Best Guitar Solos: Stone Temple Pilots- Silvergun Superman

There are always albums in a bands career and catalog that will define them but there are certain ones that will always stand out among the rest. Stone Temple Pilots have that type of catalog. Their debut album, Core is a quintessential rock album every rock music fan should own but, the one that should really be in every collection is their second album and their masterpiece, Purple. We all now about the year 1994 and all the great albums that came out and Purple is most definitely on that list. Through the years as I’ve listened more and more to this album, there are always specific songs and moments I always go back to. For example my favorite song on the album “Lounge Fly” is such an amazing song. And the other song that has been a close second favorite “Silvergun Superman” has one of the best guitar solos on an STP album. Guitarist Dean DeLeo is not only underrated as a player but his style of play looks so flawless. When you hear him play it’s distinctly him. You can tell the difference especially if you listen to Velvet Revolver try to play STP songs, the guitar tones and styles don’t match Dean (and that’s not a knock on Slash, he just doesn’t have the same “feel” as Dean, especially for these songs. Solo wise on “Silvergun Superman” it’s got this really cool late 60’s early 70’s psychedelic rock vibe to it with a bit of a southern charm a la The Allman Brothers and a dash of Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin. After you are done with delving into the greatness that is “Silvergun Superman” go back and listen to Purple, and you’ll hear why it’s a true masterpiece.

Stone Temple Pilots- Silvergun Superman (Album Version):

Stone Temple Pilots- Silvergun Superman (Live 1994):

End Of Album Songs: Stone Temple Pilots

Stone Temple Pilots during their career wrote some of the best closing songs. The ones from Core (Where The River Goes), Purple (Kitchenware and Candybars), and Number 4 (Atlanta) are all cemented in my mind when it comes to great album closers. Each one of these songs is the perfect compliment to those great albums, especially “Kitchenware and Candybars,” and “Atlanta.”

Take a listen to these great songs and fall in love with those albums again!

Where The River Goes (from Core):

 

Kitchenware and Candybars (from Purple):

 

Atlanta (from Number 4):

Album Review: Baroness- Purple

 

There are albums out there that really strike a chord with me. I’ve long believed in the true meaning of what an album is and should be. Meaning that once you put that album on, you just let it go without skipping any songs. In December, Baroness released their album PURPLE. This album is one hell of a gem. There is such a great balance to this record. The way the songs are arranged really lets you get engrossed in the depths of it. The lyrics and vocals push through in a way  that isn’t over powering yet has enough force behind them for you as the listener to feel the pain, torment and hope from the band. A few years back Baroness was on tour in Europe, when they were involved in a very serious bus crash, leaving multiple people in the band and crew severely injured. During the recovery time two members left the band, and the amount of pain and depression really set in for the rest especially for singer/guitarist John Baizley. The end result of all that is this absolutely wonderful album. From start to finish, Purple grabs you and doesn’t let go. The production on this album was also handled by David Friedman (The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev), which explains the added element of psychedelia and layers. The first song on the album “Morningstar” kicks off with a powerful riff, and gruff yet melodic vocals, setting the tone for what’s to come. “Shock Me” and “Try To Disappear are stellar standouts on this album. one listen to each and you’ll understand why. The band really shines on these songs. “Kerosene” is similar in vein to what older Baroness fans really dug about the band. The first single “Chlorine and Wine” is a brilliant song full of many different influences that really help this song shine. Lyrically the story told is deep and meaningful. All the lyric on this are deep and meaningful. “The Iron Bell,” “Desperation Burns,” and “If I Have To Wake Up,” round out the beauty of this masterpiece of an album.

Baroness is one of those bands that aren’t afraid to take chances and experiment to bring out the best of the band. Their previous effort Yellow & Green was misunderstood by a lot of their fans, but it really helped the band in dialing in on what they are. Starting out as a heavier band, each album has allowed Baroness to grow and develop their own style. The addition of the new drummer and bassist, and the bus crash has really helped Baroness become a truly great band. Purple is their defining album. I’d even go as far as saying that this is one of the best albums since the turn of the century.

 

Baroness- Purple:

 

The Making of Purple:

 

 

Album Rank: Stone Temple Pilots

Today seems like a great day for some STP. Here is the rank of their albums from not the best to their best!

 

Shangri La Di Da:

 

Stone Temple Pilots:

 

Tiny Music From The Vatican Gift Shop:

 

Number 4:

 

Core:

 

Purple:

Album Anniversary: Stone Temple Pilots- Purple

Every band has their entire life to write their first album. The one after that can be the hardest. You don’t want to repeat what you just did, and you want to grow as a band. The 90’s were a great time for this and one album in particular managed to do just that. Stone Temple Pilots album Purple. This album pushed the band away from the “grungier” sound of their debut Core and brought in more of a southern rock and psychedelic rock feel to the way they wrote. The use of slide guitar throughout the album really adds another dimension to the tone of the guitars. Scott Weiland’s vocals and lyrics stepped up leaps and bounds. First track “Meatplow” is bluesy complimented with a laid back feel. “Vasoline” is a grooving hard rocking song with great melody. It’s also the only song on the album that drummer Eric Kretz got writing credit on. “Lounge Fly” really evokes the psychedelic feel. This is one of my favorite STP songs. “Interstate Love Song” is the one of the bands most popular songs. It also has a great video to accompany it. The southern rock vibe is very present on this song. The vocal melody is one of the best they’ve ever created. “Still Remains” is a great song to follow “Interstate.” It also shows a more vulnerable side of Scott Weiland. “Pretty Penny” takes it down further, stripping it down. “Silvergun Superman” brings the album back up to the rocking side of things. The chorus melody of this song stays with you for a lifetime. The guitar riff is chunky and heavy but mixed in perfectly not to cause a rumble. “Big Empty” which was actually first heard on STP’s MTV Unplugged, utilizes the slide guitar perfectly and the guitar solo, oh my. I still remember this song best from The Crow (RIP Brandon Lee). “Unglued” is another strong rock song that gets your head bopping and it also has a slight tinge to it that can make you dance. ” Army Ants” goes back to that psychedelic sound in the intro then kicks into high rock gear. Closing out the album is “Kitchenware and Candybars” which again strips the band down and puts Weiland back in the vulnerable state which he embraces. The subtle nature of this song has lots of introspective components foreshadowing a bit in to the future of the band.

Brendan O’Brien’s production and mixing on the album is absolutely flawless. the arrangements of the songs and flow of the album have yet to be duplicated by the band. Scott Weiland cemented himself as a great lyricist and singer on this album. Dean De Leo’s guitar work and tone is unrivaled. Take a listen to Slash try to play STP songs, it just doesn’t sound right at all. Robert De Leo is a fantastic bass player and his ability to harmonize with Scott is tremendous. Eric Kretz is a seriously underrated drummer. This also marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Purple. And in the 20 years it sure does hold up.

 

2 For Tuesday: Stone Temple Pilots- Deep Cuts

It’s such a shame that drugs and ego got in the way of Stone Temple Pilots. Scott Weiland had the ability to put beautiful melodies together with well thought out personal lyrics. The DeLeo brothers and Eric Kretz crafted such intriguing songs to create such a wonderful package. Here are 2 examples of STP at their best. Instead of the usual hits, these choices  are a couple deep cuts that really showcase STP.

Kitchenware & Candybars : from Purple

Where The River Goes: from Core

By: Brian Lacy