Libertad (Velvet Revolver album)

Last updated
Libertad
VRLibertad.jpg
Studio album by
Velvet Revolver
ReleasedJuly 3, 2007 [1]
RecordedDecember 11, 2006 – February 25, 2007
Studio Henson Recording Studios
Hollywood, California
Genre Hard rock
Length51:48
Label RCA
Producer
Velvet Revolver chronology
Contraband
(2004)		Libertad
(2007)
Singles from Libertad
  1. "She Builds Quick Machines"
    Released: May 21, 2007
  2. "The Last Fight"
    Released: August 20, 2007
  3. "Get Out the Door"
    Released: January 29, 2008

Libertad is the second and final studio album by American hard rock band Velvet Revolver, released on July 3, 2007. The name is Spanish and translates to "Liberty" or "freedom" in English. According to a 2007 interview with Rolling Stone , along with the Stone Temple Pilots albums Core and the self-titled 2010 album, Libertad is one of only three albums lead singer Scott Weiland wrote while sober. [2] [3]

Contents

Release and promotion

Velvet Revolver originally announced their plans for a second album in late 2005, when lead singer Scott Weiland said that the band was planning on recording a concept album. Although it is not certain how concrete the concept album plans were, [4] they were eventually scrapped and the band began to work with producer Rick Rubin. However, the bandmembers felt that Rubin was not a good fit for the band and thus parted ways with him. In December 2006, Velvet Revolver began working with producer Brendan O'Brien, who had previously produced albums for Stone Temple Pilots, Weiland's former band. As Scott Weiland commented in Kerrang! magazine, "We were really excited about six months ago, when we first began writing. Then we really kind of flat-lined for a while, We didn't know which way we were going. Once Brendan (O'Brien) came on board, it was kind of like a shot in the arm. It was a new energy." Recording began on December 11 and continued through December, January, and February. The process was documented by a series of video blogs, or "Vlogs", available on the band's website.

On June 26, 2007, Velvet Revolver released a sneak peek of Libertad in its entirety.

Libertad was a released as an Enhanced-CD which includes a 10-minute video documentary called "Re-Evolution: The Making of Libertad" (Directed by Rocco Guarino). A deluxe Best Buy edition was also released which includes a DVD containing a 30-minute documentary called "Tierra Roja, Sangre Roja" (Directed by Rocco Guarino), that documented the band's journey across South America.

To promote the album, Velvet Revolver embarked on a South American tour with Aerosmith. The final performance saw 70,000 fans in attendance. Shortly thereafter, VR embarked on a North American club tour, revealing several new songs. The band also played major music festivals such as the Download Festival. In August 2007, they began a North American arena tour with Alice in Chains, and later toured Europe and Asia.

Songs from the album were featured at X Games XIII as being the official background music to the event. The track "Let It Roll" is also used as the official theme song for the 2007 WWE Diva Search. The song "American Man" has also been used in promotional ads for the popular drama Prison Break .

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic (68/100) [5]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Billboard (Positive) [7]
Blabbermouth Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Entertainment Weekly A− [9]
New York Post Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [10]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [11]
The Austin Chronicle Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
San Francisco Chronicle (Positive) [13]
USA Today Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Yahoo! (Positive) [15]

The album debuted at number five on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 92,000 copies in its first week; as of October 12, 2007, it has sold 222,000 copies and had fallen off the charts. Compared to the multi-platinum success of Contraband , Libertad was seen as a commercial disappointment for the band. [16] The album is certified Gold in New Zealand and Canada. Upon its release, Libertad received generally positive reviews and was said to possibly be "THE rock record of the summer" according to the Associated Press. Rolling Stone also gave the album a good review, stating that "there is plenty of thrill in the fuzz-lined hard-rubber bends of Slash's guitar breaks and the way bassist Duff McKagan keeps time, like a cop swinging a billy club" and that the album had "honest depth." [11]

Controversy

Pinochet's regime allusion

The album's cover features a stylized 10 Chilean pesos coin produced from 1973 to 1990. The coin is an allusion to the Coup d'état in Chile in 1973 against the socialist president Salvador Allende. [17] During the Augusto Pinochet military dictatorship, the coin bore the image of the winged female figure. To her side, in small Roman numerals, the date of the coup d'état is marked (September 11, 1973), and underneath the word Libertad ("Freedom", meant as "freedom" from Marxism) is written in capitals. After the restoration of democracy, Pinochet's winged female was replaced with the portrait of the Chilean independence hero Bernardo O'Higgins.

