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Rating: The new supergroup formed from the ashes of Guns N' Roses (3/5), Scott Weiland (former Stone Temple Pilots), and an unknown rhythm guitarist, Dave Kushner, is already working on the second album with the support of hip-hop producer and singer Pharrell Williams.
The first work, "Contraband", from 2004 received various nominations at the 2005 Grammy Awards, notably the single "Slither", which however was beaten by "American Idiot" by Green Day. A good album, not extraordinary but nonetheless crafted by artists with a great deal of experience behind them and now among the best in the world. You can feel more of the influence from Weiland's former group, which emerged in the early '90s thanks to a genre they adopted, light-years away from conventional Hard Rock and closer to the Grunge movement.
It must be remembered that Duff McKagan, VR's bassist and former GN'R, is from Seattle, the capital of the street-grunge movement, so he had no difficulty adapting to the genre the Revolver play. The other former Guns had a bit more difficulty: Slash seems to have lost his old spark and also seems lost, having to play in a genre far from his much-loved blues; Matt Sorum manages, even though for a group like this I'd see more of a Grunge-style drummer, like Jack Irons from Pearl Jam.
Nonetheless, the record is nice, a bit tough to listen to for long stretches. "Slither" is very engaging, fast, and explosive, with Duff McKagan, reportedly, majestic. Then, slower but not bad is "Fall to Pieces", in which Scott Weiland stands out for his vocal versatility and incisiveness. Even "Big Machine", at least technically, is very energetic. In "Dirty Little Thing", it's like hearing the Slash of old: precise, incredibly fast, and devastating in terms of incisiveness.
In the other songs (technically nothing to say about these either), there's a bit of a lack of originality. Among the best is also "Set Me Free", the soundtrack for the movie "Hulk". Finally, it's worth noting that this is a good rock album; after all, 4 out of 5 members of the group come from very important bands in the '80s-'90s rock scene; therefore, even though the VR project is a commercial operation, and it shows, the CD isn't bad, even if not excellent.
In my opinion, these VR only need a bit of originality that could distinguish them from other supergroups of the genre, such as Audioslave, etc. So, we look forward to their second album "Libertad", which will be released toward the end of the year.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Do It for the Kids (03:56)
Went too fast, ran out of luck
And I don't even give a fuck
I wanna be your manchild
Let's all go it hog-wild
She said I'll see you later
I always gravitate to her
Let's all meet at the station
No heavy concentration
We could all hook up there
The kids are all alright there
Should we go out later?
Showtime for strangers
Should we go out later?
Showtime, for strangers
Dontcha give a fuck anymore now
She's givin up on you now
Do it for the kids they say
It ain't about you anyway
I say we're all grown up now
And sex ain't so safe now
It's all in the groove they say
Doesn't matter anyway
Should we go out later?
Showtime, for strangers
Should we go out later?
Showtime, for strangers
Keep me runnin' like a deer
In the headlights
All for nothing I thought
Just the ransom I had bought
About the day I tried to tame her
Never tried to blame her
Just a game that I had bought
-Solo-
Let's all meet at the station
No heavy concentration
The kids are all alright there
Went too fast, ran out of luck
And I don't even give a fuck
Should we go out later?
Showtime, for strangers
Should we go out later?
