Here Today... Gone To Hell!

You know who you are.  This is the thread for those who were there since the beginning.......GN'R fans during the AFD-Era (87-89).

I'm more interested in what my fellow 80's hair-band Gen-Xers think about Contraband.  I can't wait to hear what Dizzy thinks of the cd.....I wish 5's were still here so he could put his 2 cents in.

Come on "he who wanted to grow his hair long and wear tight jeans".....and....."she who wanted to date only men who had long hair and wore tight jeans"......POST your thoughts on Contraband here.

We're the ones who helped kick-start the GN'R craze...............let's voice!!!

I'll post mine after I buy it tomorrow and listen to it like 3 times  :hihi:

I was there dude. From the very begining. I had the hair ! haha. I will listen to it tomorrow and post my review.  ;D

And people who post shit like "I was an AFD fan when I was 8" don't count!  :hihi:

I don't know about that I had a vynil copy of AFD (still have it) when I was eight and I loved it since then. I remember Paradise City and SCOM all over the radio.  Just because someone was young doesnt mean they know good rock. ( I say this while looking at my AFD vynil on the wall.

I got to say the songs sound very good from what I heard, but coming it to AFD is hard. AFD had songs like Mr Brown, Nightrain, and Rocket Queen which are hard parting songs with lyrics that make you want to rock out. Thats the only thing IMO i believe is lacking in VR. Otherwise VR is great

I knew somebody would still say it. It's like I almost invited it.

I still don't think it's the same as what K-rock is saying though.

I mean 8 yrs old? C'mon man! 8!? C'mon!  :hihi:

I am one (36 years old)  
I like this album alot! People just dont get the whole gnr thing. I hate reading about buckethead, and how "bad" slash is. This album brings back some of the "REAL" gnr. If people never got the chance to see them live back when they were on top, then they should not even be allowed to post things as stupid as "bucket rules, new gnr is soooo much better" Bullshit! They could not even open for the real gnr. Hearing those slash solos, the little thing at the end of the song, you got no right, those are all the little things that made gnr what they were. This is a great rock album, PERIOD! If you dont like it, go listen to the 103rd rap song by linkin park!

I was 10 - does that count?  :hihi:

I remember how AFD was banned from my school because it was too badass, but of course everyone had the cassette anyway.

I am looking forward to the reviews of all you old-timers.  :yes:

A hoy hoy,

Let me first clearify that I'm 31 and I've been listening to Guns since may of 88. I saw them on the Much Music's power hour and they've been number one in my books since then.
I had the jean jacket with the little square buttons of rock bands. The large AFD backpatch on my jacket. And yes,  I had the long hair too!  Anywho I'm getting of topic here.

That said, after listening to Contraband I honestly think the album kicks ass. I think it has a lot of great rockers on it. "Sucker Train Blues" is my Nightrain. Eligal I is my, "stomp a mud hole in you face", kinda like It's So Easy.

I realize that the sound is different  from Apppetite but I can still feel that raw edge, something that today's music is missing. Music today has become stagnet, redundent to say the least, just like back in the 80's.

I think this ablum has come out at the right time. I remember when I first got my AFD tape, my buddies where all listening to Winger, Europe, Pretty Boy Floyd and my least favorite Warrant. It was the same goofy music. The Guns came along and introduced me to a world of sleazy, bluesly, raw rock.

A rock vibe that bands like Moltey Cure protrayed in thier videos but failed to deliver with their music, failed miserably too I might add. Remember "Theatre of Pain", fucked that sucked!

I'm not dissing all hair metal. I still Like "The London Quire Boys", Silk Toxic, and "Faster Pusy Cat"; remember their version of "you're So Vain, man that rocked. Sorry, I got of topic again.

I don't think "Contraband" will be as big of land landmark ablum as AFD, for me that is. Reason being is b/c these guys are established and I know what they can deliver.

However for the younger generation I think this could be a huge and significant ablum, just as Appettite was for me.

Cheers,

Blair


 

I am 33 years old.  I've been a huge fan of GNR since 1987 when I first heard WTTJ.  I had the long hair and the attitude as well  I remember seeing the Ritz show a short time after that and being completely hooked.  GNR has been my favorite band ever since that time, and has had a heavy rotation in my cd player ever since.  I think the UYI albums were great, but would have preferred one killer album with no filler songs.

