Here Today... Gone To Hell!

CONTRABAND IS A BIG LET DOWN!!!!!

I am so Pissed off. I heard the Full Contraband CD (Wav Quality) and it is  a big Let Down For Me.

- The Producer Must be Killed. What a Shitty Production. Slash is Buried!!
This is No Fucking Rock And Roll, as they claim they sound. They Should have had the Production of the White Stripes instead.

- No Fucking Solos. Only 2-4 Songs Have real Solos. I mean What is That. What the Fuck Slash Is Doing. It reminds me the St anger  by Metallica in which Hammet played no solos. Why the Fuck They Became too modern? Fuck It!!!

- The Classic Slash Guitar Tone is Gone. Fuck!!

- Now Scott Has Dominated too much and it sounds like his personal album. Only in very Few Occasions you can recognise that it is slash playing.

- The album sounds to Rushed. It has Brilliant ideas but they sound they were rushed to be made songs and so some songs sound  clever and very stupid on the same time.

- The LTA Ballad Seems too Gay For Me (except the Solo)

- The Only song that truly reminds me of GNR is Set Me Free!!!

The Real GEM in this Album Is YOU GOT NO RIGHT (With An Excellent Guitar Solo And great Weiland Voice.

Also The Other Positives Are :
- Intro Of Sucker Train Blues
- Refrain of Big Machine + Do It For The Kids
- Headspace Originality
- Solo of Falling To Pieces

I am a Very big Fan Of GNR and Slash and i was waiting for this album
such a long time. It Is Really a big Let Down. There in No Comparison With AFD + UYIs Albums. Even Snakepit had more Slash's Solos.

Slash + Duff Left GNR Cause they wanted to remain Rock and not modernize. To Me The new GNR Songs (CD,Blues,Madagascar) have more solos than Contaband.

I will Definately wait 10 more years for Axl rather than Contraband.
I am Not an Axl sucker and i said Slash is my guitar Hero.

I hoped VR would bring me sth i haven't had since the illusions albums but they Failed For Me in Contraband.

At Least they sound better on the Bootlegs than in this fucking produced Contraband.

Just my Thoughts.

HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY CONTRABAND!!

looks like you were expecting another Snakepit record. Nothing wrong with that. Just keep in mind that it is possible to sound different but good at the same time. You don't like LTA ,but I think it's amazing and I usually like songs that are 8min+

yeah albums really really good i think and slash aint gotta do solso all the time lets not do a st anger now ppl  

fuckin' awesome!  :yes: didn't expect anything so good!  :beer:

I forgot about the tingle to the spine that a slash solo can give.  

I agree that the Rockers are average, but the ballads are pretty darn good.

I have finally heard the album in its entirty thanks to MtV. I dont know why the band would let MTV stream the album but thats not my business...anyways heres my review....

My feelings on the songs and album as a whole are basically the same. Theres some good parts and pieces but nothing over the top or complete. Except for YGNR.

The best rocker on the album is "Illegal I". It has punch and is something a lil different. Musically and vocally its good. Good vibe and you can feel the energy. Sounds like Janes Addiction and a little Led Zepellin. Fun Song.

The other "rockers" are descent. But they arent classic or even really that grimy rock the band has been talking about. Like another poster has said its more on the alternative side.
Headspace, and  Superhuman{except for the chorus} are good songs as well.
Like I said there are some good parts on the songs and they are catchy but I was expecting something different. Except for YGNR and maybe Illegal I, there nt one song that captures everything the band could offer. 1 song might have good guitars but lack lyrics and vice versa. Just sounds a lil rushed and the production wasnt great either.
Spectacle and Dirty Little Thing shouldt even be on the album.

As for the ballads. Overall they are much better than the rocker type songs. And thats probably the biggest surprise to me regarding this bands first effort.

The best song on the album is "You Got No Right". Its got the classic Slash solo that is great. And Weiland actually doesnt ruin the song. The intro to the song reminds me of the Beatles a little. This imo, is the best song on the whole album.

FTp is another good ballad. Its great musically and its catchy lyric wise. I wish the lyrics could have been better but overall its a good song.

LTA is good musically but Weiland kinda ruins it. It sounds liek an STP ballad{which is not a good thing}. What saves it is Slash's solo and guitar throughout the song.

Overall i would prob give this album a "C+ maybe B". I think its a fair grade. Like I said theres a lot of good parts and stuff but it just seems like it was rushed. Theres a handful of songs that standout and even those could have been better. But those aside, the rest of the songs particularlky the "rockers' are the same. Its definately better than the stuff thats out there so thats a positive. They have the right attitude so i hope in their next album they capture everything in every song.

When I first heard about this band getting together I was extremely excited. I love stp and Weiland. And Ive always loved slash and duff. I must admit I have lost a little love for Weiland though. It seems like he didnt step up. SLash stepped up in this album. I haved crititsized his work post gnr, but he def. stepped up in a big way. His guitar work on this album is excellent and I finally get to hear the Slash I know. For the most part he showcases his great talents on this album. So im happy about that. But weiland seemed liek he couldnt keep up with the band lyricly. HEs great at writing catchy chorus and stuff but it kinda gets old as you listen to the album. I really didnt feel the energy and emotion from him aside from some of the ballads.

Im happy to see slash and duff doing well. Like i said overall the record is good. And im proud of them.  I hope this band does well. They are  awesome live and you should def check them out. Its a great experience. Enjoy the album and Vr.....peace....

Well I want bore you with like a long formal review I just listened to contraband its fucking awesome people go out and buy when it comes out its one of the rock n' roll albums of the yeah its not GN'R or STP is Velvet Revolver there are some nices mellow songs on there and some great riffs they album is great full stop.

I just listened to it, and I must say, while I wasn't really expecting much, I'm still a tad disappointed. I won't go into deep detail, but having just listened to the album, the only memorable song is 'Fall to Pieces', which is really good, it seems as if they put a lot of heart into that one. 'Slither' is a good rocker, definitely better than anything currently on the radio, but everything is just decent, not very memorable. 'Set Me Free' is a pretty good rocker, as well. Scott's vocals are to inconsitent and sparatic, and not nearly enough do any of the lyrics meld together, they just seem like random thoughts, whereas most other songs of another *ahem* band *cough* seem to flow together and portray a story. The music is genuinely good, I just can't help but think of how much better the flow was when they were in GNR. All in all, definitely a decent album, better than 99% of today's music, but not nearly as stand-alone as these guys are capable of. Now, let's get that Communist party out of China...

i think their sound kicks ass.
it's not greatly produced.
but i feel like i'm back in the early 90s, i'm 10 years old and i'm discovering rock n roll.
we couldnt feel that since, when ? 1994 ?

its been so long, with all the linkin park and white stripes.

VR is ROCK N ROLL now.
i'm not comparing to the axl's GNR, cause as good as CD will be, it won't be rock n roll.

slither is better than ever.

 :beer: :beer: :beer:

Like I said before there are a few really good strong songs but the rest is just blah.
The ballads are some of the  best music out there but the rockers are dull and boring. The lyrics on the album are sorely lacking but most of the guitar melodys are good.
The whole album IMO is a 6/10.

Before you all start ripping on him...in Daves defense {and i dont agree with most of what he says}...thats an accurate review/description of the album. Of course its all opinion and taste and its definately not fact its what i think is accurate. Just throwing it out there before the wolves come...

8/10

im halfway through listening to the fourth track and id nearly decided that i was gonna buy the album when i read a load of bad reviews right here.... i may have to listen to the album again before deciding but it sounds opkay to me so far. did somebody say there are no guitar solos on this album? ah man, i hope thats not true i mean... its slash for christ sake slash with no solos is like... well gnr without slash. :o

I don't know...i'm listening to it for the second time now from mtv.com, and I really wasn't that impressed with it the first time through. Only Slither and Loving the Alien stood out to me. But I don't want to be too harsh because i'm one of those people who usually has to hear a song 4 or 5 times before I can really decide whether i like it or not. I am disappointed that there weren't more "signature" Slash solo's. I think the lyrics are mediocre and Scott's voice really isn't that distinguishable from a lot of other singers. Overall, i'm slightly disappointed, but i'll give it a few more listens before I come down off the fence.

Thanks,I will see for my self in one week

I think its fair to say the general *consencus* is that Weiland is the weak link of this album, and after hearing the album its 100% correct.

Slither is the best of the rock songs, and that is rather worrying.

Slash is the real deal on this album.  He definitely stepped up his game.  But even during the Snakepit eras, he was still a badass.  But it is just different now.  And I like it.  I like the album and can't wait to buy it.  There are a lot of good songs and don't "hate" any of them.  Sorum's drumming is so much better.  The band sounds so inspired, which now brings me Mr. Weiland. WTF!!!!  Scott, you do rock on a few songs.  You Got No Right stands out.  However, the artsy fartsy shit he says and the way he sings sometimes annoys me.  However, i like how he gets crazy at the end of Illegal I.  Fall To Pieces, really, that song had so much potential. Lyrics? WTF! All these songs will grow on everyone.  They did a fine job.  Just the repetitiveness of some of songs sucks.  SuckerTrain is another song I like.  Did they stray a little too far from "Blues Based Rock?"  Yes, they did.  Slash is still the best guitar player out there.  But I do miss the "Bluesy" sound.  All in all this album rocks, and there are lots of guitar solos.  Just feel left wondering, WHERE ARE THE SONGS IZZY HELPED WRITE!!!!!!!  THEY SHOULD HAVE THROWN US GNR FANS A BONE OR TWO WITH THOSE.  I THINK SCOTT RESENTED IZZY'S SONG WRITING ABILITY.  I like Scott's voice, just stop being so dramatic and rock.  How many songs on here are better then "Down" or "All in Suit that you wear?"  I don't really know, but it is different, solid, and I like it.  I think I must agree, Scott was the weak link, but not too many people could have done much better, except Axl of course.  He is working with master's of their trade.  He doesn't have the chemistry yet.  He will eventually.  I look forward to the follow up.  Lots of potential here.  I expected better then STP, worse then GNR (you can't top GNR and don't expect it too).  Should have blow away STP, and at times it does.  At times, it is only even, which is not a horrible thing.  8.5/10  The album will do great. :peace:

Its funny what i have been saying all along about this album from what i heard and getting bashed for, a lot other people are now agreeing with me. Go figure.

Dave, I hear ya, but, it is like I can't stop listening to these songs.  Superhuman, that could be a sleeper, Darkhors, on this album.  Did the boys ever play in Drop D before this album?  I don't think they ever did in GNR.  I will rephrase, VR can be better then the the "New" GNR.  Just not better then the old GNR.  Still a pretty Riff heavy album.  I am liking it more and more, but my main points stay the same.  If Weiland ever got an attitude adjustment this band could rule the world.  They might just do it anyway.  Look at the competition?  

Both the New GNR and VR pale in comparison with GNR 87-93, that's obvious.

At least VR have a record out there though, and for that they should be congratulated.

That is the best point made yet. NEITHER band will rule the world or make music lke Guns did from 87-93. That is abundantly clear from what we have heard of both bands. All teh New GNR songs sound like something we would have heard during the illusions era, and the VR songs are what they are. We have heard nothing from either band that is in the same league as SC,PC,NR,WTTG and so on. They are all 40 year old men now, we will never hear rockers the way they were when they were 20, thats just the way life goes.

it basically rocks hard and the ballads r nice and not over the top, its surely better than the stuff ive been hearing lately, its quite raw too-8/10 :)

Why are people comparing VR to new gnr? I thought we cant do that.
I get bashed for it when I said new gnr is better than VR

 ::)

I haven't heard the song off the mtv/vh1 sites but so far I give it a 8.5

with AFD being a 10

I think the only band both bands are being compared to is the real Guns n' Roses, and 9 out of 10 people here would agree that neither band is as good as GNR was. They're is not a whole lot of debate about that. We can get into the potential of each band all we want, but neither band will sell 60-70 million records worldwide and play stadiums and have epic songs like SC and WTTG which will be staples on any rock radio format from now until eternity. I know their are a few(dave) members of this board that are dellusional enough to think that New GNR is somehow a better band than GNR, but that is not true. And the same goes for VR, neither band touch GNR...so we just need to accept at this point both are merely just doing the best immitation of the original thing they can.

 Naupis I am curious, What if CD is better than AFD then what?

I'll make you a deal Dave, when something from CD supplants WTTG at every sporting event I ever goto, or a riff from CD ranks hire on every all time Riff list than SC, or it sells 25 million albums, or it leads to them becoming the hottest ticket in America.......I will come on this board and tell you I was wrong. I am going to sleep pretty well though in the assumption none of the above is most likely going to happen.

There isn't a better lineup than Axl, Izzy, Slash, Duff and Steven, end of story.

The chances that CD will ever come out are stronger than the chance of it being superior to AFD. Besides i don't think we could compare it because both records are sure to be world's apart musically.

OH so since boy bands and girl bands like BSB or B Spears can sell 25 million albums it means they are better than gnr?
I dont think so. And you mean 25 million world wide?

Cd could be better than AFD yet not sell 15 million even  you know that.

Madagascar is better than most  of the songs on AFD.

Well....I'm offering you an objective way to determine this. If you have a better set of objective criteria to use I would like to hear it.

Also, we'll throw out boy bands and stuff and look at it within the rock genre. Again, I was using lists generated by magazines for guitars, album sales, and universal playing of Jungle at all sporting events. Those are objective measures....not u or me going well this is a better song. Come up with a better criteria then if you don't like my objectives. I will certainly be interested in hearing them.

no, its not. Maybe better than Anything Goes, Youre Crazy and Think About You, but thats about it

madagascar is better than everything but wttj, brownstone, pc, and scom.

You're going to say CD is better than Appetite even if its not just to justify the 7 years you have spent on this board advocating that this is a better band than anything Axl has ever been in. I mean that would make you look a little ridiculous if CD ends up bombing with the public after you have told anyone within ear shot for the last however many years that it will be better than Appetite, because if its not it doesn't justify breaking up the band in the first place and changing the musical direction the way Axl wanted. So we all know how you will come down on that debate if and when it ever happens.

word. i don't see why people continue to make the comparisons. Madagascar could not possibly be more different than the Appetite songs. An Illusion comparison would make more sense.

To me its impossible to create a better album than AFD if you gonna spend 10 years, hire lots of players from different backgrounds, spend millions and try to recreate the magic. It doesnt work that way unfortunately.
Im pretty sure CD will be pretty good but its not going to be a rock staple like AFD was because you really cant duplicate that, there isnt a theory or a formula to create those albums they just happen when all key elements are on place.

I'm waiting.....I want to hear this way we are going to eventually judge which album is better that does not include statements like "its a better song because I said so."

What about Nightrain, Rocket queen, Its so easy???

i always thought the "because i said so" defense illustrated supreme intellectual mastery, no?
 ;D

I have another one for you......go find any rock album countdown list and Appetite is in everyone of them. If in 5-10 years CD has displaced Appetite, I will again concede defeat. As it stands I can point to multiple places that list appetite as one of the best 5 rock albums ever. Cd will have to displace it onthose lists to be considered the better Guns album.

naupis i guess you didnt read  my question.
I said WHAT IF CD is better than AFD what then?
I didnt say it would be but what if it is.

There are better albums than AFD and you never know CD could be one of them.

Again, I am giving you my criteria for what it will take to be considered better, and that is just most likely not going to happen. Also, I told you that I would come on this board and publicly apologize for calling your claims it could/would be better ridiculous. As I have layed out though, the criteria is has to match/beat is just not going to happen. Everyone on this board knows that, and Axl knows that, which is why we haven't heard anything from him in the past 11 years even though that album has been done for at least 2.

People should just post their reviews instead of arguing with Dave.

I really love LTA, it's perhaps the most soulful song on the album.  And a beautiful melody by Slash.  YGNR is also really cool, like I said Weiland sounds like Bowie on that one.

The "hard" rockers don't really stand out to me, I hear a variety of influences, like the Stooges, and even Soundgarden, but it's definitely trying for a more modern appeal, which isn't going to fly with some people, like me.  I'm not too enamoured with FTP either, there is something generic about it.  

A lot of energy though.  7/10

Madagascar better than most of AFD?

That has got to be the most ridiculous thing i've heard in a long time, i'm sure you'll find many people who'll agree with you on that one. Not.

and i thought music was all subjective  ::)

GNROSAS nailed it


so dissapointing ....this is like a STP record or something.... big letdown

Dave,

You may think Mad is better than most of AFD which is fine but the vast majority of GNR/music fans in general would strongly disagree with you.

Majority rules.

its nice to know you can speak for the vast majority of gnr fans and know what is on their minds  ::)

That's not speaking on behalf of anybody, its fact.

its fact? Is that so, and where did you pull this fun fact from?
did you poll every gnr fan in the world on this question

okay, the rockers are making up ground with me.  Do it for the kids is really catchy.  I like it.  The guitar solo kind of reminds me of Don't Dam Me.  On the next album however, i don't want any comprimises with the STP esque sound.  I want the Izzy style.  I think the boys adapted to Scott's ways.  On the next album, let Scott adapt to them, at least for a few songs.  But yes, the more i listen to the so called rockers, the more i like them.  Dave, Madagascar, eh, it is alright.  I like the Blues better.  A song in which they go for the Slash sound in the guitar solo by the way.  That is a nice song.  Madagascar, too over the top.  Kind of lame if you ask me.  I like it, but you are out of your mind.  

Jarmo, can you give a full review of this album?  Are you impressed, or unimpressed?  I agree with you on Headspace and Do it for the kids.  Darkmeus or Mysteron, do you dig the new VR album?  

You people are hott stuff. This was supposed to be a Contraband review thread. Not a gnr vr comparison. Afterall there have been arguments this past week about how we arent supposed to be comparing the two.

I find it funny how some fans are agreeing that although the album is good its not what they expected then they throw "oh new gnr and vr cant be old gnr"...

first off I htought Vr was supposed to just be VR. Secondly I thought we werent allowed to compare....

and Third, my biggest problem....

Dont say new gnr doesnt match either. The material isnt out yet so how can you say it will or wont be better. We have heard a sample of songs from gnr. And the songs arent going to be thier singles. Lets not start saying that new gnr cant match up to old gnr.

Im not saying they will. Its a tough obstacle. But until the material is release dont say shit.

This was supposed to be a thread of the album. Then it turns into another gnr/vr thing.....too funny

As for this comment...
Oh really? Well Gnr has the advantage right off the bat because they have Axl Rose. He is capable of writing the most beautiful of lyrics. Do you not think he can do it again? As for the music side. We will wait and see. That is what im most eager to see regarding this new band. the sound. If they got the sound right they have nothing to worry about. Because Axl rose has been blessed with amazing voice and the ability to write lyrics. SO to say Vr wcan be better than gnr is stupid. Gnr now have to step up and you know what....my rolex, house and whatver else will always be on thier side. Because they have the talent to do whatver the fuck they want and make it work.....

How can you say VR has dropped the ball?? HOW?? WHY?? agh oh agh you pets want only a masterpiece, what the hell... VR is rocking like no one right now. They are touring, they have a pretty good record out and overall are creating exitement so I really dont see how can anyone say they dropped the ball. You cannot surpass GNR thats it man, only a brand new young band can do it but so far none of the new bands have step up to the plate!

"Well Gnr has the advantage right off the bat because they have Axl Rose."

Huh, Younggunner, you are exactly that.  Young and not very wise.  Having Axl Rose in 2004 has not been an advantage to anyone.  Not the record company, not the fans, and not his circus.  Tell me about this "talent," you speak of.  Is it just Axl?  You don't really consider the band to more talented then VR do you?  Don't count Bucket, cause he is not currently there now is he.  Though, the door is left open for him to return.  Just like it is if Slash wanted back.  Axl is old.  42.  He might be able to tweak his voice in the studio, but come on.  Slash can do the same stuff he did in 87 on his guitar.  Axl cannot sing like he could he no matter what he did.  I said they can be better then new GNR.  I did not say they would.  My main point was to give praise to the original line up.  Not to start this.  I was just saying all was possible, except for being better then the original.  Now, NuGNR may be better then VR.  We will find out.  I saw NuGNR twice.  Very good performances.  I was at the one in Vegas where Slash got kicked out.  It was spectacular. All I am stating is that they have the potential to be better.  That is all.  And you know what, they do.  I am a huge Axl supporter, but with no Slash, he is extremely limited.  I cannot believe you show your age by denying the total band concept that GNR had back in the day.  GNR was not a one man band.  But it is now.  I wish the very best to NuGNR and VR.  

other than set me free and slither, i thought the rocker songs were kind of stale. Didn't seem to be any musical hooks on them and Weiland simply cannot hold a candle to Axl when singing a rock song. He's a grunge singer. The ballads are all very good with the Alien one probably being best; Weiland's best performance.

Listening to this album cemented in me that Axl was THE thing that separated GnR from all the real good bands and made them a great band. His lyrics, his singing, his presence and most importantly his ability to write songs that went places you weren't expecting. None of these songs seemed to surprise me; they all seemed about 4:10 long.

that said, it's the best rock record in a long time, but as far as stuff that'll stick with me, other than set me free, slither and some of the ballads, i'm afraid to say i might be listening to more of the new Slipknot album over the summer.....we'll see.

Im talking strictly from a musical standpoint. Not pr or business.

Lol are you serious.....
As a whole band they are each talented. Whether that will all click and work i couldnt tell you because i havnt heard cd yet.
You cant say that yet. CD hasnt been released so you have no idea if it will work or wont.
We now know that Axl put slashs material over the top. He and slash complimented each ther perfectly. Now lets see if Robin/bucket can do the same....

Im not denying anything. I have never said this new band is better than the old. All i have said is that there is a possibility that Cd will be better than AFD. Im not stupid enough to say that GNR will have the same impact on the music world like old gnr did. Its a completely different musical climate.

All Im saying is that you nor I know what gnr has up thier sleeve. It could be a gem or it could be a flop. What if its better than AFD then what? All I say is just wait and see.....then comment....

First off Axl always had a major say in what gnr did. And as for the new lineup. You couldnt be more wrong. Its a complete team effort. They have worked on the songs together. Alone. And got them to where they wanted it to be as a group. Does Axl run the show...absoulutely. HE runs everything in terms of the business and shit..Its a group effort.....if you want to keep denying that its not my problem...

You people do realize that selling 15 million albums today is 3 times harder than selling that many copies of an album released in 1987 don't you?
Here's why: the older members of this board can attest to the fact that in 1987 they bought either a vinyl record or a cassette and when CD's came around they likely updated to CD's so lots of people own either 2-3 copies of AFD.  Today what Britney and N'sync are doing is amazing because they only have one format to sell their albums in and they have to deal with downloading. When they sell 15 million albums they sell them to 15 million unique record buyers. AFD was probably only bought by 10 million unique buyers.
We can't compare sales figures of contraband with AFD because of the above reasons.

Young and dummer, please don't challeng my vast knowledge and attention to detail of the GNR saga.  BTW, I am just kidding about the Young and Dummer, just thought it was funny.  But anyway, it is all manufactured.  The band plays what they think Axl wants.  They try to understand his vision.  Do you think Fink shoots down Axl's ideas?  Hell know he doesn't, he would be gone.  Bucket, well, I have never seen anything like that guy.  Truly awesome.  He can make an impact, however, most would agree that he lacks a certain level of soul.   The type of soul that a self taught blues based guitar player like Slash would possess.  All the muscians were hired for a reason.  They were not friends.  They were not poor.  They did not live in shitty appartments together.  When you are not hungry, you are setting your self up for failure.  VR was very inspired for this record.  They had something to prove.  Fink has really nothing to prove.  Axl bears all the weight on his shoulders.  Everything falls on Axl.  Does that sound like a team concept to you?  Nope.  Fink, Tommy, Brain, only do what Axl says.  They are puppets.  Everything you hear is for PR.  Most the members didn't even like GNR.  THEY DID IT FOR THE MONEY!!!!!  THEIR MOTIVATIONS AND INSPIRATIONS ARE DIFFERENT.  IT ALL GOES BACK TO CHEMISTRY AND BEING A COHESIVE UNIT.  Are they all on the same page?  Hell, they don't know shit about their own album that they worked on for so long.  Axl is the greatest front man ever.  But, he is so different now, I hope he can come back, but it does not look good.  I admire your fire younggunner.  I read your reviews about the VR show you went to and it was generally good.  You seem pretty objective.  I just think no matter how good of a front man you are, you must have a great band behind you.  That is where they (nugnr) lack.  Remember David Lee Roth when he left Van Halen?  I know, you don't cause you were too young.  But even though he had Steve Vai on guitar, or whoever that guy was, he never went anywhere.  He was considered to be one of the best frontmen around.  But he didn't have Eddie.  Like Axl doesn't have Slash.

Hell yeah Jackson sounded awful. He sounded like a bad lead singer of a local band. Scott has his own persona and way of writing songs. IF HE AND IZZY could of worked together on some VR songs that sure would wet my shorts.

Very creative...

Like i said, you can think what you want...but its a complete team effort. Im not gonna try to explain it to u anymore because youll come back with the same bullshit...so why bother...

I suggest you check out electric tears

We all know they didnt come together in the convential way. But what i do know is that they are very good friends and have been for awhile now.

This 1 is easy...ill use what you wrote...

your a very clueless person....

Can we wait till the album comes out before you say that?


I could write an endless response to you and make you look liek an idiot. But i dont feel like rehashing the same old stuff. theres no point. You can beleive what you wnat. Thats fine. All i ask of you is to just wait till the album comes out before you tell me about all this hunger bullshit....till then go ramble your bullshit somewhere else...

One tiny interjection, Roth wasn't much of a songwriter, it's not quite the same.  

What is up with the liek all the time.  

but anyway, who cares about that.  my points were very clearly stated for you.  For Christ's sake,  Scott was in rehab, hungry to be clean so he could be with his wife and kids and put out an album.  Slash and Duff were hungry to tour to fulfill commitments to the fans.  Duff and Weiland go to the woods and bond by doing kung fu and shit like that.  They are a real band.  Maybe I am wrong about NuGNR, but I don't think so.  I try to compliment you objectivity, but you just want to be rude.  You act imature and like a know it all.  It is quite amusing how fired up you got.  NuGNR are so tight!!!  So tight that they haven't talked in months to each other.  Don't you find that disturbing?  Isn't that odd?   ???  You are brainwashed by your idol.  It is sad.  I guess you want me to say NuGNR can be better?  History proves, you can't improve on certain things.  It just cannot be done.  Just enjoy what he does put out.  It won't be a total package.  We all know he will sound much different on the CD then in concert, if he ever tours again.  I have been coming to this board since 97, and since 97 Axl has done nothing but let me down.  That is why I doubt him.  Let him and NuGNR prove me wrong.  He does not deserve the benefit of the doubt at this juncture.  I saw a cover band the other night and they sound more like GNR then GNR sounds like GNR.

Young Gunner, i suggest you check this band out.  It will be closest you ever get to the real Axl Fuckin Rose.

http://www.notquitegnr.com/

watch their video and tell me who sounds more like Axl.  That guy, or Axl.

I'll repost so it is in the right section:


Well, I feel this is a near miss. I agree that the ballads are very strong, namely LTA and YGNR, but the rockers are extremely bland and bleed into one another. I am a bit partial to SuperHuman, but honestly there is not much distinction between SuckerTrain, Do It, Headspace, and Superhuman.

