ShadowOfTheWave Posted May 26, 2018 Share Posted May 26, 2018 Contraband sold around 2.9 million copies in the United States, Libertad sold around 200 thousand. That is just an astronomical failure. The consensus seemed to be it wasn't as good as the debut, but there's definitely some good stuff on there. I'll never understand why The Last Fight wasn't a hit, I think it's at as good as Fall To Pieces. Slash's bluesy melancholy playing blends perfectly with Scott's sorrowful lyrics on that one. I'll also never understand why Messages was left off. Great song. Was She Builds Quick Machines just the wrong single to release? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted May 26, 2018 Share Posted May 26, 2018 For me as a fan I can say that She Builds Quick Machines wasnt the right single to get me excited. I didnt connect with the video either. So maybe the wrong single? Not a bad tune, though. I wasnt a huge fan of Last Fight as a single either, actually. To me it was both a reference to the past in that to my ears it harkened to the UYI tours Only Women Bleed Slash instrumental. And it also seemed self conscious about a look to the future with a modern-pop appeal. They seemed pulled in many directions. As if one could see Adam Levine on his way to Slash. Also a great tune, just for me not a captivating single. I like the song a lot more then this makes it seem, lol! I dont like the album as much as Contraband. I think its possible that both Weiland and Slash were already checking out by then. If not in creativity and quality of music, maybe in the promotion and general spirit? And maybe re-lapses and detoxing's had also spoiled the mood? I dunno. My theory has always been that they were trying to replicate the progression of Guns, with a hard rock debut followed by a more musically diverse and ambitious second album. And it just wasnt natural in this case. They forced themselves to go into some rather significantly new territory just because it worked once before, maybe. Classic sophomore slump though too, isnt it? They recorded 10 songs with Taylor and few songs each with many other singers for the debut. Plus a bunch with Izzy. Second album doesnt have the same luxury, even for a super group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Comstock Posted May 26, 2018 Share Posted May 26, 2018 (edited) Because it just wasn't very good. It should've been an EP or a short album IMO. Something like: Get Out The Door Let It Roll Spay The Last Fight Don't Drop That Dime Gas & A Dollar Laugh Messages For A Brother Money/Psycho Killer/some other cover Gravedancer That would've been a better follow-up to Contraband, and there's still some filler in there. I've never been a big Weiland fan and he is definitely the low point of the album. Slash, on the other hand, sounds great. Edited May 26, 2018 by Gordon Comstock 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
appetite4illusions Posted May 26, 2018 Share Posted May 26, 2018 The same reason most albums flop, because the music wasn't good enough. Contraband sold because it had two hit singles. But there was no Slither, no Fall to Pieces to save Libertad. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-W.A.R- Posted May 27, 2018 Share Posted May 27, 2018 I think most realized they were a terrible band. The lyrics on Contraband are obnoxious and the sound didn't age very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Cnut Posted May 27, 2018 Share Posted May 27, 2018 Now i think about it Libertad is probably the last rock album, contemporary rock album, that I actually gave repeated listens to. I quite liked it, I thought it was solid, reasonably varied, nice and groovy and not too dense like some guitar music can get. Jesus, I hope it wasn't the last but I think it might've been. Even had a cool cover. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
appetite4illusions Posted May 28, 2018 Share Posted May 28, 2018 Scott Weiland claimed in the lead-up to Libertad that he wasn't interested in making another straight up rock record ever again. He wasn't lying. He never did. Everything he did afterwards, Libertad, Happy in Galoshes, STP (self-titled) & Blaster are rock-lite, new wave, pop records. They have no balls. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombux Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 12 hours ago, appetite4illusions said: Scott Weiland claimed in the lead-up to Libertad that he wasn't interested in making another straight up rock record ever again. He wasn't lying. He never did. Everything he did afterwards, Libertad, Happy in Galoshes, STP (self-titled) & Blaster are rock-lite, new wave, pop records. They have no balls. yup. Contraband had balls. the follow-ups had none. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselDaisy Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 It is a much better album than Contraband. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
default_ Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 (edited) People bought Contraband out of curiosity, when they found out the band was no Guns N' Roses there were no reason to buy Libertad. Edited May 29, 2018 by default_ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janrichmond Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 i like them both the same Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AxlRoseCDII Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Boy, Libertad and Chinese are my favorite post 93’ albums in the Guns world, why do I seem to disagree with everyone when it comes to this stuff Like others said it had no real good single. They never really gave it good promotion either. I love this album and hold it with much higher praise than Contraband. Last Fight is a great song and I’m sad it didn’t catch on more. It’s an underrated gem. