Why did "Libertad" flop?

[PJ]

it is very generic..
no power.. no fun
contraband.. was cool, not great.. but you could hear it and it was fun

[jarmo]

Maybe Rick Rubin was right.






/jarmo

[Smoking Guns]

Libertad is a better album than Contraband

Um, no it's not.

Contraband kicks Libertad's ass...

Well, I think Libertad is better as well. Then again, I guess thats how opinions work, now isn't

Opinion is one thing, but it was stated like it was fact.

I dunno, I support VR and all, but Libertad just sounds so uninspired on most of the tracks.
I've tried to listen to it see what people are hearing that makes it supposedly 'better' than Contraband, but it just bores me. Either that or the mix/guitar tones annoys me so much thar I don't want to listen to it.

Contraband rocks from start to finish, and even listening to it today 3 years after it was released, I still think it's a really solid rock album.

Metallex, I agree with you.  Contraband is much more powerful and edgey.  The mix sux on contraband, but the music is mean and raw.  Like Suckertrain Blues, its a very gnr type song musically and scott actually is good on that track.  Slither to me is a modern rock classic.  It still rocks and I stil love to hear it.  That album, though not great, does stand the test of time. 

Libertad has good ideas, but sometimes the songs don't develop quite enough and aren't milked to their strenghts.  sometimes muscially the songs rock, but scott will drop the ball.  Also, they should have had all the songs on the album.  The ballads are good.  Let it roll is good, but Libertad won't satisfy your need for hard rock like contraband can.

[SpiritDave]

Maybe Rick Rubin was right.

/jarmo

Maybe not

I still love the album.  It's a case of working out what you want.  Progressive breakthrough songs ... or rock tunes built to rock.  VR is the latter ... and for that I thank them.  Some people always think you have to move all over the place as a band ... I don't agree.  I hate that GnR isn't doing the music it was before.  I hate that Axl's doing something that doesn't sound like the old band ... I LOVE the new songs ... don't get me wrong... but I hate when bands change their sound.  Coz I love the band for the style they were.  That's the only single reason I wish this was called Axl Rose solo album.  I mean... that's just an example.  It's the same with bands like Stereophonics here in the UK ... they went from being a kick ass rock band ... not heavy but still rock.  They went from that to being something different.  And that pisses me off ... even better example ... Manic Street Preachers.  I LOVE the old shit ... the new stuff just sounds NOTHING like the same band.

But ... well ... that's life I guess.  But at least I've explained my reasons for thinking VR are cool

[jarmo]

But ... well ... that's life I guess.  But at least I've explained my reasons for thinking VR are cool

So cool in your opinion equals boring and repetitive? 


I'm the opposite, I love artists/bands who are not too afraid to try new things.

I think it's natural, people change so why wouldn't their music change along with it?


That's one of the things that amuse me with VR. The guys still pretend to be these angry dangerous 20-somethings. The only thing that they have to show for it is the denied visas to Japan.... 





/jarmo

[Smoking Guns]

Jarmo, Spirit Dave made his point.  No need to knock his opinion of VR.  What I like about VR and even say the rolling stones is that they are still trying to release music and create something.  Look at Van Halen, they just tour to tour, but don't care much about trying to write an album. 

I mean, lets not be too greedy.  Its not your cup of tea, that is fine, but I, like spirit dave, enjoy VR. 

Jarmo, love the gallery by the way.

[SpiritDave]

So cool in your opinion equals boring and repetitive? 

Come on man ... no need for that.  If you don't tap your foot to a few of those tunes, you're soul-less.  You know you like some of them...

x

[elmir]

Psycho Killer is a cover - you can't have the opening single from an album be a cover, that's lame!

it works for the entire hip hop generation.
lame or not, their bank balance isn't complaining.

[JimBobTTD]

Psycho Killer is a cover - you can't have the opening single from an album be a cover, that's lame!

it works for the entire hip hop generation.
lame or not, their bank balance isn't complaining.

