Velvet Revolver: 'Rubin Collaboration Was Uninspired'

They think the producer became distracted with work on the Metallica and U2 albums.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Rockers Velvet Revolver became "uninspired" working with super-producer Rick Rubin, accusing him of not giving the band enough attention in the studio.

The band had hired Rubin to produce their second album 'Libertad,' but ditched him in favor of former Pearl Jam producer Brendan O'Brien after Rubin became distracted with work on the forthcoming Metallica and U2 albums.

Lead singer Scott Weiland explains, "If you're gonna work with a producer, unless you're gonna produce something yourselves, if you're gonna pay a producer, get in the trenches with us and work with us.

"The Rick thing didn't work out, and, you know, he was working on a couple of other things, Metallica and U2, and so we kind of became very uninspired."


Copyright World Entertainment News Network 2006

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.

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 (bonus track)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P29B62/?tag=imwan-20

So, does this mean that six months to a year from now we'll see a "Deluxe edition" of this album with a bonus disc of the unused Rubin sessions????

BWAH-HA-HA!!!

No one has mentioned that this CD has a bonus track #14. Does anyone know the name of it? It sounds like it could be called "Don't Drop That Dime". Maybe refering to a dime bag? (Yuk yuk)

It sounds very country for them and Scott's vocals remind me of Cary Hudson, now solo, but formally of the Alt Country folksey roots band Blue Mountain. The first full minute sounds just like him/them.

Weird thing is this record is getting little airplay, from what I've heard, and very little mention in the press; as opposed to when they broke the first time. And I think the CD sounds very good. I've heard they are blistering in concert. I was lucky to see the Four tour for STP and it was one of my top twenty out of over 450+; which says a hell of a lot.

Just curious as to ya'll's impressions. If you hate it, no worries we're all family here right?

Rich

I'm also surprised that this isn't getting any airplay. It's a really good release from a SuperGroup. Pity it's practically going unnoticed...

The track is entitled "Re-Evolution".

I just got back from Venice, Florida where I did some househunting, and in my realtors office, there was an advertisement hanging on the wall for Velvet Revolver. When I asked her about it, she said she was a really big fan of theirs and just recently saw them and said they put on an awesome show.

I'll tell ya what-I wasn't sold on the band at first, but this album is really, really good. And, we saw them with Alice In Chains this summer and the show was fantastic. I see Weiland got busted again-yawn. Hope he keeps his shit together, but I highly doubt it. They're probably finished as the album did nothing compared to the debut, but then, all the bandwagon jumpers hopped off as so often happens with supergroups if they even make it to a second album-but, this is a damn good effort.

Venice, Florida? If you do move here, please tell me you'll open a CD store!

If there's a market, we just might do that. I like the area, and I LOVED 84 degree temps when the weather in Ohio was freezing rain and 25 degrees. My realtor said she would look for a store front for me, but a house is first and foremost.

I don't know about the store, "Boogie Woggie" is just about hanging in there IMO. Best stay with an online store front.

I try to spend money at Boogie Woogie when I can, but there's just not much I want to buy anymore. The problem for me is that the only places in Venice to buy CD's and DVD's are K Mart, Walmart, and Target. Right now I've been waiting three weeks and counting for my import version of "Blackout" with four bonus tracks to arrive from Japan, two weeks and counting for a used copy of the "ONXRT Vol. 3" compilation CD from an Amazon vendor...I used to buy a LOT more CD's!

A little more material from the Libertad sessions has been released in the UK, in the form of a CD EP entitled [lilred]The Melody And The Tyranny[/lilred]:



This Enhanced CD EP Includes the First Single 'She Builds Quick Machines', a Cover of the Talking Heads Classic 'Psycho Killer', Exclusive Video Content and More.

1. She Builds Quick Machines
2. Just Sixteen
3. Psycho Killer
4. Making Of Libertad (Video)
5. Do It For The Kids (Live Performance From Houston) (Video)

Amazon USA:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QEINVI/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000QEINVI/?tag=imwan-21

And also ...


Well, actually, now that you mention it ...

[bigred]Libertad - Limited Deluxe Edition[/bigred]



Limited Edition International two disc (CD + NTSC/Region 0 DVD) pressing of the 2007 sophomore album from Velvet Revolver contains two bonus tracks ('Don't Drop That Dime' and 'Re-Evolution') plus a bonus DVD featuring a documentary on the making of the album. Produced by Brendan O'Brien, Libertad is the follow-up to Contraband, VR's debut album, released in June 2004, which earned three million in sales worldwide, debuted on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart at #1 and was awarded a Grammy. 15 tracks including the first single 'She Builds Quick Machines'. BMG.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000RL53WC/?tag=imwan-20