It was later stated by Slash, in an interview in September 2007 by 102.1 The Edge in Dallas, the image came from a friend's old Chilean 10 pesos necklace. Slash reported that he had no idea what the significance of the image was until a concert in Brazil.

Track listing

All music is composed by Scott Weiland, Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum and Dave Kushner, except where noted. All lyrics written by Weiland, except where noted.

No.TitleLength
1."Let It Roll"2:32
2."She Mine"3:24
3."Get Out the Door"3:14
4."She Builds Quick Machines"4:02
5."The Last Fight"4:03
6."Pills, Demons & Etc."2:54
7."American Man"3:56
8."Mary Mary"4:33
9."Just Sixteen"3:58
10."Can't Get It Out of My Head" (Music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne)3:57
11."For a Brother"3:26
12."Spay"3:06
13."Gravedancer" (contains hidden track "Don't Drop That Dime" from 4:40)8:42
Total length:51:48
Enhanced edition
No.TitleLength
14."Re-Evolution: Making of Libertad" (making-of video)10:13
Total length:62:01
Japanese edition
No.TitleLength
13."Gravedancer"4:40
14."Gas & a Dollar Laugh [18] " (contains hidden track "Don't Drop That Dime" from 3:20)7:23
15."Re-Evolution: Making of Libertad" (making-of video)10:13
Total length:55:05
iTunes edition
No.TitleLength
14."Messages"4:48
15."Psycho Killer" (Talking Heads cover. Music and lyrics by David Byrne, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth)4:17
Total length:60:53
Special edition DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Tierra Roja, Sangre Roja" (South American tour footage)28:40
Total length:28:40

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Libertad
Chart (2007)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [19] 10
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [20] 22
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [21] 62
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [22] 2
Danish Albums (Hitlisten) [23] 27
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [24] 34
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [25] 4
French Albums (SNEP) [26] 66
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [27] 36
Irish Albums (IRMA) [28] 7
Italian Albums (FIMI) [29] 13
Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico) [30] 19
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [31] 3
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [32] 14
Scottish Albums (OCC) [33] 3
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [34] 44
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [35] 14
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [36] 21
UK Albums (OCC) [37] 6
US Billboard 200 [38] 5

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [39] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [40] Silver60,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Miscellaneous

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slash (musician)</span> British-American musician

Saul Hudson, better known as Slash, is a British-American musician who is best known as the lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Slash has received critical acclaim and is considered one of the greatest guitarists in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slash's Snakepit</span> American rock supergroup

Slash's Snakepit was an American rock supergroup from Los Angeles, California, formed by Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash in 1994. Though often described as a solo or side project, Slash stated that Snakepit was a band with equal contributions by all members. The first lineup of the band consisted of Slash, two of his Guns N' Roses bandmates—drummer Matt Sorum and guitarist Gilby Clarke—as well as Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez and former Jellyfish live guitarist Eric Dover on lead vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Weiland</span> American singer (1967–2015)

Scott Richard Weiland was an American singer and songwriter. During a career spanning three decades, Weiland was best known as the lead singer of the rock band Stone Temple Pilots from 1989 to 2002 and 2008 to 2013, making six records with them. He was also lead vocalist of supergroup Velvet Revolver from 2003 to 2008, recording two albums, and recorded one album with another supergroup, Art of Anarchy. Weiland established himself as a solo artist as well and collaborated with several other musicians throughout his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Velvet Revolver</span> 2000s American hard rock supergroup

Velvet Revolver was an American hard rock supergroup consisting of Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth, and Scott Weiland formerly of Stone Temple Pilots. The band formed in 2002 and was active until 2008, when Weiland left the band abruptly to rejoin Stone Temple Pilots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Sorum</span> Rock drummer, percussionist, most notably with Guns N Roses

