Libertad

Velvet Revolver | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 3, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000P29B62
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (118 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,756 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Let It Roll

2. She Mine

3. Get Out The Door

4. She Builds Quick Machines

5. The Last Fight

6. Pills, Demons & Etc.

7. American Man

8. Mary Mary

9. Just Sixteen

10. Can't Get It Out Of My Head

11. For A Brother

12. Spay

13. Gravedancer

14. Re-Evolution

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When they exploded out of the gates on their 2004 debut, Contraband, Velvet Revolver were met with as much diffidence as appreciation. After all, supergroups have tended to detonate as often as succeed, and with vocalist Scott Weiland, bassist Duff McKagan, and guitarist Slash all vying to keep the lit match away from the fuse, the odds against this band ever seeing album #2 were even money at best. Surprise! Not only have Velvet Revolver survived three years with unreckless abandon, this album blows the doors off its predecessor. Save a pair of disinfected ballads ("The Last Fight," "Gravedancer"), Libertad is all about hand-grenade chords, drag-racing riffs, and circus-tent choruses. The ageless McKagan and Slash continually gun for the disorderliness of their former band (most notably on the punkish opener "Let It Roll" and its lewd brother "Spay"), while Weiland sounds--knock on wood--positively clean and like a voice of boisterous renewal on tracks like "Mary Mary," "She Builds Quick Machines," and the melt-in-your-mouth cover of ELO's "Can't Get It Out of My Head." Obviously egos have been checked at the studio door, as Velvet Revolver have already exceeded their anticipated existence. And now that existence goes back on the clock, trying to outshine a second album that's head-and-shoulders better than the first. --Scott Holter

Product Description

Japanese two disc (CD + NTSC/Region 2 DVD) edition of the Rock supergroup's 2007 album featuring one bonus audio track ('Don't Drop That Dime') plus a bonus DVD that includes a South American tour documentary, music video clips and much more. BMG. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Velvet Revolver passes the "sophomore slump" test, July 2, 2007

By 

Daniel Maltzman (Arlington, MA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Libertad (Audio CD)

Anytime a band has a successful debut album, the follow-up is always a challenge. The "sophomore slump," as it is called, has been known to rear its ugly head, time and time again, derailing the momentum of many up-and-coming artists.

For a "super-group," especially, the second album is going to be particularly important.

Velvet Revolver's debut album "Contraband" (2004) entered number one on the charts, selling two million copies in the United States alone, and spawned three huge singles. But was it all just a fluke? Did Velvet Revolver find success only because the band contained alumni from Guns N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots? Can curiosity and hype alone account for the band's success? While Velvet Revolver's detractors will argue yes, the evidence points to no.

While "Contraband" has some flaws, like a muddled mix and a monotonous first third, when the album is good, it's very good. Songs like "Slither," "You Got no Right," "Set Me Free" and "Loving the Alien" among others proved that Velvet Revolver was more than just a band that looked good on paper. "Loving the Alien," especially, with guitarist Slash's signature bluesy soloing over singer Scott Weiland's soulful delivery, rivaled the best of vintage GN'R and STP, sounding like a glorious "November Rain/Big Empty" hybrid.

Taking three years to release their second album, Velvet Revolver are back with "Libertad," (2007) an album that proves Velvet Revolver to be more that just a novelty act; demonstrating that the band has some real potential staying power.

Upon listening to "Libertad" the first thing that's apparent is how much more cohesive the band sounds now than they did on their debut. Listening to this CD it's obvious that years of touring together has really jelled and solidified the band. On their new album VR sounds much tighter--yet paradoxically looser than they did on "Contraband." And while listening to "Contraband" one couldn't help but have GN'R and STP on the back on ones mind, aware the entire time that one was listening to a "super-group," this time that isn't the case. With "Libertad" Velvet Revolver have surpassed the "super-group" stigma, and now actually sound like an actual band, an individual entity, and not just a melting pot of Guns N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland and Slash, two powerful and creative forces, mesh very well, with neither trying to outshine the other, nor any other member of the band (Duff McKagan- bass, Matt Sorum- drums, Dave Kushner- rhythm guitar).

One thing that surprised me so much about "Libertad" is how much fun the band seems to be having. While there are some depressing themes on the album, (Weiland's brother passed away recently) "Libertad," overall, is a celebratory album--very buoyant and, well, just good fun rock n' roll; a far cry from the dour "Contraband." And while "Contraband" hits listeners over the head like a blunt instrument, "Libertad" isn't as forceful. The new album still rocks, but it's more groove oriented, with stronger hooks, melodies and with more satisfying textures. So while "Libertad" sounds good with just one listen, it gets better and better with repeated plays. "Libertad" also seems to have somewhat of a retro 70s feel in places, compared to the more 90s modern-rock styling of "Contraband."

