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 BluesLove 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 KidsThe 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 MachineGood intro, Scott wrote better lyrics here than the previous two, Slash's riffs are catchy if unspectacular.
Illegal I SongVocals that are the kind that grow on you gradually; awesome Slash solos.
SpectacleMatt'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 PiecesJust a flat out beautiful song; lyrics, melody, Slash's incredible solo and post-chorus solos, everything. ?Beautiful.
HeadspaceThe 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.
SuperhumanCool guitar intro, better lyrics than some of the others, catchy vocals.
Set Me FreeWhat 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 RightScott's singing is incredible, an overall good ballad with a soulful Slash solo.
SlitherI 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 ThingDuff'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 AlienGreat 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 REVIEWI 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. ?
?
Author