Showtime, for strangers
Should we go
(Should we go)
Out later
Went too fast, ran out of luck
And I don't even give a fuck
Showtime
(Showtime)
For strangers
Went too fast, ran out of luck
And I don't even give a fuck
-Solo-
{under solo}
Should we go
(Should we go)
Out later
Went too fast, ran out of luck
And I don't even give a fuck
Showtime
(Showtime)
For strangers
Went too fast, ran out of luck
And I don't even give a fuck
05 Spectacle (03:42)
Take two to break and three to go
Hold me back you spectacle
(Mother fcker yeah)
Kick me down with broken bones
You picked a fight now stand your ground
You talk about it
Don't know what you want
In the back of someone else's car
You write the list
Well write me off
Rocket bitch is blasting off
(Right on target yeah)
Boots laced up I'm here to go
In the end I'll stand alone
You talk about it
Don't know what you want
In the back of someone else's car
You lied about it
Bled another heart
Then began to fall apart
It rains and you fall back down again
It begins to rain and I'll knock
You right back down again
You incessant bitch you lied
In wait for the last time now
I'm standing now
I'm standing now
-Solo-
Take two to break and three to go
Hold me back you spectacle
Kick me down with broken bones
(Mother fucker yeah)
You picked a fight now stand your ground
You talk about it
Don't know what you want
In the back of someone else's car
You lied about it
Bled another heart
Then began to fall apart
You talk about it
Don't know what you want
In the back of someone else's car
You lied about it
Bled another heart
Then began to fall apart
06 Fall to Pieces (04:31)
It's been a long year
Since you've been gone
I've been alone here
I've grown old
I fall to pieces, I'm falling
Fell to pieces and I'm still falling
Every time I'm falling down
All alone I fall to pieces
I keep a journal of memories
I'm feeling lonely, I can't breathe
I fall to pieces, I'm falling
Fell to pieces and I'm still falling
Every time I'm falling down
All alone I fall to pieces
All the years I've tried
With more to go
Will the memories die
I'm waiting
Will I find you
Can I find you
We're falling down
I'm falling
-Solo-
Every time I'm falling down
All alone I fall to pieces
Every time I'm falling down
All alone I fall to pieces
Every time I'm falling down
All alone I fall to pieces
Every time I'm falling down
All alone I fall to pieces
07 Headspace (03:43)
Me, I'm a man
Who is trudging
Best I can
Through a minefield
Built to blast
Can I make it
Will I last?
Free my mind, levitate
Don't let any of those
Fuckers in my headspace
Please, let me be
No more questions
No more needs
You're the cancer
You're the leech
Sent to bleed me
Of disease
Free my mind, levitate
Don't let any of those
Fuckers in my headspace
Let me go my own way
Burn the rest of them that
Try to keep me enchained
Living taking chances
Isn't all that it's meant to be
(Meant to be)
Dying with your face on
A t-shirt isn't all that original
(All that original)
-Solo-
Me, I'm the man
Will I make it
Will I last
Free my mind, levitate
Don't let any of those
Fuckers in my headspace
Let me go my own way
Burn the rest of them that
Try to keep me enchained
Living taking chances
Isn't all that it's meant to be
(Meant to be)
Dying with your face on
A t-shirt isn't all that original
(All that original)
08 Superhuman (04:16)
I'm a superman
I wanna be your superman
I'm a superman
I wanna be your superman
What you get is a crash
Course to be a man
But a man is a
Destination never known
Sometimes dressed up like
A red hot lady in pumps
Don't think she can get enough
Always feel like she's
Running on a hamster wheel
Getting high, crashing
Cars and making mistakes
Keeping her face
Packed with cocaine
Her face is numb
Your faith is gone
I'm travelling on now
I'm making plans now
Cocaine, alcohol
Lady-lay, withdrawal
Cocaine, alcohol
Lady-lay, withdrawal
Keep it comin' in a world
That's blown up wild
Keep it comin' in a world
That's bred her style
We're all runnin' from the
Goose she's high on cocaine
There's a noose swimmin' right
Between her legs to her brain
We're all in need of
A superhuman woman now
We're all in need of
A superhuman woman now
To rodeo, rodeo, rodeo, rodeo
Throw the rope around her neck
And get the show on the road
I'm travelling on now
I'm making plans now
Cocaine, alcohol
Lady-lay, withdrawal
Cocaine, alcohol
Lady-lay, withdrawal
-Solo-
I'm travelling on now
I'm making plans now
What's she thinking
She'll never get enough
What's she thinking
She'll never get enough
What's she thinking
She'll never get enough
What's she thinking
She'll never get enough
What's she thinking
She'll never get enough
What's she thinking
She'll never get enough
What's she thinking
She'll never get enough
What's she thinking
She'll never get enough
Cocaine, alcohol
Lady-lay, withdrawal
Cocaine, alcohol
Lady-lay, withdrawal
09 Set Me Free (04:08)
You operate and motivate on synthetic fuel
You're mother nature and an atom bomb
As long as you're kept full of pretty bodies
Your little secret will be safe with me
Pre-Chorus:
Around again
Insane again
It comes again
And sets me free
Chorus:
So set me free, set me free
'Cause I think you need my soul
Set me free, set me free
You're kept alive and polarized with one thing in mind
Metabolize everything that you see
But now and then or a little later
Now I'm gonna take you down with me
Around again
Insane again
It comes again
And sets me free
So set me free, set me free
'Cause I think you need my soul
Set me free, set me free
So set me free, set me free
'Cause I think you need my soul
Set me free, set me free
So take me down
Take me, down, down, down, down
Take me down, take me down
So take me down
Take me, down, down, down, down
Take me down, take me down
So set me free, set me free
'Cause I think you need my soul
Set me free, set me free
So set me free, set me free
'Cause I think you need my soul
Set me free, set me free
So set me free, set me free
'Cause I think you need my soul
Set me free, set me free
So set me free, set me free
'Cause I think you need my soul
Set me free, set me free
So set me free, set me free
'Cause I think you need my soul
Set me free, set me free
My freedom!
