STP/Purple-12 Gracious Melodies(1994)

A few weeks back I commented somewhere that I had 2 half-finished STP reviews sitting around for a while. John and James both told me to get em done! So I did and here’s numero uno!

Stone Temple Pilots right off the bat when they dropped the debut Core album in 1992 were a real good band. I dug that debut as Wicked Garden is just that. A wicked track as were a bunch of others.

So with a ton of sales from the Core album you knew the hype was going to be huge for the followup which is Purple which hit the streets back in June of 1994 and with lead off single Vaseoline speeding up the charts it was a quick purchase. Plus add the fact that  it was announced that STP would be opening for the Stones on there Voodoo Lounge Tour in Toronto it was a win win for both myself and Tbone as we had tickets to this show! (it must also be mentioned that Mr Books was present at this show as well!)

What a great marketing move whose ever idea it was not to print the album tracks on the back  cover. All that was printed was 12 Gracious Melodies.  Ha! Those funny Seattle Dude’s!

Scott Weiland(RIP)/Robert and Dean DeLeo/Eric Kretz put out a great record that is still great today…

From the opening track Meat Plow(great title) The Pilots lay down a solid groove almost Sabbath like with the gears a grunging. Meat Plow just has a real cool groove to it. Hey man Weiland has a bullet watch out! STP can play no doubt and ask Tbone as this album is lodged in his all time Top 20!

Vasoline was everywhere in the summer of 94! Such a cool wicked groove between the drums/guitar/bass and Weiland lays down the law with a great vocal! Still remember when they played this track opening for the Stones back in  94 with Weiland slipping all over the stage doing  his Vasoline  stage move! Such a great talent….

Lounge Fly features some huge sounding drums. Cool off beat like stomp featuring some slick like slide guitar from Dean DeLeo. Weiland to no ones surprise drops down an awesome lead vocal!

Ok! I will go on record saying that Interstate Love Song has to be one of my favourite tunes from the 90’s. It has all the great ingredients of a Classic Track. Great groove/Great vocal/Great  music and best of all one of the best choruses you will find anywhere with a real slippery like bass line from Robert who cuts through the mustard with Kretz and his drums! Must mention the real smooth like opening before the faders are pushed up and the song lifts off! PURE BRILLIANCE meaning PURE GOLD (in my book of Rock)

Still Remains keeps the momentum pushing forward with a real cool like Keith Moon smash a roo with the cymbals.

Pretty Penny shows us that these cats can shift musical gears and go all acoustic with some real crazed like rhythm changes during the chorus when Weiland tells us all how Pretty Penny is gone! STP can kick ass even acoustically…..

Back on board with some more Sabbath like music with Silvergun Superman(great title!) but they also chill out melodically during the chorus and they go right back into the Sabbath Doom cave with the verse that features some real like melodic like playing  from Dean! Tony Iommi would be proud of this one….

Big Empty has a smoke-filled bar like atmosphere during the verses in other words a real easy like vibe with Weiland and Dean playing  chill with some slide like acoustically noodling before the chorus ramps up and gives you a swift boot up the arse!

Unglued is so good as well as it stomps right out of the gate and slams your head against the wall. Loud pissed off rage and Weiland has this rage coming over him.. Case in point..

moderation is masturbation
what is what, and what makes you feel good
all these things I think about,
I think about
always come unglued

Dig the groove of Army Ants as it to goes right off the rails as Weiland starts singing. STP does not play it safe with tempo changes and man thats this tune. These tracks work well with a band like STP as they had a singer who could handle it and make it work vocally!

Kitchen Ware and Candy Bars closes the album with Weiland sings about “Sell me down by the river” as this mid tempo rock features a real nasty distorted solo from Dean that end’s this album.

My Second Album  starts a few seconds after Kitchenware and sounds like a 70’s tune with piano and Weiland’s voice and it sounds like I dunno an AM tune from decades ago. Those Silly Temple Pilots mucking around and good on them not taking themselves seriously!

What can you say about this album? A total classic and I would have to say along with Soundgardens brilliant Superunknown (1994) I would  have to say are the two best albums that came out of Seattle.

Alright, alright. I know a lot of people love Pearl Jam. I like PJ as well but these two albums are so good and hey it’s just this schmucks opinion as well.

You can see why Tbone has placed this in his  all time Top 20 as all the tracks are excellent.  No make that all 47 minutes 3 seconds of 12 Gracious Melodies are Classic!