Send "Duff McKagan's " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Sputnikmusic |
 Duff McKagan, as he himself may tell you, is one of rock’s great survivors. The man whose excess led him to suffer an exploded pancreas was also the last original member of Guns N’ Roses to let Axl do his own thing upon his leaving in 1998. His time in the well-intentioned but sub-standard Velvet Revolver saw him having to deal with Scott Weiland, a man who treats rehabilitation centres as if he had a loyalty card. The briefest of stints with the crumbling Jane’s Addiction in 2010 put him in direct contact with Perry and Navarro, Toxic Twins Mk. II, and more potential hazards.Despite these pitfalls, realised or otherwise, McKagan has emerged at the other side surprisingly unscathed and The Taking is the sound of a man who still has something to say and the energy with which to say it. The LP opens with the blistering one-two punch of “Lords Of Abbadon” and “Executioner’s Song” that call to mind the sludge-ridden tone of groups like Down. McKagan displays a surprising yet welcome combative and confrontational mood in the latter, telling us that ‘democracy is such a whore’ and that listeners should ‘know your history’. There is an altogether darker mood prevalent throughout this LP. Song titles such as “Dead Skin”, “Follow Me To Hell” and “Easier Lying” give an instant insight into what’s to be expected here. The ill-advised “We Win” breaks up this prevailing mood, its terribly ambiguous lyrics and chorus that is reminiscent of 30 Seconds To Mars’ “Kings and Queens” is ruinous and nearly derails the album completely by the fourth track....full text |
| Revolvermag |
| When names like Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver populate your résumé, you have a lot to live up to on your solo releases. Slash did an admirable job last year with his star-laden self-titled record, and now bassist Duff McKagan has released this, his third studio album, The Taking, with the group Loaded, in which he plays guitar and sings. The record lives up to his legacy with big hooks and driving riffs, but his attack is wholly unique. Beginning with the driving, punk-influenced “Lords of Abbadon,” he sets a desperate, bloodthirsty tone for The Taking with a charging riff and his snarled opening line “We are criminals!” From there, he traverses punk and heavy music’s peaks and valleys from thwapping urgent hard rock (“Dead Skin”) to Foo Fighters–esque anthems (“We Win”) to the Iggy Pop–like closer “Follow Me to Hell.” The album tells a loose story about a man breaking up with his girlfriend but the songs are written in a way that work outside of the narrative, too. For instance, “Executioner’s Song,” an Alice in Chains–like rocker, which has call-and-response vocals straight out of the Staley-Cantrell songbook, could be as much about politics (“Democracy is such a whore”) as a metaphor for a communication breakdown in a relationship. But if you don’t care about lyrics, it also has a ripping wah-wah...full text |
| Musicrooms |
| Duff McKagan’s history in rock music can be traced back through the hairspray, narcotic induced haze of Guns n Roses, the band that rewritten the rules when it came to downright debauchery and the sleazy hard rock sound that came out of the Sunset Strip of Los Angeles in the late 80’s. As we all know GnR’s success was absolutely colossal but quite short lived and whilst starring in rock supergroup Velvet Revolver with ex GnR members Slash and Matt Sorum, it was time for McKagan to grow in his independence and he did just that by forming his own band Loaded. Ditching his bass for a Les Paul and a microphone Duff McKagan and company deliver the kind of music that McKagan would always want to write, the kind of rock god that he envisioned himself to be when he was a teenager, in fact if there was a hint of punk rock in GnR’s sound or any other of his musical projects then it was probably down to McKagan’s influence. Without the restraints of an egomaniac frontman leading the way – think Axl Rose and Scott Weiland – Loaded gives McKagen free reign to direct the sound and attitude that the band possess. On their previous debut album, Sick, the band’s sound was fast, fun and in your face. This time round The Taking’s sound has a more mature voice and is loosely based on a concept of a breakdown of a relationship, although this theme at times can be quite ambiguous. The album takes turns through the history of hard rock with massive riffs and big choruses being the main songwriting mainstay, but there are various other variations on this....full text |
Duff McKagan's lyrics
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