I've seen 5 live GNR shows in my time.  Four of them with the old line up and one with the new lineup.  All 5 shows kicked ass and I will see them as many times as I can as soon as they tour again.  I want Axl to be successful just like everyone else.

My favorite member of GNR has always been Axl, but I think he has always been the most flawed.  He is by far the most responsible for the success and destruction of the original band and I am definately not a fan of him using the name with the current lineup.  I couldn't be happier to see Buckethead leave.

With that background in mind, and as you know if you read this board at all, I really, really like Contraband.  It is a huge void filler for me.  It brings me back to 1988 again.  It reminds me that there are truely talented people who still care about producing quality rock songs.  Let's face it, that has been missing for many years (IMO since the UYIs albums).  This album is the best I've heard in over a decade and blows away the material released by the other famous supergroup out right now, Audioslave, IMO.

Now down to the album.  Contraband has at least 10 songs that I would consider single material.  It sounds unvelievable to say that, but IMO I think it has that many great songs.  The list is as follows:

Sucker Train Blues
Set Me Free
Slither
Falling to Piece
You Got No Right
Headspace
Superhuman
Big Machine
Dirty Little Thing
Loving the Alien

The other three songs are very good, but would rate lower than these 10 IMO.  I think all of the songs on Contraband could have no doubt made the UYI albums, and I think the six in bold could have made the AFD album.  That is not to say that they are better than every song on those albums, just that they are better than a bunch of the songs on those albums.  And yes I think comparing GNR to VR is a very valid thing to do.  It is only natural to compare what once was to what it has become.

I have listened, and become addicted in the process, to this album non-stop since last Wednesday.  I enjoy it more with each listen  I cannot foresee me removing it from my CD player any time soon either.  

I look forward to hearing Axl's album ... however, based on his material we have heard so far, I will be surprised if he produces an album of this quality from beginning to end.  I hope he does.  But I will have doubst until I hear the studio product.

-TyRod-

I'm 31 and have been a fan since '88, but Contraband doesn't really appeal to me.  I like YGNR and LTA, but that's about it.  Some of the other songs are all right, like the intro to STB and SMF, but I think the guys attempted to go a little too "modern" here and the hooks aren't hooky enough.  It's average.  

Uh, ok.   ::)   I was 9 when I got AFD in 1988.  I made my mom drive me to the music store (and listen to WTTJ on the way home).  I know that may seem pretty assinine to you older GNR fans, but that's the way it was.  In fact, by the time I was in fifth grade, everybody I knew was into GNR. :smoking:

Anyway, I think it's way too early to be posting a review of the album.  I just wanted to get the above off my chest.

haha thats me!! i was and still am into 80s long haired rock! dude i was there during the late 80s and had all that good stuff on 12'inch... every KISS album and all... fucking a i miss those days... drinking 40's and smoking Grass.... well onto the album...


Velvet Revolver proved me wrong.. I bought this album today and it kicks ASS!!! fuck i love it.... I thought it would be like Snakeshit albums but its not... It does not sound like GnR or Stone Temple... this is a fucking new band.....

I love "Fall To Pieces".... This tune is right up my leauge and my favorite song on the album...

HeadSpace is another one that i keep listening too...

You Got No Right... this tune is bad ass..


This album is WAY better than the snakepit albums i was expecting.... Slash is just a member of a BAND again and not trying to take on the roll of being more than a guitar player...


The songs are well written... the Bass and Drums kick ass and sound very full and solid and provide that PUNCH in the chest i really dig.....

Slashes Solos are fucking Bad Ass and sound new and fresh......

The Rythym of the songs really gets me going and makes me want to fucking puch walls and jump up and scream, or drive my car really fucking fast...

Scott Weiland is just great... I really dig this guys first 2 STP albums and this just makes me like him alot more... hes no Axl Rose but he doesnt try to be.... hes good at what he does and the way he sings is very original and he doesnt have that Tyler, or Morrison, type of style.. hes very original and i cant really compare him to anyone else i have heard...

Id like to see VR stay away from the GnR songs live though... this CD is good enough that they dont need to play GnR songs to entertain the crowds and im sure now that the CD is released they will move away from the old GnR songs....