That's a wrap!
10 You Got No Right (05:35)
I fell through the ice
She won't be coming back again
It never wins to lie
She said you'll never have no rights
I've took it farther on the outside
I've took it nearly to the brink
And if you've seen me on the outside
You would have barely seen me breathe
Funny right here I find myself
Inside a paper cup
Without a warning or a reason it's a treason
With no answer
You got no right
To keep me waiting here
You got no right
To keep the pain in here
That holds the crown
And if I fall apart on the outside
(You really don't believe me)
And if I take it to the brink
And if I fall apart on the outside
(You really don't believe me)
You would have barely seen me breathe
And if I meet you out tonight
Will you be loving me forever
It's always over after the night
It's always colder after the night
I broke through the ice
She won't be coming back again
It's been a year and a night
And if I fall apart on the outside
(You really don't believe me)
And if I take it to the brink
And if I fall apart on the outside
(You really don't believe me)
You would have barely seen me breathe
And if I fall apart on the outside
And if I fall apart on the outside
And if I fall apart on the outside
And if I fall apart on the outside
11 Slither (04:08)
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
When you look you
See right through me
Cut the rope
I fell to my knees
Born and broken
Every single time
Always keep me
Under finger
That's the spot
Where you run to me
Might see some type
Of pleasure in my mind
Now here comes the water
It comes to wash away
The sins of you and I
This time you'll see
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
When you seek me
You destroy me
Rape my mind and
Smell the poppies
Born and bloodied
Every single time
Always keep me
Under finger
That's the spot
Where you might linger
Might see some type
Of pleasure in my mind
Now here comes the water
It comes to wash away
The sins of you and I
This time you'll see
Like holy water
It only burns you faster
Than you'd ever dry
This time with me
-Solo-
When you look you
See right through me
Cut the rope
I fell to my knees
Born and blooded
Every single time
Now here comes the water
It comes to wash away
The sins of you and I
This time you'll see
Like holy water
It only burns you faster
Than you'd ever dry
This time with me
Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
12 Dirty Little Thing (03:58)
Can't stop thinkin'
Must've been trippin'
This evening
My mind is racing demons
And all of my feelings are numb
Yeah and when I roll
With my head in the wind
And I feel like the king of the
Dead men wishin' they had
Gotten together with you girl
But you're a dirty little liar
With a message of obsession to come
You got your head in the clouds
And your world's upside down
Get away from the
Life you're living
Get away from the man
That's stealing your life
Get away from the
Drugs you're taking
Get away from the
Film of sex in your life
Can't stop drinking
I'm cold, kicking and bleeding
The wine is numbing feelings
And all of my memories are gone
Yeah and when I roll
With my head in the wind
And I feel like the king of the
Dead men wishin' they had
Gotten together with you girl
But you're a dirty little liar
With a message of obsession to come
You got your head in the clouds
And your world's upside down
Get away from the
Life you're living
Get away from the man
That's stealing your life
Get away from the
Drugs you're taking
Get away from the
Film of sex in your life
-Solo-
You got your head in the clouds
And your world's upside down
Get away from the
Life you're living
Get away from the man
That's stealing your life
Get away from the
Drugs you're taking
Get away from the
Film of sex in your life
Get away
Get away
Get away
Get away
Get away
Get away
Get away
Get away
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Other reviews
By Vic Sorriso1
Slash rock has been dead for at least 15 years????
You Velvet Revolver aren’t transgressive today, you’re just scum adding to the scum.
By f.factor
Finally, a real singer at the front: Weiland performs admirably even with a repertoire that is not quite typical of his past.
Velvet Revolver and their Contraband... one of the best things heard in the Rock’n Roll scene in recent months.
By Laskar_nec
Just hearing the simply superb opening track, "Fall to Pieces," technically excellent, with a feeling that hasn’t been heard in hard rock for quite some time.
If 90% of critics called it the best rock album of 2004, there’s certainly a reason.
