Velvet Revolver

Velvet Revolver

Formed 

2002 in Los Angeles, California

Years Active 

Group Members 

Duff "Rose" McKagan Slash Matt Sorum Scott Weiland Dave Kushner

Genres 

Rock

Styles 

Hard Rock

Tones 

Lively, Rowdy, Exciting, Cathartic, Passionate, Raucous, Brash, Swaggering, Slick, Irreverent, Earnest, Aggressive, Hedonistic, Snide, Cynical/Sarcastic, Provocative

Labels 

RCA (2)

Similar Artists: Brides of Destruction Dirty Americans Queens of the Stone Age Godsmack Spacehog Red Tape Soulfly

Roots and Influences: Alice in Chains Aerosmith The Sex Pistols David Bowie The New York Dolls The Rolling Stones Hanoi Rocks Nirvana Jane's Addiction T. Rex

Formal Connections: Guns N' Roses The Cult Stone Temple Pilots Wasted Youth Izzy Stradlin

Performed Songs By: Dave Kushner Scott Weiland Matt Sorum Slash Duff "Rose" McKagan Keith Nelson

 2004 

 Contraband [Clean]

RCA

 2004 

 Contraband

RCA

 2004 

 Slither [Australia CD]

BMG

Contraband

Artist 

Velvet Revolver

Album Title 

Contraband

Date of Release 

Jun 8, 2004

AMG Rating 

Genre 

Rock

Tones 

Volatile, Cathartic, Cynical/Sarcastic, Tense/Anxious, Aggressive, Manic, Brash, Rousing, Street-Smart, Freewheeling, Fiery, Confrontational, Raucous, Irreverent, Hedonistic, Bright, Lively, Slick, Swaggering

Styles 

Hard Rock

Type 

parental advisory

It ain't easy being Weiland. The oft-stoned, famously glittering Temple Pilot never got very much respect from the larger rock community. But lost among the cackling and grunge whispers was his talent as a vocal stylist, and what counts these days as veteran status. In 2004 it's Velvet Revolver, and - surprise - Weiland's still getting grief. He's hired on with Slash, Duff, and Matt Sorum, fellow vets on the prod for rock glory in the shifting sands of post-zenith opportunity. On Contraband, they and additional guitarist Dave Kushner kick up quite a racket. But battling the naysayers can be a full-time job, especially when so many can't see the potential in fronting G N' R's hard rock swagger with Weiland's glammy and elastic vocals. It's the politics of Contraband - too much chatter about legacies, court dates, and addictions, not enough attention to getting a fix of tough love. "Went too fast I'm out of luck and I don't even give a f*ck," Weiland spits on "Do It for the Kids," and a peel from Slash's arsenal backs him up. Maturity has clearly come at a price for both parties. Weiland still mugs and sings like a florescent lizard king. But his appetite for the spotlight has somehow become more voracious even as he fights cynically against it, and longs for an escape. For their part, Slash, Duff, and Co. like stirring up their old demons - check the explosive entrance on "Set Me Free" to get things a-tingling like the old days. But they're not running a nostalgia show, so there are new tricks and sounds, too, and plenty of choruses that shift into STP-style layering and vocal phrasing. The bass-heavy throb of "Big Machine"'s verses surges into a hard-charging '90s alt. rock chorus; "Headspace" alternates representative chunks of both bands' sounds with veteran skill; and "Superhuman" rants about illegal substances in language everyone can understand. What's clear is that, despite the pre-release conjecture and various put-downs, Contraband sounds pretty much like you'd expect of such a collaboration. Lead single "Slither" is an immediate highlight, its gasoline-drinking cocaine strut staining it as the offspring of "Big Bang Baby" and "Nightrain", while the album's detours - "Fall to Pieces", the gorgeous "Loving the Alien" - are painted in dusty reds and browns, like idealized fever dreams of escaping to the desert with the one you love. These mediations point to the pain behind Weiland's cynical veneer, and perhaps the entire band's hope for a head-clearing open space. With Contraband, Velvet Revolver has pulled off something tidy, fashioning music that manages both hedonism and maturity. It upholds legacies while grading a new route to freedom; it might even make the haters like Weiland. - Johnny Loftus

1.

Sucker Train Blues (Kushner/McKagan/Slash [1]/Sorum/Weiland) - 4:27

2.

Do It for the Kids (Kushner/McKagan/Slash [1]/Sorum/Weiland) - 3:55

3.

Big Machine (Kushner/McKagan/Slash [1]/Sorum/Weiland) - 4:25

4.

Illegal I Song (Kushner/McKagan/Slash [1]/Sorum/Weiland) - 4:17

5.

Spectacle (Kushner/McKagan/Slash [1]/Sorum/Weiland) - 3:41

6.

Fall to Pieces (Kushner/McKagan/Slash [1]/Sorum/Weiland) - 4:30

7.

Headspace (Kushner/McKagan/Slash [1]/Sorum/Weiland) - 3:42

8.

Superhuman (Kushner/McKagan/Slash [1]/Sorum/Weiland) - 4:15

9.

Set Me Free (Kushner/McKagan/Slash [1]/Sorum/Weiland) - 4:07

10.

You Got No Right (Kushner/McKagan/Slash [1]/Sorum/Weiland) - 5:35

 review  

11.

Slither (Kushner/McKagan/Slash [1]/Sorum/Weiland) - 4:08

12.

Dirty Little Thing (Kushner/McKagan/Nelson/Slash [1]/Sorum/Weiland) - 3:57

13.

Loving the Alien (Kushner/McKagan/Slash [1]/Sorum/Weiland) - 8:20

14.

[CD-ROM Track]

George Marino

 - 

Mastering

Duff "Rose" McKagan

 - 

Guitar (Bass), Vocals (bckgr)

Slash

 - 

Guitar, Vocals (bckgr)

Matt Sorum

 - 

Drums, Vocals (bckgr)

Andy Wallace

 - 

Mixing

Scott Weiland

 - 

Voices

Dave Kushner

 - 

Guitar

Nick Raskulinecz

 - 

Producer

Ryan Williams

 - 

Engineer

Dan Winters

 - 

Photography

Ashley Newton

 - 

A&R

Brett Kilroe

 - 

Art Direction

Josh Abraham

 - 

Producer

Douglas Grean

 - 

Keyboards, Engineer, Associate Producer, Vocal Producer

Brandon Belsky

 - 

Assistant Engineer

Robin C. Hendrickson

 - 

Art Direction

Velvet Revolver

 - 

Producer

Rocco Guarino

 - 

Assistant Engineer