Hey, hey, what do you know?
My older brother, as I've written before, has been directly responsible for introducing me to most of the music that I love. By either overhearing his stereo around the house or simply pilfering his collection I was exposed to a great deal of choice music. Had it not been for his influence I would have no doubt been cast adrift into a sea of mediocre pop punk with no context for anything and no appreciation for anything that came before my time. Granted I say this with the knowledge that he is just barely two years older than me, but there was a bit of a generational divide, as well as an understanding of what we were just coming out on the other side of in the 1990s. While we both endured the ubiquity of Alanis Morissette and Hootie & the Blowfish at their respective career highs, he was savvy enough to have picked up on, say, Faith No More's sadly forgotten but nonetheless monster tune 'Epic'. Right there is an example of a song that throngs of people adore, yet no one really had heard when I was off at college. It was one of those songs that, when it would play on my ipod, people would cock their heads and grin a little bit, like they knew the song but were only then realizing how awesome it was. That was the kind of thing I was constantly witnessing due to the influence of the older brother.
As we grew older and he eventually went to college while I finished high school, we found we had similar but divergent tastes. We both were all about the single 'Got You Where I Want You' by The Flys, but he couldn't stand when I got into the likes of The Deftones and Fenix Tx. He loved Guster, I loved Method Man, we both loved The Living End. There was so little rhyme or reason to it. One band that has always been an easy call for the both of us, though? Stone Temple Pilots. As much as we both love guitar driven alterna-rock from the mid 90s, this band was a special highlight, a group that just wrote songs a certain way with which we both clicked.
While the dreary grunge of Core is energizing and the experimentation of Tiny Music... is boundary pushing, the sweet spot, the creme de la creme, has to be their sophomore effort, which was initially untitled. Eventually dubbed Purple, due to the Mandarin character featured on the cover, the album saw Stone Temple Pilots realizing what would become viewed as their sound, the signature style of writing and delivery. There's a mix of the heavy riffage of Core, but only the best elements and citations. There are hints of the out-there experiments from Tiny Music..., but reigned in just enough to be engaging and unique. Tying these elements together is the fact that, while notoriously troubled frontman Scott Weiland may have been under the influence of heroin at the time of writing, the music created by the band was fantastically hooky and capturing. The guitar and bass players, brothers Dean and Rob Deleo, are chiefly responsible for the actual music, with Weiland supplying lyrics and melodies. What the band created here within that dynamic is fantastic.
You almost wouldn't know it was happening, though, from the dirge of an opener that is 'Meatplow'. It's a powerful riff and a decent song, but melodically there's not much indication that the band would be doing new things here. It's only when the next track kicks in, the insanely syncopated 'Vaseline', that we get a sense of what the band is capable of. All behind-the-beat rhythms and off-kilter swing notes, the riff is an instant head bobber, while Weiland sings an infectious melody over the top. It's here you realize that Core was the band finding their feet, this album was them finding their voice. 'Lounge Fly' splits the difference of the first two tracks - the verses are fairly rote but the chorus is moving and heavy, with Weiland's vocals driving the song alongside Dean Deleo's expressive guitar accents. The stand out of the album by far, though, is obviously the mega hit 'Interstate Love Song', a song whose feeling and atmosphere conjures different things for different people. I've always found the melody and chord changes to be a bit sad and melancholic, with a hint of nostalgia balancing the equation. For others it seems to be more upbeat, for some it's about the end of a relationship. I can't put my finger on what it is, but I know that it is a phenomenally written song with a killer hook. If one knows the words, its almost impossible not to sing along. The guitar lick that drives the song is memorable and instantly recognizable, a sure sign of a great riff.
The rest of the album continues to be excellent like the first half. 'Still Remains' is a shimmering, rolling piece of music that washes out of your speakers in waves. The band, having seen unanticipated success with their Unplugged show, tried their hand at an acoustic number, the gorgeously haunting and simple 'Pretty Penny'. The juggernaut riff that lies central to the massive 'Silvergun Superman' is a heavy, driving affair. Showing their talent and knack for writing, the band balances out the metal of the verses with a poppy, wistful chorus that would feel mismatched by any other band. A proven hit from their unplugged performance, 'Big Empty' is another piece of superb, somber music balanced out by dynamic shifts. The verses are almost morose bits, with bluesy steel guitars sliding over Em and C7 chords. The chorus, though, is a lovely set of chords that shifts the tone of the song to a more uplifting key but maintains the same underlying sense of sadness. 'Kitchenware & Candybars' closes the album with an intriguing acoustic riff that amps up when plugged in (no pun intended).
I really can't tell you enough how great this album is. It's one of my favorite 'albums', not just a couple singles but rather how the whole thing plays together, the complete structure as opposed to peaks and valleys. To boot, it always makes me think of my older brother and what a great influence he's been. I'm lucky to have him in my life.
My older brother, as I've written before, has been directly responsible for introducing me to most of the music that I love. By either overhearing his stereo around the house or simply pilfering his collection I was exposed to a great deal of choice music. Had it not been for his influence I would have no doubt been cast adrift into a sea of mediocre pop punk with no context for anything and no appreciation for anything that came before my time. Granted I say this with the knowledge that he is just barely two years older than me, but there was a bit of a generational divide, as well as an understanding of what we were just coming out on the other side of in the 1990s. While we both endured the ubiquity of Alanis Morissette and Hootie & the Blowfish at their respective career highs, he was savvy enough to have picked up on, say, Faith No More's sadly forgotten but nonetheless monster tune 'Epic'. Right there is an example of a song that throngs of people adore, yet no one really had heard when I was off at college. It was one of those songs that, when it would play on my ipod, people would cock their heads and grin a little bit, like they knew the song but were only then realizing how awesome it was. That was the kind of thing I was constantly witnessing due to the influence of the older brother.
As we grew older and he eventually went to college while I finished high school, we found we had similar but divergent tastes. We both were all about the single 'Got You Where I Want You' by The Flys, but he couldn't stand when I got into the likes of The Deftones and Fenix Tx. He loved Guster, I loved Method Man, we both loved The Living End. There was so little rhyme or reason to it. One band that has always been an easy call for the both of us, though? Stone Temple Pilots. As much as we both love guitar driven alterna-rock from the mid 90s, this band was a special highlight, a group that just wrote songs a certain way with which we both clicked.
The rest of the album continues to be excellent like the first half. 'Still Remains' is a shimmering, rolling piece of music that washes out of your speakers in waves. The band, having seen unanticipated success with their Unplugged show, tried their hand at an acoustic number, the gorgeously haunting and simple 'Pretty Penny'. The juggernaut riff that lies central to the massive 'Silvergun Superman' is a heavy, driving affair. Showing their talent and knack for writing, the band balances out the metal of the verses with a poppy, wistful chorus that would feel mismatched by any other band. A proven hit from their unplugged performance, 'Big Empty' is another piece of superb, somber music balanced out by dynamic shifts. The verses are almost morose bits, with bluesy steel guitars sliding over Em and C7 chords. The chorus, though, is a lovely set of chords that shifts the tone of the song to a more uplifting key but maintains the same underlying sense of sadness. 'Kitchenware & Candybars' closes the album with an intriguing acoustic riff that amps up when plugged in (no pun intended).
