Contraband quotes from Velvetrope

[jarmo]

Looks like some people at the Velvetrope.com forum have heard Contraband.

Here are some quotes:

I've heard the album. My biggest complaint is that it feels like Slash is trying to play 'modern rock'. The tunes don't have a trace of the blues-based rock that GnR was built on. It sounds like he's trying to write STP riffs. No guitar solos either. They are strangely absent from most of the songs. Still curious to see how it does.

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it sounds like an stp record...thats fine..i like stp.

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I will agree wholeheartedly that Slash has left the blues at home for this outing. If I didn't already know, there's no way I'd have known that was him on the CD.

It's nice to see a guy be able to handle more than one style, but Slash needs to sound like Slash in order to be Slash, knowutimean? Otherwise, he just sounds like a hired gun.

Scott sounds like he's trying way too hard to come off like he's not trying (you know, that whole world-weary, jaded rock star trip) and he ends up sounding like he sang all his vocal parts slumped in a chair in the studio lounge.

Thus, the end result, to my ears, lacks honesty. Like when the Scorpions made that electronica album (Eye II Eye, produced by Peter "We Built Ths City" Wolf, no less) a few years back. Normally, fans can smell that kinda tomfoolery a mile away (I'll give 'em credit for that), as Jane's Addiction quickly learned. sure, it's nice being modern and edgy, but when you have millions of fans out there who love you for what you are, going out of your way to make them go "eh" just doesn't seem like a smart move.

Of course, sight unseen, "Slither" doesn't suck any harder than anything else getting spins in the modern rock arena.

I will also add, again, that Matt Sorum is a wooden-ass drummer with two lead feet, if ever there was one. That he has been allowed to continually suck the groove out of both The Cult and Guns & Roses amazes me.

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this is not a good record. it's passable modern rock, which sounds like some dudes trying to ape stp. you can hear slash playing in there, but he isn't really on board like he should be because the music they have written doesn't call for slash's signature blues/rock style (and mastery). this record is like the equivalent of a fuel/saliva/sponge-type of record. sounds good, but really isn't.

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/jarmo

[billsguy]

Though they do usually get some news before the rest of us, I could honestly care less what the people over there think.  Most are wanna be musicians who haven't made it, or out of work music production people.  I think to hear them say that slither "doesn't suck any worse than anything else" or whatever is a huge compliment.  Like I said though, I don't really take what they have to say to heart.  I'll judge it for myself.

Mike

[Eduardo]

No solos??  

[Captain P?l]

what really, REALLY scares me is the dont have guitar solo's part.... i will stomp on that record if that is true!!!

slash plays solo's! why would he make an album without too many solo's!?? stupid!!

[loretian]

That sounds *exactly* like what I was hoping they wouldn't do.

But I'll reserve my judgement until I see them next month.  Often, even mediocre studio songs sound fantastic live.

[MAD at NASCAR]

im not convinced these people have heard the album. wasnt there an interview that said every song had a solo?

[GNRisAFD]

Those quotes are a bit worrying, i'll still reserve my judgement till i hear the album, but i'm extremely dissapointed if those quotes are anywhere near on the mark.

I always knew that Scott took control of this band, Slash and Duff have given him too much leverage and as a result we look like we're going to get an STP album.

Now i find out that Izzy's songs have been ignored because they are too Guns n Roses! What a joke.

The signs were there though, how many times did you hear the words contempary and modern in their interviews, no one expects them to recreate AFD but this is bordering on selling out.

All the ex gunners including Axl have strayed from the type of music that brought them the most success. After all these years they still haven't learnt.

[Captain P?l]

agree with GNRisAFD...

why would such a talented guitarist as slash (and hammet) ignore the fact that they damn well can play solo's?

makes me sad

[Falcon]

I'm more than happy that Slash has moved on from his Joe Perry-esque blues style into a different mode.  

Not sure about the Matt comments, from what we've heard so far of VR and  his work on The Cult's "Beyond Good and Evil", both totally groove laden..

[jarmo]

I could honestly care less what the people over there think.  

I don't care what they think of the album, but I do find some of the comments interesting. We'll see exactly how much it sounds like STP and how many solos there are.



