Contraband is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Velvet Revolver, released on June 8, 2004, by RCA Records. A commercial success, Contraband debuted at number one on the American Billboard 200 chart and was certified double platinum by the RIAA.
Background and recording
Velvet Revolver formed when Guns N' Roses musicians Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass), and Matt Sorum (drums) combined to play at a benefit concert for fellow musician Randy Castillo in 2002. They decided to form a band and recruited guitarist Dave Kushner who had previously played with Suicidal Tendencies, Wasted Youth, and Dave Navarro. The quartet then set about recruiting a lead singer with the recruitment process filmed by VH1. Several lead singers auditioned including Josh Todd of Buckcherry, Kelly Shaefer of Neurotica and Travis Meeks of Days of the New. Scott Weiland had become friends with McKagan and had played on the same bill as Kushner when Stone Temple Pilots were known as Mighty Joe Young and Kushner was in the Electric Love Hogs. Weiland heard the material and offered his services as the lead singer and the band clicked. Slash suggested the name Revolver for the project while Weiland suggested Black Velvet Revolver which was shortened to Velvet Revolver.
Velvet Revolver recorded its first track "Set Me Free" for The Hulk soundtrack in 2003, later incorporated into the album's track listing, along with a cover of Pink Floyd's "Money" for The Italian Job, which was later released as a B-side.
The band played their first live gig at the El Rey in Los Angeles in July 2003. They recorded Contraband in the latter part of 2003 with recording complicated by Weiland's court appearances for drug charges and his subsequent sentencing to undertake rehabilitation. Slash recorded "Sucker Train Blues" with a Fender Telecaster 1956 and a Fender Stratocaster 1965.
Release
The United States release of the disc uses the MediaMax CD-3 system for copy protection, while Macrovision CDS-200 is used for the European release. The album cover features a silhouette of American actress Rena Riffel.
In February 2005, RCA Records released a "Tour Edition" of the album in Europe, which included a bonus disc containing three tracks: B-sides "Surrender" (originally by Cheap Trick) and an acoustic "Fall to Pieces", along with the exclusive "No More, No More" (originally by Aerosmith).
Scott Borchetta named his record label Big Machine Records after the Contraband song of the same name.
Critical reception
Metacritic.com has given Contraband an average score of 65 based on 14 reviews, indicating that the critical response has been "generally favorable". Q magazine said it was "astonishingly good" rating it as four stars.
Rolling Stone rated it as four stars out of five and said, "it is a rare, fine thing: the sound of the perfect A&R sales pitch turning into a real band. Now we can find out if these guys can stay together, and go somewhere new."
Entertainment Weekly gave it a B−, saying, "[E]ven at its sharpest, Contraband feels secondhand, and much of it is also hobbled by a disconnect between singer and band."
In 2005, Contraband was ranked number 317 in Rock Hard magazine's book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.
Commercial performance
Contraband debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 256,000 copies in its first week of release.
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Note
- The version of "Set Me Free" on the album is different from the version on The Hulk soundtrack with different mixing and also contains a slightly different ending.
Personnel
Adapted from the album's booklet.
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|+2005 year-end chart performance for Contraband
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