This band proved me wrong.. I was always there to buy the Snakepit disks on release day and was Dissapointed both times its nice to buy a CD i actually dig and to be suprised by.... I had never heard VR before today when i bought the CD other than Set Me Free and a shitty copy of Slither....


This CD rocks and i really dig it... maybe in a day or two after i listen to it longer i can review more than the 3 songs that have got set on repeat right now!!!! hahaha

Rock n Fucking Roll needed this Cd...

Goosebumps!!!

I popped this fucker in my car cd player and jammed to Sucker Train Blues, Do It For The Kids & Big Machine.

Solid rock songs!!!

Then Illegal i Song came on and the fuckin goosebumps crawled up my fuckin back onto my neck then down my fuckin arms.  The chorus kicked in and the bumps tripled in size.  I didn't make it through the whole song when I got to work.  I walked into work goosebumps still kickin!!!  Holy mother of god does that song fuckin ROCK!!!!

I got back to my car after work and restarted Illegal i from the beginning.  I was cool.........no goosebumps that time.

Spectacle solid as well.  Then Fall To Pieces.....NICE!!!!  The riff sounds like the Sweet Child of Mine riff in reverse.  I love this ballad.  This song is gonna sell alot of records.

Then muthafuckin Headspace comes on and the fuckin goosebumps return!!!  Song kicks metal ass!!!

Superhuman has a nice touch.  Set Me Free is the weak link of this album.  

You Got No Right.....I'm speechless.  Awesome!!!

Slither jams but does not make my top 5 of this album.  Just tells me that this cd is gonna gain steam as it rolls along.

Dirty Little Thing and Loving The Alien put the exclamation point on this masterpiece.

Contraband will join Beautiful Creatures & Permission To Land in HEAVY rotation in my cd player for a LONG time.

In fact I don't think anything else will get a spin for at least a week.

Contraband will sell no less than 5 million copies if they release the following singles in order:

Slither (obviously is the 1st single)
Fall To Pieces (heard this was gonna be the 2nd)
Illegal i Song
You Got No Right

I'm not saying these songs are in order of best, but rather in an order that will grab the attention of the average music listener today.

For the record:  I don't consider anybody on this board to be an average music listener.  I'm talking about the puppets  :hihi:

I won't go into every song. I'm not totally done listening to it all the way, ie taking it in I guess.

It is what has been absent for a long time with music IMO. It makes me FEEL something. There is energy behind it...soul. To me anyway.

Falling to pieces is a masterpiece I think. Sent shivers down my skin, it really did.

I will keep listening and enjoying. I may just give in and buy a ticket on ebay and drive down to LV this weekend.

The second paragraph in this post is the most important of all.

Well, I was 10 years old when Appetite For Destruction took the world by storm in 1988, and GNR was a huge part of my life for the next seven or eight years.  I remember the agonizingly long wait for the Illusions, and the euphoria I felt upon hearing them for the first time.  I can still vividly recall the horror on my mother?s face when she caught me listening to ?One In A Million? at full blast.  Technically, I wasn?t allowed to listen to that sort of music, and GNR was right at the top of the no-no list.  I remember everytime MTV played videos like "Paradise City" and "November Rain," it felt like an event.  I was the one in high school who defended GNR when other kids would call them pass?, listening to their Nine Inch Nails and Nirvana and stuff.  I must have wore out at least five GNR t-shirts in those days.  Sure, I was into some of the grunge stuff, like STP, AIC, Soundgarden, et al, and I did lose interest in most of the '80s groups just like most everyone else (although I've since regained my interest in that period, mostly out of nostalgia for a sweeter time, partly because the music these days sucks donkey-ass).  Even at that young age, though, GNR was always on a different level in my eyes.  I remember eagerly anticipating a new GNR record all the way until 1996.  In fact, I was convinced that record was going to wipe the shit that was coming out at that time off the face of the planet.  Once, however, Slash left the band and nothing had been heard from Axl for a long time, I had to give up hope.  My faith has been restored, however.

Listening to Contraband for the first time was like a religious experience.  I LOVE this record.  If you had told me a few years ago that Slash and Duff McKagan would make such a glorious comeback, I wouldn't have believed you.  I truly thought they were done for good, but now it's looking like they're stronger than they ever were, and I couldn?t be any happier about that.  And all the credit in the world to Scott Weiland.  Overcoming a serious addiction to emerge as rock's premier frontman in 2004.  It's really gratifying to see him laughing in the face of all those who left him for dead, and I hope he can keep it going.  Velvet Revolver is what the world needs now, and I strongly urge GNR fans of all ages to adopt this band as our own.

