Libertad (album)

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This article contains information about a scheduled or expected future album. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content could change dramatically as the album release approaches and more information becomes available.

Libertad (Spanish for "freedom") is the tentative 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." [3] 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. [4]

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. [5]

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." [6]

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."[7]

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." [8] The album's official release date is currently June 5.

According to Matt Sorum they are done mixing the album now.

[edit] Track Listing

Not sure about the track orders on the record, but these are completed tracks.[9]

1. Messages
2. Grave Dancers
3. She Builds Quick Machines
4. Gas And A Dollar Laugh
5. Pills, Demons, Etc.
6. Get Out The Door
7. This Fight Could Be The Last Fight
8. Spay

These are tracks that were shown in the Vlog blogs on their websites, but so far have not been 100 percent confirmed as being on Libertad. It is known though that they were probably recorded.

1. Wasted Heart
2. Queen for a Day
3. Remedy
4. Swiss Miss
5. Mary Mary
6. Please Don't Go
7. Just 16
8. Boogie in "E"
9. Radar Signal

It hasn't been confirmed if "Come On, Come In", "The House is Alive", or two covers they recorded, Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer" & Electric Light Orchestra's "Can't Get It Out of My Head" will be on the album.

[edit] Personnel

• Scott Weiland - Vocals
• Slash - Lead Guitar
• Dave Kushner - Rhythm Guitar
• Duff McKagan - Bass, backing vocals
• Matt Sorum - Drums, backing vocals

• Produced by Brendan O'Brien & Velvet Revolver.
• Demo tryouts done with: Pharrell Williams, Lenny Kravitz, Daniel Lanois, & Rick Rubin.
• Lyrics to "Messages (They Left)" can be seen on a Vlog on their website, it reads:

Radar signal seeking you but finding nothing at all

Got a problem got a sinking feeling

Call out the calvary, there's something wrong.

• The album was recorded from December 11, 2006 to February 22, 2007.

[edit] Singles

It is expected that the first single from Libertad will be released in mid 2007.

[edit] Sources

• Information about the album from the VR section of Below Empty, a STP fansite.
• Velvet Revolver Pursuing 'Freedom' on New CD, ABC News, December 2005
• Velvet Revolver to Enter Studio Next Month, March 10, 2006
• Rolling Stone: Velvet Revolver Dive Deeper, April 18, 2006
• Matt Sorum's blog
• MTV News Article, June 23, 2006
• Kerrang! Magazine. Issue Number 1138 - December 16th 2006.