Brendan O'Brien, who produced all five Stone Temple Pilots albums, really did a superb job on "Libertad," making sure all the elements can be heard, while bringing the best out of each player. McKagan's bass is more apparent here than on "Contraband," and Sorum has never sounded better. The sound on "Libertad" is crisp, each instrument audible, and not blurred as was the case on the debut.

"Libertad" kicks into high gear immediately with "Let it Roll" a rocker that sounds like Pearl Jam's "Spin the Black Circle" meets Guns N' Roses "Right Next Door to Hell," but better. The mid-tempo "She Mine" slithers along, its psychedelic peak irresistible. "Get out the Door" is a pop-savvy rocker that moves the album along nicely. "She Builds Quick Machines," the album's first single, took me a few listens to really like. It's probably the most Stone Temple Pilots sounding song on the album. While it's a tad generic, the hook is still there and it works. Musically a sequel to "Fall to Pieces;" "The Last Fight," concerns a couple's last argument before the husband/boyfriend leaves for war. While the song is moving, it's not overdone and is an obvious choice to use as the next single. The infectious "Pills, Demons and etc," a short-but-sweet rocker is followed by the 70s flavored "American Man." The pure ear-candy "Mary Mary" has a great groove, sounding a tad reminiscent of STP's "Big Bang Baby." "Just sixteen" is like "Hot for Teacher" on steroids and packs a powerful punch. While a lot of critics seem to be hard on the band's cover of ELO's "Can't Get it out of my Head," I personally feel VR's version is gorgeous and adds a really nice flavor to the album. Presumably a tribute to Scott Weiland's brother, the rocking "For a Brother" is touching, yet avoids any trace of sentimentalism. Weiland's declaration that "I'm free" is poignant yet relieving. The chorus sounds very similar to Pearl Jam's "State of Love and Trust," but Weiland gets a pass as it's been over fifteen years since he's entered Vedder-Ville. "Spay" sounds straight out of 1992. Imagine Nirvana's "Breed" meets STP's "Sex Type Thing," with a cool Slash solo thrown in, and that's what you get... awesome. The melancholy "Grave Dancer" sounds like a logical sequel to "Loving the Alien." Even if it's not quite as epic, it's still as good. The off-beat country bonus track "Don't drop that dime" is quirky, but actually sounds really good and is better than just a novelty.

While "Contraband" was a very good album and lay a great foundation, in terms of song-writing, production and overall flow, "Libertad" trumps the debut. With "Libertad" we see more than just a STP/GN'R mesh, we see something deeper, something more satisfying; we see a band that has formed its own identity, even while the individual band members remember where they came from. Velvet Revolver passes the "sophomore slump" test to make what will probably be the finest rock album of 2007.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Freedom From What The Record Industry Tells You That You Want To Hear, July 6, 2007

By 

Sky (New York) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Libertad (Audio CD)

On the enhanced CD Extra portion of Libertad (viewable on your PC), Scott Weiland says that Velvet Revolver's unified goal for Libertad was to, "make the best record that any of us have ever made." Congratulations, Scott. You've succeeded tremendously!

Libertad is to date the best Rock release of 2007. And it is indeed as good as any record that anyone in the band has ever participated in recording....Yes, even as good as the classic Appetite for Destruction Appetite for Destruction . Hence, it goes without saying that Libertad is as good as the best STP album and it's even better than Velvet Revolver's own 2004 release Contraband Contraband (and Libertad doesn't have that annoying copy-protection software attached to it that Contraband had).

Libertad rocks. It is a Hard Rock record with clear vocals, melodic rhythms and--oh my God!--tons of guitar solos! Clearly Velvet Revolver were not influenced by the countless Sons of Plunder label executives that roll up their sleeves and tell new modern rock bands that you need to sound like Nickleback in order to sell a CD. Could you imagine trying to tell Slash that he needs to cut back on his guitarwork? No worries on Libertad; this disk is full of some of Slash's finest playing.

Scott Weiland sounds better than I've ever heard him. His range is amazing, and I swear that I walked away from my first few listens thinking that this is one of the best Hard Rock singers on the circuit today.

Matt Sorum (drums), Dave Kushner (guitar) and Duff McKagan (bass) are all back and are all playing their best.