Slash is excellent on this record but Weiland's voice doesn't dance around the melody as well as these songs demand. From what i remember from STP, the music stood out and cascaded about Weiland's steady lyrical and vocal talent. Here, the workmanship of slash, duff, and the rest isn't as dynamic as the Deleo brothers. The solos kill but slowly erode their novelty with a bombardment of redundancy, until they are  almost numbing with predictability by the end of the album. I really miss a solid Vaseline style hook; the too eerie resemblences of LTA riff to SCOM is a bit unnerving. Scott's vocal approach isn't too exciting as he lacks the range and schizo attitude of his predecessor. Lyrically, the content isn't anything to get excited about.

I agree also that this album needed to merinate a bit longer; it lacks a unique perspective and approach.

Overall, a serviceable approach but nothing spectacular.

5/10

I'll repost this here then..

Those song sound nothing alike. Suckertrain Blues is a bluesy rocker, Do it for the kids is a punk song with an amazing refrain and melody, Headspace is a catchy ass song in he vein of STP/Audioslave and Superhuman is STP with awesome guitar.

I don't know what you're talking about KV

WHAT Don't you remember his single that "Wish they aw to be california girls" That was bad ass. Wait that was a cover. HOW about his hit single "I'm so sad and lonely" That was some great stuff right?

Wait a minute I am drunk. I'm sure when I sober up I will regret saying he's good

TopHat, you maybe listening to slash's axework, but i'm listening to Weiland and the rest. Weiland sounds identical for each track; he lacks axl's vocal range and schizo mannerisms; he's almost montone in how he approaches the fast tracks. I wasn't pulled into them as much as an STP song because the backing music was formulatic: here is a good solo, here is a bridge, here is the chorus. Too much formula, not enough innovation.

actually Scott normally uses 2 voices on the rockers if thats what you mean. a low Jim Morrison/Elvis one and a higher pitched punkier screaming voice. And it's so awesome how he goes from one voice to another!!

just listen to Suckertrain & Headspace

and Sex type thing & Crackerman

There's a lot of people on here complaining about the production. My question is.......is it possible that the MTV steam audio could be a poorer quality then what we will get on the CD??

Well, it's funny that all VR fans (specially Booker and Dizzy )didn't answer my post of rating all the VR songs that they have listened so far from 0-10 points. But what is funny that of the few people that rated everybody was giving VR songs 9 or 10, and I really mean not on comparing with AFD but if you say that those songs are that great, then that would mean that this is going to be one of the best rock albums of all time.  ???

In my opinion I only have listened 3 songs entirely and aprox 30 seconds of the rest, and I'm not blowed away for what I have listened so far, if at first I thought that Slither was one of the weakest, now I know why they chosed to be the first single. Would I buy the album? Yes, but to only support the band, and who knows maybe I change my mind. Special mentions to You got no right and Do it for the kids, I really have to listen to FTP (well lyricwise.......).
Contraband score: 6/10

Two more points:
1. People if you want to enjoy good songs why don't listen: Been there lately, Just like anything, Shine, Back to the moment and Serial killer. Good Stuff.
By a band that I think you know whose singer was pretty good (bluesy.)

2.Audioslave kick Velvet Revolver ass. Not because a song has the best riffs is better. It's like if Slash play SCOM and let's say Fred Durst adds his own lyrics.  :nervous:

Anyways, Ain't Life Grand.  :peace:

Its actually likely...

The actual CD will sound different than a streaming RealAudio.

Hmmm.. you're listening to the 4th track, but you need to read reviews on a message board to decide if you'll buy it or not???

Can't decide for yourself huh buddy??? :nervous:

As for no solos, I've read many reviews and and articles stating that there ARE solos on every track, but I guess you would've heard that yourself if you were already up to the 4th track...

I didnt respond to your thread because Im not a fan of giving songs number ratings...

If youre that curious about what I think of the songs...

I like everything Ive heard a lot.

Maybe to you it is. It's all down to personal opinion, but you're stating it like it's a fact.

Oh, and before you bash me, I love Madagascar, but comparing it to anything off AFD is like comparing apples and oranges.

It gets better on a second listen. Here is a score out of 10 for each of the songs i rated.

Suckertrain-5.5/10
Do It For The Kids-7/10
Big Machine-7/10
Illegal-6/10
Spectacle-5/10
Fall to Pieces-7/10
Headspace-8/10 The best rocker with Dirty Little Thing
Superhuman-6.5/10
YGNR-8/10
Dirty Little Thing-8/10 My favourite off the album
Loving the Alien-7/10

I'd appreciate if the CD/AFD comparisons were continued in another thread since this one is about Contraband.



/jarmo

Curiosity got the better of me.  I LOVE IT.  I can't stop listening to it.  Yeah, it's not classic GNR, but who the hell expected it to be.  This is all I thought it would be and more, a first-class hard rock record that kicks the living shit out of everything else out there these days.  Sort of an STP-vibe to it, but with a lot more balls, more sleaze, and (obviously) better guitars.  I don't really pay much attention to lyrics in songs, so that's not much of a concern for me.  The only track I'm even somewhat disappointed with is "Loving the Alien," but, after repeated listens, it's starting to grow on me.  Kind of a dull way to round out the record, but I'm not really much of a ballad person anyway.  Out of the three ballads, "Fall to Pieces" is the most impressive.  Is that a huge late summer hit I hear?  I think so.  Weiland puts a lot more emotion into this one (and a lot of the other songs here) than I've ever heard out of him.

Everyone of the rockers kick my ass.  "Suckertrain Blues" kicks things off with the force of an atom bomb.  "Illegal I" surprised me with just how heavy it is.  I love the groove of "Do It For the Kids."  "Big Machine" is prime fist-pumping material.  "Spectacle" is not quite as average and bland as some here have made it out to be.  Certainly not the record's highlight, though.  "Superhuman" and "Dirty Little Thing" are amazing.  "Headspace" needs a little more time to grow on me, but it's a good rocker just like the rest.  Of course, we all know "Slither" and "Set Me Free" by now; great fucking songs, great fucking band!

Just an absolutely killer rock n'roll record.  Thank you, MTV, for finally doing something cool by giving the world a sneak preview of this.

madagascar sucks dick its so boring and old its crap, i love taking the piss of that song axl worst singing ever so fucking bas makes my ears hurt, dave likeing axls balls again :) : ok:

ive listened to slither, fall to pieces and ygnr

and im disappointed

but this may be a record i gotta listen to a few times b4 i like it

i didnt care that much for the blues,cd or maddy when i first heard them either

the music is fan fuckin tastic, slash's guitar work is fuckin awesome

i gotta warm up to scott's lyrics though, he doesnt nail them emotionally,the lyrics seem like the same ole same ole
but ill keep listening and im sure ill really dig these after a few more listens

im seeing what gnr and vr need though

axl's lyrics and voice over that VR music would be in fuckin credible

slash's guitar work on the blues,maddy and c.d would be un fuckin real

im missing old gnr a tad, just have to say that

In my opinion from the sounds ive heard (about 8 or so) the rockers are a bit bland. Scotts voice isnt that exciting for me and the sounds arnt too catchy. However i like Set Me Free, YGNR (Great song!) and Suckertrain Blues. Fall To Pieces, Slither and Do It Fo The Kids are all OK. Im hoping ill like it more when ive heard all the songs and am listening to the CD - not a dodgy quality stream. : ok: :peace:

loving the alien is pretty good, im gonna listen to the rest and give a detailed review!

i miss axl and slash i can say that for fuckin sure!

how great and awesome gnr couldve been, fuck, just listening to this vr stuff and imagining axl over top of it, couldve been better than the illusions

here are my two cents song by song (dont hate me)

1) Sucker Train Blues - 8/10..love the intro..really builds the anticipation of the song
however, i dont like Scott's "overproduced" voice"
2) Do it for the Kids - 9/10, great hook
3) Big Machine - 8/10, a little better than average imo, also repetitive
4) Illegal I song - 8/10, love Matt's drum work in the song, however too Jane's Addiction for me
5) Spectacle - 6/10, nothing about this song grabbed my attention...but is still better than anything else you'll find right now in the true "rock world"
6) Falls to Pieces - 10/10 great song maybe the best on the cd...love Slash's riff.  does the intro remind anybody of Sweet Child of Mine...maybe it was just me but i got that feel
7) Headspace - 7/10 good rocker but solo is cut way short...that loses points with me b/c it felt rushed
8) Superhuman - 7/10 alright song, nothing overly good or bad
9) Set me Free - 9/10, catchy song, good guitar work, and Scott's voice fits the song
10) You got no Right - 10+/10, best song on the cd, hands down
11) Slither - 10/10 after hearing this song, i had high expectations for the rest, i wish more had this feel to it
12) Dirty Little Thing - song 5/10, solo 9/10 i give you both ratings b/c i really hated this song, until the solo, Slash saves the song..overall 7/10
13) Loving the Alien - 8/10 it grows on you after the first listen
14) Bodies - 7/10 i dont like Scott on this song...but it live so what can you do


Overall i give the cd a 8/10, and yes i was a little disappointed.  Sometimes the chemistry between Scott and the band is superb, other times, you ask why?  Also on thing i noticed...Duff isn't really featured...i cant really tell he did anything in the studio...is that just me?

This is only 64 Kbps. 192 Kbps is comparable to CD-quality IMHO.

i think im gonna have to let this one grow on me

there arent any songs but slither i want to hear again after first listen, the songs lyric and melody wise are trash in my opinion

i was gonna buy this cd june 8th but now i think ill wait a while my desire to buy this has drastically declined

if axl is taking his time to avoid songs like on vr's contraband i applaud him, this is what happens when make an album in a rush the songs ive heard scott doesnt have even one memorable line of lyric, not one

Fall To Pieces is the best song ive heard : ok:

Weiland sounds too overproduced a lot of the time. Usually during the chorus'.

Music sounds really good though. Matt sounds better than ever, very surprising.

Does Scott's scream before the solo of Suckertrain Blues sound EXACTLY like Axl to anyone else?

ok disreguard every post ive made


ive listened to each song bout 2 times now and yeah they are growing like a mothefucker

suckertrain blues i didnt listen to it all the way the first time, on 2nd listen it fucking ROCKS!!!!

yeah im buying this next week

this isnt easy listening easy digestible shit, this takes time to grow

i mean i didnt like every illusion song when i first bought them, hell there hasnt been any cd ive loved on the first listen to every song

Princes last cd it took me bout 5 or 6 listens to like every song
so yeah this cd is fucking class!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree - ive just been listening to it a few more times and this CD rocks! Im glad it grew on me! The CD versions will be even better!

yeah after few listens this album is a killer! Couldn't wish anything better!  : ok:

Shame on me, I couldn't hold out until next week!:no:

Oh well, I haven't heard all of the album yet, I just went to the VH1 site and listened to the studio versions of the songs I already know and a couple I know a little. I listened to Sucker Train Blues, Headspace, You Got Know Right, Set Me Free and Slither.

Here are my first impressions:

Sucker Train Blues
I'd heard snippets of the intro and main riff from the Making of Slither video, so I kinda knew what to expect, but after listening to the full version, I now have a different opinion of the song.

Starts with a slow build up, getting me all excited for what I'm highly anticipating to come next... then BAM, walls of guitars and drums blasting at you and I'm in fucking heaven!!!
And then Scotts vocals come in.... and completely ruin the song! :nervous:

I've listened to it a couple of times since and his vocals aren't that bad, I guess I was expecting something different to go with this UYI style rocker. I actually like his harmonies on there now.
Slash's solo is short but cool, he hasn't shredded like this since his GN'R days. Welcome back to the jungle baby!

Another thing I've noticed, is that this actually reminds me of the song that Slash, Duff & Matt jam on in Matt's drumming instructional video that came out a few years ago...

Headspace
I gave in last week and downloaded a live version of this from Toronto, so I'd heard it already in bad live bootleg quality. This song is a real grower, it's really funky and I can't compare it to anything the GN'R guys have done before.
This almost sounds like something off Jane's Addictions latest album, and thats a good thing!
Another cool Slash solo and Scotts vocals sound really cool too.

You Got No Right
OH MY FUCKING GOD!!!!
I grew to really like the Smashbox live performance of this song, but god damn, the studio version of this song absolutely kills!
From Scott's frail cry out to his wife leaving him to Slash's amazing solo, this is my new Estranged! :love:
I'd give the album 10/10 for this song alone.

Set Me Free
Not that different to the original except the bass and drums seem to be more prominent. Matt's drumming really kicks you in the guts, and Scott adds some more vocals to the end of the song. I like this version better than the Hulk version (which I love), it's more punchy and in-yer-face.

Slither
The same version as appears on the single I bought, and still a great rocker.

That's all I'm listening to for now, I'm gonna hold out to hear the rest next week and I hope the rest of the album is as good as the ones above! : ok:

My opinions so far:

Best rockers: Sucker train blues, Do it for the kids and Illegal I.

Best ballad: You got no right.

Biggest dissapointment: Falling to pieces.

Haven't bothered to listen to the lyrics so far.

now I understand why some people don't like this album... if anyone can call FTP a dissapointment they are fuckin' deaf..

I've now listened to the album 6 or 7 times all the way through (in my car, at work and at home).  The first 1 or 2 times through, I formed opinions that matched many of the reviews here.  But, just like the UYI albums, the more you listen to this album, the better it becomes.  It woked that way for SMF and Slither as well for me when they were released.

This album may be lacking in production, but it is one hell of a debut album.  Not everyone can debut with an AFD, but this album doesn't disappoint.

The rockers grow on you with each listen, and the ballads (which I hate generally) are way above average.  Even the last track (a live track that isn't on the MTV site) is very good.

It is true that the ex-GNR members steal the show here, but Weiland does make contributions that are undeniable.  And can anyone doubt that during the live performances he steals the show.  During the Boston show you couldn't take your eyes off of him.

I have made copies of this album for my wife and 3 of my friends, and without exception, they all agree that this album grows on you with each listen.

This is a great band and this is a damn good effort for their first album.  After 6 or so listens I'd rate it an 8.5/10.  But who knows, in a couple weeks that will probably be a 9/10.

I hope you all enjoy this album as I have been.

-TyRod-

The reason some people are calling FTp a disappoiintment is because if this were Axl's band we would have had strings, orchestra's, grand piano's and a ton more production in that song than we do now. I think thats what people were expecting from teh song, and instead it is just kind of straight forward with the rift. I would have maybe liked some of that, but the song stands well on its own, and that stuffs not those guys styles anyway, so I guess I applaud them for not throwing it in just for the hell of it. There is part of me that would love to have seen what Axl could do with the skeleton of that song, but I guess this is where I need to start to realize they really are two different bands, and leave it at that. I hope that at least helps answer the question of why some people on this board are disappointed in the song.

IF VR would have not rushed out this album and took a few more months maybe it could have been better, maybe they could have written better lyrics but they didnt.

to be straight - most people are dissapointed not to hear Axl's fucked up vocal on this album, 2 keyboards, drum loops...  :hihi:

Maybe the people who think this is the best album in ten years are the deaf ones?  :P

The lyrics to FTP aren't anything special IMHO.


/jarmo

why are you comparing this to Axl? People like you bash me for it all the time when I do it, but I guess we can compare the two now.

If this was Axls band the lyrics would be light years ahead of VRs lyrics.
VR lyrics are terrible cept for a few songs that are just good.

Its really sad that slash said he wanted to play AFD rock and that is why he left Axl yet he is playing alternative music now.

I was not comparing, merely pointing out that as fans of Guns N' Roses, that is the type of production, orchestration we have come to expect from songs a band deems to be epic. I think we can all safely agree that lyrics aside, the composition of this song(paino's, orchestras,more studio production) would be drastically different with Axl doing as opposed to Scott. That is not comparing, just pointing out why some people may view it as a disappointment since VR didn't do that and that is the sort of thing we have come to expect on an epic song. You can manipulate that into whatever you want to to help this don't compare shit, but I am just attempting to answer the question of why people are disappointed. The lyrics are scott's heart felt lyrics that I am sure people will listen to and relate with, they are not the reason this song does not meet up to par. If it had all of the other stuff in it I mentioned, people would not be so down on it. Like I said, turn it around whatever way you want but lyrics aside we all know what at least 50% of this board would recommend doing to that song, so I was just pointing out the obvious.

Man, can't you comment about VR without taking dig at them????
Ok you don't like the songs that much, but it's getting tiring listening to you.

Naupis's comparisons to Axl are done in a civil way, whereas everytime you compare VR to Axl you do so saying Slash is shit, or Slash is a liar or something else derogatory. Can't you or Jarmo see the difference in that???

And I'd argue about a few songs being just "good". Granted I haven't heard the whole album yet, but I think the studio version of You Got No Right is outstanding. It's up there with the likes of Estranged in my books.

so you don't like the VR style... that's the case... yeah I don't like hip-hop and I can't say anything good about it too... so now I understand you  :)

If he thinks Slash is doing alternative music, it's up to him.

Another guy says that if FTP was a GN'R song, it would have strings on it. Don't Cry didn't, so how can he be so sure?

What's the difference between "Axl would add strings to the song" and "Slash is doing alternative music"?



/jarmo

Ok...for the sake of what Jarmo said I'll rephrase. There is a better than 90% chance that if this was a GNR song much of this would have been done. Does that make everyone involved feel better it is no longer a blanket statement? Knowing that GNR's tendency is to add all of the strings, production and whatnot, some people are obviously disappointed Vr didn't do it as they like it when GNR does it, and in turn would have prefered that VR do it as well. I hope that is a less offensive(although i didn't think my initial way was offensive as everyone except 2 people on this board understood what I was getting at) way of looking at this.

I'm not talking about that comment that Dave said then, but his comment in general about how come others can comment on Axl/VR comparisons and not him, and like I said, it's because other people seem to to do so in a civil manner, whereas 90% of his comments on the VR are slagging the ex-members.

Example: I don't like Silkworms all that much, but you don't see me in the GN'R section of this board telling people how much nuGN'R suck because I don't like that song, do you???

Come on Jarmo, surely you can see logic in that?

One is speculation...the other is just stupid.  If you were comparing two similar hypotheticals ("Slash wouldnt add strings to a song...," etc.), you might have a point.  Comparing a speculative comment such as Naupis' with a silly comment about "alternative music" (essentially stated as fact, no less)...well, theres not much comparison at all.

But dont let me interfere with your campaign as Daves spokesperson...

Let's say that I had very high expectations (especially when Duff said that people will remember this song in 30 years), maybe I expected a more polished production (strings etc.). But, with 5-10 more listenings maybe I'll change my mind. FTP is 3/5 right now.

I find it real funny how Axl and gnr find their way back into this. I thought we couldnt make comparisons?

As for the whole "strings" thing. I personally wasnt expecting a grand production with the ballads and the record for that matter. If you have been following the guys all of these yrs and the gnr story, you would already know that Slash wasnt intot hat stuff and thats a big reason why he left. So to say gnr fans arent happy with tha ballads because we are expecting an Axl type of production is completely wrong. Actually the ballads are the best songs on the album. The rockers are boring.

Thats for sure.
Soon will soon be the word......and we hopefully will have an exceptional album out with a unique sound, voice and lyrics that mean something...time will tell

Sorry, I have to say this:

bullshit.

The ballads are great sure... but the rockers... well, they rock!  Big Machine is kick ass... Suckertrain is a fucking work of hard rock genius.  Just fucking listen and enjoy!

Dave C!

Dave has a wonderful fantasy, let him dream. It's obvious that VR's first record is black metal mixed with Rain-era Madonna with a little Django Reinhardt. And I almost forgot about the Caribbean music, which also had a great influence on Duff's bass playing.  :hihi:

Funny how people at the GNR forums think Contraband is mediocre while people in the  Izzy, Slash, gilby, brides of destruction, audioslave, pear jam, led zeppelin & metallica forums think the guys made a great rock record.


The best in ages! :beer:

The people in most of those forums (slash's not withstanding), do not have built in prejudices toward Axl and his project.  If you listen to this album for what it is and what it is supposed to be, it is a great rock album that is far better than the crap we are force fed on a daily basis by MTV and local media outlets.  

-TyRod-

edit: VR never claimed to be making an epic album.  And epic albums happen by accident, not by design.  That is something that I'm sure Axl is probably realizing right as we speak.

If he thinks VR is alternative, so what?

Does it bother you?

One is speculation which might not be true because we have no clue, the other is personal opinion which you can argue about all you want. It's still an opinion.


He seems to be able to speak on his own.

Funny how many (not all!) VR fans seem to think Dave's my best friend just because I think he's got the right to post "bad" articles about the band.

One of you even hates me for that.  :rofl:

You might have forgotten one thing, this is a GN'R board with a VR section on it. Not just a VR fan board. So I assume most people here are/were GN'R fans and then got into VR.

Unlike a VR board where some people couldn't give a fuck about Axl as long as they can watch Scott wear silver pants.

In other words, there are GN'R fans who won't like this band (Dave maybe?  :hihi:) as well as people who hate Buckethead.....



/jarmo

if this was axls band, we'd be still waiting for an album since he runs the show, and he decides everything that goes down.

and I think thoes people in Izzy, Slash, Gilby, BOD, Audioslave, Pearl Jam, Zeppelin amd ,metallica forums are right! People at GNR forums listen to live Silkworms and think that that is the best rock song ever  :hihi: ok just kiddin about Silkworms  :hihi:

Im an STP fan, and i give Contraband 5/10. The record seems rushed, and poorly produced. Scotts vocals are too over the top compared to the songs. I thought Slash and Duff would have more of an influence on this, but except for maybe Set me Free and Sucker Train Blues...you would have no idea Slash played in the band...much less Kushner on rhythm guitar.

"Sucker Train Blues" and "Set me Free" are both good songs. Some others have potential but again seem poorly produced/rushed. Whoever was in charge of producing this, should have listened to a few STP records, because the vocals here are messed up. With the music way in the background.

I like the whole album except Illegal I. That song sounded like Orgy. And I'm not talking the good Orgy stuff, I'm talking about the other 98% of Orgy's stuff.

My favorite is either Big Machine or Dirty Little Thing. Or Headspace... Or You Got No Right... I really don't know - this is a damn good rock record. It's a band of 5 musicians playing their instruments.

I'm glad there's no strings (other than guitars) on this album. It would screw up the feel of it. Seriously, why would you want a symphony over You Got No Right? It's a great guitar ballad.

This is not to say I would hate strings. But this album just doesn't seem to call for them. It just says "here I am, I'm going to rock."

Well like I stated before Booker, I know that everybody have their opinion, BUT from  everything that VR fans said how awesome Contraband was and in my post of rating the song everybody almost everybody was gaving every song 9 or 10, then like I stated before, this is supposed to be one of the best albums of RnR in history.
If you agree with that, then good for you.

 Naupis, I don't think that fans are disappointed with FTP because They need some orchestra or something, I think they are mainly dissappointed for the LYRICS. And let make everybody clear that I'm not comparing with Axl's old and new lyrics because he doesn't have to do anything with it.

Nor I did when Audioslave cd came, even if I was a RATM fan (of their music) .

Also it seems, that when Dave..., posted in this discussion about his opinion of contraband, SOME people just tried to change this thread to a newGNR vs VR, we all know Dave antics, so don't try to act smart.

Anyways,

 :peace: :peace:

Rating 1-5, 5 is best.

Sucker train blues - 4 (Right next door to hell@2004, the right song to kick start the record with!)
Do it for the kids - 4 (I want the uncensored version on the cd!)
Big machine - 2
Illegal I - 4
Spectacle - 2,5
Falling to pieces - 3 (I expected a lot more)
Headspace - 3
Superhuman - 1,5 (well... it blows!)
Set me free - 3 (i'm glad this wasn't the best song on the record)
You got no right - 4 (but Slash's solo was better live)
Slither - 3 (i'm glad this wasn't the best song on the record)
Dirty little thing - 3
Loving the alien - 4

umm i already have the full cd...256 kbps....if jarmo wants it he can pm and ill send it to him over AIM and then he can decide what to do with it....im still going to buy the cd b/c its slash and well he deserves better than the rest of the artists on my computer

I never noticed this about Weiland before, but he really needs a quirky, funky band behind him; one that can play around with the sound even within a song itself. With VR and all this diesel fueled power, he sounds bored and ill defined, especially on the rockers where his personality and vocal talents disappear underneath layers of heavy guitars and drums. He really is missing in action on alot of these tracks: Suckertrain, Do it, Superhuman, Spectacle, Headspace, & Big Machine offer little variation in vocal styling.  I think perhaps Weiland would succeed in a less heavy rock band, perhaps a refurbished Jane's Addiction would suit his style better. In VR, he is boiled away amidst the high octane velocity of these very talented players.

I thought it was disspointing. Not because it was bad, i think the whole cd is awesome, but i wasnt completely blown away. Its still better than anything else today but its not great great.

VH1 has it at 64Kbps in streaming ASF which I tend to find cleaner than RealMedia.

http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/velvet_revolver/363596/album.jhtml

My question is this.

Just because you heard a poor quality version of the edited album, if you were gonna buy the album before, did you change your mind?

What i found funny is how this was expected to be the hardest album and the songs that really stand out are the ballads (YGNR & FTP), albeit the rockers songs are good too

Yeah Look at who people consider "huge" rock bands, Limp Bizkit, Puddle of Mudd, my god I could release better things then that. Saying they are the best out doesnt say much

Well, apparently there isn't any shortage of opinions on this record.

Here's mine...I've listened all the way thru once and am now listening to a couple of songs for the second time.

Lyrics are quite obviously from the head of Scott Weiland, which means they're fairly weak and cliche.  Not as cliche as the shitty bands that people call rock these days but still poor.

Music is pretty derivative of STP.  I don't hear much "guns." If I didn't already know that was Slash, I probably wouldn't have guessed from most of these songs as the riffs are generic but still somewhat catchy...especially the two singles, set me free and slither.   This could be a lot of early to mid 90's bands.  This band and record are simply not "dangerous" as Duff and Matt like to claim.  They're not doing anything new or terribly interesting.   The material would definitely be better live and they could develop some more interesting ideas if they manage to stay together/alive/out of jail.

I can't see this affecting Axl in any way, positive or negative so take that for what it's worth.

I will definitely give this album more than a few chances to stick with me but It's pretty much what I expected, which is disappointing.

Remember the Pottery Barn if you broke it, you bought it. If you downloaded it and enjoyed it or listened to it a few times you better be buying it. Dont be cheap

For my little review......I'm not dissapointed with this album......I got everything I expected from it.......some damn good tunes to crank aka Sucker Train Blues, Superhuman(my fav) and Slither.  I don't think it's one of the best rock albums ever but it's definitely a breath of fresh air for anything i've listened to in the past few years.  Cheers guys

ok i downloaded the album. 1st i don't buy many albums at all because 1 there's not many bands that i think deserve my money today and 2 all my money is spent on guitar gear to make my own music due to reason number 1.

I think i will buy Contraband after listening to the 1st half of the cd so far. That's already saying a lot especially for me.

I think there are some awesome songs on here. Infact there isn't one i can say i don't like so far. To me it sounds extremely modern (something i usually hate) and i still like it.

It's definitely doesn't sound like classic rock or off anything off of appetite, but i guess they wanted to stray away from that.

I can understand why people are disappointed, Weiland is probably a big factor for that. I dunno when i listen im only listening to the instrumental side, guitars bass drums and vocal melody which are all amazing to me. I've heard people complaining about lyrics.......and i have to agree, there's nothing i'd sing a long to on this album, only bang my head. I dunno much STP or anything like that, but just from this album i can see Weiland has a talent for writing some damn good vocal melodies, but his lyrics don't stay with you at all, not even after 5 or so listens, but you'll definitly be humming it. Just my opinion ofcourse.