Hey there. I'm 29 and have been listening to G'n'R since about '87 or '88. (My brother got to go see them open for Aerosmith in Detroit and he loved them so I listened to them too) anyway. long time fan and was ecstatic to hear about 'The Project' a few years ago! I was pulling for Travis Meeks (Days of the New) but when they announced Scott Weiland, I almost Shit my pants! I am also a huge STP fan.  Anyway I thought Set Me Free was an excellent tune when it came out and what I heard of their cover of Money was fucking amazing (Too bad it wasn't a hidden track or something)  Then Slither came out and holy shit that tune gets better everytime I hear it.

Now the Album itself.  It has peices of STP throughout (Obviously), Scotts vocal and lyrical skills amaze me more and more with each album he releases, as well as small (and large) signature Slash solo's.  Matt & Duff are as good as they ever were for bass lines. And Dave is a surprisingly good rhythm section.

All in all Contraband Kicks serious ass.  But as their own separate entity. don't buy it and hope for STP or G'n'R cause you aren't gonna get it. Go in with an open mind for a BRAND NEW band and you will be very, very happy. I know I am.

Man it's good to hear something this good.

I know I probably don't belong here. I for one was about 8-9 in 91-92 when UYI came out ... and I saw Estranged and got all creeped out. I thought it was a dark video, and I hated it. And I hated GN'R.

Then suddenly, circa 99-00 .. I love them.

But I digress... The point I was trying to make was how that line I quoted reminded me of when I first got into GN'R. About how seeing the video was so damn important. Even though I'd gotten the songs. And it wasn't just that. Even after getting WTTV I still had to see the videos on TV. Like an event of sorts. No matter how many times I popped the CD in my player and watched it, catching it on TV was something else.

And imagine when I saw the concert on MTV for the first time ..  :drool:


(I hate that smiley. But here it just seems appropriate...)

I was also fairly young when i heard GnR i think i was 9 or 10 - but loved it so much i have never stopped listening to them!!

Contraband is just amazing!

I give it 8 out of 10.

There are 10 great single material here !

Its a must buy - i had downloaded a copy last week - but i have ordered the album, and waiting for it to arrive

I had to D/L a copy so i could play it on my MP3 player.

Get it, and i promise you'll love it.

Scott and Slash are incredible

i have been a fan since 1987 when they were on tour with the crue, haven't missed a show since in the lovley state of florida, except the obvious 2002 tour...contraband is a good album..not great but good...i think i just wanted it to be great so i am still giving it a chance...best song is suckertrain blues imo. the hype has been amazing, haven't heard this much on an album since sorum was with the cult and beyond good an evil came out...btw great album..

thanks

Instead of starting a whole new thread, I'll throw the following statement in here.......which is sure to ruffle some feathers around here.  Feathers on birds that seem so affended that anybody dare like.....no, LOVE this album.


Ready??.....here it goes........

"Contraband is the long overdue sequel to Appetite For Destruction.  As in, this album is what Use Your Illusion should have been."


Got a problem with that??  Disagree with me??  Cry me a river!!

I saw a magazine review and it bascially said that exact same thing.

Now I wasn't exactly a fan when AFD was released so I technically shouldn't be posting in this thread but I'm gonna throw in my 2 cents anyway.

If Contraband had been the thrid GN'R album, not the UYI's, and GN'R had subsequently broken up, they wouldn't be one of my favourite bands of all time.  If Axl had written the lyrics that are in the Contraband sleeve, I'd think he was a shit lyricist.  I'd think Slash was a pretty average guitarist and the band was basically a one hit wonder.  IMO, while Contraband is good, and better than a lot of stuff out there, it is nowhere near the same league as the UYI's.

One thing that really bugs me about this CD is the lyrics. They seem to be random incomplete thoughts that happen to rhyme most of the time (Hey that rhymed! ;D )

The only song that really stands out with its lyrics is Headspace.

Even songs like FTP, YGNR and LTA seem to be missing something. The lyrics seem substandard when compared to the music supporting it.

---

So yes ... I'd disagree with your statement K-Rock ...

