My Review of the new Stone Temple Pilots

"The Pilots are back," by college buddy Franz said as we popped in Shangri-La De Da the summer before the towers were hit. As coked-up as I was at the time, I didn't hear it. It sounded like No. 4 which was their worst album.

Over time, I have grown to like Shangri-La De Da. It's better than 4, but not by much. I spent most of the Aughties listening to the epic trilogy of Core, Purple and Tiny Music.

Scott did a lot of boozing and pussy houndin' w/ Mini Me in the lean years!!

Quick Playlist:
Plush
Big Empty
Vasoline
Big Bang Baby
Dancing Days
Ride the Cliché
Lounge Fly
And So I Know
Dead and Bloated

Almost 10 years later and the sixth album has dropped. Just in time for the Grunge Renaissance...I hope.

This is the alright playlist:
Bagman
Dare if You Dare
Huckleberry Crumble (an Aerosmith cover??)
and yes, the lead single..Between the Lines

I refuse to talk about any of these songs because they really didn't move me (although Weiland is does great Cobainesque growl in "Lines.")

"...And in music. Stone Temple Pilots were on tour. They were great the first time I heard them, when they were called Pearl Jam." - David Spade on SNL's Hollywood Minute

Take a Load Off is the best STP song since Seven Cage Tigers. It's infectious and Grungy at the same time. The lyrics are topical and hopeful. Weiland is telling us to suck the Gov't tit and wait for a better day.

Hickory Dichotomy is Weiland doing his second best Bowie impression as Dean DeLeo treats his guitar to some country licks that tranform into dirty glam in the chorus. Lyrically, Scott takes a shit on modern tabloid media.

Cinnamon is the poppiest song that the Pilots have ever recorded. I get the feeling they wrote this for the Jonas crowd. I give it a pass because they only get bubble gummy once on this album. This is easily my least favorite song by them yet.

Evil Nazi Wieland at the height of his heroine addiction.

Hazy Days wipes it's ass with Cinnamon with a dirty rock-stopper that reflects on Wieland's daze of night. It's a standout and a potential single. Too bad they will prolly go with the shite bubble gum-of-a-previous-track for the next single.

Peacoat has the classic STP sound and is really the only track that allows for the music to take the spotlight as Weiland sulks behind them in the shadows, spinning around like a snakey Yogi. Best Dean DeLeo solo of the album.

Fast As I Can is a surprise. It sounds like a Stooges song. The Pilots have always been good for one of these kinda fast paced numbers on all the albums (Crackerman, Unglued, Paper Heart, MC5, Dumb Love).

Wieland does his best Bowie impression on the poorly titled First Kiss on Mars--daring us to "take a risk and listen to the radio."

Maver is the best song lyrically on the eponymous LP. I would love to hear STP challenge themselves on the next album and do more piano-driven songs because Maver is a beaut. This song is what Velvet Revolver's "Gravedigger" wishes what it could have been.

Maver with a lucky bonnet~She used to paint a flowers on it

Evil Wieland in the Plush video.

Overall, the 2010 album by Stone Temple is both a return to form and a departure for the classic rock band (yes, they are classic rock now, listen to your local station and time how long it takes for them to play Plush). If they never record again, I would be okay with this one being their last record. Who knows, if Wieland falls down the dark spiral again, maybe we'll look back on this eponymous effort with the same admiration and awe that we now look at LA Woman. Time will tell.
Purple onesie that my future son or daughter will be sporting in the Green Room.
STP at their stripped down best!

… And to you, dead and bloated nation of sleepwalkers, so content to drown in your own rancid apathy that your own minds and the minds of your children are being bought and sold on the auction block by swarthy old hogs – oh, set a place for the auctioneer, he’ll be coming to dinner tonight. No need to bother, honey, he’ll be coming live via satellite direct, right through your brand new motherfuckin’ super-mega-screen Home Monitor system…