Velvet Revolver and Audioslave were the products of record company executives. Both bands were cash cows waiting to happen...  Rock radio needed a kick in the pants, and what better way to give it one... Mash together 2 proven multi-platinum 90's acts that everyone loves and you officially obtained a license to fucking print money.

After VR... The DeLeo Brothers even tried out the same formula with Richard Patrick from Filter with Army Of Anyone... And flopped miserably. It's too bad it did. That wasn't a bad record at all... But, those STP guys must have a shitload of bills... (Hence the STP reunion)

They both came out of the gate strong, but ran outta gas early. Audioslave, in my opinion, held on for one record too many... And, I'm sure Slash took that into consideration more than once since Scott bounced.

Both projects had a very clear shelf life, IMO

Contraband was pretty good. You can clearly tell, just by listening to it, that Slash, Duff and Matt were writing for Scott....  Flashes of Guns appear here and there, ( Big Machine would be a Freight Train with Axl screaming on it.) but it's clear they compromised a little more than they were comfortable with to please Weiland. (Slither is nothing more than an old school STP song.)...  I love(d) both bands, so it worked well for me. Front to back... a 7/10 all day. About the same score that I gave Chinese Democracy...

The first Audioslave album was fucking awesome. Before I heard Cochise and Show Me How To Live, I was skeptical as to how that shit was gonna work. Christ.. It was great.

Anyway...

Even still, the end result  of Contraband wipes the floor with almost anything on the radio at the time.... Fall To Pieces was overplayed, and I hated it for a while... But, it's aged well. Mostly, I think, because it's the one song (Loving The Alien is close...) on the album to have "Guns Ballad" slathered all over it.... I'll bet Slash fought hard for that one... (Wasn't it one of the ideas that Axl rejected?)

And it gave the Guns guys bragging rights.... They dropped a record before Axl.

Scott had veto power over songs that sounded too much like GN'R... Which they never should have given him.... Libertad is the result of them giving an inch, and him taking a mile.The "mini-Axl" comments are evident in the music. It's just short of horrible. There are moments... But, all in all.. It's a Scott Weiland  solo record. There's little to no evidence of the other components in that band. Slash plays like some poser hack has him on a leash... Mary Mary has a cool vibe, despite Scott's whiny fucking wailing...Sorum lays down a sick beat and Slash's solos rip on Just Sixteen...She Builds Quick Machines is kinda catchy... End of positive comments.

Seriously... He should have OD'd and died after Tiny Music...

I always thought Scott was light in the pants when it came to talent. He pretty much proved that he is in his book....He IS a fraud. Period. I read his book.. In an hour and a half... And not in a "This is so good, I can't put it down" way, either.... He's a pretentious, money hungry fake. Anthony Keidis will flat out tell you his weird random lyrics are just goofy shit he sings that sounds cool. That they don't mean shit. I always expected that Scott's were the same kind of nonsensical hooey (which they undoubtedly are), but NOOOOO... He talks about his lyrics like they're all deep and fucking profound. He's an intolerable douche. I'm sure die hard Weiland fans loved the album... If he has them.

Slash was happy to rid himself of his shit. At least Axl is a genuinely talented, deep motherfucker...That' s probably why Slash talk shit  about Scott... And is almost giddy to blow the whistle on the STP firing. He is aware of his primary musical motivation....