Media Reviews of Libertad

[madagas]

I would have to say I agree with the AMG writer as well.  All the songs on Contraband and Libertad just leave me kind of ambivalent, even Messages. I don't hate them, don't really like them, don't see any real weaknesses, but don't see any real strengths either. Of course, my dislike for Weiland colors my opinion a little, but I don't consider him the problem. The whole package just doesn't do it for me.

[GeraldFord]

The RS review should be up soon. I'd like to see that.

[FunkyMonkey]

^^Rolling Stone?s Joe Levy and Jenny Eliscu tell you all you need to know about the new discs from the former American Idol star and Scott Weiland and the gang.


http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/07/03/new-music-tuesdays-velvet-revolver-kelly-clarkson/

At about 3:30

[Smoking Guns]

^^Rolling Stone?s Joe Levy and Jenny Eliscu tell you all you need to know about the new discs from the former American Idol star and Scott Weiland and the gang.


http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/07/03/new-music-tuesdays-velvet-revolver-kelly-clarkson/

Damn thing stops halfway through.

[Sandinista]

Damn, those two are just charismatic as hell. Scott who?

[Grouse]

the weak songs on this record like just sixteen...., right there goes all credibility

[jarmo]

I hate that the people reviewing this album probably haven't heard messages. It is the best new song by far. Songs like this can sway a critic to rate the record even higher. Stupid RCA.

Well you can't review an album based on songs that didn't make it onto the album you're reviewing....





/jarmo

[Sandinista]

That's the point he was making 

[jarmo]

He hates the fact that the reviewers haven't heard a non-album tracks because he thinks it's great.

If they heard it, it wouldn't really change the album reviews since it's not on the US CD version. 






/jarmo

[Sandinista]

Therefore it should be on the album! It's almost like his post contained a hidden message...

[jarmo]

Well, it's not....

And he blames the record company.

Who says they decided to not include it on the album? Is there a quote about that somewhere?




/jarmo

[Smoking Guns]

Well, it's not....

And he blames the record company.

Who says they decided to not include it on the album? Is there a quote about that somewhere?




/jarmo

Jarmo, did you get you copy yet?  Hurry up!

[jarmo]

No, not yet.



/jarmo

[Booker Floyd]

Thanks to Zint61 at Mygnrforum.com:

San Fancisco Examiner



Velvet Revolver

Velvet Revolver just might single-handedly bring back arena rock. From lead singer Scott Weiland's pained, anxious vocals to Slash's epic guitar splatter and Matt Sorum's solid trash-can drumming, this super group made up of the high-profile remains of Guns N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots has finally forged an identity of its own. While 2004's "Contraband" was a flashy beginning, grafting Weiland's elegant glam-rock sneer to the GNR behemoth sound, it emphasized the great divide between STP's post-grungy sound and Guns N' Roses' reckless '80s stylings. On "Libertad," the musicians have closed that gap and gelled into a heaving, strutting rock dirigible that doesn't hark back to their parent bands. Weiland thrills with his romantic fixations and fascination with Jim Morrison on "Let It Roll," which references the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues." "She Mine" is a dissonant rant that reminds one how dangerous rock can be, with its metaphysical hazards and obsessions -- something that has characterized the best rock bands, from the Rolling Stones to the Stooges to the Strokes. On "Libertad," that mania doesn't seem forced. There's a lazy cool about most of these songs that grows like the mounting ash on the end of Slash's ever-present cigarette. -- Jaan Uhelszki

-----

Thanks to Peebs at velvetrevolverforum.com:

Buzzcuts/CBSNews.com

Velvet Revolver, "Libertad" (RCA)

Supergroups don't tend to fare too well with legions of rock fans, but Velvet Revolver has worked the idea to near perfection on its sophomore effort, "Libertad."

Perhaps the title shows a desire to free themselves from the expectations raised by their former bands ? Guns N' Roses for guitarist Slash, bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorum, and Stone Temple Pilots for vocalist Scott Weiland.

Either way, it works, and much more than it did on their respectable multiplatinum 2004 debut "Contraband."

They flex plenty of muscle throughout, with chugging rock and blues riffs mixed with soaring choruses. And, of course, there are a few lighter-waving arena ballads thrown in for good measure.

"Let it Roll," "She Mine" and "Get Out The Door" kick the disc off in rollicking fashion. They also show plenty of grit with "Mary Mary," "Spay" and "Pills, Demons and Etc."

Low-key moments come with the uplifting "The Last Fight," a surprisingly fresh cover of ELO's "Can't Get It Out Of My Head" and the trippy blues of "Gravedancer."

With the Guns N' Roses boys still ripping out down-and-dirty barroom rock, and Weiland commanding and energetic throughout, "Libertad" might just be the rock record of the summer.

CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: Boasting a juicy riff and possibly Weiland's finest vocal effort on the whole disc, "She Builds Quick Machines" contains a perfect dose of rocking swagger. (John Kosik)

[Booker Floyd]

Thanks to thecrackedjack at velvetrevolverforum.com:

IGN.com

Velvet Revolver - Libertad Review
Contraband redux.
by Spence D.

July 2, 2007 - For their sophomore effort the supergroup comprised of ex-members of STP and GnR once again bring the hard-driving post-millennial barroom brawl inducing rock thematics, especially apparent on the opening salvo "Let It Roll," which has Scott Weiland delivering what sounds like a balls-to-the-wall sequel to The Cars classic "Candy-O." Huh? For some reason even though the VR song is entitled "Let It Roll" Weiland prefers to chant "candy-o" at high volume while Slash and Dave Kushner grind and crunch amidst Duff McKagen and Matt Sorum's streamlined rhythm cavalcade.

"She Mine" continues the themes of sultry femme fatales with Weiland once again referencing the word "candy," this time making an allusion to pill-popping excess. The repeated title refrain is mesmerizing in an annoyingly cloying way thanks to heavily induced nasal twang. Meanwhile "Get Out the Door," continues Weiland's snarling swagger dripping with double-crunch guitar and pounding rhythms. The chorus is pretty sweet, though, providing the album's first hints of a hit sounding melee on semi-par with "Fall To Pieces," but the song never quite reaches those heights. That said, bonus points are collected due to the incredibly timely Transformers reference, even if the line "like Transformers, girl is more than meets the eye," is ultimately cheesy.

The album's first bona fide single, "She Builds Quick Machines" doesn't change tack much; the themes are still centered around fast love and divisive sexuality. The group keeps things chugging along at V-8 injected steamroller intensity, guitars skirling and rhythms cranking kinetically while Weiland makes nods to "the all-night sex show" and other delusions of sinful city life. I'm sure this track will be a hit on the strip club circuit as it has that slick sensuality about it that screams out like a lap dance soundtrack from the sweaty underbelly. Oddly enough at times Weiland ditches his patented snarl and gravel voiced basso in favor of an almost Perry Farrellesque wail.

By the time the group has hit the mid-point of the album with "The Last Fight," it's pretty much the type of album you expected it to be. It's less an improvement on Contraband than an extension which at times begins to sound an awful lot like leftovers and outtakes from that first effort. That isn't to say that there isn't some gloriousness to root around for and this track is a prime example. A down-tempo neo-ballad, it showcases the group's softer side with Weiland crooning rustically and delivering a somewhat introspective little ditty that sounds plucked from the '80s.

Shades of lives past rear their ugly heads on "Pills, Demons & Etc." seems to make reference to the collective group's notorious drug history. The cascading guitars and "whoo-ooh-oohs" are nice, but the overall song itself is lacking any serious melodic drive. Conversely "American Man" begins low and slow and builds up with finger licking intensity rather quickly. Weiland croons and swoons over shifting desert mirage guitars and castanets to create a somewhat dreamy expanse of soniference. The chorus, however, is at odds with the rest of the track, as well as the screaming guitar solo that bursts free of the otherwise illuminating nuance.

Lyrically speaking "Mary Mary" sounds like a cross between a slick punk toss away and a junior high school band's first flirtation with lyrical inspiration (the girl in the title being such). Follow that up with "Just Sixteen," which succumbs to one of the most tired rock clich?s of all time: singing about a sultry teen that is older beyond her years. Weiland does his best The Knack blitz making "we've got nothing to hide-hide-hide-hide" reverberate with nods to "My Sharona." Again, as with most of the tracks included here the chorus and verses never seem to mesh. In this case the song rocks on the verses and then falls apart during the second part of the chorus following the cool "hide" echo spasms.

VR dip into strange territory with a cover of "Can't Get Out of My Head," which thoroughly tosses the original out the window and makes it their very own. This is exactly what a cover should be, keeping a fragment of the source material intact while turning the bulk of the song into one of your own. It's sad that the best track on the album is a cover, though. But what a glorious cover this is, complete with over-the-top guitar posturing and an unbridled sense of what rock 'n roll is meant to be. Nice.

Tumultuous blues excursions go awry on "For a Brother," which has Weiland snarling immaculate on the verses and then shifting the melodic wonderment of the song into somewhat dissonant banter on the chorus. Why, I don't know, but this track (along with a few others strewn throughout the album) makes me think of Night Ranger circa 1982 albeit sans any synth embellishment. Just when you think this song is falling apart, Weiland and company break and release a nice little down-tempo "jam" complete with growling intonations of the word "free" and some sweet swatches of guitar. This little interlude ultimately saves the song from obscurity.

With "Spay" it begins with a cacophony of guitars and rhythms creating the kind of dreaded chaos you can only imagine goes through a dog or cat's mind when they're splayed out on the cold steel of the veterinarian's table with the scissors snipping wickedly in the near distance. It's a driving, maniacal number that shows VR kicking out the jams and being wickedly raucous and raw. Call it a nice diversion from the rest of the album if you will.

