Music Disc Reviews

Did it seem a little long getting through those 14 tracks? Exactly. Even though Libertad runs a fairly modest 51:56, it could've used some editing away of a lesser track or two. And although the sound by producer/mixer Brendan O'Brien is big and tough - with heavier bass and much more depth and power to the rhythm section overall this time around - there are a few moments in overdrive when everything is so loud that, to quote mastering engineer Bob Ludwig at this year's SXSW, it almost approaches "total boring." (Ludwig himself mastered this album, and I'm sure he did the best with what he was given.)

But in the end, the most important point I can make about Libertad must involve a comparison to previous work - not to GN'R or STP, but to VR's own debut, Contraband. Living with both albums for a while, I came away thinking that there's maybe nothing on the new one as rocking as the old one's "Big Machine," "Illegal i Song," and "Spectacle." Or as anthemic as "Fall to Pieces." Or as rocking/anthemic as "Slither" (though "American Man" comes close). And a couple of days later, first thing in the morning, the tunes running through my head were from Contraband, not Libertad.

Still, this remains a very good album - and these days, with Velvet Revolver representing the coming together of two different rock factions, it's refreshing to hear that someone knows how to work a democracy. (Sorry!)

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