (It's So Easy, Mr Brownstone, Used to Love Her), a few STP covers (Crackerman and Sex Type Thing, which I hear sounds positively bada*s with Slash on lead), and a couple of other covers (Negative Creep by Nirvana and Bodies by The Sex Pistols). They no doubt will be touring more over the next year, so be on the lookout if they've already passed through your neighborhood.
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