Friday, January 23, 2004
On Stone Temple Pilots
It's a shame about Stone Temple Pilots, because they're only known now, for their drug-addled lead singer. Are they even a band anymore? I suppose they're on hiatus, like the Black Crowes. That's convenient -- and true, really, considering all the 60's and 70's bands that have come back for the nostalgia run.
Its a shame because he had it kicked for a while, didn't he? They got back together and put out that record -- 4, I think it was called. Then they made another one. Each got minimal airplay, and at their gigs, setlists were filled with mainly the old tunes. That's a shame. I own 4. Maybe I should put it in and give it a shot. After all, I gave the Toadies's second album a shot after they disappeared, and that's a masterpiece.
The problem with STP's last two albums not catching on could be related or imply two not necessarily mutually exclusive things:
• Our culture does not reward comebacks, therefore these two albums were destined to fail.
• The band relied on the drugs that fueled Scott Weiland. Once the drugs were gone, so was the spark, the talent, the good music.
Like I said, a shame. The other thing that bothers me -- and this isn't really related to their fall from the spotlight, but their having been pidgeonholed as a "grunge" band -- is the radio play they do receive. If you turn on the radio, of all the STP songs you could possibly hear, you are most likely to hear "Plush" or "Interstate Love Song". I didn't like "ILS" when it was big. And "Plush"? It's so Goddamned long. The acoustic version's OK, but the electric goes on forever and ever. Just when you think it's over . . . it keeps going . . . kind of like Weiland's addiction. Radio programmers ignore the rest of their catalog, just as they stick only with the hits from Pearl Jam's first three albums.
So now we're forever locked into those two songs, those two moments, as if all that band ever created were two moments.
Its a shame because he had it kicked for a while, didn't he? They got back together and put out that record -- 4, I think it was called. Then they made another one. Each got minimal airplay, and at their gigs, setlists were filled with mainly the old tunes. That's a shame. I own 4. Maybe I should put it in and give it a shot. After all, I gave the Toadies's second album a shot after they disappeared, and that's a masterpiece.
The problem with STP's last two albums not catching on could be related or imply two not necessarily mutually exclusive things:
• Our culture does not reward comebacks, therefore these two albums were destined to fail.
• The band relied on the drugs that fueled Scott Weiland. Once the drugs were gone, so was the spark, the talent, the good music.
Like I said, a shame. The other thing that bothers me -- and this isn't really related to their fall from the spotlight, but their having been pidgeonholed as a "grunge" band -- is the radio play they do receive. If you turn on the radio, of all the STP songs you could possibly hear, you are most likely to hear "Plush" or "Interstate Love Song". I didn't like "ILS" when it was big. And "Plush"? It's so Goddamned long. The acoustic version's OK, but the electric goes on forever and ever. Just when you think it's over . . . it keeps going . . . kind of like Weiland's addiction. Radio programmers ignore the rest of their catalog, just as they stick only with the hits from Pearl Jam's first three albums.
So now we're forever locked into those two songs, those two moments, as if all that band ever created were two moments.
