Episode 215: Velvet Revolver – Contraband (Part 2!)

The wheel picked it, Savino survived the first half, and now we’re back to finish it!

Slash is shredding, Scott Weiland is doing Scott Weiland things.

Fire up the speakers and join us for more questionable opinions, unnecessary tangents, and rock ’n’ roll nonsense. It’s what we do best. Mostly.

Contraband is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Velvet Revolver. It was released on June 8, 2004, through RCA Records. A commercial success, Contraband debuted at number one on the American Billboard 200 chart and was certified double platinum by the RIAA.

Velvet Revolver formed when then-former Guns N’ Roses members 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 most recently played in McKagan’s band Loaded. 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
Scott Weiland – lead and backing vocals, production
Slash – lead guitar, additional backing vocals, production
Duff McKagan – bass guitar, additional backing vocals, production
Matt Sorum – drums, additional backing vocals, production
Dave Kushner – rhythm guitar, production

Production
Josh Abraham – production
Douglas Grean – keyboards on tracks 6, 10 and 13, vocal production, engineering, associate producer of “Set Me Free”
Nick Raskulinecz – production on “Set Me Free”
Andy Wallace – mixing
Chris Young – mixing assistance
Ryan Williams – engineering
Brandon Belsky – engineering assistance
Rocco Guarino – engineering assistance
George Marino – mastering

Art
Robin C. Hendrickson – art direction
Brett Kilroe – art direction
Dan Winters – photography

Intro Music/Wheel Spin Music by LiteSaturation from Pixabay