I feel that Stone Temple Pilots is (are?) one of the most underrated bands of all time. Obviously, they were popular, but I mean underrated as musicians. Scott Weiland had great range, the DeLeo brothers, while hardly the best at their instruments, are among the strongest in grunge. Eric Kretz was a powerful and moderately fast drummer. All of these elements come together on
Purple, and the result is fantastic.
STP is:
Scott Weiland - Vocals, Guitar (Silvergun Superman), Percussion (Pretty Penny)
Dean DeLeo - Electric and Acoustic Guitar, Percussion (Pretty Penny), Drum ending on Silvergun Superman
Robert DeLeo - Bass, Guitar, Percussion (Pretty Penny)
Eric Kretz - Drums, Percussion
1. Meatplow (3:37)
A solid opening track. The lyrics are complete nonsense, but it has a nice medium-paced riff and strong vocals and bass. Great guitar solo around 2:20, and the song is fun to drive to.
9/10
2. Vasoline (2:56)
Starts with some strange guitar effects, before the other instruments kick in. The bass is at its strongest here, with Robert at his loudest and his most powerful. After 2 minutes, there is a nice mini-guitar solo. Again, the lyrics aren't incredibly easy to understand, but great track.
8/10
3. Lounge Fly (5:18)
One thing becomes apparent from the beginning of this song. Drums. Kretz makes his presence known with some hard hitting and great fills. The vocals are the other high point of the song, with a nice performance by Weiland. Acoustic guitar comes in at about 2:40, and there's a great guitar solo from Dean at around 3:20, and another at 4:10 that mixes with softly sung vocals.
8/10
4. Interstate Love Song (3:14)
This is one of the bands biggest hits, and, while it sounds a little poppy, is a good song. It has a strong riff and great bass from the DeLeos. The song seems like it's about the Weiland leaving a lying lover.
7/10 (Though I doubt fans would agree)
5. Still Remains (3:33)
Another poppish love song with good singing. Nothing spectacular. I wish I had more to say about this song, but I really don't have much of an opinion on it.
6/10
6. Pretty Penny (3:42)
This song is entirely acoustic. Actually sounds somewhat folky, as the mood doesn't seem as depressing as the lyrics suggest (in fact, it seems a little too happy). Apparently, the song is about a girl who is losing family members for various reasons. Eh.
6/10
7. Silvergun Superman (5:16)
Now we change the tone entirely. Silvergun Superman is the most metallic song on the album. Love the riff here, and the bass is strong. Yet another case of nonsensical lyrics. The bass gets really good after 2 minutes, and the song uses odd guitar effects nicely. Nice solo after 3 minutes. My only real problem is that the song is too long for its slow pace.
9/10
8. Big Empty (4:54)
After that tempo change, the song goes back to a lighter tone with Big Empty. The song sounds bluesy at the beginning, and switches between that and a bass-heavy, radio-friendly rock song. Weiland’s singing and the bass are the only real highlights of the song. Around 3 and a half minutes, it seems like the song will build up into something, but just switches back to the rock part. Too long for its pace
7/10
9. Unglued (2:34)
This is my favorite track on the album. It makes no sense, and it’s filler, but it’s the best filler ever. A brilliant riff and powerful drums make the song, and there is a decent solo after 1:20 or so. It could have been a great opening or closing track, but I’ll live with its spot.
10/10
10. Army Ants (3:46)
This is my second favorite track. Starts off with some odd guitar effects, and then kicks into full rock mode. The song is fairly straightforward, and it also could have been a great opener or closer. After 2 minutes, the song slows down, before the drums lead into a great guitar solo at 2:40. If you can’t tell already, the guitar is my favorite thing in the song.
9/10
11. Kitchenware and Candybars (4:23)
Starts softly, and guitar kicks in at 0:55. The song remains somewhat soft for a minute and a half, before the vocals get stronger. That doesn’t last long, and the tempo shifts back again. After 3:30, the song begins to pick up, and a nice guitar solo comes in at 3:45 before the song ends at the same pace as it was 2 minutes ago.
7/10
11+. Secret Track (3:11)
OK, so K&C is really 8:06, but nothing happens between 4:23 and 55. As soon as it hits the 4:55 mark, the secret track launches (it does say “12 Gracious Melodies” on the back, doesn’t it?). This last song shows the band’s more humorous side. It’s a lounge song that really just tells you about the album and is there for giggling purposes.
No Rating
Sorry that I had trouble reviewing the middle section and that the lyrics made little sense to me.
Purple gets an 8/10