True. But, as a musician, I have no repect for their lack of artistic integrity.

[Jim Bob]

Psycho Killer is a cover - you can't have the opening single from an album be a cover, that's lame!

it works for the entire hip hop generation.
lame or not, their bank balance isn't complaining.

True. But, as a musician, I have no repect for their lack of artistic integrity.

IMO a tasteful well done cover in no way lacks artistic integrity.    corny cheesy shitty ones do.

I haven't heard the VR cover to judge.

[Voodoochild]

I bought Contraband. Didn't bother to do the same with Libertad...

The major reason was because I went to the VR gig here and I didn't like the new songs at all. Tried to listen online to the new songs and the only ones I liked (tho not as much as Set Me Free, Slither or You Got No Right) were Messages and Psycho Killer.

I think Contraband had the curiosity and expectations about the band. Libertad didn't and the songs were not an improvement from the previous record. That's the reason it flopped, I guess.

[jarmo]

Jarmo, Spirit Dave made his point.  No need to knock his opinion of VR. 

Sorry if it offended anyone.

I just think that artists who keep doing the same over and over again tend to be boring.


Even Izzy, who's a pretty traditional rock n' roll artist, mixes his stuff up with reggae here and there.



/jarmo

[Wheres Izzy]

Jarmo, Spirit Dave made his point.? No need to knock his opinion of VR.?

Sorry if it offended anyone.

I just think that artists who keep doing the same over and over again tend to be boring.


Even Izzy, who's a pretty traditional rock n' roll artists, mixes his stuff up with reggae here and there.



/jarmo

Even tho I like Libertad I completely agree with your main point. It isn't too different from what the guys in VR have done in the past. It would be nice to see something with a little more edge and taking more of a risk as long as it still rocks. I guess they figure this is the stuff that's worked before so....

[SpiritDave]

Even Izzy, who's a pretty traditional rock n' roll artist, mixes his stuff up with reggae here and there.

Yeah ... but I'll be honest ... it's his worst stuff! lol

[Ines_rocks!]

but I, like spirit dave, enjoy VR.?

ahh you shouldn?t have said it here... it?s quite dangerous you know? 

[Trist805]

I don't hate Libertad, I actually still think it is better than most stuff out, but I think it was a bit too generic.   Like basically every song is about a girl, except for maybe Last Fight, and For A Brother, and GOTD.   Just about every song has that interlude at about 2 mins in.   I also think songs like Pills Demons and Etc. sound like Rolling Stones, and For a Brother sounds like Zeppelin on the Slash solo.   I remember them saying they were trying to make their own Physical Graffitti but I didn't think they meant it literally.   I guess overall, it seems a bit uninspired considering all the time they took to make it.   Probably could have used some more variety. 

However I've always felt that their best work was stuff that they didn't do for albums such as Negative Creep( i know it's a cover), Come on Come In, Messages,  Psycho Killer cover, and even Set Me Free which was done for a soundtrack before it was on Contraband. 

[Alan]

Maybe Rick Rubin was right.


/jarmo

i'd agree, they need to be pushed to achieve their potential.

i like the album, mainly the songs like pills demons etc where they venture out of their comfort zone a little, makes it more interesting.

[Kangaroo Friend]

Libertad gets no radio airplay where I live.  Yet they still play Slither and the crappy ballad.

I think that has TONS to do with the poor sales.  People aren't hearing new songs that remind them to go out and buy the new album. 

[kaasupoltin]

I think SBQM was an awful choice for a single + video. I wasn't impressed at all when I heard it, and when I picked up the whole album and gave it a couple of spins I wondered; why in the name of god they didn't choose Last Fight or American Man as the first single. That was the first mistake they did IMO.

[Smoking Guns]

but I, like spirit dave, enjoy VR.?

ahh you shouldn?t have said it here... it?s quite dangerous you know??

Ines, after realizing your hottness, I cannot reply the same anymore to your comments.  I am star struck.