Well actually the full title to the third Stone Temple Pilots record is Tiny Music…. Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop.
1996 brings indeed a new STP record and another fine batch of tunes from Weiland/Eric Kretz and the DeLeo brothers Dean and Robert.
Basically another strong album from these guys…
Let’s get into this shall we?
A real chill vibe of almost an Hotel Bar like vibe instrumental (bass/keys/guitar/drums) calling itself Press Play slams right into…
Pops Love Suicide a song in which the guitars are a buzz sawing and you gotta love Brendan OBrian’s production which keeps the sound of this record raw not too much polish. Weiland as he always does takes over vocally and this is a great opener. Sounds like the song is going off the rails but in a cool kind of way…
Tumble In The Rough features Kretz slamming his drums forward thrashing about as the lyrics has Weiland not eating/not sleeping basically a ton of trouble coming on down, Robert lifts off a great solo as the band shifts into overdrive.
I love Big Bang Baby with that sleazy like guitar riff wrapping itself around the drum and bass line and what is even better is the video of this tune. Dean DeLeo is on another planet man! Haha….
Lady Picture Show is another great track which when it slinks into the chorus reminds me of an STP/Beatles mashup. Love the vocal. Weiland is rock guy personify!
The band shifts into a lower gear with And So I Know which features a slow like groove almost a late night boozefest and everyone just wants to chill out with a nice atmospheric track. This song delivers it in spades as Kretz and his drums keep the track from going total soft! Great solo by Dean…almost jazz like!
STP ramp up on Trippin On A Hole In A Paper Heart almost sounds Weiland autobiographical love how he tackles the chorus as he’s “Not dead and Not for sale”
I love Art School. Everything about it! So cool. Lyrics/Music and how it goes right nutso on the chorus as Weiland and Dean go all Grungey even though its 96!
Adhesive is in another time zone as far as I’m concerned. Behind it lurks a little evil with those big blasts of power chords throughout and the song just gets filthy during the chorus. My Kinda Rock as STP does not play it safe!
What a great title in Ride The Cliche. Another out there trippy like track as the song breaths at times during the chorus and then STP goes all psychedelic during the verse.
Daisy you don’t see this one coming and once again STP tosses a curve ball and that’s just a short little music interlude with some more nice circa jazz like guitarist.
Things ramp up for Seven Caged Tiger as the song features some nice fretwork from Dean almost slide like guitar during the solo and such. A mid tempo tune to wrap things up at STP HQ’s!
You know digging into these albums this week was a great revisit. Both this album and 12 Gracious Melodies are excellent albums 20 plus years later.
It’s a total shame as Weiland is no longer here. STP had a run of some great albums folks and you gotta love the vibe of this band.
You had Weiland who was the frontman with the rockstar deal and the charisma. You had Dean DeLeo who played some great riffs while looking like he was on a whole other planet while his brother Robert with that slick back combed hair with the shades looks more like a CIA/DEA agent than a fantastic Bass player and writer which I should add. Wrapping up things you have Drum fella Eric Kretz who looks he just traded in his surfboard for a drum kit but plays some great patterns throughout STP albums.
A band and a Man missed!