So far Illegal I is my favourite song, it's damn rockin, i have no idea what weiland is going on about (only heard the song twice) but it sounds similar to Janes Addiction which is awesome, just has that vibe. I can pump this in my car and piss people off ie: all the people that listen to terrible rap & hip hop songs full blast in their car, you'd think they could actually listen to good rap instead of the latest album from a wanker named j kwon  :rant: *end rant*

yep i'll be off to the music store soon to buy contraband, the young heart attacks album misty rowe......and maybe a turbonegro album.....then i'll be done for the year, what a music industry! : ok:

Loving the alien, You got no right, Fall to pieces are great tunes. Slash rocked on these ones.

Forthe rockers Sucker train blues,Do it for the kids, Superhuman,Set me free, Slither all awesome.  8)

This band is really good. And this band is really doing something. Not sitting on their ass like some do :beer:

interesting thing about album is that I'm listening to Contraband all the day and just can't stop  :rant:

out of the studio versions, i've heard slither, ygnr, ftp, loving the alien, and im listening to illegal i right now (which sounds badass, might i add)

I am a sucker for the slower ones sometimes, so thats what I started out with. And ill say that all of the slower songs on here are grade A shit in my opinion. right now my favorite of the slower songs is LTA, its really a beautiful piece of music. The little guitar part during the chorus that slash does is a great hook, and though scott only repeats the one line during it, he does it in a really nice melody  : ok:
Now that i finished with Illegal I im gonna say that if you're looking for an AFD type rocker its not gonna be right up your alley, but I think you'll take a liking to it. I sure have. it's got a wild vibe to it that keeps me listening.
Fall To Pieces sounds really great, I can't wait to hear even better quality on the CD.
You Got No Right is amazing, its definitely gotta be one of the best. I hope they release it as a single. It's got a lot more distortion in it which I like, its so much better than their performance at that fashion show.

I havent listened to the whole album yet so i cant give a fair rating, but from these songs its hard to give it anything less than an 9 out of 10, and I didnt even like when they chose Weiland as their singer ;D not as much anymore though..

I agree. This was an okay album, but it wasn't dangerous. Where are the dangers in this album? They played it pretty safe most of the time. Hell, they didn't even have enough confidence in themselves to put some solos in the majority of the songs. I'd like to see what they come up with in a few years after actually being a band for a while.

I've listened to the album a few times off the VH-1 web site. I must be one of the minority who think it's better than I thought it would be.  I don't think it's going to go down as one of the greatest albums of all time, but it's a good, straight up rock album, which is what VR was going for.  I'll admit there a couple of songs I will probably skip over occasionally, but I do that on almost everything except Appetite.   However, it does have some really strong songs.   Give these guys a chance.  We're talking about a band that's only a year old or so.  If they continue to bond as a band, the next album could be amazing...

dude, i totally agree. i am listening now and am blown away. so much better than anything i have heard in a long time.

ETA: say what you all want about Scott's lyrics, his voice is absolutely beautiful.

Can people stop saying they like it and then qualifying it with "it's so much better than anything else today"?

The album is ok for me. It is better than many things today but it just doesn't have that special spark.

There's something missing that makes it sound a little one dimensional. It's like Slash and the guys rock, but the song writing just doesn't jump out at you and grab you.

Weiland is definately the weakest link here.

I'll be buying it but it does make me want CD even more.

@#$%Muther

Ok, Stright up, I think it's crazy that so many people are trashing this album because what they hear on 64kbs stream....that's insane.

But then again I guess it means what I'm aobut to say is crazy....

I love it, plan and simple, one of the best album I've heard in a while.

Everything is exactly the way it should be. The rockers rock, hard at that. The ballads, very imaginitive, with some great melody's and amazeing guitart stuff throughout.

Let's be honest what was everyone expective, AFD again, come on. This album is amazeing, and i garuentee after a couple listen to the real alubm this tuesday like 3/4 of the people on here will change their tune.

Let's go through the album, just so i can give my opinion on why I think it rocks.

Duff and Matt laid down some amazeing rythem stuff throuh out, infact I'll say plainly this is Duffs best bass work, just awesome. Slash did exactly what he was supposed to do, some chunky riffs, with some baddass fills, and some killer solos. Now let's get on to what made this CD a success. Dave is (to me anyway) the star throughout, you can hear all the texture's he laid down throughout, ensureing this cd would have it's own flavour, and really cannot be compared to STP or GnR. And Scott, well people keep ragging on his lyrics, but I think they are good. Axl has been one of those few people who can pull off great lyrics in a rock song (which is often difficult), and do it consistently. But Scott's got a body of work that has shown he's a great lyricst, if you don't believe me pick up his solo album 12 Bar Blues, it's little out there, but it's great.

All in all i'll give this album 9.3/10, it's wicked, and I know alot off people are going to like it alot more next week....

A lot of this album reminds me of my reaction to St. Anger.  I think the instrumentals are good, but the singing and flow of the vocals doesnt fit the instrumentals very well.

I know people dont like making the comparison, but too me Axl's newGnR songs contain far better lyrics and I think Axl is a far better singer than Scott.  But on the other hand, I think the instrumentals on this album are great and blow the new GNR out of the water.  Most every song on here has better guitar then any song we have heard from the new GNR.  
The truth is, Scott did bring down this band a little.  I thought the ballads were good, but the others were nothing special.  

I think if Axl had worked with the instrumentals on this album it would have been an unbelievable album.

Where can I get my hands on Chinese Democracy the album?

Well you cant really compare the instruments of the studio versions of VR to the live versions of new gnr since even with VR when we finally heard the studio versions/album versions there were a lot of the melodys that were left out.

But with that being said, i still think the madagascar solo is better than any VR solo.

How can anyone say it was better than they expected.
Slash compared  fall to pieces (I think it was that song) with nov rain and it was not even close.

Because we don't force ourselves to believe blindly every single word that comes out of our idols' mouths. Hence, when Slash says something like Fall to Pieces is as good as November Rain, I don't necessarily expect it to be literally as good- I wait to form my own opinion.

That said, I think it's close to November Rain, and its aa fuckin great song that exceeded my expectations also  : ok:

I frankly think the melody of FTP is one of his best ever, the song itself could have been a little better with more production and whatnot, but the melody itself Slash came up with easily one of the better ones he has ever done. I think its brilliant, and it is really catchy. Not complicated, but it just kind of pulls you in.

Dave making shit up again...?  :o  I cant believe it...

Please find the quote in which Slash compared "Fall To Pieces" to "November Rain".  In the meantime, you should probably correct your post.



He was talking about the VR album.

I?ve just bought my copy today. I?ve listened to the songs severall times on MTV.com the last few days, but especially the harder ones are great if you hear them in good quality and if you pump up the volume!!! The album is absolutley amazing. With every listen it get?s better. So just buy it and enjoy it!

Bought Contraband yesterday (yeah it's officially not in stores yet, not even here, but I know the guy who has this underground recordstore and well... I did a lot to be first to get it ;D) Anyway... I'm disappointed, VERY disappointed!

I didn't hear any of it before, not even Set Me Free or anything - lil prob with my soundcard so I couldn't listen to any of it on my computer so apart from hearing Slither once on TV I really didn't know what to expect and I honestly say that I was open to all directions they wanted to take it... I like Slither and I thought they said it was so rock n' roll, hard long solos, giving the new generation a kick in the head... but where you get that effect?

It's not hard enough to be really hard, it's not bluesy and soft enough to be blues based, I expected a lot more input from Slash and Duff! Where on earth is the rock n' roll man??

Scott's vocals...well... I'm not much of a scott fan but hey, honestly now, the man doesn't capture it, there's just something missing in the vocals! Ok, he's no Axl Rose and I wouldn't want him to be either but his voice is just awful... when you listen to the music, the music alone, and you think what another singer could have done with it... :no:  And then I'm not even mentioning how "deep" the lyrics are... Are this really five guys who lived for forty years and seen every aspect of life, went to hell and back??
My dog can write better than that!

The producer deserves the chair! Really! VR helped producing well they got more experience than that, they should know how to do the job right! It's not that bad of a record but with a better production you could have gotten so much more out of it!

Now the solos... oh god help me! I got it yesterday and I stayed up all night, listening to it on repeat, I tried to pure out the guitar parts (I'm a guitarist, I often do that, buying books with tabs just goes over my budget :hihi:) and the solos but I can't... cause there aren't any!!! Come on, this is Slash man, the man can play like he was Jimi Hendrix' son for god sake and he plays like it's the first time he holds a guitar, why not put him on drums while you're at it?? ::) That's prolly the biggest disappointment of all, the lack of solos  :'(

It's not a bad record, that's not it, but they can do so much better I'm sure, I know their other work, not just guns, and I have to say that Contraband is the second least favorite of all! Slither is good and You Got No Right is really good, I'm serious, it's definitely the best song!!! But even there...  :-\

It just doesn't rock enough... not that there aren't enough "rockers" on it but they don't rock, it's not hard! Duff can create such a strong hard sound, Matt has amazing basslines and the two are a great couple, Slash is only one of the best guitarists alive! Scott I personally don't like but even in sTp he's better than here :o The only one I can be positive about is Dave... I don't know any of his former work (apart from Loaded but that's not "really" Dave  ;) ) but here he's actually the best of all five, at least he gives it all he's got, wish I could say that about the others too... It sounds like they were so eager to get back together and play that they overlooked making a record that really rocks! >:( :( I think if they took a little more time and put some more effort into it it'd be a hell lot better! The potential is there, you can here that, but it's like a diamante in the rough... it just doesn't sparkle  :no:




(ok, I dunno what the rest thinks about it, sorry if I'm the only one here who isn't all excited about it, I actually didn't read the other posts, too tired (hey man, I been up all nite remember? ;D) but I'm gonna now... hope there are others who feel the same way or I'll get shot here :hihi:)

Well I couldn't get the MTV leak to work on my comp, so I went out and downloaded a leaked version of the album with good quality.  I heard the shitty versions off the Chilean radio station, but they just weren't doing it for me.  I think some opinions will improve after hearing these songs at CD quality with the volume at 11.

Anyways, it's impossible for me to say that I dislike this album, because I've been listening to it non-stop for the past 3 days.  I haven't warmed up to a few songs (Superhuman, Spectacle, Dirty Little Thing), mainly because I haven't given them a chance yet, I've been too busy listening to all the other great shit.

I don't know where all the disappointment is coming from, or what you people were expecting... but this CD rocks.

My favs: The ballads, Do it for the Kids, and Headspace.

Hmmm...interesting.  But how about this? ...You not telling me what to do.

I believe this thread was about the album, Contraband, by the band, Velvet Revolver....not me and my financial obligations.  

Ok here's my Contraband review!

Like most everyone here on the boards, after first listen, my favourite songs on the album were the two singles - Set Me Free, Slither, and the ballads, but now the rockers have really grown on me.

Sucker Train Blues
Damn, could the album start any better??? I think not! : ok:
The riff that kicks in after the slow build up sounds like the one of heavy rockers straight off either UYI album. Scotts vocals chime in and sound reminicent of Garden of Eden and later turn into layered harmonies. Short but killer Slash whammy bar solo. A nice taste of what's to come.

Do It Fot The Kids
"Went too fast I'm out of luck and I don't even give a fuck!" Processed vocals like something you'd hear on a NIN album spoken by Trent himself. Turns into another riff-fest and one of the first big, catchy choruses with more cool hamonies. Sprinkles of Slash's leadwork throughout the song and a cool solo.

Big Machine
I don't care for the lyrics in the song, but that riff going on in the background of "It's a Big Machine, It's a Big Machine" won't leave my head. Probably my least favourite song, but still pretty cool.

Illegal I Song
Wickedly fast drumming intro and overall the song has a Jane's Addiction vibe - both the music and Scott's vocal delivery. Another catchy chorus filled with gorgeous vocals. Cool Slash solo too.

Spectacle
Sounds like the riff from Metallica's Fuel, but slowed down to an almost country-like twang, before it turns into even more cool vocal harmonies!
Slash'solo is longer and it's good, but nothing that we haven't heard before.

Fall To Pieces
Didn't think much of this at first listen, but I f**king love the song now. Could sit alongside any of the ballads on UYI. Sounds like an improved version of Back & Forth Again. It didn't show it's full potential with Snakepit, but with VR it has!

Headspace
Probably my favourite rock song on the album at the moment, such a f**king cool groove. More Jane's Addiction similarities and that's a really good thing.
I really dig all of Scott's vocals in the choruses. They really have a way of creeping into your head and you can't get them out!

Superhuman
Starts with a riff that sounds like the Sweet Child riff put through a blender and spat out 2004 style. Band kicks in and joins in on the groove based off the intro riff. And the chorus has gorgeous layered Alice In Chains harmonies as if Layne was there in the studio with Scott!

Set Me Free
An improvement on the already cool song from the Hulk soundtrack. This version sounds a little rawer and the bass and drums are harder and more prominent in the mix. Scott does some added vocals at the end of the song.

You Got No Right
Without a doubt, VR's shining moment on Contraband. Sounds like the Beatles in their prime and Slash's solo just proves why millions of guitarist aspire to being like the guitar god he is. You can really feel Scott's pain. This song is my new Estranged.

Slither
Enough has been said about this song. Loved it when I first heard the El Rey version, still love it now. Nuff said.

Dirty Little Thing
Another fast paced rocker much like Sucker Train, in fact it starts almost exactly the same and the vocal delivery is the same on the verses as it is in Sucker. Really cool chorus and probably the best Slash solo of any of the rock songs on here.

Loving The Alien
Two words: Pink Floyd. Very f**king cool. Really nice closer for the album. I can just picture the lighters swaying in the air when VR play this live.


All in all, this is not what I was really expecting, but after repeated listens you can't get the chorus melodies out of your head.
Scott, who I originally thought was the weak point if the band, actually saves allot of the songs with his choruses and harmonies. That may or may not be everyone's cup of tea, but give this album a chance to grow on you!

I'd probably give the album an 8 out of 10. Very nice first effort VR!

this album has to win a grammy!

its got great i meany very very great melodies and great rock songs.
look how fast they made this album. when you listen to it it sounds like they took 3 to 4 years comming up with these songs(ballads)

just think how insane their next album will be when they take like 2 yeras to make!

november rain is nr nothing can touch it but man  ftp, ygnr(best slash solo on this album) Lta. ballads that were missing from rock&roll for the last 10 years! are on this album!

great job VR. rock on!

Holy Shit!

This album fuckin rocks, i was a little dissapointed but what i got was a good solid album. I thought it was gonna be better after all the hype but i still love it.

My favorite straight away were, Slither, Do it For The Kids, Superhuman, Fall To Pieces and Loving The Alien.

Scott's vocals are better than i thought they would be. Though in some songs his voice is a little to low.

I can't believe it i waited since the start for this band and they've produced the goods. I dint give into temptation and listen to any of the songs on the net after Slither came out.

VR FUCKIN ROCK : ok:

I have listened to the album on VH1 probably 10 times now.  I liked it from the get go, but it does get better with each listen.  Have had at least 6-7 songs stuck in my head.  The standout tracks for me are:
1) Loving the Alien - Great ballad, very emotional, great guitar work.  Reminded me a little of a Radiohead song, but in a good way.  Got me on the first listen.
2) Headspace - Best rocker IMO.  Awesome riff, kind of Soundgardenesque.  Great chorus, some of Scott's best lyrics.
3) Illegal i - Very punk influenced rocker.  The verses kind of sound like Fugazi to me.  
4) Fall to Pieces - I agree with some that this song is a little generic, but it is still a great ballad.  Excellent guitar work, good solo.  The lyrics may not be that deep and little repetitve, but they come off as heart felt  - some of Scott's best singing.  
5) You Got No Right - Another good ballad, great solo.
Other highlights:
    Solos in Sucker Train, Spectacle and Dirty Little Thing
    "Rodeo, rodeo ... noose" line in Superhuman
    Main riff in Big Machine -  very heavy grunge like riff
Lowlights:
  The talking parts in some of the songs remind me of some of the overproduce nonsense on UYI.  
  Some of Scott's lyrics are repetitive and at times seem to make no sense whatsoever.

Overall, great record.  Surprised how little it sounds like STP or GNR.  Definitely has its own sound.  Filtered best elements of 80s hard rock through Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Jane's Addiction with a little Metallica and some old school punk to make something unlike anyhting on the radio at the moment.  9/10

1. suckertrain blues 1/5 - boring
2. do it for the kids 1/5 - boring
3. big machine 1/5 - boring
4. illegal i 1/5 - boring
5. spectacle 1/5 - boring
6. fall to pieces 2/5 - maybe will grow on me soon but i dont think a song is good when i need time to start liking it
7. headspace 1/5 - same as first 5
8. superhuman 1/5 - ditto
9. set me free 2/5 - kinda like it but scotts vocals are killing it
10. you got no right 1/5 - garbage
11. slither 3/5 - best song imo but it gets only 3 because every time i hear this song it makes me think of scott in that video
12. dirty little thing 1/5 - whatever
13. loving the alien 2/5 - well ok

overall i give it 1.5/5, its basically garbage, like listening to a cky record or something, i've listened to it 3 times and dont want to touch it again

ok here's my review of  Contraband, after listening the album via VH1:

First of all, is true that the sound doesn't make justice to the songs, but is also true that you can grasp the songs at 75 or 85 % of its totality( quality wise.)

1. Sucker Train. 2/5 (Some nice riffs, good ideas, but nothing else; if somebody had made me listen that solo and tell me it was Slash, I would have not believed. In the side note to the poster who said that this song reminded him of Nightrain,well good for you.)

2.Do it for the kids 2.5/5 (At first let me know that I previewed 30 sec. of the song before (good quality) and I thought that this song was a standout for VR, but what a disappointment.)

3.Big Machine 1.5/5 (Well what can I tell you, it's the big machine!! Again some good rhythm but that's all)

4.Illegal Song 2.5/5 (I was originally was going to give it two but for the sound that has-made me remember the Matrix - I give it 0.5 more, average song, not really as awesome as many people describe it.)

5.Spectacle 1/5 (Nothing special, actually awful  special mention of that mini-solo in the middle.)

6.Fall To pieces 2.5-3.1/5 (If this was supposed to be one of their best songs, well falls short. It has a good vibe, Slash's solo cannot be listened very well and that's why I give from 2.5 to 3.1. Even if the solo is the greatest solo, it cannot save the song of being flat.)

7.Headspace 3.6/5 (Nice song, At first not into, but maybe in the future can like it
more. Ithas good riffs and a nice vibe)

8.Superhuman 2/5 (Not a good song, nothing catchy at all.)

9. Set me Free 2/5 (Didn't like it before, and now is worse, if I remember SMF didn't have what Scott sings at the end. Nothing special.)

10.You Got No Right 3.9/5 ( One of the standouts of this album, good song and good rhythm. Give hope of what this band can do.)

11.Slither 3.6/5 (What can I say of this song, at first I thought this was one of their weak tracks and for my surprise is a semi good song. I can say that know I  have a better impression of this song. However the video is another story.)

12.Dirty Little Thing 1.5/5 (Not much to say about this song. Kinda dissapointing.)

13.Love the Alien 3.9/5 (The other standout of this album, good song,  good vibe. As YGNR makes you think with more time can do good things.)

Also, If I was to give the album a score it should be 3.2 but that comes influenced because Slash and Duff are on Velvet that's all, otherwise it would got a 2.9.

On the side note, Naupis no matter how many times you listen a song/album you can like something of the song and from there change a bit your opinion. And I have listened many times all the songs and my opinion shouldn't varie  in the future.

Also to all those guys who say that this is the best rock album in ages, why don't listen albums like Battle of the Angels(I consider them rock), Audioslave or even Ain't Life Grand(That in overall is better than Contraband.)

Finally, where are the great solos in the rockers that many people have described, what's the contribution of Mr. Kushner, why some songs sound so similar making less appealing the album.

 :peace:

Well I've now listened the album twice at mtv and all I can say is the album is good but not excellent.

My opinion is that the album could have been excellent if Scott would have and I'm not compleining here but would have more diversity in his singing,  what makes/made Gn'R truly great is Axl's voice the way he can sing in so many different ways, high voice, low voice and everything between these two.

I'm not saying they (slash, duff, matt) should have gotten someone who sounded like Axl 'cause I'm quite happy with Scott but I just hope he would have more diversity in his singing.

I'm going to give the album 7/10

i took a listen to this album through mtv.con (never had any intention of buying it) and i gotta sat that it was even more boring than i expected. i won't say disappointing cause my expectations were below low. the best song was slither. lol @ that. this just proves once and for all that they needed axl rose so bad to have success. not only did he have the right charisme and personality and voice, but he's also a great songwriter. scott weiland has none of that. lol @ this turkey album.

lol @ your stupid post.

lol @ you bitches getting all hyped over an album that sucked.

lol @ your biased, ignorant ass who can't respect other people's opinions.

Really, grow up. I'm sorry if Mommy and Daddy aren't home to give you attention, but don't come to this board looking for it.

lol@this turkey album?

what the fuck is turkey?

famous for Turkish Delights?

If you don't have anything to add to the discussion other than whining about a post like that, don't post.



/jarmo

I feel bad for those who don't really like the album, because I'm absolutely loving it. :beer:

If it isn't doing anything for you by the 4th or 5th listen, then just maybe this album isn't for you.

I've by no means "forced" myself to listen to it until it starts to sound good, but instead I've just had it playing on and off in the background since I got it on saturday and the songs really have a way of creeping into your subconscious.
There are so many vocal hooks and harmonies in there that just stick in your head after repeated listens.

I admit that I did find some of it bland at first, but I don't find any of it bland at all now. I guess I was expecting something more accessible, a little more straight-ahead rock.
But once you get past that, as many reviews have stated, you'll find that Contraband is really a gem and it definitely stands on it's own as a modern rock record. : ok:

Oh my God... I can't see how this album disappointed me so much. My expectations were so low as it was. But this is even worse than I thought.

There are probably more special effects in the first song than in THE WHOLE F'IN ILLUSIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!  >:( This album is loaded with filler, oversaturated with way too much bad production, and even the cover sucks. What, they were too scared to put some drugs and illegal guns and stuff on the cover? Where's the damn Contraband?

St. Anger came out about a year ago, and Contraband is the St. A of this year. It was overhyped, I didn't believe the hype, in fact I knew it would be bad after hearing who the singer was, but I didn't know it would BE AS BAD AS METALLICA'S LATEST CD.

It's great "modern rock". I hate modern rock. I was expecting it to compare to darker GnR songs like "it's so easy", "mr brownstone", or "coma". What I got was bland 90's era quasi-grunge bunk.

Slash was right. This sounds nothing like Guns N' Roses. This sounds bad. I do hope it sells well so these guys can retire. If it doesn't, we can probably expect more garbage from them, and they could end up dragging the GnR name through the dirt even more than Axl has!!!  :o

Do yourself a favor and don't even download the songs. You could be downloading the latest Superjoint Ritual, that's 100x better than this. Well, back to waiting for Chinese Democracy.

Sorely disappointed... :(

Damn this album

Each time i listen to it it seems to get so much better

When i first heard it i would have given it a 6/10, now its an 8/10

Scott's not great and the production still seems wrong but its a good album overal - we're not talking a masterpiece by any means but its a good slice of rock n' roll to tide us over until Chinese Democracy

7/10

My fravorites are - STB, Illegal I Song, Fall To Pieces, Set Me Free and Slither.

Alot of the rockers like Big Machine/Spectacle/Headspace/Superhuman/DLT sound too similar.

The UK version has a live version of Bodies from El Ray i think - its ok, nothing amazing, but the Slash solo at the end is cool!

Im sorry to piss on the negativity but i really like this album, maybe its because ive been listening to a lot of Slipknot recently...

Got the album this morning and im on my second listen now...

Loving Slash's solos, its nice to hear the guy again....

Its better than any stuff Guns N Roses have released in the year...! :-X

Go VR...cant wait to see em live soon!

And Bodies rules...good end song!

Each to their own dude, I can't get Contraband out of my cd player.

It took a few listens to fully appreciate it, but you have to remember, this band is not trying to be GN'R and relive past glories. Been there, done that. This is a new band with a new sound.

Many of the chorus melodies won't leave my head even after only a couple of listens. And while this might not be the most innovative stuff these guys have done, it certainly is a great first effort.

Maybe give it a few more listens and it will grow on you.

Im gonna add DIFTK to my fravorites list as well as Big Machine and Headspace - this album has started to grow on me and is edging towards an 8/10 now! :peace:

I keep thinking what band I can liken it too, as far as those chorus melodies are concerned. I mean it doesn't sound directly like STP or GN'R. Maybe it's a little more like AIC, and even compares to some of the rockier stuff on the Cult's last album (Beyond Good & Evil).

Man, the more I listen, the more I love it!

My current favs are: Sucker Train, Do It for The Kids, Heaspace, Fall To Pieces, YGNR, Illegal I Song, Spectacle and Supehuman.

Even the songs that aren't my favourites have infectious melodies that work your way in your head.

I have just got back and have it on now, i don't know what some of you are moaning about!? So far this kicks ass, Illegal i song - i hadn't heard that mentioned before, but man that is going to be like The Blues where the melody just grows on you more and more. So far so good :-)  

Did anyone else get an A4 size Velvet Revolver certificate with theirs?  In the Uk at MVC, you can get the album and a VR Tshirt for ?19.99.

I thinkk that DIFTK sounds kinda like Ash on their new album - strangley enough. It rocks though!

Ack, first time posting.  I usually just lurk.

I didn't like it at first, I think I was expecting more of an AFD.  But after a few listens it kind of grew on me.

Sucker Train Blues - I like it.  The opening riff is great, fast paced, it's a song I could rock out to.  7/10

Do It For The Kids - I didn't like it at first, but the "Went to fast, I'm outta luck and I don't even give a fuck" part is rather catchy, which somehow led to me liking it.  7/10

Big Machine - Didn't like this one much at first either, except for the 'down down down' part which reminded me of something else that I can't recall, maybe Breakdown?.  6/10

Illegal I - Love it.  I like Scott's vocals in this one.  8/10

Spectacle - Pretty good. 7/10

Fall To Pieces - Great song.  When I first seen the title I thought perhaps it was a cover of an old country song.  It's not, thank god, and it's an awesome song.  I love the chorus.  9/10

Headspace - I like it, especially the first verse, dunno why though.  7/10

Superhuman - My least favorite song on the cd.  The chorus sounds like it ripped off that song "Feel Good Hit of the Summer".  4/10

Set Me Free - Sure, it's a little old, but it's still an alright rocker.  6/10

You Got No Right - Wow, amazing song.  The first line sounds VERY familiar, but I can't place it.  9/10

Slither - Good song, except for the "EHH!" that Duff (?) shouts every so often, it gets annoying.  7/10

Dirty Little Thing - I guess this one's pretty average, not bad, but it doesn't stand out too much to me.  5/10

Loving The Alien - My favorite song on the album.  It also sounds a little familiar, but I don't know what it is.  10/10

Bodies - Sex Pistols cover, cool.  Live, cool.  Actual song, cool.  8/10

So, overall - 102/140 -> 7.3/10

The first time I heard the song the first couple of notes, especially that high piece, reminded me of Cherry Blossom Girl by Air :hihi:

(don't shoot me :peace:)

Bought the album a few hours ago.  A lot of stores are selling it early I guess.