The album concludes with "Grave Dancer." Weiland's voice is front and center, delivering a mid-tempo croon that creates an introspective and mellow vibe. Naturally, the song focuses on a woman, which has been the dominant theme throughout. Regardless of the somewhat repetitive subject matter, the song succeeds thanks to a perfect melding between Weiland's smooth yet gruff vocals and the rest of the band's expertise at delivering taught musicality at half speed. This is a near-classic, at least for this band.

For the most part Libertad doesn't feel or sound like Velvet Revolver has made much forward headway since last time around. A large chunk of the music here seems as if the quintet just sloughed through the motions they first detailed on Contraband. All the parts are here: tight rhythms grind and crunch guitar expansion, melodic vocals that switch on a dime between sweetly hardened harmonies and growling guttural blitz, yet they never quite seem to coalesce into an inescapably brilliant package. Granted, there are moments of near-brilliance (the ELO cover, "Grave Dancer") as well as moments of hell-bent venting ("Spay") that manage to keep things interesting, but for the most part all the aforementioned elements just seem to flit and float through the album with a slight sense of aimless intent. Perhaps this will be one of those slow burn albums that eventually grows on you with repeated listens. But first impressions don't lead me to believe so.

Definitely Download:
1. "Get Out The Door"
2. "The Last Fight"
3. "Can't Get Out of My Head"
4. "Spay"
5. "Grave Dancer"

Rating: 6.9/10

[Booker Floyd]

Thanks to Peebs at velvetrevolverforum.com:

New York Daily News

Velvet Revolver has a new album out.

They still pose as outlaws, with guitarist Slash always slouching his body into a swaggering satire of Keith Richards and loose-cannon singer Scott Weiland continuing to bulk up his impressively lengthy criminal record. (Most recent charge: trashing a hotel room.) But the music on Velvet Revolver's second CD shows they've toned things down in a key way.

"Libertad" hones a controlled sense of melody above all. It's still a heavy metal record, mind you, with Slash's guitars piling it on thick while Matt Sorum's drums bulkily pound away behind. But the catchiness of the songs trumps any metallic window dressing. If you lifted a layer of bottom off the sound, "Libertad" could even be considered a fairly good power pop record. And that's nothing to sneer at.

"Libertad" represents a great leap forward in craft from Velvet Revolver's debut, 2004's laughably titled "Contraband." That first CD bore all the signs of VR's crass creation. Remember, these guys were as much a corporate merger as a group, aligning the three main musicians from the spent Guns N' Roses (Slash, Sorum and bassist Duff McKagan) with the singer of the fracturing Stone Temple Pilots (Weiland).

The music managed to mingle the worst elements of both. Corny L.A. metal cliches ruled both the music and the words. This time, such tics have been kept to a minimum - at least in the tunes. Lyrically, you've still got songs burdened with titles that even seem bored with themselves. See: "Pills, Demons & Etc." Yet the music makes it sound like the band has been freed of something weighty.

"Mary Mary" (dedicated to Weiland's wife, who recently got arrested for setting his clothes on fire), is as bubblegum catchy as the Monkees song of the same name. "American Man" could be some lost answer to the Guess Who's "American Woman." The band even throws itself entirely into pop with a cover of the ELO touchstone "Can't Get It Out of my Head."

There's also a "hidden" country track that sounds remarkably credible, despite Weiland's self-deprecating delivery. As usual, Weiland's performance suggests he could set a Guinness Book record for karaoke wins. Here he channels everyone from Jim Morrison to Eddie Vedder.

Ultimately, though, Velvet Revolver has come up witha sound that's pretty much their own. It may be light and inconsequential. But its sense of fun can't be denied.

[BillBailey]

Well, it's not....

And he blames the record company.

Who says they decided to not include it on the album? Is there a quote about that somewhere?




/jarmo

Of course I blame the record company because I like to believe that Slash, Duff, ect are smart enough to know that they have a great song in Messages. Record execs are notorious for keeping certain songs off albums for reasons like feel, pacing, ect....Hello.... Don't Cry was left off Appetite and so was November Rain for these reasons......Tell me you have heard this song Jarmo? I know you hate VR but this song shows so much of what made Slash such an important part of GNR........

[CheapJon]

My local paper gave it 3/5 i'll maybe translate it later.. it was quite something

[mikegiuliana]

I think if you're a rock fan looking for some decent music in an age of so so music this definetly livens things up.. I really enjoy the playing, the catchy tunes, and weiland's voice sounds great.. Nice to see they survived turmoil and addiction.. Messages is a hell of a tune, shame it didn't make it..  let it roll is damn cool..

[jarmo]

Aftonbladet (Sweden's biggest newspaper, the same guy gave Contraband 4/5): 2/5

Don't have the paper here, but he said Just 16 was the best track.





/jarmo