Of 13 tracks (or 14 if you count the drunken-country-bar bonus track), 10 will have you stomping your feet and pumping your fists in the air. Song after song...I looked at my stereo in amazement as each new track played. I haven't heard a complete album where I didn't want to skip a track in a long long time. But Libertad is definitely one of those disks; you never question whether the track has changed and you get a full disk of tunes that you'll want to rip to your media library.

Velvet Revolver slows it down a bit only for track 5 (The Last Fight), track 10 (an excellent cover of ELO's Can't Get It Out Of My Head The Essential Electric Light Orchestra ), and track 13 (Gravedigger).

The enhanced portion of the CD is titled Re-evolution and is a brief, but cool, "making of". The band will release a more extensive DVD/CD combo later this month.

Velvet Revolver Drummer Matt Sorum said that Libertad is a record "that you will enjoy for a lifetime." And I believe that couldn't be a more accurate statement. If you're a Hard Rocker, then Libertad is one that you do not want to pass on. Add it to your cart.

(P.S. -- If the enhanced portion of the CD doesn't automatically start when you put it into a Windows operated computer, or if your computer automatically plays the CD instead of the enhancement, pop out the disk, open My Computer then double-click the drive that you plan to insert it in. Pop the disk back in and the drive window will populate with files; double-click on the application file 'CDEXTRA.exe' to play the content...it's worth the trouble.)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, solid affair if nothing truly stellar; 3 ½ Stars, July 23, 2007

By 

Michael Brent Faulkner, Jr. "Brent Faulkner" (Kentucky) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Libertad (Audio CD)

Velvet Revolver is an admirable band for the simple fact that they are keeping the traditionalist, hard-rocking sound alive where other bands are opting for different avenues for rock. In some ways, the fact that Velvet Revolver have such a throwback appeal also might set them back from having a huge audience. While this probably should've hindered their first album, CONTRABAND, it worked in their favor as CONTRABAND debuted easily at No.1 with 256,000 copies and went on to sale a cool two million copies, hence garnering double-platinum certification. As much as you wish LIBERTAD could be just as commercially successful, especially following all of front man Weiland's problems of drugs, and crazy marital issues (for lack of a better phrase amid the rumors), you know that LIBERTAD will be a clear mark of the sophomore effect. Unfortunately, it was more of an effect than one expected as LIBERTAD slid on the Billboard 200 Charts at an impressive enough #5 bow, but with a tepid 92,000, down 164,000 copies from CONTRABAND opening. Despite cool receptions from buyers as well as radio ("She Build Quick Machines" isn't a radio hit by any means despite being top-notch), quality isn't sacrificed on LIBERTAD. Sure, there are a couple of "clunkers", but even the worst is never horrible and always minimally average. LIBERTAD is a strong album with a couple of flaws that don't really affect it that much.

"Let It Roll" gets things rolling for Revolver, and very well I might add. It's the perfect duration at only 2:32 and I guarentee if you buy this album you won't be able to stop listening to it. Weiland sounds exceptionally well here and the driving guitars coupled with the rockin' drum groove is 'in the pocket' as jazz musicians would say. "She Mine" isn't quite a stellar for me as "Let It Roll", but it is definitely a standout from this set. "Get Out The Door" is solid, though not stellar by any means while the underrated but great "She Builds Quick Machine" is Revolver at their best. Three more strong tracks follow in my eyes via "The Last Fight", my favorite of the bunch "Pills, Demons & Etc", and the straightforward "American Man" which truly does embody being 'the American Man' of which Weiland so convincingly sings about.

Following "American Man", the album cools down for a couple of numbers. Despite the slight downgrade in quality, nothing at all is horrible or as I stated earlier less than average. "Mary Mary" and "Just Sixteen" are solid, but not truly memorable when stacked against the best of LIBERTAD. "Can't Get It Out Of My Head" brings the album back to the quality instilled with such undisputed hits as "Let It Roll" or "She Builds Quick Machines". "For A Brother" seems like a backstep after "Can't Get It Out Of My Head" while the incredibly addictive "Spay" makes up for any missteps. "Gravedancer" isn't the 'finale' is should be (though it is solid), but the embedded hidden track makes it worth it.

Overall, LIBERTAD isn't 2007's best album and perhaps not even its best rock album, but it is certainly a contender and is deserving of any and all accolades that it receives. I personally enjoyed it and I hope anyone who buys it will enjoy it as much as I did. 3 ½ stars in my eyes.