First off, the artwork/packaging is awesome.  Glad to see the lyrics printed out.  Also, for those worried about the copyright protection, the album works like an enhanced CD so that a VR screen opens and allows you to play the album.  You can copy the songs onto your computer as well (havent done it yet, so dont know what the catch is, if there is one).

As for the album, Im reminded of a magazine review/preview from a few months ago: solid but unspectacular.

The album starts out great - "Sucker Train Blues" is an amazing introduction.  Easily one of the albums best songs.  Scotts lyrics read like a drugged-out nightmare and everybody shows and proves musically.  Same with "Dirty Little Thing," a nasty Slash-rocker that could have easily been a GNR track.

"Do It For The Kids" is another cool rocker with an especially good chorus.

In fact, every song is good.  However, songs like "Spectacle," "Big Machine," "Headspace," and "Superhuman" fail to illustrate the true greatness that these guys are obviously capable of.  Theyre just good.  

Ive already shared my thoughts on "Set Me Free" and "Slither".  Both are teriffic rockers and album highlights.

The ballads are all great.  However, one of the albums biggest initial disappointments for me is "You Got No Right".  Dont get me wrong, its still a great song, but as somebody who absolutely loves the more naked, raw live rendition performed last year, the little changes and studio nuances bother me on these first listens.  Like "Slither," another song that I loved live, only to be disappointed by the studio version, which I then came to love  ;D.  I expect the studio version to grow on me as I become more familiar with it, but the first listens are somewhat uncomfortable.

"Loving The Alien" is a beautiful song.  The CDs best ballad.  Scotts lyrics and vocals are lovely (as they are on "YGNR"), and Slashs guitars are brilliant.  Awesome solo, awesome ending.

Contrabands other minor disappointment is Slash.  We can hear it on "Dirty Little Thing".  We can hear it on "Fall To Pieces".  We can hear it on "Set Me Free," "Slither," "Loving The Alien" and "You Got No Right".  But on the rest of the records songs, Slashs brilliant soloing isnt as prominent.  While there isnt "no solos" as some reviews have embellished, theres a few short, underwhelming solos.  Steve Hueys (of Allmusic.com) review of Aint Life Grand stated that Slashs playing felt intentionally subdued, as to keep up with the other guys.  I didnt feel that was true then, but it could be now.  I wouldnt say hes doing it to keep up with anybody, but his playing certainly seems subdued.  This isnt Slash at his best.  I think I speak for many fans when I say that I want to hear more solos.  The kind of jaw-dropping, all-out,  tour de force solos heard as recently as "Serial Killer".  Ten-to-fifteen second Slash solos are serviceable, but definitely not Slash at his best.  Whether hes labeled by critics as "self-indulgent" or not, I want those long, show-stopping solos back - and not just one per song.

Overall, the album is good (better than this post probably indicates), but slightly disappointing.  Disappointing because these guys can make a classic...something more than a handful of great songs and a handful of good ones.  As the expectations and initial disappointments fade, I will surely enjoy the album more for what it is and those "good" songs will surely grow on me, but my sentiment will remain.  These guys can make a better album.  Id certainly like to hear more "GNR-styled" songs - not because Im stuck in the past or unaccepting of change, but simply because thats what these guys do best.

Hey Booker, I felt much the same after first listen, but after several spins, I think the album is f**king great and I find it hard to stop listening to it (much to the dismay of my work collegues!). Most of this is due not so much from the music, but the infectious choruses and vocal melodies.

I think the initial reaction is that the songs aren't so instantly likeable, as they are not as easy to digest as rock songs from the GN'R catalogue.
They are more modern sounding, but they still rock in a big way and have a huge groove in them too.

Give it a little more time to sink in and you may change your opinion.

I am also blown away by the studio version of YGNR. I get chills when I listen to Slash's solo in it, it's like he's making the guitar cry.

I also think the riff for Fall To Pieces really IS that guitar music that Slash is playing (with Axl whistling over the top) in the Making of Estranged video.
It sounds like it to me, at least moreso than Snakepit's Back & Forth Again.

Hey guys...i got the album, only listend to it afew times now n' here is my little vertict

over all i think it's cool n' the music is fuckin' unreal, Weilend, go's good for em' in some ways and i love his chorus's, most of his verses i think he could have spent a little more time on. This whole thing i think  just seems so rushed to me, the name SUCKERTRAIN BLUES  makes me smile, i think its cool and when i played it i was lost, i didnt know where it was going. The intro to the next track i didnt like, especially when he drags it on later.

Sorry, i dont know the names to most songs yet but most are fuckin' good. I dont like most of the words, Weilend has written 10 times better then that, there next album they will have gotten to know each other better n' i think will have better cemistry by then.

After hearing it, i do now think they should have gone with Sabasten Bach, it might of sounded like Skid Row but he would have made it much better for them i think.

but i can live with this :smoking:

Can anybody get this audio/video up?

what a stupid advice....if I wouldn't have downloaded the single 'Slither' I wouldn't have heard how good song that song really is..and I'm looking forward to hear the other songs as well.

does this cd have a parental advisory sticker?

only store i can buy this cd at this morning is walmart and if it has a parental advisory ill have to wait till this weekend

cause yes i have to drive 40 minutes for a record store that sales parental advisory cds

let me know somebody or i may just order it off amazon.com

That's a fair enough review.

Yes, it has a parental advisory sticker.  Theres cursing on all but 3 or 4 songs.

well shit!

i was lookin forward to goin and buyin this damn thing today

guess ill have to wait! that sucks! :rant:

u people are so lucky to live in a city that has record stores and bars and shit to do

dry county, no clubs nothin to do, no mall just a walmart a movie theater and some restaurants

no wonder 75 percent of my town is on drugs!

Illegal i song is fucking infectious - slightly Janes addiction with slight Bowie killer melody.  Fall to pieces has a very "Yesterdays" feel about it.

Sucker, Headspace and Loving the alien are fucking great songs.

That was a decent honest review Booker, there are times on some of the songs where you think ah if they had just spent a little more time on it, it would have been perfect.  

But that's how this band wanted to work - fast and furious and get it out there. I can imagine the songs really come alive when played live though, which is what this band is really about isn't it?  

It's a good solid album which has something very infectious about it - i think it's going to grow and grow on people.

Did everybody get a VR loyalty Certificate with their copy?

 

i just dropped 16.47 over at amazon.com and i have it ordered!

hopefully it will be here for the weekend!

im excited to get this because i know its gonna be worth it after a few listens

after i heard it the first time on mtv.com there was no way in hell i was buying it

but then i got to thinking of the last 2 cds ive bought

bon jovi TLFR and prince musicology and i felt the exact same way about those at first as i did on my first listen of contraband

TLFR and musicology stay in mycd player till this day and i know after i listen to contraband learn the lyrics and let the lyrics get in my head ill absolutely love it

i mean fuck it took me 50 listens to like oh my god

and it took me fuckin 11 years to like garden of eden

so im sure contraband with a few listens will be an awesome album!'

ill post a detailed review after i listen to it a few times properly at high volume this weekend

If i were u i would be in my car to the nearest CD shop - u need to get this album!

After 5-6 listens i can say its the album of the year so far - the songs are excellent, and in concert...well they must be truly amazing

 

Ixnay on the overreactionay there Izzy...

I bought the album yesterday and it sounds fucking cool when you're driving 70-80 down a motorway. Definitely the best way to listen to the rockers  : ok:

Better than when I listened to it on the stream by far with some great riffs. Good solid album, I like it a lot but it's nothing spectacular or mind blowing.

On a side note, I think it will sell poorly in the UK. There is no publicity for it whatsoever. I had so actually search for it in HMV, Virgin and WHSmith to find it (I was checking out which shop had which versions). It's not even displayed with the other new albums coming out. To top it off, in HMV it went straight into a half price sale!!!

@#$%Muther

Eh?


Your right - i struggled to find it too, why it wasn't with the 'new' albums is strange

There has been limited publicity too, okay they've been in 'Total Guitar' every week but they've barely been mentioned in the main music magasines - plus no posters, adverts etc

...About two listens later and I can already see I was right.  I still stand by my criticisms, but the CD was far more enjoyable the second and third time around.

"Loving The Aliens" would be my favorite.  The song is fucking beautiful.  A crying Slash solo in the vein of "Estranged" and "Street Child," guitars echoing "Sweet Child O' Mine," heartbreaking vocals, poignant lyrics...The music, sure enough, paints a dreamy, outer-space atmosphere (thanks mostly to the beeping guitar).  This would be a great fourth single (assuming Contraband sees four singles.)  Its got the makings of a classic, and I hope its accepted as one.  I also hope most of the songs on their next album have this much ambition.    

"Sucker Train Blues" wont stop playing in my head, and Im warming up to "You Got No Right".  Its a transitional thing -- accepting the differences between the two versions, and its going to take more than a few listens...but it really is an awesome song.  I cant wait to hear these live, and I especially hope to hear a professional recording of the Smashbox "YGNR".

Id pick "Sucker Train Blues" for the third single.  

That's suprising to hear, because i was quite impressed with the kind of promotion they had in the record shops in Cardiff - it was really prominant.  SLither was being played loud in Virgin - as i walked in.  MVC had the cover pic in their window and you could get a VR t shirt with the cd.    

Although there didnt seem to be a choice in which cover you wanted. The shops only had the Red cover out.

Your right about the promotion though.  It seems like their label are waiting for them to get over here first - before pushing it.  Which is a mistake, they really should have got on the Later whith Jools Holland show if nothing else.  I saw Slither on CD:UK but that's all so far.  

on amazon i think i got the white cover was all they had

how many different colors are there?

Theres 3 different colors...red,black,white....I picked up Contraband for $10 at Target. Not too shabby. I wasnt going to buy it but for 10 bucks why not.

After listening to the album about 8 times now, I still basically have the same feelings about it. Actually the only songs I really like are Illegal I,Headspace,FTP,YGNR and LTA. The rest to me is boring and nothing worthwhile.

Its a good rock record. If you want nothing more than that you will probably enjoy it. Its not the second coming to anything and it doesnt try to be stp or gnr. If I had to categorize the overall sound of the record I would lean more towards STP.Vocally{obiviusly} and Musically as well.

Originally I was excited to hear  what Slash did on the album. But after listening to it for about a week now, I have realized there isnt much of what I originally thought. Aside from the ballads, the rockers dont showcase Slash. In some of the songs the drums and Weiland are over his solos.

I dont understand how peopel can say certain songs are like songs from gnr yet they are the same peopel who say VR arent trying to be gnr or whatever.

Overall the album is ok. Some of the songs sounded much better live than studio. If you enjoy lyrics then this album doesnt deliver on that front. Some of its ok but most of it is all over the place. Actually Scotts "Thank You" notes are more inspiring than some of the "rockers".....

I wasnt sure what to expect from the band otrher than it had a real good chance to be an excellent album. These are very talented players with successful backgrounds. I am not dissapointed because it didnt sound like gnr, im not dissapointed because it doesnt sound like stp.

Im dissapointed because TO ME it failed to capture all of the talents in all of the songs as a band as a whole. Theres some good parts and pieces in some of the songs but except for maybe YGNR none of the songs captured everything at once. I believe Weiland didnt "step up" in some of the songs and I also believe SLash was sort of "controlled" in a way on some of the songs. None of the osngs seemed to have everything click...so thats my whole opinion.

Live they are excellent, on this album they are average ....Hopefully their next album they can capture all of their talents that they are truly capable of and make it work in every song...peace

Got the album at midnight last night and listened straight through.  My favorite songs, so far, are Slither, Set Me Free, Superhuman, You Got No Right, and Sucker Train Blues.  My main criticism of the album is in the diversity of the songs.  Many of the first 6 songs are too similar; I was hoping for more of that classic Gn'r sound I guess.  This includes the lyrics, which are all based on Weiland alone.  I think this album would be better with some Izzy songs or more lyrics by other members of the band.  Overall, I think the drumming is great, most of Weiland's singing is above average, Dave surprised me in a good way on guitar, and Duff blends right in.  Slash, although he has few guitar solos, does a great job as expected.  I think many of these songs will grow on me and I will like it even more in the future.  I'm pretty satisfied and give it a 4 of 5.  

one word: UNDERGROUND!
you go underground and you'll find it everywhere! I can just name ten stores that have all VR stuff, from shirts to Contraband... I got my cd friday, before it was even released officially, even in the rest of the country... connections people, connections 8) :hihi:


Is it really that hard to find over there? for reals??
I'm belgian, they got it all over here, and we ain't exactly the biggest thing in music now :rofl:

it has a label yeah, so small you can hardly see it ;D
and it says there's an edited version available too... almost chocked when I read that! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

You GNR fans kill me!!  You treat GNR like they were the second coming of Led Zeppelin (who, btw, are the greatest rock-n-roll band - PERIOD!)  The CD kicks ass and so does the band. Saw them in NYC!

Totally agree with this part. It kills me that FTP is going to be the second single and the song that the band is depending on to propel them up. YGNR is a critical favorite and i haven't read one negative thing about it here, among the fans. It's defintely "digestible" enough to be an early single, i don't know why they are going with FTP.  ???

Here is my personal honest review of Velvet Revolver?s Contraband.

Picked it up last night (midnight)at Tower on sunset, tlaked to some cool people.

Artwork 3 out of 5. The covers are great featuring a very bond like female siloulete. The problem is under that, the
booklet, c.d.?s and cases are all the same. The booklet features all the lyrics and pictures of the band.

On to the most important thing the music.

1. Suckertrain Blues. A song about the apocalypse. Great riff. A very nice touch with the siren near the beginning.
Nice touch using the line ?Running with the Devil?

2. Do it for the Kids. Went too fast I?m out of luck, and I don?t even give a fuck. The best vocal intro I?ve heard in a
long time. Catchy melody and chorus. More or less a song about growing up.

3. Big Machine. My personal favorite. The most 80?s of any song on here. A hook laden good time.

4. Illegal I song. Worst Song on the record. It makes no fucking sense. I just couldn't connect, maybe someday

5. Spectacle. A song about getting laid, or more precisely a whore with no dreams getting laid and someone being
there even though you treated them like shit.

6. Fall to Pieces. The most GNR of any of the tracks. The type of song you play when your in the doghouse and you
need to win the girl back. Scott?s vocals are amazing, never sounding this good. Slash?s solo is one of the best I?ve
heard in along long time. This is Velvet Revolver?s Sweet Child. VR will become huge when this gets released as a
single in July.

7. Headspace. A good song about needing a change of pace. Its a song about hope, and not wanting to die.

8. Superhuman. A song about a whore and drugs. Could Scott have written another track about Courtney? The line
Rodeo Rodeo Rodeo Rodeo seems out of place but still Scott makes it sound good. Kinda reminded me of pretty tied
up, with the line, ?Throw the Rope around her neck?

9. Set Me Free. You all already know that I love this track. Maybe the best song of 2003 but not even close to the
best song on this record. ?So set me free?!!!!

10. You Got No Right. There is a point about 2 and a half or 3 minutes into the song where you have to say ?Slash is
the best Guitarist around? Much better than the version I remember from the Smashbox. A possible radio hit if the
band goes that way.

11. Slither. Do I even have to say anything. Everyone is familiar with this song, being the first official single.

12. Dirty Little Thing. Duff joked this song is about Paris Hilton and after listening to it, he wasn?t joking. ?Dead
Men wishing they had gotten together with you girl?. Mentions her sex tape. Easily could be a hit. Just hire a hot
blond and you?ve got a hit video.

13. Loving the Aliens. Its a great ballad. Its in a bad spot on the album, its a really downer as the last song on a
record.

Bonus Tracks from the Slither Single

1. Bodies (Live at the El Rey). The band does the Sex Pistols justice. Scott nails the tone perfectly through the lyrics.
And the intro from ?the voice? is really good. ?The hulk couldn?t make it tonight, but we got some comic book
characters for you, from Hollywood Velvet Revolver?

2. Negative Creep. A studio version of the early Nirvana track. ?Daddy?s little girl isn?t a girl nomore?. A good song
about taking a girl?s virginity

Jizzo, that is the best and most intelligent review i have read on this board about the album.  : ok: I highlighted the parts i agreed with.
A few questions:
1. about FTP being like Guns, and to a degree i think it is, musically. But lyrically? we've all discussed the simplicity of the lyrics on this particular song (and i think it is not ineffective here) but certainly Guns songs (with the exception of Don't Cry) are hardly so simple. But perhaps if you are comparing it with Don't Cry, than i would see what you mean. The more i think about those two (rather than Sweet Child), i can see the similarities.
2. about YGNR- do you think it is one of the best songs on the album?
3. about Courtney Love: what makes you think the song is about her? did she and Scott have any sort of beef in the past (that i clearly don't know about)?
4. which song would you think would be good to end the album with? I liked LTA last, i like ending a hard album in a mellow mood. It reminds me of sex, you know? i don't think that was lost on these guys either? you work yourself up in the beginning, and you chill at the end.

After listening to the record all day, It's gone from a 6/10 in my initial review to a solid 8/10.

NO song by song here, just a few observations...

I love Scotts trippy lyrics and veiled references throughout.  

Slash has come light years in his sense of timing  His short, stealth solos
are far more radiating than some of the wankfest meanderings of the past...

I hear more Janes Addiction in there than GNR.....

Matt's still one of the best groove/rock drummers around, thank God he stuck to his guns and kept it modern...

FTP is definately the closest, (maybe the only) GNR type tune...

I think it will appeal more to STP fans than GNR...

Best Buy had the CD on the "New Release" end cap and on it's own 4 sided carousel....$9.99...

It's a good listen, better than I expected now that I have the final product...

1. about FTP being like Guns, and to a degree i think it is, musically. But lyrically? we've all discussed the simplicity of the lyrics on this particular song (and i think it is not ineffective here) but certainly Guns songs (with the exception of Don't Cry) are hardly so simple. But perhaps if you are comparing it with Don't Cry, than i would see what you mean. The more i think about those two (rather than Sweet Child), i can see the similarities.

The fact that I can easily see Axl singing over that riff more than anyother song on the record. The tone slash plays is something that could fit into the illusions era playing he did

2. about YGNR- do you think it is one of the best songs on the album?

Its not my persoanl favorite, but its a great song. Its the best song from the standpoint of musical technicality, there is no song on the record that perfect

3. about Courtney Love: what makes you think the song is about her? did she and Scott have any sort of beef in the past (that i clearly don't know about)?

Its just a song about a girl with a drug addiction. It was more or less of a joke, since Scott already wrote "Too Cool Queenie" about her

4. which song would you think would be good to end the album with? I liked LTA last, i like ending a hard album in a mellow mood. It reminds me of sex, you know? i don't think that was lost on these guys either? you work yourself up in the beginning, and you chill at the end.

I would of thought that negative creep would of been a good ending, just from the simularities with the siren and the tempo, but now that you put it that way, I kinda have to agree with you

Yup, and  ;D.

i know im gonna offend everyone for whatever reasons but i dont see the infatuation with led zepplin

slash is as good as jimmy page and axl destroys robert plant, vocally.lyrically, every possible fucking way

GNR are better than led zepplin hands down, just because led zepplin came out first they win for stupid reasons

i may be blaspheming rock n roll but give me the spaghetti incident over any led zepplin cd

i hate robert plant i think he is the most over rated singer in the history of music

I agreed with you post till this part. Robert Plant is an awesome singer (I prefer Axl too), and Led Zeppelin CDSA are classic. Especially IV

I don't think Axl is even in Plant's range, plant released alot more stuff than Axl.

Well, I've been listening to this CD non-stop since I was able to subvert it's copy protection (yes, I bought the CD).  It has grown on my whole bunch in the short time.

The songs which just seemed like "generic hard rock" songs have started to separate and I can appreciate the riffs in each of them.

You Got No Right is great, but I think Fall to Pieces is better, though I think I'm in the minority here.

Originally, after listening to the MTV stream of it, I gave it a 7/10, but now I'd give it an 8 or even 9/10.

Great stuff, and there is more than enough Slash.

What about "Loving The Aliens"?

yea LTA remided me of radiohead a little bit too.  I absolutely love the ballads on this album.  I can't decide which one i like best.  DIFTK is probably my fave rocker besides slither.  Superhuman is pretty good.  The rest seem like they are missing something.  I think the album should have been worked on a little more before it was released.

this is a great first effort from the band considering how long it took to make.  I can't wait for the next album cuz i know it will be 10 times better :peace:

Hey Jizzo, I'm surprised you don't like Illegal I, it's one of my favourite tunes on the album. The band rocks so hard on that track and Scott absolutely goes off too - listen to him screaming at the end!
It sounds like one of the heavier tunes off Jane's Addictions latest album too.

Give it a couple more listens and I'm sure you'll love it.

But then again, your fav track Big Machine is my least favourite, so each to their own I guess.

i dont know maybe im smoking crack or something but anyone else hate how they change scotts voice on some of the songs? it makes his voice unclear and hard to follow.  ex) sucker train blues....i think that it would have been better if they left scotts voice alone and made it more clear.

also i wish there was more melody on the album....im just picky :smoking:

I think Fall to pieces is my favorite song on the album. It's so much better hearing it on the album! It's slower...a lot more emotion and man when Slash plays that riff...with that classic Slash gorgeous tone, man I piss my pants! I loved it when he slaps you in the face with those riffs like he does here and in Estranged and sweet child! Man I wish I had his tone when I play guitar!

Well, after following the advice of Naupis, and hearing Contraband more and more times, it really began to grow on me, so now I can say proudly that this is one of the best rock cd's of the last ten years, what am I saying? These is the best Rock and Roll CD of all time.
First let me say that Sucker Train Blues is an amazing song, amazing riffs and amazing solo, nightrain doesn't come even close.
Big Machine is one of the best tracks that I heard on my whole life, this song is what WTTJ, YCBM and OTGM aspired to be, but they couldn't.
Headspace run circles over Mr. brownstone.
And what can I tell you about the Ballads that everybody has not said.

All these songs are true masterpieces for all generations, songs written by other groups that are considered great don't come even close.
For example, how can you compare Fall to pieces to Stairway to heaven. that's no contest, FTP is thousand times better,  or all the rockers  are better than songs like: black dog, whole lotta rosie, sultans of swing, we will rock you,etc. In general are better that all the songs produced by groups like, led zeppelin, aerosmith, dirie straits, ratm, rhcp, queen, gnr, etc.

Final score of contraband:
1.STB 10/10
2.DIFTK 9/10
3.BM 10/10
4.IS 10/10
5.Spectacle 9/10
6.FTP 10/10
7.Headspace 10/10
8.Superhuman 9/10
9.SMF 10/10
10.YGNR 10/10
11.Slither 10/10
12.DLT 9/10
13.LTA 10/10

This is the album that everybody should listen, and like my boy, Tyrod T. said this CD rawks, specially because this masterpiece doesn't contain any fillers, if you compare it with AFD(who had 4-5 fillers) or the UYI's (who only contain 2-3 good songs on each album), it really shows you which album is better, and by far.

Special thanks to Booker, Dizzy and Tyrod; who made me see the light and appreciate this group, the best rock group of all time.

On the side note, I hope that Slash and Duff win the lawsuit against Axl, because they're righteous in what they are asking for. If that happens, I hope that they  re-arrange the many songs that Ax...(if I remember you guys call him...;yeah I remember)Axhole destroy on the UYI's, with all those sounds, specially his lyrics. Hopefully Scott rewrite lyrics for Coma, Locomotive, etc and finally make justice to these songs. Can you believe all the crap that AX..(yeah)Axhole wrote for coma, I know that Scott wil do better. Can you believe all the new songs written by Ax..(yeah)Axhole , man all are gay, all the sounds, riffs, solos are gay.
Also I'm waiting for my boy Slashly to get a record deal, and produce great music(I remember he said he can write a solo 10 times better than that crappy solo on the Blues.) Man, I will buy your album.

Man what a album,



 : ok:  Killing in The Name

1) The only slightly humorous aspect of this post is your inclusion of Dire Straits and Rage Against The Machine among the others.

2) I understand youre trying desperately to be funny and clever, but aside from being neither, your sarcasm is based on an imaginary premise: That somebody (especially one of the three posters you named) even implied anything to warrant your witless hyperbole.  Read my post again, then read yours - if at this point you dont understand that youve wasted your time writing a pointless and corny post, then youve earned my condolences.

thats funny as hell....this should go in that nomination thread on the gnr board...lol too funny

Well, booker if people are rating these songs 9-10/10, why I cannot compare it, with other rock an roll songs or groups, specially since they are so good.

Secondly if I remember correctly didn't Tyrod said that this album has no fillers(am I lying?) and how AFD and UYi has many fillers, so but that conceptualization shouldn't Contraband be better in his eyes? I think that you're losing your point book(his hyperbole is greater than mine). At least, I listen to the album and I give a honest review and I don't buy that they are delivering and the other guy not, music is music, you either like it or not.

Third of all, I'm giving it a positive review, shouldn't you be happy? . You see with all the three of you that I mentioned, I only have sympathy for Dizzy, because we have the same thought that Steven was/is/? the best drummer of GNR.

Finally, I really don't care what you think, if you liek(shut! I mispelled- Prepare to be corrected and telled that with these kind of mistakes my post cannot be taken seriously-) my thoughts, and let me tell you I'm not double standard, like many who posts around here, not so much fan of Bhead, A Finck mark.

On the side note, sorry for compare with such Dire Straits and RATM. I bet that anybody likes them.

 :smoking:

You could do it without the embarassing attempts at comedy, and you might find yourself in a relatively civil discussion, rather than the message board equivalent to a jealous tantrum.


Not necessarily, but youd have to ask him that.  And unless youre severely mathematically impaired, youll see that youve named one poster that supposedly matches your post.


Okay?  :confused:


Is that another attempt at humor?  Youre on a roll... : ok:

At least Youngunner recognizes your brilliance...  


...

Sympathy for what?


Now let me ask you...can you find even one instance in which Ive ever brought up spelling mistakes to dismiss an argument?  Ill answer for you: No, you cant.  The reason being because Ive never done that, and its your "points" based on falsehoods such as this that make your posts a joke, not your typos or poor grammar.


Awesome...however, I have zero interest in your profile, so you can spare me the mission statement.


Yeah, I bet a lot of people like a lot of bands, it doesnt put them in Led Zeppelins company.

My rating has moved up to an 8.3/10.......no, 8.5/10 now...Listening to FTP solo as I type.

I bought the Vinyl yestarday.

I like it all a lot. The only moments which arem't grat for me are FTP which for me was disappointing and Headspace I like so so.

Overall is 4.5 out of 5 for me.

 :beer:

my rating has gone from an 8.5 to an 11!!!!!

Only now am I realizing how low my expectations were! I never thought a band could sound this good this late in their career! Usually musicians start going down hill after their 1st record or two. But these GN'R guys keep putting out gems!!!!

I like it...nice to hear some new stuff...especially like the Train Sucker Blues (or whatever it's called)...thanks guys :yes:

amazon shipped mine yesterday u all are killing me!

im so envious of u fuckers cause i havent heard it

i listen to pieces of about 6 songs on mtv.com

i want it to be a surprise so i didnt listen a whole lot

damn 3 more days and i will have contraband, maybe sooner! i cant wait!

From the sounds of your varied musical taste, I think you'll really dig Contraband.

You might even end up f**king loving it as much as I do. :beer:

Maybe the funniest thing I've read in my 37 yrs on this planet!!!!!


This is the second funniest!

I know this isn't a Led Zeppelin board, but before you start pushing Jimmy Page (and Zeppelin) to the side try listening to some live Zep.  Listen to a Jimmy's incredible 10, 15, 20, minute solos and THEN form an opinion.