Matthew William Sorum is an American drummer and percussionist. He is best known as both a former member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he recorded three studio albums, and as a member of the supergroup Velvet Revolver. Sorum is currently a member of the touring project, Kings of Chaos, and is a former member of both The Cult and Y Kant Tori Read. Sorum was also a member of Guns N' Roses side-projects, Slash's Snakepit and Neurotic Outsiders, and has released two solo albums, Hollywood Zen (2004) and Stratosphere (2014). He was the touring drummer for the supergroup Hollywood Vampires from 2015-2017. His latest project is Deadland Ritual, featuring Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, and Apocalyptica vocalist Franky Perez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duff McKagan</span> American musician

Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan, sometimes credited as Duff "Rose" McKagan, is an American musician. He played bass for twelve years in the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. McKagan rejoined the band in 2016, following their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

<i>Contraband</i> (Velvet Revolver album) 2004 studio album by Velvet Revolver

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Kushner</span> Rhythm guitarist for Velvet Revolver

David Kushner is an American musician perhaps best known as the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver. Kushner has also been a member of Wasted Youth, Electric Love Hogs, Loaded, Danzig, Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro's solo band, Sugartooth, Zilch while he has also recorded with Infectious Grooves, Cyco Miko and more recently collaborated with Scars on Broadway guitarist Franky Perez releasing songs under the pseudonym of DKFXP, a combination of the initials of Perez and Kushner, as well as working with Indian singer and actress Shruti Haasan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slither (song)</span> 2004 single by Velvet Revolver

"Slither" is a song by American hard rock band Velvet Revolver, featured on their 2004 debut album Contraband. When it was released as the second single from the album in 2004, "Slither" topped both the American Billboard Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts, as well as reaching number 56 on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 35 on the UK Singles Chart. The song won the 2005 Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come On, Come In</span> 2005 single by Velvet Revolver

"Come On, Come In" is a song by American hard rock band Velvet Revolver," featured on the soundtrack to the 2005 superhero film Fantastic Four. When released as a promotional single in the United States on June 21, 2005, the song reached number 14 on the American Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The lyrics were written by vocalist Scott Weiland and the music was written by Weiland and the rest of the band; the song was produced by the band, Douglas Grean and Nick Raskulinecz. The music video for "Come On, Come In" was directed by Wayne Isham and is featured as an extra in the Fantastic Four DVD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fall to Pieces (Velvet Revolver song)</span> 2004 single by Velvet Revolver

"Fall to Pieces" is a power ballad written and performed by Velvet Revolver that appears on their debut album Contraband in 2004. It was the band's third single, and reached #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

<i>Melody and the Tyranny</i> 2007 EP by Velvet Revolver

Melody and the Tyranny is an EP released by Velvet Revolver as a precursor to their album Libertad. It includes two tracks from Libertad as well as the Talking Heads cover "Psycho Killer" and a live rendition of "Do It for the Kids", a song from Velvet Revolver's debut album, Contraband. The documentary on the making of Libertad was Produced and Directed by Rocco Guarino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Builds Quick Machines</span> 2007 single by Velvet Revolver

"She Builds Quick Machines" is a rock song by Velvet Revolver, and was released as the first single from the album Libertad on May 21, 2007. The song was made available for digital download on May 16, 2007. Besides being featured on Libertad, "She Builds Quick Machines" was also featured on the EP Melody and the Tyranny. The music video premiered on Fuse TV's The Sauce on May 23. The song was also featured in the video game NASCAR 08.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Last Fight (Velvet Revolver song)</span> 2007 single by Velvet Revolver

"The Last Fight" is a power ballad by American supergroup Velvet Revolver, and appears on the band's second album, Libertad. The song was released on August 20 as the second single off the album, after "She Builds Quick Machines." The band began promoting the single on K Rock radio in New York City, with an exclusive acoustic performance, and then live on the Late Show with David Letterman on August 22. This song was #62 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Out the Door</span> 2008 single by Velvet Revolver

'Get Out the Door" is the third and final single from Velvet Revolver's second album Libertad, released in January 29, 2008. This song is about a transgender woman. Also, the song's solo features the use of a talk box by lead guitarist Slash. This also their last single prior their disbandment following Weiland's departure less than three months after this single was released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loaded (band)</span> American hard rock band

Loaded is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1999. Since 2001, the band's line-up has included vocalist and rhythm guitarist Duff McKagan, lead guitarist Mike Squires and bassist Jeff Rouse. Since 2009, Isaac Carpenter has been the band's drummer, replacing Geoff Reading.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Velvet Revolver discography</span>

The discography of Velvet Revolver, an American hard rock band, consists of two studio albums, one extended play (EP), 11 singles, two video albums and eight music videos. Velvet Revolver was a supergroup formed in Rancho Santa Margarita, California in 2002 by former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan (bass) and Matt Sorum (drums), along with rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner and late vocalist Scott Weiland.

