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Contraband
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 14 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 105 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: RCA
Release Date: 08 June 2004
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Rock
Summary
'Contraband' marks the debut LP for what basically amounts to Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) fronting Guns N Roses (including Duff McKagan and Slash).
Also By This Artist: Libertad
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Mojo
A perpetual guilty pleasure. [Jun 2004, p.107]
Rolling Stone
It is a rare, fine thing: the sound of the perfect A&R sales pitch turning into a real band.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
Astonishingly good. [Jul 2004, p.127]
ShakingThrough.net
Mostly, it sounds like no more and a little less than one might expect (or hope for) from such a union: Scott Weiland singing over some relatively crunchy Slash guitar templates.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
Even at its sharpest, Contraband feels secondhand, and much of it is also hobbled by a disconnect between singer and band. [4 June 2004, p.79]
PopMatters
Contraband is a pretty good record of unpretentious rock and roll that suffers from inevitable comparison with the best efforts of its parent bands.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
With Contraband, Velvet Revolver has pulled off something tidy, fashioning music that manages both hedonism and maturity.
Read Full Review >Playlouder
Now there was nothing wrong with Stone Temple Pilots, but anyone who’d hoped for Guns‘n’Roses mark II (or III) will be very seriously disappointed. Weiland’s dry, powerful voice cancels out the music, like light cancels out dark, or Owen Wilson cancels out Ben Stiller.
Read Full Review >Blender
A showcase for Weiland's vocals. [#27, p.148]
E! Online
Velvet Revolver sounds like a hungover bar band playing catch-up, wading through tired blues licks and meaningless grunge imagery.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
In a time when The Darkness is successfully parodying cock-rock, members of Velvet Revolver are still earnestly carrying the torch. Whether you think that’s noble or laughable will probably determine your opinion of this album.
Read Full Review >Spin
This is a troubling record. There are some stellar moments, but it's mostly just troubling. [Jul 2004, p.105]
New Musical Express (NME)
A bit like playing Russian roulette in reverse: you spin the disc and pray in vain for something to stick in your brain. [19 Jun 2004, p.56]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 105 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Slash H. gave it a9:
Great Rock n Roll record!
rock fan gave it a10:
These guys (along with The Villains) will save real rock and roll from posers like those pop-punk babies.
hardrock 67 gave it a10:
There's a reason these guys are called a supergroup. This album is basically split into two sections with 5 or 6 songs that completely melt your face, then have a ballad to help it solidify again. One of the best rock albums ever!!!!!!!!!!
My GUITAR gave it an8:
I welcome the change of listening Slash play as well as he always has accompanied by a good singer. Scott might not be the best but I'll rank him ions above Axl any-day. Axl has his moments but only on radio. Seen him live and the guy just can't sing live. Otherwise, this record is a genuine throwback to the "good ol' simple dirty rock n roll". This type of raw hard rock is definitely missing from the scene today. It's definitely much better than anything that the new GnR put out in the last ten years! Oh.. wait..
Captain Suck gave it a9:
It's a good album, a lot of the songs remind me of the times way back when music dubbed "rock" was actually listenable. We can only hope for another Velvet Revolver album in the near-future; 21st century rock supergroup? Hell yeah!
Peter M gave it a1:
It's ok when you hear it the 1st time. But Scott's voice is annoying and there is not much really ground-breaking on it. It's a pity.
ants l gave it a10:
lets get slashing
