I reviewed the latest album by Stone Temple Pilots sometime last week, and decided to revisit my youth. I listened to their first four albums (I never bothered with Shangri-La De Da and don’t intend to), and found that while STP never equaled many of their alternative/grunge contemporaries, they released some worthwhile material throughout the ’90s. Here’s a rundown of the band’s first four albums.
Core (1992)
This was the first band that was pegged as a knock off of Pearl Jam because at the time Scott Weiland did take cues from Eddie Vedder as far as vocals go. Except Weiland sounded more intelligible and more macho. Yet, the band’s “ripping off” of Pearl Jam isn’t the worst thing on this album. Eric Kretz’s drums are too bulky sounding, and Dean DeLeo, an excellent guitarist, just sounds overbearing in many of the songs. There are some solid songs on this album, even if some of them just seem to drag on forever. And there’s a ramble somewhere about Weiland wetting his bed.
Key Tracks: “Sex Type Thing,” “Sin,” “Creep,” “Crackerman
Rating (Out of 10): 7
Purple (1994)
An improvement over Core, the band begins to sound more “alternative” on Purple. The DeLeo brothers write some hard riffs, but they’re not nearly as meaty as they were on Core, which is good. Weiland comes more into his own as a vocalist, and the band is not afraid to show off their pseudo-Zeppelin experimental side: You’ll hear mellotrons on “Army Ants,” and Eastern-influenced acoustic ragas with “Pretty Penny.” That, and two of the best singles of alternative rock’s mainstream heyday (“Vasoline,” and “Interstate Love Song”).
Key Tracks: “Vasoline,” “Interstate Love Song,” “Kitchenware & Candybars,” “Meatplow”
Rating (out of 10): 8
Tiny Music…Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop (1996)
Do they sell books on not touching little boys at the Vatican Gift Shop?? HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
Catholic jokes aside, this is where STP gets weird. Weiland began using heroin a little too much, resulting in drug busts galore. STP may have been slagged off as Pearl Jam rip-offs on their first album, but Weiland comes off sounding more like Kurt Cobain on this album. The band strays from hard rock on many of the tracks, and experiments in everything from Beatlesque pop (“Lady Picture Show”) to cocktail jazz (“And So I Know”). Even heavier tracks, such as “Big Bang Baby” and “Pop’s Love Suicide” are far more quirkier and echo The Eels more than Alice In Chains.
Key Tracks: “Big Bang Baby,” “Adhesive,” “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart”
Rating (out of 10): 7.5
No. 4 (1999)
This album was released as Scott Weiland was serving a one-year sentence for a drug bust. It was really quite a shame because up until his release (which was thankfully only 5 months later), No. 4′s commercial success was hindered by them not being able to promote the album. And this was a pretty good album. Weiland’s lyrics still suck for the most part, but he begins to embrace his own vocal style. Musically, the band is also at their stride. “Down” is one of their best rockers since the Purple days, and I was always really moved by “Church on Tuesday.” There are a few mediocre tracks that are weighed down by overwrought ambitions and Weiland’s subpar lyrics, but this is in competition with Purple as their best album.
Key Tracks: “Down,” “Church on Tuesday,” “Sour Girl,” “No Way Out.”
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