I like it.. but, to be honest, it's about the only song I like less the more I've listened to it.   It's just kind of boring to me.  But, this is only after one day of owning the album.  I may be of a completely different opinion in the long run.

After hearing it for the first time, the cd is pretty damn good. Not every song is great, but then again, not many cds are loaded with great songs. Most cds have a couple great songs, couple good ones, and the rest filler. That's exactly what we have here with Contraband. The people that are dissapointed are the ones thinking every song will be a classic. I'm sure this has been said before in one way or another so sorry if this is just a repeat.

I managed to get the last copy of 'Contraband' in the shop, and I think the word 'con' is quite appropriate. It is a let down. However I think among GNR fans, this was hyped way too much, I think we all had too high expectations. I can only imagine what it's gonna be like when Chinese Democracy finally comes out  :-\. On the other hand this album is really only a whisker ahead of Slash's snakepit, but SS weren't supposed to be a huge band. For months I read the interviews with the band and hearing Slash say "Every one of these songs has something different about them". Well apart from 'Set me free' and the softer ones they all sound like 'Slither'. I also remember Wieland saying "'Fall to pieces' is gonna be our big one!", 'Fall to pieces' is, in my humble opinion, shit. It sounds like creed re-worked 'Don't cry'. It sounds like Bon jovi (not that I've got anything against them). I thought they were going to do something interesting with this power ballad, like 'Sweet child o' mine' or 'Estranged'. It's boring, there's nothing to it. 'Back and forth again' (SS) is infinately better. Personally I think the guys were a) too influenced by Wieland b) too scared to push any boundaries and try anything new. I've got nothing against Kushner but his playing (and some of slash's) sounds like Papa Roach.  The album's drone makes great background music when, for example, writing your own review of it. The only ones you'd really want to listen to and appreciate as an individual song are 'Sucker Train Blues', 'Do it for the kids' and 'Set me free'. The rest is predictable dribble. 7/10 max.

This band has existed a year, not exactly "late in their career".  :hihi:


I wasn't expecting much, I never do, so I can't say I'm disappointed. I was expecting a STP sounding album and I guess it does sound more like STP than GN'R.

Some songs I still can't get into, for example "Big Machine" and "Superhuman".

Others are very easy to like, for example "Do It For The Kids".

I also don't understand the big hype about "Fall To Pieces". It's a good ballad, not exactly the classic genre crossing masterpiece it was hyped to be. Right now I prefer "You Got No Right" to it.


I know these guys can do better and I'm sure they'll show that on their next album when they've been a band for a little longer.



/jarmo

I know nobody's in the mood for ONE MORE long review .. but SCREW YOU! I'm gonna do it anyways, because I HAVE to.

I've downloaded the songs. It's not come out here yet, although I'll keep checking the stores, because it's times like these that you gotta support the bands you love by buying their albums, not downloading it. Why? Because they've made the effort and put out an album's worth of good material. (This is all subjective of course, but then again, bad things are usually singled out easily .. like St. Anger for example. Good things meet a little more resistance from either side. There are even some idiots who say they hated UYI now .. but that's how it goes.)

Shall we go songwise? And then I'll give an over-all perspective.

1. SuckerTrain Blues: The song is a great start to the album. Because it isn't the best, and isn't the worst, but is likeable. The vocals are hardly great, but Scott doesn't really have to worry, he get's his part to play. This song is here to let you know that this is a ROCK album. Notice the riffs. Notice the killer drumming. Notice the rather wild solo. Notice the off-beat lyrics.

2. Do It For The Kids: This IS one of the good songs on the album. Damn good vocal intro like someone mentioned. The vocals are a bit clearer, but still sound very dirty. The chorus wakes up that beast within, but soothes him with the melody. The riff is odd. It's not a "rock n' roll" riff, like the usual Slash-esque riffs. Still the song delivers on pure power and a catchy chorus.

3. Big Machine: This is one of the 'eh' songs on the album (at least IMO right now). The lyrics are rather juvenile and a little punk. But I listen to song if just for the riff on the chorus. It's killer. This song is missing a good solo though.

4. Illegal I: This song surprised me from the start. Right from Matt's machine-gun drumming, into the again not so RN'R riff. And then those vocals just fit. They're odd, but they fit. The chorus leaves me wanting though. IMO this is something like what My World should have sounded like.

5. Spectacle: Not one of Scott's best on the album. He doesn't perform in either the verses/choruses. SLASH on the other hand, DOES. Solid performances by the rest of the band.

6. Fall to Pieces: Ah... what can I say of this song that hasn't already been said? I can say that I've never heard anything like it. It's a beautiful song in which the whole band seems to perform amazingly. The riff is hauntingly glorious, and the build up to the chorus is just perfect. The bridge fits like a glove. The solo isn't SCOMish ... it's more DCish. A good solo, that is probably fun to play, but lasts just a short while. And it's perfect for the song. More and it would be OTT. The song never falls to pieces.

7. Headspace: This is the first one that grew on me. I didn't like it at first. But my second and third listens proved fruitful. And now I think the verses and chorus are simply mind-fucking. The riff is ... shall I say it? Killer! The solo is overshadowed by the riff.

8. Superhuman: The intro is good, different. The verses are solid. The chorus is cliched at best. And the solo .. where is it?

9. Set Me Free: I won't bother.

10. You Got No Right: This song surpasses all my expectations. I remember when I was downloading this, and it killed me that I had only 25 seconds and no users to D/L from. This song stuck in my head from the moment I heard the bootleg. I can't find anything wrong with this song. I even love those cheesy background vocals on the bridge. And those vocals SHINE through. Scott really does deliver on this one. And Dave does too. Matt and Duff do great jobs. But Slash. Slash. Slash. When that solo kicks in, my aural senses exploded. It was the aural equivalent of an orgasm. This is the SCOM of this album. Beautiful lyrics, beautiful vocals, beautiful solo. What more could I ask for? An outro perhaps Slash? But then again, I demand too much.

11. Slither: I won't bother.

12. Dirty Little thing: Good solid song. I can't say I don't like it. I can't say that I love it. I can say that Slash delivered on the fast solo. Drool over this one.

13. Loving the Alien: I gotta admit, this was the first one I downloaded and I thought I had the wrong song. Because it sounds SO different. Can you believe Scott's vocals in the verses? They're so placid. It didn't seem like him. It didn't seem like anything I've ever heard before. And the prechorus and chorus are really mellow as well. Not quite like FTP or YGNR. I LOVE the in-verse lead bits Slash has on this one. And Dave, great rhythm on accoustic. The bridge is so subdued it's almost picturesque. And it leads into the second best solo on this album.

14. Bodies: Punk Lives.

Overall, I'd say that this album is definitely not GNR. I just hope they didn't try too hard not to be GNR, because maybe they could have come up with some memorable solos for the rockers.

I don't know if this sounds like STP. Some of you say so, so I'll take your word for that.

VR are definitely on the right track. Maybe they haven't delivered the best they can. It's like this is the Slither of their albums. So the Headspace ... the DIFTK ... the FTP ... the LTA ... and dare I say it?  ... the YGNR of their albums is still to come.



*Disclaimer*

I've referred to some GNR songs in this review. But like I said two paragraphs above, this isn't anything like GN'R. This is Velvet Revolver, and if you can't agree to anything, at least admit that they're their own band. Nothing more, nothing less.

I managed to buy the last copy of 'contraband' in the shop, and found that having the word con in the title is quite appropriate. However, I think there was too much hype among GNR fans, and I think we all had too high expectations (I can only imagine whats going to happen when Chinese Democracy finally comes out). On the other hand, it really isn't that good. This is only a whisker ahead of Slash's snakepit, but SS were never supposed to be a "huge" band. For the past few months I read every article about VR that I could get my mits on, and I remember Slash saying "Every one of these songs has something different them.", well apart from 'Set Me Free' plus some of the softer ones they all sound like 'Slither'. I also remember Wieland saying "Fall to pieces is gonna be our big one!" Fall to pieces is, in my humble opinion, shit. I thought they were going to do something interesting with this huge ballad like Slash and the guys did with 'Sweet child o' mine' and 'estranged'. It sounds like creed re-worked 'Don't cry' or some crappy Poison ballad (actually it sounds quite like 'every rose has its thorn'). Personally, I think 'Back and Forth again' (SS) is infinately better. 'You got no right' hails as king of the ballads on 'Contraband' in my book. And what's up with the guitars, I've got nothing against Kushner but his (and some of Slash's) guitar playing sounds like Papa Roach came in and played the part. However, the albums drone does make good background music when, for example, writing your own review of it. But the only real tracks you could listen to as an individual piece of music are 'Sucker Train Blues', 'Do it for the kids', 'Set me free' and 'You got no right', the rest is predictable dribble. 7 out of 10 max.

It's starting to grow on me, if I'd have to make a review now it wouldn't be that negative anymore... but still!
I think that Scott ruins most of it :-\

But it's getting better... I sleep with it now lol so I got it in my head all day :D then im singing songs noone ever heard of again and everyone in my school looks at me funny :hihi:

hey hey news: VR is now being played at stripclubs too :D well at lest at one :rofl: I had to beg em to get rid of the britney crap but they played Slither...twice!!! :D and I danced on it :D actually a pretty good song to dance on... but a bit short, I still prefere GnR

goes for the record too... VR isn't bad but I liked Slash's work better in Guns... or in the Snakepit :yes:

Good review, WMD.

The bridge on "LTA" ("I never noticed...how lovely were the aliens?") is gorgeous.    

I shook off the live version and gave "YGNR" a few more listens...and it hit me just like the live version had.  I think I still prefer the more stark live one (dying to hear a pro-quality recording on this one), but Im feeling the studio one about the same.  These are some of the best vocals Scotts ever done.

I think the vocals on "STB" are some of the albums best...And the lyrics are the best among the rockers.  I really like the creepy, surreal imagery.  References to guns, insects, amputation, vermin, Jesus, Satan, angels and aliens make for an interesting song.  

And Ive had the chorus for "Spectacle" as much as any song on there.

Ok, I think the songs are ok.  And I have totally changed my mind about Matt.  His drumming...and Duffs bass (althogh it's sometimes hard to distinguish from Dave's guitar) are awesome on this album.  They fit perfectly.  Unfortuantly none of the songs are outstanding.  Almost all of them, except a couple of them are let down by the lyrics.  I don't hate Scott as much as I thought I did...I think his melodies are kick ass, but his phrasing is a bit dodgy in places and his lyrics suck.

But the main problem with this album is the mix.  Josh Abraham should be shot.  Dave's guitar is waaaaay to bass heavy, and too loud, and Slash's solos do not cut through at all.  They are way too low in the mix.  Slash is too quiet, and Dave's guitar doesn't seem to have enough definition.

Apart from the mixing (which is only marginally better than St Anger) the album is pretty cool.  Not incredible, but I think it'll grow on me.


I can't get over how crap the mix is...

I'll try to keep this short.

This album was like an onion.  When I first listened, I sobbed.  I could not hear Slash the first time around.  It all sounded like 1 big nasty grunge song with some ballads thrown in the pudding.

Upon further listening, I started liking it more, maybe because I was getting used to Weiland.

The first song I really liked was Do It For The Kids.  Scott's vocal melodies are catchy and I felt I understood his fragmented lyrics.  Most of the time I was not feeling his lyrics at all.  :-\

The music of Illegal I has this old-style murder mystery riff to it - kinda cool, IMO.

My biggest complaint with Fall to Pieces is that he repeats the chorus too many times.  He doesnt complete his thoughts - finish the stanza Scott!  Take your time!  But other than that, I like this song very much.

You Got No Right and Loving the Alien are both amazing, and I wish the tracklisting places FTP with these songs because once I'm in a ballad mood, I like staying that way.

In conclusion, the album does get better with every listen, but my initial reaction had me thinking 'Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on!'

Each to his own, I guess.  I felt he just threw out a bunch of disconnected images without bothering to create something coherent.  It's a collage of ideas, but when you stand back and view it - what do you see?  I see nothing.   Maybe he did it on purpose, but it puts me off.

WagMyDog sez:

I had similar suspicions.  In fact, the Slither solo now appears be to one of the best on the album because Slash seems rather muted in other songs.  

imnot turning this into a zepp vs gnr cause i know it is way off topic here but i have to rebutal stp4life

give me estranged over every single led zepplin song ever made that includes stairway to heaven

zepplin may be legends but they arent to me, everytime they come on i turn the channel or radio knob

whole lotta love or paradise city? hmmm thats a no brainer give me any GNR song over any zepplin song

but thats just me i could be wrong

back on topic


its cool reading reviews from a first listen to a few days later

isnt it weird and bizarre how u can absolutely hate a song or an entire cd but for some reason after a few listens its like the song clears up and becomes awesome

thats usually the difference in a great cd and an ok cd

usually an ok cd is pop friendly and its easy to digest first time around but quickly gets old and u burn out on it

a great cd takes effort and patience and sometimes even intelligence to love and understand thats the kind of music i like, i like music that takes effort to understand and appreciate *which is why i guess im such a huge prince fan*and this type of music is the kind u still pop into your cd player 10 20 years later, there will never be a time i dont lisen to GNR,or prince or bon jovi, 20 years from now ill have appetite and the illusions,prince's emancipation,bon jovi cds in my cd player, cause they are timeless, but they sometimes take effort to appreciate

contraband will be awesome because u know why?

i will listen to it till it becomes awesome!

I don't want to turn this into a big off topic argument but...

I've heard page's sloppy solos.  I've heard page's shitty tone.  It doens't mean I don't love him as a guitarist, because I do.  But the man is nowhere near as good technically as Slash.  Slash's playing is so much neater than Page's it's untrue.  Whether you think the Stairway solo is better than the SCOM solo is subjective, but who is the better guitar player is not.

And Axl's lyrics are infinitely better than Plant's.  Plant's lyrics sucked.  Flat out sucked.  Plant sang about such crap.  Some of the stuff on the first few albums made sense.  Then he started singing about vikings and shit...

And listen to Plant on the live DVD from towards the end of their career.  Listening?  He's lost the top range of his voice.  He's singing everything an octave lower.  Now, I don't see 40yr old Axl losing his range after years and years of abusing his vocal chords.  He's still got his range.

So...no.

Ok, I've had the album for nearly a week now, and my initial impression of Contraband has changed quite dramatically.
From thinking it was just a solid rock album with a few gems and a few bland songs, now I don't think there's a weak song on there at all, I'd even go as far as saying it's already my album of the year for 2004.

Sucker Train Blues
Probably the closest we'll get to a UYI style rocker from these guys. Scott's vocals in the verses annoyed me at first, but they match the frantic speed of the music. And the chorus is one of the first melodic gems on the album "and when I want to... I will find you..." Very cool. Slash's ripping solo, which is assisted by a whammy bar, sounds awesome too. It announces that Contraband is definitely NOT another half-assed Snakepit album.

Do It For The Kids
F**king awesome. Like I stated in my earlier review, Scott's intro vocals sound as if they were processed by NIN frontman Trent Reznor himself. This is of course before the walls of thick, riffy guitars kick in. More big grooves follw into the chorus with it's almost Cult-like melodies and harmonies.

Big Machine
Cool almost Ramones like clap-along drum and bass intro. I probably like this song the least on the album, as the chorus lyrics are a bit bland compared to the other songs, but I still can't get the chorus riff out of my head and the band still sound in top form. They are definitely not returning to their classic GN'R style and Slash plays a solo that is a departure from his past as well.

Illegal I Song
I love this Jane's Addiction style song. So heavy and groovy!
From the machine gun intro drumming to the weird/modern rock main riff, this really showcases the bands diverse talents. Scott does his best Perry Farrell while Slash plays another solo that is a departure from his past style. Closer to Tom Morello than Jimmy Page.

Spectacle
Starts with a riff similar to Metallica's "Fuel" but with a more country like twang, but when the vocals kick in it ends up sounding more like a Queens of the Stone Age song. More killer hooks and harmonies. It has a real sense of urgency about it like QOTSA's "Go With The Flow". The solo, while not being particularly fancy, has a real singalong quality to it and is probably one of my favourites on the album. Motherf**ker yeah!!!

Fall to Pieces
Beautiful melodic Slash guitar riff, beautiful soulful Slash solo, Scott's yearning lyrics about heartbreak and despair. Some of it almost goes into borderline cheese, but these guys pull it off convincingly.

Headspace
I f**king love this song! "Don't let any of those f**kers in my headspace" says it all. I almost liken this to something Audioslave could've written. Heavy guitars, heavy drums and a big ass funky groove.

Superhuman
Riff starts out like Sweet Child put through a blender and spat out 2004 style. Rest of the band chimes into the riff and grooves along while Scott does his most impressive Layne Staley stylings to date. More Alice In Chains referrences shine through with the backing "boop boop" vocals towards the end of the song (like AIC's "Again").

Set Me Free
In this remixed version the verses seem to have a little more breathing space for the vocals, and the bass and drums are more in your face overall. An improved mix of an already kickass song.

You Got No Right
I won't go into to detail, I simply love this song too much to describe it. It's my new Estranged.

Slither
No need for description here, we've all heard it by now, but it's still an album highlight.

Dirty Little thing
Matt's thumping drums are the highlight of this song (as they are on the entire album), and Slash's riff is straight out of the book of Rock 'n' Roll 101. Like a couple of other songs on the album, I think Scott's chorus vocals really turn this straight-out rocker into something much more and Slash's solo in the song is probably the best on the entire album.

Loving the Alien
Weird sampled riff sounds like Radiohead meets Pink Floyd. Really surprising and really beautiful. More gorgeous melodic Slash guitar and Scott's "Lovely were the Aliens" line really is lovely.

Negative Creep (Slither single)
I really wish they included this on the album, as it matches the same urgency and raw delivery as the rest of the heavy rockers.
The entire band absolutley goes off. Duff's description was right - death metal indeed.

Bodies (Live) (Slither single)
Much like Negative Creep, it has so much swagger and f**k you attitude. I'd love to hear a studio cut of this someday.

SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH my parents returned from europe and sure oh sure they got me CONTRABAND and ITS ROCKING MY COCK LIKE NO TOMMOROW!!!!  :peace:
Except Spectacle which sucks a cock the rest simply ROCKS!!!!  :peace: :peace: :peace: :beer:

Whether you think the Stairway solo is better than the SCOM solo is subjective, but who is the better guitar player is not.


No hes not. Page paved the way to Slash and hundreds of other guitar players. That doesnt mean hes better off course. But Page has much more knowledge than slash, when it comes to improvisation, scales, speed and especially alternative tunings, which Page is a master, and Slash knows jack shit.

About Stairway to Heaven solo, its not only better than SCOM (which is awesome) but its the best solo ever.

 

i have to agree with eduardo.

to me slash isn't even on the same page.  :hihi:

page has done so much for rock n roll, and many might disagree but he has a lot of timeless riffs, probably more than Slash. Page knew all the damn theory too, fingerpicking (Not Slashes one finger picking on patience! hahah), pedal/lap steel guitars, the whole violin bow thing, and although he was sloppy he was damn creative even though he had limited technique. And also i heard he was quite the genius as a producer.

robert plant's vocals/lyrics is a different story though........i understand that cuz you either love him or hate him. I actually prefer plants lyrics in some cases.......but generally axl has the better voice (though it wasn't consistent)

i'll start a gnr vs led zep in the bad obsession thread.

thank you, so can we get back on topic here??!!!

hahahha i have no idea how a contraband review thread even turned into a gnr vs led zep.


to try and get back on topic (i've already posted my review)

where are long songs these days? I was hoping for atleast a 7 or 8min song on Contraband. Hmmm i guess that cant be too radio friendly.

And it doesn't even have to be a ballad......it could be an 8min full rocker...........or 10mins..........like achilles last stand by led zeppelin..........maybe slash could handle something like that but hes no jimmy page.

 :hihi:

ok i was just kidding.......i'll keep it in the other thread. :peace:

Excellent reviews!!

You think they were trying to make all 13 songs radio singles...?

They arent into making long songs right now, and since only 3 or 4 of the songs on the album will see radio-play, being "radio-friendly" doesnt seem to be the reason.  "LTA" and "YGNR" are close to 6 minutes, which I think is a decent length.  In Snakepit and STP, not many of the songs were especially long (over 6 minutes).

I went into my first listening of Contraband with no preconceived notions. I dont give a shit if it does or doesnt sound like anything from any of the members previous groups. After the first listening nothing really stood out. If anything it would be "Set Me Free" or "Slither" only because I had heard them before. Basically my first impression was "Eh". Alright but not great.

After a second listen a few have already started growing on me "You Got No Right", "Falling To Peices" and "Loving the Alien". I also focused on Slash's playing this time around and while he is still head and shoulders (and top hat) above nearly everyone else (IMO) it is not exactly anything we haven't really heard before. Yet its still very good.

I think this will be a CD that after a few listens will be one of my favorites for a long time. Hopefully the band will grow and develop their sound as they get to spend more time together on the writing. However for a first effort this is pretty good.

Anybody else catch the irony in "Loving the Alien" where Scott, who by the way sounds very good through out Contraband,  is singing about "I'm moving on..." and Slash is in the background playing a solo that sounds suspiciosly familiar to "Sweet Child...."?

You can?t review a CD if you only have listned to it once. That's just foolish! I thought the CD sucked the first time I spinned it. But spin the CD a few times and then you discover the best fucking rock album in years.
The only songs that doesn?t make me go "woh!" is Spectacle and Dirty Little Thing. So I think I?ll give this CD a 9 out of 10. I mean, Slither, Set Me Free, Loving the Alien and You Got No Right are freaking awesome!

What if I said I loved it the first time I listened to it. Would you have a problem with that? You obviously really enjoy it thats fine, but I feel pretty safe to say that I wont label this album as "the best fucking rock album in years."

What makes you think I would have a problem with that, kujo? My post was directed to thoose who judged the album after just one spin. And as far as "the best fucking album in years!" Well, yeah. I think it is. But ofcourse we all have diffrent opinions about things. Though I would like to know what rock album is better than Contraband from the past 5 years.

Thats what I expected as well, and I was exactly right.  Ive been listening to it non-stop.


My main hope is just that Slash does longer solos.  


I cant tell if the beeping in the background is a guitar or keyboard...I assumed guitar.  Anybody have any guesses?

Im guessing thats what youre talking about, because the actual solo is more "Estranged"-style than "SCOM"...The beeping does slightly recall "SCOM".

Booker Floyd: It's a guitar. It does sound like the beginning of the sweet child of mine riff. I like it though. Maybe the best song the album has to offer.

i think u cant set down and say

im gonna write an 8 minutes song

i think those songs just happen and are so inspired it takes that much time to get all u are tryin to say in

i dont think axl sit down with estranged and said "ok time to write a song longer than 8 minutes"

i dont think time has anything to do with alot of songs

its like on that "amadeus" movie about mozart where the emperor tells him to cut out some notes and it will be perfect cause it has to man ynotes

mozart says "it has the exact amount of notes required neither more or less"

same way with this a song is a song and maybe people intend to write long songs but i think they just naturally evolve into long songs

Yeah Booker, it's a guitar, i'm almost positive

Just to append my comments on LTA:

It's finally taken hold on me, after about 15+ listens.  It rocks!

The only songs I don't really like at this point are Spectacle and Dirty Little Thing.

I still think Fall to Pieces is the best song on the album, though.  You Got No Right is good, but ... it doesn't quite click so perfectly, like FTP does.

I have to say - anyone who thinks the rock songs on this album are generic, just keep listening.  Eventually the grungy production clears itself up and you can hear how cool each song really is.

you people are fucked up if you think this album is any good.

what a poor effort by some great musicians and a good vocalist.

what happened to melodies or decent guitar solos.

i've listened to the album twice and slither by far is the best song and i find it to be slightly above average.

Poorly produced - the music is just blending together like allot of the crappy nu metal bands we have today

I think the hype was strong with slither but unless you're a diehard fan of these guys from previous bands you'd have a tough  time convincing anyone that it's half decent.

HORRIBLE FUCKING MESS - and i was hoping for something that would make a difference and this doesn't even come close

after about 20 listens they say it grows on you....

na but its not that bad. Its ok. Its just rock. Put the volume up and let it fly. Nothing more nothing less....

I admit this was my very first reaction.  But I recall that I didnt like Illusions when I first heard it back in '91.  It took time for me to appreciate all of it.

But after listening to Contraband several times, I now feel that there are many great songs on the album.

For instance, I was initially completely put off by STB - the music is great, but Weiland was irritating me.  I wanted to say STFU Scott!   But I like his vocals in the slower songs, and I can honestly say I have a newfound appreciation for Mr. Scott Weiland.  

Give it a chance, man!  :peace:

I agree that this album gets better each time you hear it.  I'll admit at first, I thought it was a solid but not spectacular album.  After finally hearing the album at CD quality, it's really growing on me.  I'm not saying it's going down as one of the greatest albums of all time, but it has some really good songs.  Some say the production isn't great, but I think they wanted it to have the raw, straight ahead rock sound.  Scott takes a lot of criticism too, but I like him and think he has a lot of flexibility in his voice.  They have a lot of potential and this album was a great start...

While I don't agree with YoungGunner's theory of listening to the album 20 times until it sounds good, Contraband does take a few spins to fully appreciate.

I thought it was a little bland at first with only a couple of standout tracks, but now I don't think there are any weak songs.

After repeated listens the vocal harmonies and melodies start to work their way into your head and you do realise how good the album really is.

I see no problem with the production either, it rocks.

The thing is, the more you listen to something, the more likely you will begin to like it. I remember i forced myself to listen to every song on STP's Plush every time I went running. By the end of the semester, I loved it all even Creep. It was essentially a familiarity reaction in my brain which taught it to accept it as quality when my initial reaction was negative. today when i stick plush in the player after years away, i find my initial reaction persists.

I think alot of you are forcing yourselves to like it, pure speculation on my part but I read alot of reviews that change as you bombard your brains with the disk. I think your initial reaction is actually the best one to go with, because it is unadulterated and devoid of the familiarity factor.

albums can grow on you, sure, but the true test of that is time. If anyone here is still playing this a year or two from now, I may concede the point.

there's no such thing as forcing yourself to like something...trust me.

Unless you're forcing yourself to like Silkworms, my world...that it's possible

I still don't agree with your "forcing yourself to like it" stance.
I've had the album on and off since I bought it and the songs have a way of working their way into your head and it made me pay attention and want to listen more out of growing interest in the songs.
But many great albums I own have been growers. The ones I usually like instantly end up boring me pretty quickly.

And I happened to like STP's Creep after first listen, so does that detract from the quality of the song?
And the fact that you forced yourself to listen to STP's album and you still like it years later, does that not make it a great album?

The one point I do agree with is the longevity of Contraband.
I guess we'll come back to this board in a year and see if we're all still listening.

Chrill, I thought that was directed at me. I apologise.  :peace: As far as Best fucking album, and this is purely my opinion alone.....

Alice Cooper - Brutal Planet
Anthrax - Weve Come For You All
The Darkness - Permission To Land
A Perfect Circle - 13th Step
Probot - Probot

I guess I dont have a particular favorite ;D

Kujo, alright  ;D

Though I wouldn?t label Permission To Land as a hard rock album (hmm.. I said wrong. It should be hard rock album the past 5 years) though it's a good CD.

I have the album now..just listened it through..and re-listening the songs now


I love Set Me Free, Slither, YGNR, Loving The Alien, Fall To pices, Sucker Train Blues..

others...about half of them I like and half of them are fillers for me..but it's too early to say..I need to listen them up few times..