/jarmo

[Top-Hatted One]

I too remember reading that there IS a solo in every single song. And knowing Slash there dinitelely is. so far he's 4 for 4 with Money, Set Me Free and You Got No Right. All have excellent classic Slash solos. If there are no solos then it because they were forced to by the record company inorder to get airplay. And every so far suggests that there are solos. So we'll find out on June 8th and be even more excited about haring the album!

[Sukie]

I read the velvetrope quite often.  Most people there seem bitter about life.  Plus, they just seem like musical snobs.  Especially when it comes to anything GN'R related.  There are probably a few legitimate musical insiders there, but I don't know how you can tell who they are.  

[Miz]

Why am I feeling a strange sense of deja vu?
A band saying this is the best album they've ever made...
Everyone else not being especially impressed...
A guitarist reknowned for his solo's and style completely changes his playing...
A really over-rated drummer...

I think the St Anger effect is happening all over again...

[Jizzo]

I love these assholes trying to shitpan Velvet Revolver again.

No solo's? Bullshit. Slash has said that there are alot of solo's. Last time I checked slither had a solo. Set Me Free should have a solo. Unless they totally redid YGNR, its gonna have a Solo.

[K-Rock]

I'm excited of the possibility that the Velvet Dudds will be outed for the frauds that they are.

Besides, there's a solo in Slither.  Does "none" mean "only one" over there at fantasy land?

[Booker Floyd]

"Theres a solo on every song...you dont just hold a card like Slash and dont play him." - Douglas Grean

Weve heard "Set Me Free," "Slither," and "You Got No Right"...all have solos.  

"Falling to Pieces" is going to be a cool song to play live because it's such an arena rocker.  You can already envision the corny video for it, on the mountaintop, playing a guitar solo." - Duff McKagan

"'Sucker Train Blues' has a one-take whammy bar solo." - Slash

(On his solo in "Spectacle") "That was definitely made up on the spot! In fact, that was the first song we recorded guitars on. I went to Josh's [Abraham, producer] studio and played in the control room - I hate doing overdubs, so I stand in the control room with huge speakers, crank it up and play like I'm in a live situation. When I got there he had these two little Yamahas [monitors] and that was it. I mean, how can you recreate a rock and roll environment with just these
little NS-10s? We had the NS-10s cranked up as far as they'd go, and I'd brought in a tiny Fender and a distortion box, and we did the solo. That was leftfield for me." - Slash

Thats 6 specific solos right there...maybe this gentleman heard the wrong album?  Or hes just confused.  I found the Weiland criticism kind of odd too...

Although it does seem that very little on the record will be Slashs old blues-rock style.  I dont know, I hope it doesnt suck, and Im fairly confident it wont.  

[Top-Hatted One]

Scott and Doug did edit the songs for radio but that was only the lyrics.

[Butch Français]

I know Duff has mentioned that there isa kick ass solo in 'Fall To Pieces', he said he could already picture the video with Slash on a mountain top or something...I think these velvet rope guys are full or shit.

Slither and YGNR both have solos in them too, Ive read other reviews of the album mentioning solos in other songs as well.

Edited to say: Im talking about the same stuff that Booker Floyd said up there, didn't see it before I posted

[K-Rock]

"Sucker Train Blues' has a one-take whammy bar solo." ? Slash

Hmmmmm, a solo??

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And though Kushner?s playing colors the seedy, grinding rocker ?Slither? and the arena-rock ballad ?Fall to Pieces,? it?s no surprise that Slash?s burning lines anchor each song

The heavy ballad "Fall to Pieces,"...features Slash's signature guitar sound and invokes the Gn'R classic "November Rain".

Hmmmmm, contradicts the below Velvet Rope quote:

I will agree wholeheartedly that Slash has left the blues at home for this outing. If I didn't already know, there's no way I'd have known that was him on the CD.

It's nice to see a guy be able to handle more than one style, but Slash needs to sound like Slash in order to be Slash, knowutimean? Otherwise, he just sounds like a hired gun.

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"When I went in the studio, Slash'd already done his rhythm parts, his solos which was great because I could then go my own way with it, fill up the holes.

Hmmmmmm, solos??

"Falling to Pieces" is going to be a cool song to play live because it's such an arena rocker.  You can already envision the corny video for it, on the mountaintop, playing a guitar solo." - Duff McKagan

Oh no....not another S-O-L-O

[Jizzo]

If they don't like real music, they can go back to there nu metal s***