Afternoon Baseball

Well, with just one listen (or rather the first 3 songs and the single) I already knew that this album trumped the Audioslave album in the battle of 21st century supergroups.
Contraband is a solid album full of solid rock riffs, plentiful solos from Slash (even if none approach the best of his G'n'R days), and rock's most pliable voice courtesy of Scott Weiland. The production tends to blend him in the middle of the mix for most of the album, which works because it shows how remarkably well he jams with the band. Not too many of the songs (save the first single) are really sticking in my head right now, but none (save the three out-of-place ballads) have caused me to skip over them.
The problem if you actually want to purchase the CD? The idiotic protection that RCA has placed on the CD. Never mind that this protection has already been exposed for its failings the protections do nothing more than frustrate those who genuinely want to buy music and burn it to their computer (or iPod) without difficulties.

I feel like I just stole one of Pierre Bernard's "Recliner of Rage" segments from Conan O'Brien, except people might actually care about this issue.