"there's no such thing as forcing yourself to like something...trust me."

Forced maybe isn't the right word, I prefer to call it conditioning. One can appreciate a form of art through constant exposure, an appreciation that lasts the rest of your life, or one can convince themselves that the art is quality through constant exposure. In this instance, it is a short lived appreciation.

We will see how long ContraBand lasts in the collective memory. Slash's first Snakepit album didn't make it past the summer, if i recall correctly from my rotation. We also heard Slash fans raving about the album for weeks on end, but it turned out to be a colossel dud.

Yes, I really hate that STP song Creep. I tried to make myself like it because i was in college and felt the need to fit in, but alas, refined tastes won out.

slim go play in traffic


im on my way to check my mail and im crossing my fingers! my copy should be in today! and i will listen and tomorrow ill throw my two cents in

i cant wait to cruise around town tonight blasting that drowning out all that fuckin rap music shit with real rock n roll music!

I've been listening to Contraband non stop since Tuesday. It's a good, straight ahead rock album with some killer riffs. I like it. I like Slash and STP.
Negatives:
Seems incomplete. No special slash solos, all very canned if you ask me. Nothing there you'll be hearing on the radio a year from now. This CD isn't groundbreaking or earth shattering or very original sounding. But I like it.
I don't care for some of Scott's lyrics. Kind of just thrown together in some places.
I don't like Fall to Pieces. D C G songs don't do it for me anymore. Loving the alien sounds too much like a pink floyd song.
My favorites are headspace, slither, set me free, big machine.
There you go, there's my opinion.
I think they rushed this cd to get it done and didn't put the effort in to make something truly spectacular. Either that or Axl was right, slash is lazy.

Ha ha ha ha hah ahhahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahhahahahahahahahhah,. You're high. :confused: Page is the innovator. Slash is just as sloppy live. Give me a break.

Not bad.  Crunchy, but a little bland.  Probably helps if you don't eat it raw.

im going to post two reviews, initial reaction review, meaning ive listened to every song once, and then ill post one next week after i let it grow on me

i know one thing, this is fuckin Gay trying to play it on your PC

i bought the fucking thing it  should play without going thru all this bullshit!!!! arghhhhhhh!

ive listened to half the album and like everyone else upon first listen, im not impressed and what ive heard so far has been pretty shitty to be quite honest

the music on every song ranges from 8 out of 10 to 10 out of 10 but reading scott's lyrics i just shake my head, did he put any effort into these? fall to pieces lyrics just reading them are fuckin garbage, same for you got no right,loving the alien, they maykick ass melodically and vocally to make up, but written word on a page they seem novice to low apprentice at best, far from brilliant




anyhow the songs ive heard so far

suckertrain blues, i can tell that i will end up liking this, but right now i understand like 5 words out of the whole song, so once i figure out what the hell he is singing about im sure the rating will go up but upon first listen this song is a 6.0 out of 10

do it for the kids i was cruising around and found myself turning this down when i pulled up beside other cars, not doing it for me right now, but like i said first listens are deceptive, right now its a 4 out of 10

big machine, im a minority here, i actually dig this on the first listen  8 out  of 10

illegal I pretty damn good song here i dig this also on first listen 8 out of 10

specatcle is the last song ive listened to so far and im not fond just yet, 4 out of 10

if my computer will ever fuckin load this shit ill listen to the rest

like i said im sure my review next week after its grown on me will be entirely different but right now i must say im more than a tad disappointed in this effort, the lyrics are hideous right now

this shit should work in the rom drive, i mean fuck, u cant burn out of a rom drive anyway, this pisses me off!

i was talkin to izzy on msn when he first listened and he talked about taking it back to the store it sucked so hard, i have the same feelings right now, but he loves it now, so hopefully after a few more listens i will love it also

ok loving the alien is fuckin spectacular 10 out of 10 easy, should be the next single

fallin to pieces over rated probably cause of the stupid fuckin november rain comparisons, what drugs were the fuckers that said this on i give it a 7 out of 10

you got no right its good i give it a solid 8 out of 10

im off to listen to more of this!

headspace on firs tlisten is a 6 out of 10

set me free 7 out of 10

slither 9 out of 10

dirty little thing is my fav rocker so far 8 out of 10 easy on first listen, i like that it kicks ass

superhuman kicks ass as well 7.5 out of 10 so far

ok ive listed to it all the way one time and so far its a good cd, i know ill end up loving it im pretty sure
this cd is a solid 7.5 out of 10, once u get past the lyrics on written paper, they are good the way scott sings em though, much better than i thought it was gonna be, its starting to kick ass

all of u were right




i cant listen to the rest of this cd cause im on my 6th listen in a row to loving the alien

god damn what a great fuckin song, if this isnt a single i will boy cott the next VR cd,

this song is gonna be around for a long time in my cd player!

Hahahahah D that whole post  i said before was a joke. :peace:

i was just being a smartass trying to relate another message into a gnr vs led zep war.

maybe i should put a disclaimer on my sarcastic posts just in case they're not sarcastic enough to the naked eye.

oops! sometimes the written word is deceiving

like that fucker that gave every VR song a 10 out of 10 and was talking about axhole

i thought he was serious!

forgive me im a little slow sometimes! :hihi:

damn..this album is growing on me more and more I listen to it. This really is a strong album with a few great hits and plenty of good songs on it, so if everything goes fine, this album will have good sell figures.

I can honestly say this is a verywell rounded old school typerocker, hard rocking songs with good ballads, something for everyone...

My favorite would be between loving the alien and dirty little thing.. I like all the songs, it's a type of album thatcould be released today, in 92 or 5 years from now and it wouldn't be dated,,. : ok:

I just got Contraband today. :)

After a few hearings, I'm a bit dissapointed. You would expect more from such musicians. This album does confirm who the creative force was in GNR. Axl and Izzy.

The album as a whole is not that bad. It doesn't bring anything new to the picture though. Hadn't been for songs such as LTA, YGNR, Set me free or Slither, this album would've been the biggest dissapointment of the decade so far. If the intention was to create an album and have nothing to say, then VR really have nailed it. But I don't think this has been the case. In VR's credit though, they've been trying to sell that " We are trying to get Rock and Roll back" and they sure have sticked to that. The lyrics are full of Rock and Roll cliches which I didn't really expect. I've always thought Scott was a great lyricist and quite frankly, I'm disappointed.

Weiland: He is brilliant in You got no right and Loving the Alien. He definitely sounds like old Scott from STP in both songs. Great lyrics, melodies and vocals. It does make you say :  "At last...Damn it took 9 songs to prove that" The rockers are weak though. Scott even sounds like a lame version of Fred Durst in Big Machine ( the worst song by far) and Spectacle ( a " big Machine" tough competitor for the worst song) Good efforts in Set Me free and Slither. It's hard to rate Scott efforts overall because the during the first 5 songs even I could've done better. He is unrecognizeble. From Falling to Pieces onwards, Scott lives up to the expectations though.

Slash and Duff: Great solos, especially in Falling to pieces and  LTA. Rest of riffs are average though. Nothing outstanding ( no Sweet Child, Browntone, Coma, Locomitve...)not to create any controversy here, but some riffs do sound like if had been written by Gilby clarke ( with all my respect to the dude). You would expect somthing better from Slash, now wouldn't you?

Dave: Was he the guy who was gonna bring the "modern edge" to the band? to me ( at least in this album) he sounds like any other rythm guitarist from the early 90's.

Matt:I guess he is the less dissapointment of the five. Solid drummer.


Song Highlights: LTA, YGNR, slither and SMF

Average: DIFTK, DLT & FTP

Filler: Superhuman, Suckerblues, Illegal I song, Headspace

Aweful Songs:Big Machine & spectacle.


Maybe my perception will change after more hearings, but right now I should say I expected more from these guys. Loving the Alien is a great song, so is YGNR, but there is way too much difference between them to and the rest.

All and all, I will still go to their gig when they hit these shores. I'm sure this band strongest asset is playing live. I won't miss that.

I think dirty little thing is a great song, nice solo by slash.. I think the more you listen the more you'll enjoy the album, Inotice it took me a few goarounds to soak in the music and hear stuff I missed

I think you're right on the money there Mike.  I bought it today having heard several songs before and after listening to it all i thought jeez this is a bit lame, now though im think this is good stuff, well done.  Reviews saying the beginning of the album is weak i think are false i prefer it, only song im not to keen on right now is You Got No Right which seems to go against what a lot of you have said but what the fuck it's all down to personal taste.  Top track so far Do It For The Kids.  I also like the live version of Bodies : ok: Nice cover there : ok:

Stoned snake,

I see you mentioned the reviews, I don't take reviews to seriously because they might have a large amount of lbums they listen to or might just not be a fan of the people in the band.. I think reviewers sometimes hear it once and never get the chance to give itthat second go around and miss how good tunes really are.
These are the same people giving blink album 4 to 5 stars..

I have to admitt I like the entire album, I think alotof new gnr fans only aren't opening their minds to new music and it's spoiling their judgement because they're comparing everything to old guns, or the few boots they've heard///

Overall the album is good, an all around albums from hard rockers, to ballads..Little something for everyone..

IT ROCKS!
I GOT IT TODAY!

I got a free poster and certificate and two postcards!
I bought a VR tshirt too!


I bought Classic rock mag with a DUFF article in!  :drool:
But my "friend" said its looks as if Duff was sucking on sour lemons!  :rant:
Oh boy did i shout!
"No it doesn't Duff is a sex god!!!!!!"  :beer:

Cool, sounds like someone likes duff :smoking: ENjoy, the album is excellent

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE DUFF!   :love:  ;D  :-*  :yes:  :peace:  : ok:  :drool:  :beer:  :o
HE IS THE ULTIMATE SEX GOD!   :drool:  :drool:  :drool:
NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :drool:  :-*  :yes:
He is just sooooooooo fit!
God have you seen his six-pack in the SLITHER video?
I mean how can he look so fine!
Keep kickboxing baby!  :-*

Actually today i read an article in Classic Rock mag about Duff and my plan is to move to L.A. where Duff lives, and go to the same kickboxing school as him!  :beer: YAY!
I got the mag cos there was two pages on him!
Oh those two pages- ever so special!  :-*

He's one in a million- he's a sex god!  : ok:

Ohhhhhhhh how fit?!?!?  :drool:  :drool:  :drool:   :drool:  :drool:  :drool:
SeRiOuSlY!  ;)

Duff- I just want to tell you- I love you!  :)

Haha... understatement of the year! :)

YEs indeed :rofl: I believe we have a duff fan ;D

Sorry, but I really tried to open my mind(listened many times). The only thing that I can tell you that I opened my mind for Audioslave after the first listen, and then I appreciate many songs. It's like when I was reading different reviews of Ain't Life Grand , but after listening, I liked a lot that album. I think that the rockers on ALG have more driving force. The only ballad (Back to the Moment) is also a great song, maybe many people compared Rod with Axl, but I didn't.  And symplifying, if somebody offered me to give one CD after the first listen, Audioslave or Ain't Life Grand vs Contraband, I would pick one of the first two.  :peace:

sometimes i wonder if they tried to hard to not sound like gnr and stp

u know

i wonder if slash played something and thought "thats to GNR" so maybe he held back in spots

same with scott i wonder if he sung or wrote some stuff and was like "thats to stp"

i do love dirty little thing though

the album is solid, not sure ill still be listening to it next year at this time, but for the moment its pretty good

overall its 3 stars out of 5, its good, not great, not excellent, its good, but i know they can do better on album number 2 after they've jelled some

D, I think you'll eat your own words and eventually put it up to 4 out of 5! : ok: ;D

I agree, D. Scott said that they left out the tracks that sounded too GNR or STPish - there were probably some great songs that they left out. :( But at least it lessens their chances of getting shit on for trying to sound like GNR or STP.

Also, Scott said that with STP, if everyone didn't like the songs, they included them anyway, but that it's going to be different with this band and if they didn't all agree then they wouldn't do it. I say don't listen to Slash(!), as he didn't like Sweet Child, which became one of their biggest songs ever. He even said so himself: "That just shows how much I know," or whatever he said...  ;D

very true kiedis

i only liked about 8 songs off of rhcp "by the way" cd for a few months and now i think its one of the 5 best cds ive ever heard
so the more i listen im sure the better contraband will become

however the lyrics on the by the way cd made it easy for me to relate to that

i cant really relate my  life to what scott sings about which is why i think im having a hard time getting fully connected with this disc

Ds opinion isnt exactly the most stable..

I think hell give the album every rating from 1 to 5 at some point or another.

lmmfao!!!!!!!!!!!! i know booker i know im fucked bro

right now this album is up to 4 stars, happy kiedis? lmmfao!

i was driving to my brothers and back and suckertrain blues is now an 8 out of 10, do it for the kids also is 8 out of 10, big machine which i liked from the first spin is a 7 out of 10

yeah ok booker u are right  i hop on both sides of the fences alot, one post im bashin them and loving axl, the next im praising them

im the ultimate devils advocate

if i didnt love my custom title so much id change mine to "devils advocate"

VR kick ass thats a fact, im not puttin weiland over axl ever, but i admit VR are a kick ass fuckin band! there i said it!

I agree! I think the reason it grew on my after the 2nd day is because it sounds like GN'R and AFD only grew on me the 2nd day also.

My favorite rocker on the album!!!

god damn you're such a #1 Duff fan on this board and I guess in the whole world. Glad to see you like the album also.

oh yeah Im happy now! :yes: Im wearing a huge happy hat! : ok: ;D

YEAH BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :yes:  :yes:  :yes:

DUFF IF YOU'RE READING TAKE NOTES! I LOVE YOU!  :-*

OMG VR'S ALBUM ROCKS MAN!  :beer:

"I'm Duff's Number 1 Fannnnnnn!!!!!
I'm Duff's Number 1 Fannnnnnn!!!!!"  ;D

I love the CD. Favorite song: Loving the Alien

I like every song but spectical and set me free doesn't belong IMO

Agreed.  : ok:

It's the best CD i've heard in a long time! Velvet Revolver fucking rules!

that pretty much somes up my thought  too.  : ok: :beer:

Song by song review:

1. Sucker Train Blues

Great opening track, great intro. Chorus stuck in my head after hearing the song for the first time. 8/10

2. Do it for the Kids

One of my favourites, I love the chorus. 8/10

3. Big Machine

This one took a while to get into. It?s ok, defends its place on the album. 7/10

4. Illegal I Song

Great song, especially Matt shines on this one. Scott does a great job too. 8/10

5. Spectacle

IMO this is the song they should have dropped from the album. Kinda like a remake of Do it for the Kids (the choruses are too similar). Slash?s solo is excellent but couldn?t save the song. 5/10

6. Fall to Pieces

This song is well placed, it comes just when you?ve had enough of rockers for a while. Chorus is a bit dull, but I love the verses (nice melody by Scott) 7/10

7. Headspace

This is the best track, or at least the best rocker, on Contraband. Fucking excellent. The chorus riff sounds like a rocked-out Soundgarden riff (not bad association). The weirdest thing on this song is that c-part after the actual chorus ("living, taking chances..."): every time I hear that part, it reminds me of Linkin? Park! I hate Linkin?Park, but while Chester Bennington would?ve shouted his way through this part (like he always does in the choruses...zzz...), Scott shows his talent and sings the part with true beauty.

Should be a single. 10/10

8. Superhuman

Another one of my favourites. Scott does a fine job on this one as well, except for the "rodeo, rodeo, rodeo" part. Interesting guitar work. 9/10

9. Set Me Free

Excellent, one of the best rockers. 9/10

10. You Got No Right

IMO the best moment on Contraband. Sends shivers down my spine. 10/10

11. Slither

Great song, especially the intro sounds excellent. I still wonder why they released this as their first single. It?s a great song, but not in my top three. 8/10

12. Dirty Little Thing

Didn?t excpect too much from this one, maybe because the Paris Hilton theme didn?t sound that great. I stand corrected, this song fucking rocks! One of the best rockers. 9/10

13. Loving the Alien

The third song on my top 3 (the others being Headspace and YGNR). Beautiful. I don?t know if it?s only my ears, but doesn?t the verse have a kind of country-vibe to it. I hate country music (apart from Johnny Cash) but I love the song. A great ending with Slash?s guitar fading out, EXCELLENT! 10/10

Oveall rating 8.5/10

"Spectacle"s actually become one of my favorite rockers, and Im surprised that more people dont like it.  The ascension of the chorus is somewhat similar to "DIFTK," but the melodies are distinct.  

Ugh, don't say that.... that's my favourite part of the song.  :-X

blah I'm going to give it a 6.5 out of 10.  I find myself turning down the music when I pull up to a redlight, I'm embarassed to have scotts voice loud.  This cd is like wimpy rock and roll

 :hihi: :hihi: i did that to when i first bought the cd nine1wing!


only song i really dont dig is spectacle, but i say it'll come around

every other song at the present time kicks ass!

Booker, I agree with you.  Spectacle has become one of my favorites.  When I first got this album, as I stated on around the first page of this thread, Superhuman was my dark horse.  It is a great song, and actually like the rodeo, rodeo, rodeo part.  

My favorite Rockers.

Dirty Lil Thing
Headspace
Sucker Train
Slither
Spectacle
Illegal I

Ballads

YGNR
Sometimes
Falling

Fillers, but not bad: Do it for the kids and Big Machine

Great album, but Dirty Little Thing just rocks so damn hard, as well as Headspace.  Does the riff in headspace remind anyone of pearl jam.....even flow?  whatever, it ROCKS!!

Great album!!!  By the way, Matt Sorum's drumming has improved sooooo much.  He did a hell of a job on this album.  Way to go Matt!!  

big machine isnt a filler its one of my favorites actually i love it!

D, i am listening to it right.  it is growing on me.  it does kind of rock once it gets going.  just something about it annoys me in the begining.  not bad.  ends nicely.  Headspace and DLT is where the real rock is at.  Superhuman is just plaing adicting.

Big Machine  rocks, but the drumming  at the start remindes my of we got the beat or what ever it is called.

I like Big Machine, but I just don't like the lyrics. The riff is cool though.

I love the rest of the album :beer:

I noticed that also.


and BTW I become to like Spectacle also. expecially the chorus and the end of the song..same goes with Do It For The Kids, in the beginning I didn't like it too much.

right now im mad about 11 songs

however

spectacle and superhuman still have to grow somewhat


favorites are big machine,suckertrainblues,ygnr ftp and lta

Hello due to some personal issues it has been some time since I've posted here in this forum. For now I'm back.

I bought Contraband June 8th around 4 PM EST time.

I did this routinley, the first song that I listened to was Set Me Free, and then Slither offically.

After those 2 songs I went straight to Fall to Pieces. The song itself was not very strong at first but after a few listens it was alright.

I've listened to the CD a lot not and after any other thoughts of it. I've decided that it WAS NOT what everyone cracked it up to be.

IT is a great record but Slash's guitar work was a little lacking. It looking like they played too much Weiland in this, but I like the CD. It could of been better though. It sounds like the first second of Fall to Pieces is cut off.

In You Got No Right, their are lyrical errors from the book to the song.

The better songs off of Contraband are:

Sucker Train Blues
Spectacle
Fall to Pieces
Headspace
Superhuman
Set Me Free
You Got No Right
Slither
Loveing the Alien

All those songs are good... I like them all. Loving the Alien is a great song especially.

I like the CD a lot and it is the best rock record in the last 5 years at least... probably more.

Contraband is not what is was supposed to be because we are all starving for music. It is what it will sale. #1 is coming.

Fall To Pieces should not be the 2nd single. I was thinking more like Spectacle or Loving the Alien.

CONTRABAND!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT IS NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :rant:

You're the wimp if you can't blast ya music at a bloody stop sign!!!  :P (ONLY JOKIN!)  :-*
Jeeeeees man- i'd do it!
You should blast that fucker up man!  :beer:
Be proud!

Is it just Scott's voice you hate?
Please don't say its my Duff!  :o

Cant stop listening to this CD...

Sucker Train Blues, Do it for da Kidz and Big Machine rock to open da cd.
I kinda dig Illegal eye but i always skip Spectacle I think its to generic so i go straight to Fall to Pieces which rules.
HEadspace and Superhuman are ok, then I go straight with SEt ME Free, YGNR and Slither...Dirty Little Thing has grown with each listen and Loving da Alien is really amazin  : ok:

Well, Amazon FINALLY got the damn CD to me (the white cover), and I just finished it earlier. ?Here are my song by song reviews, then the whole thing at the end.

Sucker Train Blues
Love Duff's opening bass part, the vocals are good except for the megaphone shit, Slash's riffs are really good; his solo is good though done in an atypical tone.

Do it for the Kids
The song seems mediocre until the "showtime for strangers" line, then it picks up with good chorus melodies and vocals, Slash's mini-solos and fills are really good, as is his closing.

Big Machine
Good intro, Scott wrote better lyrics here than the previous two, Slash's riffs are catchy if unspectacular.

Illegal I Song
Vocals that are the kind that grow on you gradually; awesome Slash solos.

Spectacle
Matt's drums are the first thing that stood out for me about this song, and that's a good thing, he really wrote some good stuff for this song. ?Very good vocals and melodies, Slash's fills are good and he tops them off with a nice solo.

Fall to Pieces
Just a flat out beautiful song; lyrics, melody, Slash's incredible solo and post-chorus solos, everything. ?Beautiful.

Headspace
The riffs sound too much like previous songs, ultimately very redundant. ?Some good vocals, Slash gives a good but unremarkable solo. ?Definitely the weak link of the album, at least upon first listen.

Superhuman
Cool guitar intro, better lyrics than some of the others, catchy vocals.

Set Me Free
What can I say about this one that hasn't already been said? ?Fucking great song all-around; vocals, riffs, drums, solos, everything.

You Got No Right
Scott's singing is incredible, an overall good ballad with a soulful Slash solo.

Slither
I love Duff's and Matt's bass/drum intro, perhaps Slash's best guitar solo on the entire CD, a very good song all-around.

Dirty Little Thing
Duff's bass line here really reminds me of "It's So Easy". ?Matt's drums are very good, the music flows fantastically, though the lyrics are not quite as subtle as the overall message indicates they should be.

Loving the Alien
Great vocal melody, Slash's pervasive background solos are beautiful, a very pretty song.

Bodies (Live)
I downloaded this one, and I like it. ?No real opinion other than that, since it's just a cover.


OVERALL REVIEW

I honestly do not know what the hell the people on the GNR forum were talking about when they say this album is uninspired; nothing could be further from the truth. ?These guys put everything they had into this record, and it shows. ?Better than any of the ex-gunners solo projects, this one really benefits from the synergy of such talented players. ?I think it's great they split the writing credits between all of them, because they all deserve it.

Who said there aren't many Slash solos on this record? ?A few songs don't have them, but Slash is all over this record. ?They are not as prominent as his GNR solos, but they are definitely there.

I will admit that the lyrics are lacking in places, though I think most of the people who don't like them are holding them to an Axl Rose standard, which Scott doesn't deserve, because...well, because he isn't Axl Rose. ?Even when the lyrics don't hold up to close scrunity, Scott's flawless and unflinching delivery of them makes the listener forget that.

Overall, I agree with a lot of you, this is definitely the kind of record that gets better with each listen, I could tell that from listening once. ?The only real criticism I have read so far has been (in one form or another) "but it's not as good as Guns N Roses!" ?Well people, that's because it's NOT Guns N Roses! ?It's Velvet Revolver, and they delivered one hell of a rock n roll record; the best of the past decade.

I give it a 8 out of 10. ? : ok: ? 8)

I just heard "loving the alien" for the first time on cd (not on 32k VH1 stream) and i have to say this is a great song. Best rock melody i have heard since Shangri-la-de-da. The rest of the cd sounds 10x better at the 568 bit-rate.  

I disagree, I think Scotts lyrics are dull and uninspired on Big Machine and are much better on the other songs.
Repeating "it's a big machine" 50 times in the song kinda bugs me. I like the music though. Cool riff to jam on too.

BIG MACHINE ROCKS!
I love the lyrics- they are hard-rockin' man!
 :beer:

Hell if it made the bitter old man THIS happy the album must be good. : ok:

The more I listen to this album the more I love it. It's true rock n roll.  :beer:

For this review, we will use the Nick Nasty patented review system:
Scale of 1 to 5 N's, 1 being shit, 5 being Classic.

---Art: 2.5 N's: I've never liked the multi-cover gimmicks, but the shadow of the woman with the pistol is cool.

--- Lyrics: 3.5 N's: Good, Not great...obviously mostly about drug/rehab experiences.

---Music: 4 N's: It IS SO GOOD to hear a Slash solo again! The guitar work on "LTA" is reminscient of SCOM, "Illegal I" has some YCBM in it.

--- Best Songs: Big Machine, Illegal I, Loving the Alien

---Weakest Songs: Set Me Free ( already overplayed, couldve been left off, IMO), Headspace, Superhuman

Overall: 4 N's (Excellent)

I had low expectations coming into this album, largely due to my pro Axl bias ( I admit it!) But this album is certainly well done. It takes the strenghs of the players and magnifies them. It's not GNR, but it IS rock-n-roll, and we definetly need more of it in this teeny-bop world.

I still don't have the album because i simply can't afford it. I've downloaded the album though and heard it a couple of times on my computer but i got no blanks to burn it either. So driving to uni i don't have much to listen to.

But then........Slither comes on the radio......and its full blast down the free way. Opened up all the windows, this was night time too in winter. I was rockin' out. I was wearing a jacket with a massive hood (like from horror movies or something). I put it over my head all my dreads in my face too. It woulda been funny for all the cars next to me. Full blast fuckin slither riff, a guy with a massive hood with dreadlocks coming out of it. I think i scared an old granny next to me at the lights.

To all those people that say they feel ashamed to pull up to the lights with the music pumping. Do you really give a flying fuck what the car next to you thinks?
Hell sometimes i blast terrible songs on purpose to see the reaction i get. Tonnes of Motley Crue and old 80's rock hell even the darkness wait those aren't terrible i love them.

Man i love this album more and more. : ok:

ive had the album for a week now so im gonna do a review cause my first one wasnt right cause the songs hadnt grown on me


suckertrain blues  excellent opening song, now i know what scott is saying i think its awesome  8.3 out of 10

do it for the kids  this song gets better with every listen 8.1 out of 10

big machine  i love this fucking song! my fav rocker 9.5 out of 10

illegal i song  has gotten better but still not one of my favs  7.5 out of 10

spectacle, still dont really see why everyone raves, its gotten better than b4, but its still my least fav song 7.2 out  of 10

fall to pieces, simple but powerful  8.5 out of 10

headspace, im figuring out the lyrics now and it makes this song awesome  8 out of 10

superhuman see headspace, i know what he is saying makes it awesome  7.8 out of 10

set me free blah im sick of it b4 i got the album but i guess its a 7.6 out of 10

you got no right amazing!!!!!!! should be next single in my opinion  9.5 out of 10

slither great song cant believe alot of us trashed this when it was announced as first single  9.5 out of 10

dirty little thing  7.8 out of 10

loving the alien if estranged is a 10 out of 10 then loving the alien is a 9.7 out of 10!

over all 109 divided by 13 is

rounded off 8.4   4.2 stars out of 5! great cd!

Nice review, D. I think I agree with quite a few of your points!

OK, here is my own review. I wanted to wait until I had enough time to let everything sink in because I knew I would change my mind a bit if I posted the review right away.

