 Stone Temple Pilots Of all the musicians ever to completely destroy or kill themselves through the use of drugs or alcohol, few have ever been near and dear to me. Most of the big ones (Jim Morrisson, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and even Hank Williams, Sr.) were well before my time, having no great impact on me. And some more recent ones like Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon) or Bradley Nowell (Sublime) just didn't interest me all that much. Even my deadbeat father's death from huffing Ban didn't really register. The one recent victim of drug abuse that I really am sorrowful about: Scott Weiland. His recurring battle with heroin addiction led to the destruction of a potentially legendary band. This album was the last recorded before the rest of the band finally tired of Weiland's inability to conquer his addiction and disbanded Stone Temple Pilots. It makes the band's break-up even more regrettable, since it is easily the most musically adventurous and stylistic of the three STP releases. The band completely divorced itself from the grunge movement in which they had their initial success, and finally demonstrated to a skeptical critical community that they had more than that one dimension, possessing the chops to take on anyone in the business. The first track, "Press Play," is a short instrumental in a nice light funk groove, with producer Brendan O'Brien helping out on Fender Rhodes, giving an idea that this is going to be a different ride than the usual STP fare. The next three tracks are good solid rockers that clean up the grunge sound a bit. "Pop's Love Suicide" is in at track two, to jack up the energy level after the mellow intro. "Tumble In The Rough" keeps it up with staccato lyrics from Weiland and a hard and fast tempo, and sets up the next track, "Big Bang Baby." This was the first and biggest single, and "Tumble" followed it up, which I didn't understand upon hearing the album. Neither is the disc's strongest track by any means, but they sound more like the last two albums than anything else on the record, hence the easier sell to a mass audience. "Big Bang Baby" did have a great video, though, a huge (though probably sentimental) slam on the videos of the mid-eighties, complete with special effects circa that time as well as some nice wardrobe for the band. Think Scandal's "Goodbye To You" or Steve Miller Band "Abracadabra." It's after these opening tracks that the album really starts to hit stride, though. Track five is the excellent "Lady Picture Show," which blew me away the first time I heard it. It's basically a story about a faded starlet, whose beauty has gone away, and as it has, she has retreated to her dressing room and shut the world out. Utterly stirring, and it allows Weiland to demonstrate the unheralded power of his singing voice. A top notch song all around. " And So I Know" is a soulful ballad that uses vibraphone and harpsichord to wondrous effect. It sets up the listener like a 6-10 split, then "Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart" comes along like Walter Ray Williams, Jr. (wait, did I just make a pro bowling reference?) to knock 'em down. "Trippin'" is a killer, with a guitar riff to beat hell, and Weiland is in top form lyrically, especially in the chorus: "I am, I am, I said, I'm not myself I'm not dead and I'm not for sale". Weiland is either giving us insight into his own state of mind at the time he wrote it, or paying homage to STP's biggest influence, Neil Diamond. The boppy next track, "Art School Girl," takes a slightly different tone than the rest of the disc, beginning with a guitar riff that is almost identical to the intro of John Mellencamp's "Dance Naked" (another clear influence on STP). "Adhesive," easily my favorite track on the album, is a slow, powerful, and heart-wrenching song, with Weiland investigating all the conflicting emotions he has found to come along with fame. A muted trumpet solo in the heart of the song defines the tone of the song, evoking a lonely walk at night down a rainy city street The CD goes out nicely after this with "Ride The Cliché," "Daisy" (an instrumental), and "Seven Caged Tigers," – all quality songs, but after "Adhesive," they suffer a bit by comparison. But since "Adhesive" would have been way too downbeat a way to end the disc, so it does make sense. Analyzing the lyrics to Tiny Music gives considerable insight to Weiland's addictions, sadness, and self-loathing. The subject of death comes up in several of the songs, often appearing prominently in the choruses. His misery served to make him a star, and has helped to destroy him as well, which is a story we've heard and seen so many times before. Since his excommunication from the band, the members have tried to move on, with minimal success. Weiland's solo album has a few bright moments, but just doesn't stand up to the past works. The other band members recruited a new lead singer and recorded an album under the name Talk Show, but without Weiland's powerful songwriting, it didn't work, and the project was scrapped. Two subsequent STP albums didn't live up to the promise. The last I knew of, Weiland had left his latest court-assigned rehab stint and pretty much disappeared, and the rest of the band was basically in limbo. I've all but given up on the possibility for a return to greatness for Stone Temple Pilots … so I'm left with this CD, and thoughts of what could have been.
Review by Mario Speedwagon |