Also known as Mighty Joe Young, and Shirly Temple's Pussy, Stone Temple Pilots flourish as one of the most successful grunge bands out there, and are considered the evil clone of band Pearl Jam. Clone, hmm. Not sure about that. Evil, hah. You know it. Their influences come from simple roots such as Black Flag's heavier approaches to the genres. Vocalist Scott Weiland met with bassist Robert DeLeo at a concert, and later became good friends messing around plenty of thoughts and ideas. Never thnking they would become something big, they met up with Robert's brother, Dean, who would lead as the successful guitarist in the band, and drummer Eric Kretz. They started playing plenty of shows in clubs, until one day, agent Don Mullen, spotted them, and eventually led the band to Atlantic Records. They had the band, but not a decent name. Still playing shows under the name of Shirley Temple's Pussy, the label pressured them to change the name. One day, out of nowhere, the band spotted the STP Motor Oil Company logo, and thought. They had always wanted to keep the initials, and looked deep within their music for an answer. Life handed them a very special friendship, and in return they gave us the Stone Temple Pilots.
Stone Temple Pilots- Core
Lineup
Scott Weiland- Vocals
Dean DeLeo- Guitar
Robert DeLeo- Bass
Eric Kretz- Drums
Dead And Bloated
What a start to such a great album. Scott's distant raspy-like vocals hit you like a ton of bricks, and you cant tell if the songs actually started or not. It gets to become very strange. And the loud flams to set off the diabolical riff into your atmosphere are an amazing start to the song. The vocals are pretty monotone on this track, as the melody flowing with Weiland doesnt change around much. And above all, the lyrics get very repetitive. The highlight has to be that intro, only because it gives you the first glimpse of how down to business the boys can get. And although not fast, it's heavy enough to intimidate. "I am smellin' like the rose that somebody gave me 'cause I'm dead & bloated."
4/5
Sex Type Thing
Starts off with one of the most dramatic introductory riffs on the whole album. This is what made the song be racognized as the first single off the album. The steady, loud, and raw beat on the tightened hats of Eric's set keeps the song going constantly, and his short fills ignite the pre-chorus. The same riff keeps playing throughout the enitre song, leading to the rising bridge, which is clearly the bridge of this track. It gets louder, and Weiland's classic, "Here I come, I come, I come" rolls off the track and sets off a quick steady roll on the snare and repeats one last brilliant chrous. Clearly the album's best.
5/5
Wicked Garden
Here we can hear great material between those two sticks of Eric's as he rolls off of all sorts of toms and as Weiland releases less-menacing, but great vocals that fit right into place with the steady, thumping bass that keeps the song's fuse burning. The vocals can get quite muffled in verses, but they tend to get louder overtime. I love the effect on the bridge and the rests after every highly explosive chorus. To this day, I still cant understand the lyrics, and why it's called Wicked Garden, but it all sounds great and set a new standard for the band as it moves deeper and deeper into the album.
3.5/5
No Memory
Something you would quickly recognize as an intro to a metallica song. Acoustic, no vocals. Very strange melody flowing with emotion, you can tell. You cant exactly classify it as a song, but if its leading to such an important track such as Sin, it has to be worth something.
3.5/5
Sin
Very good. Sin makes you picture exactly what its supposed to. Another great, clean diabolical riff on Dean's part. Clings on to your attention right away and along with Scott's 'put there' vocals, you can classify this as a slower song, but nothing at all lighter-sided. Now, the song isnt perfect. The flaws it crosses are the guitar-work, which gets too repetitive and drags on for a little while. And something gives me the slight suspicion that Eric isnt having a very fun time. Very plain and boring drum-work, excluding the bridge, which is exactly where the song stands out a lot. I love Scott's vocals here, and the solo by Dean at the end makes up for anything he did earlier. Very nice, but nothing perfect.
4/5
Naked Sunday
This song is alive. The ascending fills just hit you, and the song comes with an actual groove that keeps it fueled for some good time. Scott makes some appearance in this track, as he matches the guitar-work on the perfect note, and makes every insane chorus and the bridge very exciting to listen to. I like this change of face to the band. People wouldnt expect to see this side come from the Stone Temple Pilot's album, it just jumps out of the shadows and emerges and expands off of the perfect elements to give you a great dose of what you want.
4/5
Creep
Here we can see a huge change of pace. This is one of the huge singles off the album at first, and made some impact on the grunge scene. It also shares with us one of the catchiest choruses on the album, and I'm sure everyone has heard this at some point or another. People frequently confuse the title of this song, as 'Half the Man I Used To Be', only because it is the line that stands out the most in Scott's lyrics. Overall, this song flows at a perfect rate and at the 'Core' is truly a emotional and very-well thought out song. "Take time with a wounded hand, cause it likes to heal."
4.5/5
Piece Of Pie
I, honestly cant get used to this song being called Piece Of Pie, as it also has one of the darkest and deeper vocals and guitar-work. But, I will say this. One godamn hell of a song. And that solo has to be on the front of the line for one hell of a good listen. Great work on Dean's part and the bass doesnt let you down either. Vocals revolve around the greay musical portion part of the track, and as youre dozing off to the great sounds, the pilots let you have some of their best. They will feed it to you.
4/5
Plush
They feed it to you. The song is just that well-built. Armed with one of the catchiest choruses Ive ever heard, and one huge arsenal of soothing guitar-work, Plush delivers the material that the Pilots always meant to give off. And with Scott's legendary vocals, it sends the message of love and hatred toward the listener. When you think it's over at around three and a half minutes, it certainly isnt. It keeps on feeding you the raw material that the band worked so passionately at, and this huge single is probably the biggest part of why they got this big.
4/5
Wet My Bed
Hey, I dont get it either. Straight off the bat, this song is freakin' scary.This is the pilot's version of Revolution number 9. The recording skips with vocals, and Scott talks about some weird *** that makes it somewhat strange to add on the unnecessary noises in the backround. You dont know what to think when youre listening to this, but all I know is, it should have been left out, as it holds back the album a little bit, and it sets off the second best on the album.
2/5
Crackerman
Hands down, one of the best off the album. Ignited by excellnt guitar-work and steady, loud, harsh drum beats, this song comes off very menacing with its vocals, and the ascending bass-line sets off the excellent chorus, and one hell of memorable bridge. The vocals are one of the major highlights here, as it makes everything perfectly and very amazingly complete. "Roamin', roamin', roam, get away, gotta get away". Very perfect overall, and a great way to start to close up the album.
5/5
Where The River Goes
Final Origin had it perfectly when he said, that this song carries on way too much and just doesnt get anywhere. But, it holds some of the best pretty random guitar-work on the album, and if not worth a listen a few times, then at least just once, just to hear the 'majesty' of how the pilots like to close and album. A slow, soothing, random good bye that never seems to end. I am almost obligated to say that it is a great closing for a pilots album, as it holds the elements the others held and sets it all free.
3/5
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Pros
+Amazing, diabolical guitar-work
+Vocals, of course
+Great, dark approaches toward the tracks
Cons
-Some songs drag on too much
-Some lack in material In some portions
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This was the debut if The Stone Temple Pilot's career, and it really launched them deep into stardom. Over the years, with the releases of Purple, and No.4, got them farther and farther into the grunge scene, and they have been compared to great successfuls like Nirvana and Peral Jam. The band as people know, later disbanded and went their ways. Scott is now part of the supergroup, Velvet Revolver, who also includes the best of the best from Guns' N' Roses. I wish good luck to Scott, and Dean, Robert, and Eric. And i'm hoping that this legend of an album they have recorded gets them somewhere else, where they deserve to be.
4/5