Sucker Train Blues - Really nice opener to the cd. Catchy chorus, solid solo. 8/10

Do It For The Kids - Great song! I love Scott's intro to the song. I can't help but want to sing along with it. I love the chorus and the harmonies. Slash does a good job on this song.  8.5/10

Big Machine - I know some people bag on the lyrics, but this song is catchy as hell! The music is great, especially Slash's guitar work. I always have to turn up the volume everytime this song comes on.  9/10

Illegal i Song - I fell in love with it as soon as I heard it on the bootlegs. It has a nice little Zeppelin style groove going for it. Matt really shines on this song. I love the end when Scott is screaming and Slash is playing a killer riff. Has major single potential. 9/10

Spectacle - This song isn't bad as some made it out to be. I'm not a big fan of the way the verses sound, but I suppose it could grow on me. The chorus sounds excellent.  7/10

Fall To Pieces  - I love the song! I really think Scott shines on this song, especially on the verses. Slash's guitar melodies are excellent too, of course!  9/10

Headspace - This is another song I love! It has an extremely catchy chorus that I learned right off the bat. The vocal melodies of this song are really good. Slash has an outstanding solo in this song.  9/10

Superhuman - This song is the sleeper of the album, in my opinion. It just grows on me with every listen. Catchy riffs, catchy vocals, good lyrics. Scott's vocals on the second verse reminds me a bit of Michael Jackson. Not in a bad way, of course. 9/10

Set Me Free - I just love turning this tune up. I love the sound of the drums and Scott's vocals on the verses. Very catchy song.  8.5/10

You Got No Right -  This song is just perfect. It exceeded all expectations and then some! Scott does a superb job on this song, as does Slash. This song will easily be a classic. Should be a single.  10/10

Slither - Great song.  I turn it up everytime I hear it on the radio or when I am listening to the cd. 8.5/10

Dirty Little Thing - I can't say I see why some people favor this song so much. It's not bad by any means, but it doesn't really stand out to me either. Slash's solo is pretty good.  7/10

Loving The Alien - I was pleasantly surprised when I heard this song. It is incredibly beautiful. Another excellent job by Slash & Scott. This will be a classic as well as YGNR.  9.5/10

Overall 8.6/10 or 4.3 stars of 5.  : ok:

I usually don't like an album the first time I hear it. Same situation with Contraband. However, I have force fed myself the entire album and now give it two thumbs way up. I can't stop listening to it. My buddy at work has to hate me. I find myself singing along already. Kick ass rock. Anyone that says different should lighten up and enjoy what we do have instead of what we don't. (GNR) By the way I had a VIP pass for the Austin show and would be excused for being very pissed off, but it doesn't change the fact that this album is pretty damn good.

You know... I always do that too.  I think coming off the loud Do it for the Kids, the drums at the beginning are just too quiet.  Has anyone else noticed this?? If I want the full effect of Big Machine, I always have to crank it (not that it's a problem).

It's was done intentionally...the drums slowly builds up then Boom!!! IT'S A BIG MACHINE, IT'S A BIG MACHINE!!!!!!

A member complained about me posting in the wrong place, so I copied it here:

The guitars as well as the CD is as good as you're gonna get.  If anyone thinks this CD is less than at least good, then I have to wonder if they are biased.  For example, there is no doubt in my mind that Blabbermouth has some sort of biased against the band for whatever reason.

The riffs on this album are jaw dropping.  I like it from the beginning, but loved it after a few listens. Usually, the best CDs that have the most staying power are the ones that take a few listens to get into.

I'm really shocked when people say they dislike Big Machine, which easily is one of the very best rockers on the CD.  It has the most style and takes the most chances.  Since it does not have a hint of the classic Slash and GNR formula, I think some people are more closed minded about it.  It is closer to an STP style.  But the riff is fat and in your face and the vocals are catchy and the changes in the song make it great.

I also feel that Loving the Alien and Headspace are among the very best.  I do like Fall to Pieces, but it is an 80's like power ballad in some ways - not that I have a problem with that.  LTA is one of the best rock songs ever - talk about an epic song.

One of best things that Scott and the new producer brought to VR is a big fat sound on the riffs.  The riffs are big and meaty sounding.  This was always a complaint of mine for GNR (especailly on the UYI's), which was that the rockers would sound so much better if they beefed up the the riffs.  When I cranked up these rockers, I would feel like I want to lower the treble on my stereo because they often (not always) were bright sounding.  But just so ya know, I am huge GNR fan, especailly the UYI CD's, despite my complaints.

Speaking of mixes, I think Sucker Train Blues could have been a lot better if they mixed it better with the riff up front more.  The intro is fantastic because you get to hear that phenomenal train like riff up front.  But when the vocals kick in. it takes a back seat.  The riff is there in the chorus, but in the background.  But the riff is the best part of this song and needs to be up front more.  Right now the instruments sound muddy.  This is why I think that this song will be ten times better live.  I think it's a great song.

I think Scott Weiland is just an amazing singer.  Yes his voice is great, but his singing ability and judgment is what really makes him amzaing.  His singing can make a good song a great song.  Folks, if we don' have Axl, then we are so lucky to hace Scott.  

Wait until you hear these songs live.  They will shine even more.  If they do the MTV music awards, I am praying that they do a rocker (Headspace?) and not a ballad.  Great rockers always come off better on that show compared with ballads.  

This CD is one of the best guitar rock CD's ever.  So be happy for these guys and for us.  Let's hope Axl can also produce some great music soon with the Axl Rose band (I REFUSE TO REFER TO HIS BAND AS GUNS N' ROSES).

Dave

Everyone is entitled to their own oppinion....mine... contraband isnt like GNR but what do expect? Give it up for the guys for still wanting to rock.. They are introducing a new rock, to this time and the fucken cd rocks... I saw them in Phily and their new songs sound even better live, and I look forward to seeing them in Jersey... Duff, Scott, and Slash sound great and for all you that think that they are tring to make a lame come back and think the CD sucks.....why dont you just fuck off!?
        Duff you are soo fucken hott!!!

First of all I dont think anyone said this was Guns N Roses.  They split up a long time ago.  You need to move up to times and quit comparing.  Look if you want Guns N Roses go to your old CD's.  Heck I am an old ROCKER from way back and they have my thumbs up.  I am ready to rock because this band ROCKS!  They are a band that will leave a mark in history that is for sure. As for yourself you need to go get a life because it isnt all about SLASH.  This is a group of guys that is all talented and if you would have maybe seen Scott in Stone Temple Pilots you would know that Scott dont play.  I saw him in Mrytle Beach and Charleston SC.  The man rocks and is totally into his music.  So, this new band give'em a chance they will make a mark in ROCK N ROLL.  I will be there to see them and support them! Scott has just added the final touch to the band.  Oh by the way go see live then tell me they don't rock.  Maybe you need to ask Slash if he has some solo albums you can get.  :-)  Rock on, and Slash, Scott, and the rest of the band dont listen to a moran.  I think the band rocks, and consider the wording in his email.  He is wanting Guns N Roses back.  Obviously, he doesn't know good music when he hears it.    



uote author=Top-Hatted One link=board=15;threadid=12819;start=0#msg222863 date=1086123048]
looks like you were expecting another Snakepit record. Nothing wrong with that. Just keep in mind that it is possible to sound different but good at the same time. You don't like LTA ,but I think it's amazing and I usually like songs that are 8min+
8) 8)

okok I think everyone here knows you love him by now hun :P

and besides... I do kick boxing, I got a sixpack (ok not really, but it's damn close!!) and you never say I look hot *pout*
 :rofl:


hey if you really wanna take on kick boxing (therefor not in LA but just in general  :P ) better start with something else first, something easier, cause trust me it's damn tough!!! it's not only physically but also mentally, don't forget that... I got a duff interview where he talks bout how disciplined you have to be to do that sport and all, remind me to give it to you next time you're online ;)




and bout big machine: I think the fact it starts so soft and quiet is good, it has more power like that... also they know people are gonna turn the sound up so when you get the chorus it just explodes in your head!!!! :D :peace:

This is my second review of the album, after listening to it for about 3 weeks.  The best rockers are Sucker Train Blues, Do It For the Kids, Set Me Free, Slither, and Dirty Little Thing.  The chorus to the latter is tremendous.  As for the ballads, You Got No Right is good, not great, but Fall to Pieces is a masterpiece.  They should release this as their next single.  It is a great combination of UYI Gn'r and STP.  Loving the Alien is a great ballad as well, but I don't think they should've closed this "rocker" album with a ballad.  Illegal i Song is terrible, Spectacle is OK, Headspace is decent, Superhuman has some great parts in it, and Big Machine has a nice chorus but weak lyrics.  Overall, I give this a 4 out of 5.  The album has grown on me, but it isn't a masterpiece.  I'm happy but not blown away by it.

Thanks for the interview babes!!!   :-*
Duff Duff he's our man..... hee hee! You know what I mean Gypsy!  ;)

I'm only taking kickboxing for DUFF!
Hee hee he'll show me the ropes, so i wont need to start off softly!!  :rofl:

Ohhhhhhh Duff!!!!!! I'm Gunner cry when Duff comes to the UK with VR!!  :crying:

It's an album that grows on you. The more you listen the more you like.

I think it is very solid album. Overall very good but maybe not up to the hype.

I love Big Machine--it is to true--Slither, Sucker Train blues (can't stop listening), do it for the kids, you got no right, SMF.

I think the 2nd album will be even better--where are the songs from Izzy?

I haven't gotten contraband yet but tonight I went out to best buy to look around and they had about 8 to 9 spots for VR and there was not one single cd to buy. I even walk around those cd rasks that they put up in the front by the check out lines. I will have my own review soon.

Later

Just looking at the Contraband survivor thread, and it kinda worries me about the songs getting voted off as least favourites... :nervous:

Spectacle, which was voted off first, is probably my favourite song on there at the moment. How can you NOT like a kickass song like that????
Spectacle is just filled with so much GN'R fuck-you attitude. With lyrics like "motherfucker yeah!" and "incessant bitch" what's there not to like?
The song totally pumps me up full of energy and is a great outlet if you've had a shit day.

I agree with Big Machine getting voted off. I don't like the chorus all that much still, but the music and the "hope I teach my son" parts are pretty cool.

And now I see Illegal I Song is getting votes. Again, this is one of the best songs on Contraband, not the worst!
It shows these guys steering away from their "traditional rock" styles from the past, and sounding more like Jane's Addiction than GN'R. And the drumming in the song is just phenomenal! : ok:

Oh well, each to their own I guess.

This review comes from the website.As you can see it is more of a band review than and album review,but I think it's cool anyway and I thought I would share it with everyone :peace: http://www.ragegraphicsandwebdesign.com (http://www.ragegraphicsandwebdesign.com)


By Jerry Simmons Jr.

Are you sick of music reviews being written by old bitter people that have nothing better to do than say bad things about the bands that you like? Well I am not an old person (well it depends on what you consider old) and I will be fair to the bands that I write about.

This week my review will be about a band that everyone is talking about these days, Velvet Revolver. The band is made up of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum and former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland and guitar slinger Daver Kushner.

Their debut album Contraband has been a hit among music lovers all over the world. They have been compared to Guns N' Roses and STP. They have a sound that is all their own. They've been called a 'super group' but as guitarist Dave Kushner points out in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine." This can't be a 'super group' because I'm in it."

Their first single "Slither" hit the radio waves and became a hit for them. Some reviewers have said that this band doesn't have lasting power, but I think they are wrong. I will do a review of Contraband soon, so check back often and as Slash says "Guitar solos are back." Thanks for reading.

I thought it rocked! i love track 12, the only thing i dont like is the singer because he is not very powerful like axl is.

geez don't finnish that sentence here!!! you already have a twisted rep but im still "clean", at least give the others a chance to think im a little angel! :rofl:

lol a friend of mine met him backstage and she was there with her sis and they got to talk to slash and duff ( :D!) and she said started that "poem" there: "of all the men that are hot stuff, the nicest one i think is..." and her sister shut her up (they were both kinda drunk) and she was like "what? i was gonna say slash!!" :rofl: she said the guys laughed but i don't think they bought it :P :hihi:

I got a Q for you guys... what do you think of the first song?
personally i think it's a bit weak for an opener  :-\
so what do you think?  :nervous:

lol shut up you! :hihi: and he doesn't get upset, he just doesn't like it  :P  
meh im a slut, ok, i admit that, hard to deny it here, some of the members know all too well i am  :hihi:  but that doesn't mean im a freak! other than the slut thing i really am a pawwwfetc little angel!

 :nervous: why won't anyone believe me?? :nervous:

STB is great. With the sirens a blaring it gets you in the mood. If you see them live and come out to STB you'll love the song.  Its a great way to start the album it sets the mood, What would be a better start? FTP?  

STB is a great way to start your album.


Also the one thing I would like to see on the second album is some of the Izzy songs with his lyrics or I'd like to see Duff write some, its a hard time relating to all scott's lyrics and I think Duff could and something, Just one Duff song!

Ok, here?s my personal review.I have also added some comarations with other artsits/songs.

Sucker Train Blues
Awsome opener.One of my favourites rockers.Awsome vocals (very srtong!).Some very cool Slash licks and  pretty wild good solo (I love the way the whamy bar sounds).
9/10

Do It For The Kids
The first part (when Scott screams "went to fast...." and that riff remainds me to Nirvana.But then Slash comes in and the first little solo reminds me to YCBM.What I like most of this song is the chorus, the pre-solo bridge and the solo (againn the whammy bar!!)Although here some guitar parts sound hurried (I mean it seems some guitar parts were recorded in a short period of time and Slaash didn?t worked too much on it)
8/10

Big Machine
Cool intro by Duff, but I would prefer it clean and not distotioned.Really heavy one, I really dig it.Slash sounds very wild with his licks.The typical Scott voice very cool.
7/10

Illegal I Song
Matt is on the spot here.His best work on the hole album.Scott sounds, like, younger, dunno if you understand what I mean....The chorus of this songs seems to be inspired on the "Showtime for Stangers" part of Do It For The Kids.Cool (but too short) Slash solo, not that wild this time, but more rocker.
7/10

Spectacle
Cool one.I think of this song as the punk-rock one (especially in the chorus)I dont quiet like the lyrics here.This may be the only song were I dont really dig Slash?s solo.
6/10

Fall To Pieces
Finally a ballad!!!Awsome, really dig it.I think Slash (by his solo) and Scott (by his voice and lyrics) are the ones that shine in this song.
OH!!!!THE SOLO!!!Classsiiiccccc!!Along with Slither?s one, the best solo!!!
10/10

Headspace
The first riff reminds me to Korn?s "I did my time" (or something like that).Slash{s solo isnt that awsome, but cool.
8/10

Superhuman
Dont really like the riff.The week track if u ask me.
6/10

Set Me Free
Rock and Fucking Roll!!!!!!!!!!!!Awsome solo, Duff sounds great, Scott sings amazingly!!
Cool catchy chorus, and I love the My Freedom part.
10/10

You Got No Right
SO mellow!!I love it.I fucking love it.Very good acustic work and great solo SLash.Cool way of singing by Scott!!I really like where he sings the part of "Funny right here I found myself...."
10/10

Slither
Best Rocker along with Set Me Free!!!Aesome effect work by Dave on the intro and WIIILLDDD SOLO.I actually hit my head to a door once when the solo gets very fast and wild!!!! :hihi:
10/10

Dirtty Little Thing
Like Dizzy, the bass line reminds me to It?s So Easy.But I think the vocals are in some places too similar to STB so thats something bad.Fortunatley the solo saves it.Maybie too shreder but cool.And maybie the sound of the guitar solo isn?t the best one but cool equaly.
7/10

Loving The Aliens
Dunno who makes those weird guitar sounds (probably Dave but....) but they rock.So beautiful.Maybie too pop but really cool I love it, no problem with a bit of pop.Those bends on the second verse are so slow and relaxing.Exept the part of "I never noticed   how lovely were the aliens" (???) the lyrics are very cool.Oh, the solo, so sweet.This is one of those songs that when you hear it you feel like crying.So beautifull.
13/10

Overall
Best album in a lot of years.Prbably best album since the UYI albums.Velvet Revolver, my 2nd fav band!!!!If the album hadn?t that couple of flaw songs I would give it a 10 but since they are there my veredict is:
9/10





Baby Slash//

I love it!! The louder the better. They start the show with it and it kicks off a good 90 minutes of pure R n' R. It is a great song and one of the best I have heard in recent memory from contemporary "rock." I cannnot think of  a better opening from the album than STB.

I really like this album a lot. I am a big fan of both GN'R and STP and this album didn't disapoint me.

I think that the new VR album will be even better, now that they have really jelled. I really wish that Kushner would leave and Izzy would take his place though.

This album kicks ass all the way through, it's a very well rounded album with good hard rocker and cool ballads... It will be in my cd rotation for years as it is ever since june 7th..

They will keep rocking and give us another gem in the new year..

I agree with everything except izzy, I loved izzy back in theday but he seems to be more of a drifter and not reliable , plus dave is a good guy, why fix what isn't broken..?

it's been about two months since the album was released. overall, i can only give it a 7. i'm definitely a little disappointed.

at first i wasn't impressed at all. but after a few listens it really grew on me. for a couple weeks i was loving it, playing it every day in my car. but i listened to it yesterday after not playing it for about 2 weeks and it let me down again.

has anyone else experienced the same thing?

it's a good album, definitely not a great one. i don't think there's one truly great song on there - although fall to pieces comes close. i'm a big fan of songs that are on the heavy side, and there's not one song that just rocks hard beginning to end. IMO, not a single song on this album will be played on the radio 10 years from now, or more importantly, in my cd player.

How can you be so adament about not liking Contraband.  The sound on the album is great and shows how the band has evolved through the times.  The new songs rock.  It will take people some time to get used to Scott but we all need to get used to it.  Luckily, I'm a big fan of STP and GNR so I feel the mixture of Scott and the boys from Guns is great.

You should catch them live.  It was great and dare I say that Scott sounded way better than Axl.  I'm as big an Axl fan as there is but the man's vocals are not always great during live performances.

Peace out!

Madagascar better than songs in AFD?  Are you kidding me.  Madagascar sounds like a remix of Estranged.  Axl spends a decade away to remake songs that should've been in Illusions II.  Velvet Revolver will have greater success than Axl and his band of journeymen.

Sucker train blues weak?  hmm, let's see:::  NOOOOO!!!  Are you kidding me?  The song rocks and it's great live.

omg ur so right, i saw them live and when i saw weiland come out with his fuckin' cop hat and tie and the band bustin' out suckertrain, i was blown away.? It really is a great song, awesome intro and riff, cool chorus, great solo, amazing opener, reallly gets u in the mood.

I have similar feelings about it.

At first it did nothing. "Is this it?" was how I felt about it. Then I listened to it some more and started to appreciate it more, but it's still not a great album for me. I still can't get into certain songs on it.

I can't relate to certain fans who say it's a 9/10 or 10/10 album because if their second album is better, what grade would it get? I mean, is this the best they can do? 10/10 is supposed to be perfect..... It's not perfect in my opinion.



I'm sure the songs are more suited to be heard in a live setting though (or I hope so).



/jarmo

I've been listened to the album for the first time in about a month. I really enjoyed it. I would have to give it a 9 out of 10. It's a really really great record, IMHO. Fast and furious with great hooks.

Great album but a lot different in style and tone from AFD and Slash's usual playing...
Sucker Train Blues is excellent and so is You Got No Right (esp. the solo) ...

Different but definitely good! :)

Ok I will give my 1-10 rating now that I have had sometime to soak up this kick ass album. I give it 8.2/10 which is pretty damn good. Appetite being my favorite of all time gets a 9.4/10

1. Sucker Train Blues     9
2. Do It For The Kids     5
3. Big Machine               8.5
4. Illegal i Song             7.5
5. Spectacle                  5.5
6. Fall To Pieces            6.5
7. Headspace               7
8. Superhuman             9
9. Set Me Free              8
10. You Got No Right    10     
11. Slither                     10
12. Dirty Little Thing     10     
13. Loving The Alien     10

I listened to it a few times when I got it, but then I sort of lost interest...I saw it as an album that was merely okay, with a few good songs, but nothing too great.  I think the Fall To Pieces video got me to put it on again.  For some reason I've been listening to it a lot over the past few days, and I'm really starting to appreciate it.  Of course all the ballads are incredible, but the rockers are starting to grow on me more.  I always loved Slither and Set Me Free, of coures, as well as Do It For The Kids and Big Machine.  But I'm starting to enjoy Sucker Train Blues and Superhuman, too - I got them both stuck in my head the other day, which is a good thing.  Some of the other rockers I still skip over, though.  I ALWAYS skip over Illegal i and...and the one after Illegal i.  I'm drawing a blank...that might tell you what I think of the song.  Same for Dirty Little Thing.  But the album certainly is growing on me.  You Got No Right and Slither are my fave tunes on it, I think.

If I were to write a review of the album in june, i'd have given it a 10/10.. but after a few more months of listening, the songs just seem very mediocre.. the music is top notch.. i love it but the lack of variety in the vocals and the strange lyrics really get under my skin.. i give the album 7/10.. suckertrain blues, super human, set me free, slither are great rockers.. i especially like super human because its about coccaine.. and it reminds me alot of scarface (one of my fav movies) where at the end he's just snorting up a mountain of coke and becomes practically invinceble.. he becomes "super human" :hihi: so that's the reason i loved that song. i liked fall to pieces too.. i didnt think it was all that special but it was really nice. my review's not a great one i know and please dont base your judgement whether to buy or not to buy the album (if you havent already) on my review.. so basically, its a great album, and do yourself a favor, and have a listen.. i guarantee you its one of the best albums of 2004..

Just goes to show you how varied the tastes are of fans on this board, because I think Illegal I and Spectacle (the other song you're referring to) are two of the best songs on the album. The solo in Spectacle is one my favourite Slash solos ever and the whole song has a real sense of urgency to it, it kinda reminds me of Queens of the Stone Age's "Go With The Flow".
And Illegal I is really in yer face with it's really cool drumming.

Contraband isn't the best album I own, but it's a damn fine debut and I guess future releases from VR will only get better. :beer:

I just finally started to really get into the album  :o

To me this band is all about the rockers.  I Honestly believe tunes like fall to pieces ( Horrible choice for second single) and you got no right are not where the band exactly shines.  Though I can appreciate loving the alien, even though it gets tiresome pretty quick.

To me this band fires on all cylinders when they rock out.  Headspace is without a doubt the best song on the album.  :peace:

Ha!
Ive been waiting to post this up for quite a while. I bought the album in Israel at the end of June, so it was really killing me when I was reading these reviews on HTGTH and I wanted to contribute.
I feel like Ive come to know the album well enough to finally lend a review.

*{Please note that before I even type one word on the review, I would like to note that Scott Weiland is the WORST songwriter ever - he is truly driven by drugs - though he is probably snorting a lot of coke because his music is very energetic. It doesn't hurt that he has 3/5ths of GNR backing him up}
-"Somebody raped my tapeworm abortion, come on mutherfuckers and deliver the cow" ;D
-There's many more examples, but I'll just focus the rest of the review on the music of VR

"Suckertrain Blues" - Awesome song, full of energy. The perfect song to kick off the album. Rhythm section and sirens blaring, this song really hits me like a sucker train. The song with the most energy on the album. It reminds me a bit of "Right Next Door to Hell" by GNR. Lyrics of course stink, but who cares when GNR rock n roll abilities return after a 10 hiatus with a sober but lethal punch in the face. :o
9/10

"Do It For The Kids" - A song that grew on me with the more I listened to it. A song with sustained energy throughout, though it seems (or I seem) to feed off the energy of "Suckertrain Blues". Nice melody - very catchy - I could listen to this one all the time after STB without skipping it. One of the better songs on the album.
8/10 8)

"Big Machine" - Great rhythm start as well - almost 80's style with the thumping bass and drums. Very catchy too. This one took less listens to like, but sometimes the song would nag me and not leave my head leaving me very annoyed. Literally! It ruined some of my nites of sleeping. For that I gotta take off a solid point.
7/10 :D

"Illegal i Song" - I skipped this song a lot until lately. Sounds a bit influenced by Janes Addiction. The chorus is pretty good. Overall an average song.
5/10 ???

"Spectacle" - Another I would skip on my way to FTP all summer, until recently. Actually, I would even skip this song too. Even weaker than the previous number. Only a semi-decent hook and some sheer energy of the players keeps it from going completely under. Don't waste your time with this one. :nervous:
3/10

"Fall to Pieces" - What hasn't been said about this song yet? I personally don;t think it comes near SCOM comparisons, but it definitly stands out as the most "radio" of the VR songs. A nice song with the GNR shifts of intensity - from a sweet accoustic ballad at the beginning to a hard rock ballad. I think its more like a "Don't CRy" (even though the lyrics don't nearly come even close to Axl's on that song). Song definitly illustrates great chemistry between Scott/STP and GNR. A blistering Slash solo (his best solo since Suckertrain Blues) will top off the great melodies.
9.5/10 ;D

"Headspace" - Another song I would skip on my way to my favorite song on the album. Another great hook with some solid rhythm work. HOwever, it seems to follow a disturbing pattern with some of the medirocre work on this album - just throw a Slash solo in there to keep it from going under.
3.5/10 :no:

"Superhuman" - The beginning for what has become for me the most heavy section of Contraband (ending with "Dirty Little Thing". The song is very Alice in Chainsesque. The solo work in the beginning defintly threw me off at first, but provides a great framework for the rhythm on the song. Song is full of drugs - which seems to have been a bit overeemphasized on Contraband. Chorus is cool as Scott names off his good friends.
7/10  ;)

"Set Me Free" - BEST SONG ON CONTRABAND  :peace:  :peace:
The song that ushered material from VR is the best song they have put out. Great musicianship all-roud, the best drumming from Matt Sorum - the most blistering solo from Slash. The song has different tempos that keep you on your seat. With the rising volumes of Scott Weiland prior to his singing the chorus, emotions build as he finally declares "SET ME FREE!!!" Even Slash's solo grow and acclimates in pitch and sound that with the background of powerful musicianship builds the song to its climax. The best song made by the Gunners (POST GNR). Better than anything that Axl and the new GNR have put out thus far - this song has the most energy and the lyrics make enough sense to have you running and gunning for your hardest when listening to it. Its only a shame that VR never eclipsed this song - otherwise they would be the biggest things out there since - GNR themselves.
10/10  :peace: :peace: :peace:

"You Got No Right" - A song that seems to take a page from the Chapter of Rock N' Roll called "Limp Bizkit". Unless it is Scott that influences Fred Durst's style or vice versa, he clearly sounds like the nookie guy. Lyrics on this song are the heaviest on the album - definitly something that Scott pulled out of himself - like a confession. Hook feels like its been there and done in Rock n Roll which kinda takes away from its power. Its solo by Slash sounds like a rip off of Joe Perry's from "Livin on the Edge". A strong song that I know its a favorite by the VR fans, but not one of mine.
8/10  :)

"Slither" - A favorite from early on. The song has the strongest beginning, (first only to STB). Great momentum leads to great song - the perfect choice for the first single on the album. A blistering Slash solo does not dissapoint. The lyrics make enough sense - hell even the video was hot. Defintly something that eased its way to the MTV rotation.
9.5/10  8) ;D

"Dirty Little Mind" - A song that grew on me towards the end of the summer. Sounds pretty powerful, with enough melody to keep it together. Nice energetic song.
8.5/10 8)

"Loving the Alien" - A nice mellow song - the first taste of it since the mellow moments in YGNR. A nice way to end the album, but not at all a standout track. Kind of a weak track to end the album.
6.5/10  :P

MY FINAL IMPRESSION of this album is that it shows a lot of potential for this band to grow and improve their chemistry together. Very strong tracks are unfortunately bridged by some very medirocre songs that could not have taken VR more than a day to process. Also seems that VR took a little too much from other rockers instead of developing their own style.
Nonetheless, there's no greater satisfaction (aside from a GNR comeback) than a comeback for 4 rock n' rollers who have been through tough times and had a lot to prove, Well by and large, they proved they could still rock. Scoot needs to works on lyrics, but aside from that, GNR s alumni are still a tight group together. They defintly earned their platinum success.
I for one love the record despite its glictches. Its become a regular on my rotation along with GNR. It definitly has me tied in until the GNR record comes out and we have 2 bands that rock again...

in the name of GUNS N' FUCKING ROSES

TOTAL: 8.5/10

I still don't understand why people don't like Illegal I song or Spectacle. I think they are two of the best songs on the album.

