Fall to Pieces (Velvet Revolver song)
Encyclopedia
"Fall to Pieces" is a song by Velvet Revolver
written by band vocalist Scott Weiland
that appears on their debut album Contraband. It was the band's third single and was very successful. "Fall to Pieces" is a power ballad about then lead singer Scott Weiland
's battle with heroin and its toll on his relationship with his wife, model Mary Forsberg. The song has also been recorded in an acoustic
version.
. The band performed the song during their performance at Live 8
; its performance is the only one of the three songs they played there that appears on the concert DVD.
by Guns N' Roses
(Slash, McKagan and Sorum's previous band), the song is in the key of D flat Mixolydian, and is based off an arpeggiated riff around the Dsus4 chord.
strongly follows the meaning of the song, showing Weiland struggling to maintain his relationship with his wife (who appears in the video as herself). The video shows a graphic depiction of Scott going through an overdose, but being "rescued" by bassist Duff McKagan
.
that "...Slash played the key bits of ‘Fall to Pieces" during their ill-fated mid-1990s recording sessions. Rose claims that Slash withdrew the song once he showed an interest in it. The guitar riffs of the song could have featured on a Guns N' Roses release, had Slash not done this.
The song is used in the film adaptation of Stephen King
's "Desperation."
Slash recorded an acoustic version of "Fall to Pieces" for the deluxe edition of his 2010 solo album, Slash. It is one of the many songs on the release to feature Alter Bridge
frontman Myles Kennedy
on lead vocals.
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
written by band vocalist Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notable for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland is also known for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver as well as his own solo career...
that appears on their debut album Contraband. It was the band's third single and was very successful. "Fall to Pieces" is a power ballad about then lead singer Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland
Scott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notable for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland is also known for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver as well as his own solo career...
's battle with heroin and its toll on his relationship with his wife, model Mary Forsberg. The song has also been recorded in an acoustic
Musical acoustics
Musical acoustics or music acoustics is the branch of acoustics concerned with researching and describing the physics of music – how sounds employed as music work...
version.
Chart performance
The song was #1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for 11 consecutive weeks and #2 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart for a single week. It also hit #67 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The band performed the song during their performance at Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
; its performance is the only one of the three songs they played there that appears on the concert DVD.
Composition
The song is played with 1/2 step down-tuned guitars like most of Velvet Revolver's catalogue. Similar to Sweet Child O' MineSweet Child O' Mine
"Sweet Child o' Mine" is the third single by American rock band Guns N' Roses, and the third from their 1987 debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction. Released on August 17, 1988, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the band's first and only number-one single in the U.S...
by Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
(Slash, McKagan and Sorum's previous band), the song is in the key of D flat Mixolydian, and is based off an arpeggiated riff around the Dsus4 chord.
Music video
The song's music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
strongly follows the meaning of the song, showing Weiland struggling to maintain his relationship with his wife (who appears in the video as herself). The video shows a graphic depiction of Scott going through an overdose, but being "rescued" by bassist Duff McKagan
Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
.
Personnel
- Scott WeilandScott WeilandScott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notable for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland is also known for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver as well as his own solo career...
- lead vocals - SlashSlash (musician)Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Duff McKaganDuff McKaganMichael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Matt SorumMatt SorumMatthew William Sorum is an American rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses and supergroup Velvet Revolver , which is comprised in part of former Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan and Slash .-Early career :Matt Sorum was born Matthew William...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, backing vocals - Dave KushnerDave KushnerDavid "Dave" Kushner is an American musician perhaps best known as the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver...
- rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
Trivia
It is claimed by Axl RoseAxl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
that "...Slash played the key bits of ‘Fall to Pieces" during their ill-fated mid-1990s recording sessions. Rose claims that Slash withdrew the song once he showed an interest in it. The guitar riffs of the song could have featured on a Guns N' Roses release, had Slash not done this.
The song is used in the film adaptation of Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's "Desperation."
Slash recorded an acoustic version of "Fall to Pieces" for the deluxe edition of his 2010 solo album, Slash. It is one of the many songs on the release to feature Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge is an American rock band that was formed in 2004 in Orlando, Florida by lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips, who are all also members of Creed. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, formerly of The Mayfield Four and the frontman...
frontman Myles Kennedy
Myles Kennedy
Myles Richard Kennedy is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge, and as the lead vocalist in Slash's current solo project...
on lead vocals.