Ask yourself this ... would you give up songs like Estranged, November Rain, Civil War, Don't Damn Me, Coma, Don't Cry, You Could Be Mine (and the others) ... for any song on Contraband?

If you can ... embrace CB for all you believe it to be. Create a pedestal (albeit shorter than the one AFD is standing upon) and place CB atop it. You have obviously never appreciated UYI 1/2 enough to have held it in high enough esteem.

i actually bought the use your illusions b4 appetite, but i had the pc,wttj,scom 45's and i still got em

so i guess that means im an illusion era gnr fan

contraband is not the follow up to afd, cmon its a different band!  just like C.D isnt a follow up to use your illusions

its something brand spankin new!


suckertrain blues 8.2 out of 10
do it for the kids 8.1 out of 10
big machine 8.0 out of 10
illegal I  7.8 out of 10
spectacle  6.9 out of 10
fall to pieces 8.1 out of 10
headspace 6.8 out of 10
superhuman 7.8 out of 10
set me free 8 out of 10
you got no right 9.7 out of 10
slither 9.7 out of 10
dirty little thing 9 out of 10
loving the aliens 10 out of 10


108.1 divided by 13  contraband right now is an 8.32 or 4.16 stars out of 5  great rankin!

those songs in the high 6's will probably improve though!

Okey......

I can clear up my opinion of music when it relates to lyrics.  I have never paid any attetnion to lyrics.  For me, it's the music itself......the feel.  He could be singing about walking his dog and I could care less as long as the music moves me.

I'm not being critical of those who pay attention to and appreciate lyrics...I'm just saying I don't.

As far as Contraband not being the follow-up to AFD because it's a different band......I'm not speaking literally.  I'm speaking musically as a whole.

Appetite For Destruction took music in a whole new direction just as Nevermind did years later.  I stayed in the direction AFD sent me never going any other direction.

I tried other things (punk, country, hip-hop, rap) but nothing stuck.

And no Wag...the UYI songs you listed did not stick with me more than the year I dedicated to spinning the 2 Illusion records.  Because I loved GN'R so much I committed myself to listening to those records.....but in the end.....I was dissapointed.

I'll put Locomotive and Don't Cry against Contraband but that's about it.  And I'll add Right Next Door To Hell to that.

NOW, the pending studio versions of The Blues, Madagascar & Chinese Democracy are VERY promising.  And if true that they may be b-sides.......then Chinese Democracy may, dare I say, approach AFD.


EDIT:  Dizzy.....I'm patiently waiting your review.  Break-it-down brother.

at first, i was a little disappointed. but now i think it's a great album. i like it more and more with each listen.

the only negative is scott - at times his voice sounds overproduced or something. i think he sounds great live, but even with STP , certain songs i didn't like because of how he sounded.

FTP is incredible. could be a huge hit if they release it.

overall, i give contraband a solid 8.

That's probably why you don't like the songs Waggy mentioned all that much.  I mean, if you listen to anything over and over, unless it's truly, truly moving, then you'll get bored with it.  You know what they say, familiarity breeds contempt.

To me 50% of GN'R was Axl's lyrics and vocals.  Axl is, IMO, what put GN'R above the rest of the bands around at the time (and the most bands before or since).  Even ignoring his influence on the types of songs they played and made, if you put DLR as the singer of GN'R on top of the exact same songs and riffs, with the kind of lyrics he wrote for Van Halen then GN'R wouldn't be half the band that they are in my eyes.  Even with Axl singing lyrics that for instance Nikki Sixx had written, they still wouldn't be anywhere near as good as I think they are.

I now understnad why you rate Contraband as highly as you do, so, there's no point in me trying to convince you otherwise.

Ouch!!  I say the other band members accounted for more than 50% on AFD.  That's what, IMO, helped make the album the greatest of all time.

For AFD, I say:
Axl- 30%
Slash- 25%
Adler-  15%
Izzy- 15%
Duff- 15%

Welcome To The Jungle.....Slash's opening riff and Axl's scream grabbed everbody's attention.

Sweet Child O' Mine......Slash's riff & solo ignited that song.

Adler's pounding beat......Izzy's flowing rythm......and Duff's signature bass playing spawned the greatest rock 'n' roll album off ALL time.

It just didn't flow like that in the UYI albums.

I feel the same "AFD-style" flow in Contraband.