Maybe because they aren't straight-ahead rockers people don't like them???

I honestly love both of them and am quite perplexed why people love FTP and YGNR so much  :-\

Weiland and the boys simply don't have any chemistry in my opinion doing these sappy ballads.  The video for FTP is so damn cheesy it pains me to watch it.

I share your basic sentiment...

I love "Set Me Free".  :yes:

u guys have got to be fuckin jokin right?????????


set me free? are u serious?

cmon booker u dont even believe that do u?

best song on the album?

NO way!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of them.? I think its a truly great song.

that is the great thing about music i guess how peoples opinions vary so much, one person thinks a song is great another thinks its ok, another thinks it totally sucks, thats music or any form of art.

i personally rank set me free probably 11th or so.

set me free better than anything new gnr has done?

im sorry guys but i cant put set me free above maddy or the blues, i mean seriously, chinese democracyits probably about even with, its better than silk worms,rhiad but not better than oh my god even in my opinion.

set me free was a song that wore out very very fast for me, it was cool for about 2 weeks and i skip it almost always now.

that truly shocked me readin that about set me free. WOW! im actually stunned!

I love the album, I think slither is an amazing song, just the beat is great.. The album is very complete, has big rockers and cool ballad.. I also think slash does great solos..  YGNR is very good.. The minute you put the album on and hear stb it's uplifting and catchy.. The album end with a pink floyd sounding lta. Very good and underrated, I feel if an unkown did this the'd be getting praised left n right..

It seems to me that with Contraband, ppl have their favs. Im very surprised of the VR and GNR fans that hate on "Set Me Free". Its the song that least bores me (not to say that Suckertrain Blues, Slither, YGNR and Fall To Pieces bore me, because they don't at all - they are exciting to listen and never grow tired) and it was composed well enough that it stands well when compared with GNR material. I think it has more energy and excitement and rock n' roll substance than the BLUES or MADDY or any of the other nu-GNR stuff. Hearing this song allows me to say "GNR lives on!" even if in a different form or with a diferent band name.

 :peace:
MNR

Wow its just the first review ive read that had Set Me Free as the best song on the cd, thats pretty interesting.

I guess maybe the Hulk soundtrack burnt it out for me or something, my fav rocker probably is still Superhuman or even Dirty Little Thing, thats the thing with the rockers on contraband, they are all about equal, i can honestly say i like one better than the other, even sayin superhuman and dirty little thing, i still dont like them anymore than the other rockers

all the rockers are good, to me none are like classic, truly great songs, but they are all listenable and enjoyable.

I love Fall to Pieces more and more everytime i see the video, Damn thats a great video! Scott deserves an award for his performance in that video, he is amazing!

I've listened to the album from beginning to end tons of times and I'm not the least bit disappointed with it. All the songs are very well written and has that classic GN'R sound provided by ex-gunners Slash, Duff, and Matt Sorum. It's an instant future classic rock album without a doubt. Now we await CHI DEM(hoping it will come out eventually)VR RULES!!!!

Contraband is what you end up with when you are still living in the shadow's of your old band which you will never live up to, and you are anxtious to make a quick buck to make it through another decade... thrus, you recrute a few buddy's and buy someone to sing, jump in the studio, whip up a dozon or so tracks, hire an artist to create a striking cd package, use the fact that you are with your old band (mates) to create media hype and release an album that rockets to the top for maybe a few monthes, then disappears into the bottomless pit of forgotton cd's that we call one hit wonders.... ie. Slither.

I take it you don't like Contraband then. Too bad for you.

I love the album and I'm glad Slash, Duff, Matt, Dave & Scott are out their touring and making new music together. :beer:

 ::)

1) After nearly four months, Contraband is platinum and still in the top 35 album area.

2) Theyve only put out two singles...and both have topped the mainstream rock charts.  So there goes that, huh?

For sure.

I still hear "Slither" about 3-5 times a day on 3 formats and FTP just as much.

This thing has Audioslave type long legs written all over it...

you guys are all entitled to your opinions. but for those of u who say its not the 'Guns N Roses' sound - the guns n roses sound can never be recreated.  their music is timeless, and i feel as though VR aren't trying to imitate what the 3 of them had before.  just IMO, VR try to create their own sound, and with comparison to GnR they may never be as good.  it's a tough shadow to be in, but they'll make it.

personall contraband is a pretty good album to me and fall to pieces is a really mad song.  Thumbs up to VR :beer:

one thing is for certain, VR are 100 times better than Audioslave.

i look forward to seeing what they do on their next album, will they stay the same? or will they take the illusions turn and do different stuff?

its gonna be interesting!

   The Band and the Album; ROCK!  : ok:

  Just as I expected. :beer:

So, I guess what you like to do is keep waiting for Axl and the whole orchestra to come out with a single, Good Luck!

Compared  to  the  vast  majority  of  crap  out  there  at  the  moment  VR  are  pretty  special, and  theres a  few  really great songs  on  the  album. Sucker Train Blues- great  intro  and a  cool  track, as  are Do It For The Kids and Big Machine. Slither is by far my favourite track-great riff  and  some  dark  lyrics, and the two ballads are also excellent. You Got No Right and Set Me Free  are the final mentionables on the album, good solid efforts, that complete a very respectable debut. Disappointments have already been aired by others- lack of slash solos and its not guns and roses, as well as my own personal gripe, that Bodies song which really leaves a bad taste in the mouth, akin to My World on UYI 11. I wasnt really familiar with Stone Temple Pilots until now, but I think Scott is a great performer.
Anyhoo, overall I think its a really cool album. It makes an effort to create a differant sound to guns but still appeals to die hards, as well as definately having the potential to go a lot deeper than contraband.

I like contraband, but i don't thinks it's a masterpiece. I think mostly everyone was wishing and thinking of contraband beeing that masterpieces, but it doesn't come close, in my opinion, to any of the guns n roses recordings.

Trully, there are some songs that stand above the rest, such as Suckertrain Blues, You got no right (the best), Fall to pieces and Loving the alien, but in general, they lack the epic notes that a lot of gnr tunes do have. I'm sure they didn't even try to do epic songs, but anthems such as gnr rockers or ballads, are way much better than any of the songs by velvet revolver. I guess the only song that would have made a gnr record would be "you got no right".

By the way, i've already got bored of most of the songs in the album, as i now only listen to the above mentioned. This hasn't happend to me with any of the gnr records,  i'll never get bored with them.

 ???

Youre actually going to compare "Bodies" to "My World"??

Not a big Sex Pistols fan are you?  :-\

I've been thinking about the longevity of Contraband. It's been nearly 5 months since its original release and Fall To Pieces is only the second single released from the album (not including Set Me Free) and it seems to have sparked interest in CB and VR again too.

But the thing that makes me wonder about how long this album will keep people's interest is because I've started to work out allot of the guitar parts, like the main riff to Sucker (which fucking rocks!) and Fall To Pieces, and it's like I'm falling in love with the album all over again.
I could easily see myself listening to CB in a few years from now to listen to those great riffs.

It's almost like Slash's understated guitar work on Contraband is all revealing itself to me now and I love it even more than when it first came out.

I'm sure that there are other guitarists out there who feel the same way.

I was thinking the same thing.  I listen to Contraband more than ever right now... Fall To Pieces and Sucker Train Blues are easily my two favourites to play.  I just learned STB right now, and HOLY FUCK!!  This song is fun as shit to play, not too difficult, but it fuckin ROCKS!!  I've been listening to Fall To Pieces non-stop since I picked up that riff in the chorus.

Personally it's made me appreciate the album a lot more, and I'm very suprised that I still listen to the album with such consistency.  It's weird, I took a small break from the album, but once they released Fall To Pieces I threw it on again, and I've been listening to it like mad.  I'm sure I'll still be blasting this album once CD or the next VR CD comes out (although the latter is more likely).

it's better then snakepit was.i do know that for sure.i only liked one song from snakepit.but VR i like most of the songs.i'll give it an  : ok:

i think that slash, who is the most talented musician in vr, wasn't given enough attention. weiland is terrible and i don't know what the fuck they were thinking when they hired him.
but look on the bright side- at least they've released an album, and that we can't say for axl, who's been fucking us in the brain with his stupid promises.
at least slash didn't let his fans down that way.

and some songs on the album are totally okay.but most of the song aren't that good
wish 'em all luck
 :peace: :smoking: :love: :-\ 8)

It sucks. Not Rock.Gnr is rock, zeppelin is rock Velvet re frigginvolver is not rock.it is Not good wat a horrible album theres like 2 songs that r good and those r the singles with guns the best songs were always the non singles. Slash, Duff, Matt do yourself a favor and quit now Axl might be looking for you................................... :smoking:

  This album totally kicks ass and when you catch them live, they put on an amazing show. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but these reviews blow.  It's not GNR, STP, or as you'd like to compare Led Zepplin but it still f'n rocks.  It's something new so get over it!!!!!!!  I caught them last weekend and it was great to find people singing along with songs that have not even been released such as Big Machine, Superhuman, and Illegal I.

It's too bad, Axl loving Jarmo had such a negative review during the initial stages of the album release.  I realize this is basically an Axl site and although I dig him also, you all need to enjoy VR.  It's the best there is right now.  No need to get on here and come down on them because Axl is not the lead singer and Slash isn't playing 5 minute solos on each song.  "Smoke 'em if you got 'em, Motherfuckers!"  Enjoy the holidays.

You can`t expect them to be another GNR, which I think a lot fans wanted. Contraband is an amazing album, in my opinion. I think Weiland did a damn good with singing. No, he can`t compare with Axl, no one can, but he`s a good singer. My favorite tracks are You Got No Right, Loving The Aliens, Big Machine, and Falling To Peices, bar none. I agree with apporo: just because they don`t have 8 minute songs, 5 minute Slash solos, and Axl, doesn`t mean they`re horrrible. Give them a fuckin break. Slash Duff and Matt are happy, let them do whatever they want

4/10. But that is my opinion.

It's a good album but I don't think it'll stand the test of time.  I'm glad it was successful because it gives the guys the chance to write some truly memorable songs in the future.  The songs on Contraband are good but they won't really be remembered as classics.  People will remember the album more than the individual songs.

A lot of people are pisseed off for no reason, first those of you who bought the cd and expected to hear another gnr album you're an idoit cuz this is VELVET REVOLVER NOT GUNS N ROSES! If they wanted to make a record that sounded like gnr then they would have have just got back into gnr. But since they didn't and rounded up scott and dave they were able to create a whole new sound, succeeded and fucking kicked ass!

I already posted my 2 cents on the album, but my opinion hasn't changed. In fact, over time, I've grown to like this album more and more. I really believe that it is the best album to hit the stores in a long, long time.

 I agree, still like the album the more I listen to it and am still hearing new stuff all the time. It is definately my favorite rock album to come out in a long ass time... The only song that I can't really say that I like alot is Spectacle....

Spectacle is still one of my favourites on there, it's just such a rocking song with a killer Slash solo, what don't you like about it just out of curiosity?

I think I like "Loving the Alien" the best. That's such  a kick-ass beautiful song. I think it may be one of the top 5 finest songs Scott and Slash have ever been involved in. I really love this band. They are, hands down, the best thing out now.

The solo is pretty cool actually. The song just seems boring to me I don't know why. I think it could have been mixed better because there are some guuitar parts in the background that could make it cooler if they stuck out more.  I find the lyrics kinda forced or something and I don't really care for teh way it is sung lol. Just bores me. DIFT kids used to too but that song grew on me so ya never know..But I doubt it  ???

That is one of my favs too. The song just has so much friggin emotion. I can honestly feel the vibes when it is on. I mean I will be driving around and all of a sudden be in a totally different world. Contraband has grown on me so much and I love the fact that I haven't gotten sick of it yet. I mean there have been a couple intances when I put it away for a couple weeks,but when I start listening to it again it is better than before. Big Machine, Sucker Train and Superhuman have really been doing it for me lately. Isn't it cool that we could have another album 9 months from now???

No matter what people say...  VR KICKS ASS

This is one of those albums that you can put off to the side after listening to it to death, and then when you listen to it again its even better.

It really grew on me & can`t wait for the next one. 

Loving the Alien is the best song on it.

Ive owned Contraband from almost a year and i still listen to it religiously when im working out or driving to my GF's house.

so almost one year later it still kicks fuckin ass and rocks the fuck out!


No matter how tired I am when I hear Scott go "went too fast im outta luck and i dont even give a fuck" it instantly puts a pep into my step. fuckin awesome!

Yeah, I actually like it alot better now than I did last year....I was sent to a rehab for two weeks and just got out yesterday morning... When I got home I put it on while I was doing shit around teh house and listened to the whole thing and it was great. I actually played "Alien" twice....

I don't know , Velvet Revolver's all right , to me they're alot mellower than G n'R. Guns n' Roses are way more Rock n' Roll .Scott Weiland sounds too much like the other singers today, the way he is with drugs he's such a loser. Fall to Pieces is such a whiney bitch song . The way VR is today ,they seem like a bunch of old guys trying to be cool and making asses out of themselves.In my book, contraband could've sounded better.Sorry to piss you people off. :)

Hi, I wish to remain anonyomous, but I have to say Contraband is awesome.  Hell, I would compare it with my AF.... I mean GNR's AFD.  I been really busy with some legal issues and working on my  new album for the past decade, and I finally had a chance to pop the cd in.  Scott is an amazing singer, and Slash is awesome.  Anyways, hopefull....if the band unfourtunetly breaks up, I would like to see if Duff/Slash/and Matt would be interested in rejoing GNR with the great, most-talented singer Axl Rose.  In closing, Contraband makes me jealous is my new favorite album.



 :hihi: :hihi: :hihi: :hihi: :hihi: :hihi: :hihi:

I think the one reason a lot of people on this board didn't like the album, is because u were all wanting and anticipating it to sound like GNR or STP (in some cases) or for it to sound old and not so modern, but the truth is theres not one band today that if they had a record deal like this and the money for the production on this album, theres no way they couldn't sound modern.  Besides maybe a few little tiny tweaks on the guitar sounds, the production is perfect.  I, personally, didn't want this to sound like a gnr album, or an stp album, then that defeats the whole entire purpose of music. VR said they were gonna be dirty, sleazy, sexy, fierce rock, and they lived up to it 100%.  I can name atleast 10 dirty sleazy rock bands that sound nothing a like.  I think that main reason people don't like this album, is basically flat out, because axl wasn't on the album, and we still don't have chinese democracy, and we probably won't for atleast 5 more years.  And enough with the people who are all hating on slash just because he doesn't play a solo after every chorus.  There are plenty of solos on this record, and they sound great, they sound like slash, but they don't sound like GNR, If you haven't seen em live, then ur missin out, the stage is where all the members really shine through together like a gang.  Scott Weiland is without a doubt, no questions asked, the most powerful frontman/singer in all of the music industry to day.  Hell if axl finally gets his lazy fuckin ass up after all his gay botox he does, he might be able to actually grab a hold of his dignity, put out an album, and give Weiland a run for his money, but in todays world, Chinese Democracy, can't touch Contraband in the slightest way possible.  Let's face it, Velvet Revolver are now the #1 New Rock Group, and it doesn't look like they're going anywhere!!!

contraband sucked and seemed rushed. that being said, anyone doubting axl's hand in making guns n' roses what it is/was is way off. he, along with slash, made guns n' roses interesting and appealing/exciting to people not only because of their talents but also their charisma and chemistry. slash definately helped, but axl's vision pushed them forward from appetite destruction. axl still has that vision, which seperates him from most rock stars, along with a musical talent which is beyond most people. slash and duff are good at what they do and slash's solos definately made the gnr tunes part of what they are, but they're not songwriters of axl's or izzy's caliber, and without that OR an unique frontman like axl, VR just isn't going to measure up to guns n' roses. not even the new guns n' roses, as axl is both the frontman, a great performer, unique songwriter, has the same vision intact AND has alot of charisma and mystique surrounding him. it's just no comparing them. sure slash complimented axl in an unique way, there's no denying that, but people will always? see axl as the frontman of guns n' roses, not slash. axl moved on musically, slash didn't. and that's where they parted ways, axl wanted more while slash settled for what they had. but now axl is free to do what he wants, and it's gonna be "out of the ballpark".

Do you say the same thing every thread? This is a VR board and you type 1000 words talking about Axl.? :confused:

lol, i can see where you're coming from but in all fairness, i was just comparing like everybody else in this thread seems to be doing.

I PERSONALLY LOVE THE ALBUM!!!!!!!!
YOU GOT NO RIGHT, LOVING THE ALIEN AND FALL TO PIECES ARE ALL AMAZING SONGS THAT MAKE ME GO WEAK AT THE KNEES.

I ALSO LOVE:

SUCKER TRAIN BLUES,
DO IT FOR THE KIDS,
SET ME FREE,
SLITHER? :drool:,

THE ONLY THING IS THAT I WISH WE COULD HEAR A BIT MORE FROM DUFF.? I'D LOVE HIM TO SING A SONG AND I'D LOVE SLASH TO HAVE A REALLY LONG SOLO IN ONE OF THEIR SONGS.? THAT WOULD BE AMAZING TO HEAR HIM AGAIN.

I SAW THEM AT LIVE 8 AND THEY DID; DO IT FOR THE KIDS, FALL TO PIECES AND SLITHER AND I ALMOST FAINTED.? NO MATTER WHAT SONG THEY SING, THEY ALWAYS GET THE CROWD GOING AND THEY SOUND FUCKING AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?? ? ?

 :beer:? :peace:? :drool:? :drool:? :drool:

WE SALUTE YOU VELVET REVOLVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This album really grows on you, i had doubts at first, but as soon as you get over that its Scott and not Axl its great.

THis was my review from the summer 2004. Obviously my feelings for these songs have changed a bit.

I really like SPECTACLE now. It grew on me. It has a lot of energy on it which is good for the gym. I would give it now 7/10.

YOU GOT NO RIGHT is amazing. When I heard it live in NJ last May, I was walking back to my seat after trying to get beer. While Slash was playing its solo, the song began to resemble "Estranged" to me a bit and for parts of walk back I actually did the Axl dance to that song for Estranged. The song is very heartfelt and it has great momentum - slow and fast - from beginning to end. I would actually have made this the single off of CONTRABAND rather than DIRTY LITTLE MIND. I now give this song a 9.5!!!

DIRTY LITTLE MIND btw now gets a 7.5 from me.

FALL TO PIECES - Ive grown tired a bit from this song. It was overplayed on radio and in my head. I now give it a 8.

LOVING THE ALIEN bores the shit out of me. I have listened to it a few times and have "retired" it from ever being played along with "HEADSPACE". I would now give this song a 4.5.

That will be all.
See you next VR record!
 
Mark N' Roses

i've tried liking Contraband many times but i really can't enjoy it.? >:(
 i just hope the new gnr album kick ass.

i think it is great it is as to close to the original GNR as you are going to get. i hope VR's next record is just the same i give it a 8/10

Totally I would give it a 7 out of 10..

Best: Illegal I Song, Set Me Free

Bad: Big Machine

would you give the second album a chance being they did this one 100% together?? Contraband wasn't rushed but there were problems with scott so I don't think full fosuc was put on the album..

For the record I still listen to the album weekly..

Only got the album in the last two weeks and having heard the songs separetly before including live 8. Wasnt really impressed with the bits i heard. I have listened to it for the last week non stop, more than GNR. And have to agree too few slash solos on the album which is a shame. Matts drumming is preety good IMO. Hope the next one is the same.

Fave song is fall to pieces, you got no right is good as well.     

Well guys its just a matter of taste... dont worry if someone else doesnt like your favorite song, you will always find people like that,...

I was just joking.... Well Alien really is possibly my favorite VR track but I was still just messin with him... Thanks for teh counceling though...

I've had this album for well over a year now and still love it.

Not as many solo's as I would have liked but it plays fucking awesome live!!  Meaning, listening to the CD  is not quite the same as hearing them play the songs live at the arena or club (not on TV).  Don't know how to explain it but this CD was meant to be heard live.

The only two songs I'm not crazy about are Illegal I and Spectacle, but again, Illegal I is awesome live.

Yeah Illegal eye is one of teh best live songs that they do for sure.. I like the album version though alot too.  I still think Spectacle sucks though.... Total filler... FTP annoys me also...

this albums great you can listen to the whole album without have to change the song
their is not a single bad song on here and there are a couple of fuckin great songs

I understand you 100% they are fucking amazing live.. The album sounds so much better live.. They really play the hell out of the instruments.. The extended solos, the talking guitar, and matt pounding those fucking drums

Hey,

For the record, after listening to Contraband alongside the GNR records many many many times around the ways and at the gym, that overall, I believe Contraband to be more aggressive musically than the UYI records.
THere's simply more musical kick to songs like STB and SMF and YGNR than songs on UYI like Dust N' Bones, Locomotive, etc.

Im not saying at all that Contraband is a better record than UYI, cuz the Axl factor is huge in making the songs stick longer and have more meaning, but musically, Slash, Duff and Matt and bringing in Dave (rather than a lazy Izzy Stradlin on UYI) bring much more musical punch to the record than they did to UYI. It is not at the AFD level, but it still stands pretty tall to it.

The fact that I can play Contraband alongside the GNR records of yore demonstrates to me that GNR the band hasn't lost it, even though GNR the person has.
 8)
MNR

Hi everyone How are you doing? I just wanted to share this before... Have you noticed that Contraband, and the first Buckcherry album, are really similar? Considering that one of the Buckcherry guys, helped in the production, well Its nothing really strange, but, its worthy to mention it.

album is fuckin' great... can stop listenin' him after i got it.. :drool:

Contraband, fucking good album, has it all!
The ballads are superior, the others are great but not state of the art. But really a great album, best in years.

Yep Contraband rules, but Libertad will rule even more!

Contraband had some really rockin' songs and the whole album was good, but there wasn't much variety on the album. I'm excited to hearing what the band sounds like now that they know each other as players.

I find it kind of funny that people keep saying that, I mean it's not as though Slash, Duff & Matt haven't been in a band together before. Even Dave had been playing with the band for quite some time when they were putting the VR project together, so I'm sure they knew eachother pretty well as players.

The only one that was relatively new to the band was Scott, so I don't know how much that will affect the music that they write this time.

You don't think the way a singer sings and learning what he is best at singing would affect the sound of a band?

Yes, but you were making out like no-one in the band knew eachother or had played together previously, which isn't the case.

I'm sure now that they are more comfortable with Scott that we'll get some really great music.

hey who the fuck thinks contrabnd sucked I think it was awsome tho only song that dissapointed me was spectacle
the best song i think and i'm pissed they didn't release it as a single was loving the alien

Well there you go, I think Spectacle is one of the best tracks, and listening to Slither again last night, damn that's a great song - a perfect combination of classic rock with modern rock. Can't wait for the new album!

i think the best song is either spectacle or lovin' the alien...
so damn great. at first i did NOT like scott's vocal... but now i am kinda ashamed to say: I WAS WRONG! he is a damned good singer and frontman!

anyway, alittle of topic, d'ya thikn anyone like VR better than GNR? of the new fans and shit? i think that would be weird.. but i guess that would be  the facts...

or do you think the new fans learn about GNR from VR and becomes fans?

I want something more melodic-more of a chance for Slash to show off. The Fall to Pieces solo was great but I'd like more solo openings for him or some cool opening riffs like SCOM, PC, Estranged. I actually don't like Loving the Alien, to me it comes off as weak and out of place on the album.

I'll just say that it's mediocre, and I'll leave it at that.

i thought the cd was good

its the best rock debut album since Apetite for Destruction..? :peace:

Wow, that's a big call. I love Contraband, but to AFD? No comparison!

youve misread what i said..

How so?

This album is good but its very generic. The only stand out tune in my opinion is Fall to Pieces.

A year later and I'll finally post my review.  I really don't listen to the album anymore.  I loved it for the first month or two it was out, then it wore down on me.  The songs really didn't stick.  I enjoyed Spectacle the most and Fall To Pieces or Dirty Little Thing the least.  All in all the album wasn't memorable to me, but it was good to see a decent rock album come out for the time being.

Tonight I put in Contraband and just listened to it for what it was.  I forgot about the hype, or over play on songs like fall to peices....

I ENJOY IT MORE NOW THEN EVER.  IT ROCKS.  EVERYSONG HAS GOOD QUALITIES FOR ME.  FALL TO PIECES SOUNDS a lot better now then it did when it was a hit!  You Got No Right is an amazing song.....pure brilliance!  Superhuman has more of a nuGNR type feel to it.  I like Headspace a lot, it rocks!

Contraband is a solid rock record from start to finish, there's not one song that I'd skip on there and I can't say that about a lot of albums.

than more I listen - that more I like this album.
Fresh sound, particularly if to compare it to rotten musis that  is released now  8)

Finally bought the album used for $8.99 plus tax.

Stone Temple Pilots + Slash's Snakepit = Velvet Revolver.

Contraband = 5/10 (Average)

I give it a 6/10...


the songs are much like the same thing u know...
where are Slash?s solos??
Fall to Pieces- my fave song...

can?t wait for the new album... hope it?s way, way better.

4/5

Good, solid album. Not as good on repeat listens though. I hope Libertad is awesome.  : ok:

2/10

fall to pieces (even tho it kinda ripped off yesterdays) and slither were the only tracks worth listening to over and over again.

82/100

Good album, but the songs similarities kind of make it from becoming great. Hell, Superhuman is my favorite song on this thing but even that sounds too damn similar to half the songs on this thing. Is that a bad thing? Kind of. All the band members seem too cocky on this album as well.

All in all it was pretty damn good, so bring on Libertad.

I still listen to it, I'll admitt not as much but there's nothing I listen to the same amount anymore..

I jusy thought it was pretty average. Not bad but not good either. Just boring really, if im being honest. Id still love to see VR live though.

Loving the Alien is BY FAR the best song on the album.

I love the whole album... every song on Contraband is damn good...

My favorite song and I always think of that and sings it in my head is BigMachine, what an incredible simple song.

i love the album, SLITHER, FTP, BIG MACHINE ROCK!!!!! :rant:

I agree with you about Big Machine being incredible and simple.. People were slagging on it before because it was simple..  Why can't a great rock song be simple? There are tons!

Only "Fall to Pieces" and "Slither" are ok, but in general is quite boring?and mediocre :'(

The first two singles. Hmmm...

Put some time into the album and you'll realise that there are plenty of tracks the equal of Slither and that Fall To Pieces (while easily accessible and radio-friendly) is actually one of the weaker tunes on Contraband.