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerInThisTown Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 On 6/10/2018 at 6:25 AM, AxlRoseCDII said: Boy, Libertad and Chinese are my favorite post 93’ albums in the Guns world, why do I seem to disagree with everyone when it comes to this stuff Like others said it had no real good single. They never really gave it good promotion either. I love this album and hold it with much higher praise than Contraband. Last Fight is a great song and I’m sad it didn’t catch on more. It’s an underrated gem. I don't like Libertad much but more than Contraband. However I regard The Last Fight together with Back From Cali and Battleground to be Slashs finest songs post GNR. For a guy who hates ballads, he's pretty fucking good at them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carne_asaDA Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 Bad album. I liked the direction Scott went with Happy in Galoshes and Blaster though. His latest album with STP was bland. He was better off solo than in a band post Contraband. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludurigan Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 On 26/05/2018 at 3:20 PM, ShadowOfTheWave said: Contraband sold around 2.9 million copies in the United States, Libertad sold around 200 thousand. That is just an astronomical failure. The consensus seemed to be it wasn't as good as the debut, but there's definitely some good stuff on there. I'll never understand why The Last Fight wasn't a hit, I think it's at as good as Fall To Pieces. Slash's bluesy melancholy playing blends perfectly with Scott's sorrowful lyrics on that one. I'll also never understand why Messages was left off. Great song. Was She Builds Quick Machines just the wrong single to release? oh yes, thats one of the weak songs from the album they have 3 or 4 good or very good songs on it they should have released "get out the door" instead, but it was a dave kushner song so... yeah... also they should have use the money they spent to do that stupid She Builds Quick Machines video to do a proper video and promotion for "Come On Come In", best VR song No idea why Come on Come in was never properly promoted -- and barely played live. Maybe it was someone outside the band who wrote it? maybe it was a scott song? maybe they secretly hired desmond child to write it? or maybe it was another (great) kushner song? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludurigan Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 (edited) On 29/05/2018 at 7:59 AM, zombux said: yup. Contraband had balls. the follow-ups had none. yes it had the balls but it lacked the hooks slash solo on slither was one of the very few good hooks and fall to pieces is downright embarrassing, one of the worst post-GNR moments ever, right there with axl solo album! Edited June 13, 2018 by ludurigan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angriestwhopper Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Bought it release day Piss poor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeldhipi Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 I love the album. Dave Kushner said that for Contraband they wrote like 50 songs and picked the best 12 or whatever, for Libertad they just recorded the first 14 songs they wrote and just went with it. He said it was a mistake, probably was. I think the reason for the flop was that Contraband was the one of the hardest rock record of the decade if, not the hardest. Libertad is quite poprock ish. I think the first half of the album is excellent Let It Roll-American Man. Then its hit and miss. A few harder songs. A la Do It For The Kids, Dirty Little Thing, Sucker Train Blues in there and it would have been better received. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweersa Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 Psycho Killer and Messages should have been included. It would have helped a lot, especially if they had a video for Messages. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Bird Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 When I think of Libertad I think of Gravedancer and Just Sixteen. I always thought American Man and The Last Fight were overrated but I probably have to go back and listen to the record again which I haven't done in a very long time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZoSoRose Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 The Last Fight is my favorite song on that album, by far. It is sort of forgotten, now, but it is a great tune that did alright when it came out 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknroll41 Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 I don’t hate Libertad, but Scott’s lyrics are pretty weak on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mister mosh Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 It still has some killer tunes on but it doesnt have the Bite that Contraband has, and I remember when I first heard 'She Builds Quick Machines' thinking..."It's not that this is a bad song, but it sounds so formulaic of every generic Slash riff I've heard before" ...Just felt very paint by numbers, was still catchy though, I HATED the music video though, so damn cheesy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drlaban Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 SBQM is the weakest of ‘em all, wrong song to pick as first single. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebeldhipi Posted October 23, 2023 Share Posted October 23, 2023 4 hours ago, rocknroll41 said: I don’t hate Libertad, but Scott’s lyrics are pretty weak on it. Yeah, Get Out The Door and Just Sixteen are probably his worst lyrics ever. Mary Mary not much better. Overall his lyrics were awesome 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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