<i>Sick</i> (Loaded album) 2009 studio album by Loaded

Sick is the second studio album by American rock band Loaded. It is their first album since reforming after they went on hiatus in 2002. It was recorded and produced by Martin Feveyear at Jupiter Studios in Seattle, Washington, and was released on March 30, 2009, in Europe and April 7 in the US, through Century Media Records. Writing for the album began in 2008 when vocalist Scott Weiland departed Duff McKagan's other band, Velvet Revolver, in April of the same year. Recording for the follow-up to their 2001 debut album Dark Days began and was completed in June 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slash discography</span>

The solo discography of Slash, an American-English hard rock guitarist, comprises five studio albums, three live albums, two extended play (EP), 10 singles, and two video album. Slash has also featured on 12 singles by other artists, released ten music videos, and made contributions to numerous other releases.

Electric Love Hogs were a short-lived American funk rock band formed in San Diego, California in 1991. The band's lineup consisted of John Feldmann, Dave Kushner (guitar), Donni Campion (guitar), Kelly LeMieux (bass) and Bobby Hewitt. They released one self-titled album in 1992, followed by a tour of the United States and United Kingdom, before they disbanded the following year.

References

  1. ↑ Discogs - Libertad - 2007-07-03rd enhanced CD, RCA (82876 88859-2RE1) US
  2. ↑ Aveling, Nick (June 1, 2010). "Scott Weiland on his new, sober album with Stone Temple Pilots". The Vancouver Sun . CanWest News Service. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
  3. ↑ Michaels, Levi (September 6, 2007). "Velvet Revolver Drummer Matt Sorum Checks In from the Road". Santa Barbara Independent . Archived from the original on November 22, 2008. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
  4. ↑ Pt2. Metal Hammer in conversation with Duff McKagan on YouTube
  5. ↑ Metacritic score
  6. ↑ Allmusic review
  7. ↑ "Billboard review". Archived from the original on July 3, 2007. Retrieved July 5, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ↑ Blabbermouth review
  9. ↑ Entertainment Weekly review
  10. ↑ New York Post review Archived 2007-07-04 at the Wayback Machine
  11. 1 2 Rolling Stone review
  12. ↑ The Austin Chronicle review
  13. ↑ San Francisco Chronicle review
  14. ↑ USA Today review Archived July 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ "Yahoo! review". Archived from the original on July 3, 2007. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  16. ↑ Katie Hasty, T.I. Is Top Dog Again On The Billboard 200, Billboard.com, July 11, 2007.
  17. ↑ "VR Reveals Artwork but Pushes Back Release". gnrdaily.com. 2007-05-10. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
  18. ↑ Discogs - Libertad - 2013 enhanced 2CD, Legacy / RCA (SICP 30400) Japan
  19. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Velvet Revolver – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Velvet Revolver – {{{album}}}" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Velvet Revolver – {{{album}}}" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Velvet Revolver Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Danishcharts.dk – Velvet Revolver – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Velvet Revolver – {{{album}}}" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Velvet Revolver: {{{album}}}" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Velvet Revolver – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Velvet Revolver – {{{album}}}" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Discography Velvet Revolver". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Velvet Revolver – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Mexicancharts.com – Velvet Revolver – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Charts.nz – Velvet Revolver – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  32. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Velvet Revolver – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  33. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Velvet Revolver – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Velvet Revolver – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  36. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Velvet Revolver – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  37. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  38. ↑ "Velvet Revolver Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  39. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Velvet Revolver – Libertad". Music Canada . Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  40. ↑ "British album certifications – Velvet Revolver – Libertad". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  41. ↑ "Libertad on SlashParadise". www.slashparadise.com. February 12, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.