Review Summary: The spiritual successor to Tiny Music, 12 Bar Blues proves that Scott Weiland was the heart of STP.
When you think of what defines a frontman, there can be no question that Scott Weiland fits the description. In his prime, Weiland was a charismatic enigma with a powerful and melodic, yet diverse voice. With songs like "Interstate Love Song" and "Plush", Stone Temple Pilots was one of the biggest bands in the world at Weiland's peak. Weiland knew how to carry a tune and with his debut solo effort,
12 Bar Blues, Scott Weiland proved exactly what made him the driving force behind the Pilots' greatest hits. He could have played it safe by releasing an album's worth of STP B-sides and outtakes but with
12 Bar Blues, Weiland was out to prove himself as an artist. In a way,
12 Bar Blues sounds like the spiritual successor to STP's third album,
Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop. While both albums are sonically different from each other, what they share in common is a willingness to experiment. Weiland is throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. Surprisingly, most of these experiments are successful.
Through
12 Bar Blues, Weiland attacks songs from multiple directions with several harmonies and influences that can't be pinned down to one specific sound. The ambitious, dynamic "Barbarella" is the prime example, chaoticly bouncing around with a dramatic piano intro into a mid-tempo acoustic verse over a drum loop, with a soaring chorus made for a stadium and a bridge that breezes by like a cool afternoon at the beach. On paper, it sounds like a cluttered mess, but Weiland manages to tie it all together convincingly with some of his best vocals. Fortunately,
12 Bar Blues takes this philosophy and runs with it for the better. "Mockingbird Girl", a song Weiland penned with The Magnificent Bastards, sees a transformation from a sunny, upbeat alt-rocker into a slow-paced pop-rock grinder built for a late night drive. It works to Weiland's advantage, as he presents an old song in a new light and makes it his own. "Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down" swings with a groove built for cabaret (with some strong accordion work from Sheryl Crow) and much like "Barbarella", it soars as much as it croons. "Divider" is a well-executed piano ballad tailor made for a lounge as Weiland's vocals sit front and center, allowing the music to speak for itself and complement the harmonies. "Son" is what "A Song For Sleeping" from
Shangri-La Dee Da should have been, as the lullaby-like, reflective nature found here is believable and natural without being too sappy or cheesy. "Where's The Man" and "The Date" are clear standouts as they provide some perspective into Weiland's then-troubled state of affairs. "Where's The Man" is a straight-forward number that sees its acoustic verse paint the picture of a man struggling to come to terms with what he's become while its booming chorus ponders if that same man can take control of his life before it's too late. "The Date" watches a clean intro wash away with dissonant chords and morph into a wretched yet fitting wall of noise while Weiland comes off like a man helplessly watching a failing relationship fall apart at the seams before exploding with Weiland's desperate pleas for love.
Although the results this album produces can be rewarding,
12 Bar Blues is filled with its share of head-scratching moments. "Desperation #5" serves its purpose at demonstrating why it's rash to expect an album that sounds like a standard Stone Temple Pilots affair, but it isn't particularly memorable by itself; its dragging, repetitive nature has it going nowhere for four minutes. Why it was placed before "Barbarella", let alone on the album at all, is bewildering. "About Nothing" is exactly what it says on the tin, suffering from the same pitfalls that doom "Desperation #5". "Cool Kiss" features an interesting take on electro-rock with a beautiful break before the bridge, but Weiland's bizarre delivery on the verses don't give the song a fighting chance; it's as if he were inebriated beyond comprehension when he recorded his vocals on this take. Sandwiched between the gentle lull of "Son" and the grooving "Lady...", "Jimmy Was A Stimulator" sticks out like a sore thumb as unmemorable filler. "Opposite Octave Reaction" takes the chaos and turns it up to 11 as "The Date" did before it and while it's weird enough to work in Weiland's favor in the long run with its creative genius, it's walking a razorthin line of insanity because it's trying to make too much happen too soon.
Despite the glaring flaws found on
12 Bar Blues, Scott Weiland had a knack for songwriting. With songs like "Barbarella", "Lady...", and "The Date", Weiland proved he was just as responsible for the success of Stone Temple Pilots as the DeLeos were. The crop of diehard STP fans who argue that their favorite band died when Weiland passed only need to point to this album as their evidence. Though it was released during the most troubling period of Weiland's career,
12 Bar Blues sees an artist who wasn't afraid to take risks to prove that he was more than just a frontman. Scott Weiland was a true talent that the world will remember through his greatest moments and his tragic mishaps. If you're a big fan of
Core or
Purple, take a listen to "Barbarella" or "Lady..." before you decide to dive into this album. But if you've heard Stone Temple Pilots beyond the '90s, you'll enjoy this release and remember how Scott Weiland was at his best.
