Velvet Revolver: Libertad: July 3rd

[The Naitch]

Libertad (Spanish for "freedom") is the title of Velvet Revolver's upcoming sophomore album. The album was initially intended to be more of a concept album along the lines of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon and The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street, according to frontman Scott Weiland, who first announced the album in December 2005. In March 2006, bassist Duff McKagan commented: "The first record was really just us coming together and being straight in the studio, but now it's gonna be deeper and bigger and all that. Concept record? I don't know, but it's gonna be killer." More recently, Weiland has taken back his earlier claims, saying that he felt there have been "too many" concept records recently and that doing another one would be stale. He said he'd rather focus on a straight-ahead rock album. There have been rumors that tension between guitarist Slash and Weiland on the direction of the album was the primary reason for the sudden change in direction. The album is currently in the final stages of recording. Weiland has commented on his MySpace that he has recorded most of the vocals and that the primary recordings have been completed. On March 7th, 2006, the band's website posted the following notice: "Velvet Revolver is currently writing new music for their next record. Stay tuned for more information." On March 10th, McKagan revealed that the band is scheduled to enter the studio and begin recording on April 10th. In an April 18th article at RollingStone.com, the album was referred to (probably mistakenly) as Libertide. Matt Sorum commented: "The first one was definitely a rocking, punky, bashing record. We really want to make a deeper album this time. ... The other record was more of a collaboration -- now we want to see what everyone brings to the table on their own. It's cool when people come in with an idea without the usual collaborators, 'cause it can totally spark." In the same article, Weiland revealed that the band had written about fifty songs so far, and that they were in the process of choosing twenty to record, from which they will select sixteen for the album. In a blog entry on June 19th, Sorum wrote, "[We] have been hard at work on the new VR stuff. We have been working 5 days a week for the last month, and have about 10 songs worked up. Going to work in my studio for another couple of weeks, then start rehearsing for our mini tour of the west coast. Then [we will be] back in the studio to complete the album." In a brief interview with MTV News, Slash said, "We're in preproduction and it sounds amazing. ... I'm just really excited 'cause hopefully we'll get this thing out before the year's over. The material is amazing and ... we've grown so much as a band." As Sorum wrote in the aforementioned blog entry, Velvet Revolver embarked on a brief tour in California and Las Vegas late July and August 2006, during which it was rumored that they would play some new songs from Libertad. However, no new songs appeared in their set except for Roadhouse Blues, which the band played in concert for the first time. The band spent the next several months in and out of the studio without making much progress on the album. The band failed to release the album in late 2006 as originally stated, delaying it until early 2007. In December 2006, Velvet Revolver began working with producer Brendan O'Brien, who had previously produced albums for Stone Temple Pilots. 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 February 23, 2007, Dave Kushner announced on his website that "The last day in the studio was yesterday...and now all that's left to do is finish mixing. According to Matt Sorum they are done mixing the album now. As of April 18 it has been announced by Duff to Billboard that the new album will be released on July 3, 2007.

Producer Brendan O'Brien produced STP's Core. Can't wait for this

[Skippord]

hottttt

[The Naitch]

Track list

Let It Roll
She Mine
Get Out the Door
She Builds Quick Machines
The Last Fight
Pills, Demons, ETC.
American Man
Mary Mary
Just Sixteen
Can't Get It Out of My Head
For a Brother
Spay
Gravedancer

Produced by Brendan O'Brien & Velvet Revolver.
Demo tryouts done with: Pharrell Williams, Lenny Kravitz, Daniel Lanois, & Rick Rubin.
The album was recorded from December 11, 2006 to February 22, 2007.

The first single from Libertad, "She Builds Quick Machines," which was confirmed by the band at the first leg of the Re-Evolution Tour in Santiago, Chile, will be released on May 21st according to http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16697

[Blitz]

Not excited at all.

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

I've not heard the first album, so it's unlikely I'll hear this one either.

[The Naitch]

you're missing out

and considering Blitz' taste in music, I can see why he's not that "excited"