Velvet Revolver - Contraband
My Thoughts: (Reviewed by Big Pun)
I first hear of this possible super group a while back but then Scott Weiland
got busted again and I put little hope into it coming together…but low
and behold, I am currently holding the first release from the remains of Guns
n’ Roses and Stone Temple Pilots….Velvet Revolver’s Contraband….Weiland,
the former lead singer of STP, joins with Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum
of GnR fame and David Kushner of the Suicidal Tendencies on their first release…Now,
I loved Guns back in high school….and totally dug STP’s first
two albums in college….so with this project I was hopping for a bit
of nostalgic delight…and I got it, sort of…I like this album…do
I love it, no…is it killer and a must own…I wouldn’t say
that either…but it is a damn strong first effort….much of the
problem with Contraband, is that many of its hard hitting tracks sound too
much the same…and for me, it can get a bit monotonous….but there
are some saving graces in this record…two ballads that break up the
hard charging rock…and some great work musically by Slash and the boys…
To describe the sound, I would say this album is more STP then G&R…mostly because of Weiland of course…it kicks off with one of my favorite tracks, Sucker Train Blues…and solid rock track….”Do it for the Kids”, the second track, still going strong….but then it falls off a bit, like I said, kinda the same stuff…but then the best song on the album in my opinion, “Fall to Pieces”, a kick-ass balladish song….love it…other strong tracks, “SuperHuman” and “Loving the Alien” , make this disc worth the price of purchase…these guys have done enough to warrant another listen from me…I will keep this disc playing, cause something tells me I will get attached to other tracks after several listens…
Key Tracks:
Sucker Train Blues
Fall to Pieces
Loving the Alien
Super Human