In retrospect, it is a tad ironic for STONE TEMPLE PILOTS to have released their magnum-opus-to-be “Purple” in the summer of 1994, on June 7th, via Atlantic Records. Just a few months earlier, in April, the leader of the grunge movement, Kurt Cobain, had died and the hype surrounding Seattle’s musical sages had started to wane. STONE TEMPLE PILOTS never really fit into that scene but, anyhow, had been superficially pushed onto that bandwagon by lazy music scribes. Hailing from San Diego, California, the band had cultivated a bit more diverse taste for alternative rock, so when the grunge train started heading for derailment, STP‘s star suddenly seemed to be on the rise – commercially speaking, that is. Despite the fact that the band’s debut “Core” (1992) had sold eight million copies, the critics didn’t take very kindly to this Scott Weiland-fronted act at the heyday of grunge. As luck would have it, “Purple” changed all that. Then again, the band’s sophomore effort was – and still is! – punchier, catchier, and overall better bang for the buck. This album would finally start to accrue some real street credibility for the band among the critics. It debuted at number one in the US charts and sold three million copies in four months.
Speaking of which, all the bad press garnered by the debut seems to have annoyed the band quite a bit. It is pretty obvious from the lyrics of the album opener, “Meatplow.” The song is basically a huge middle finger addressed to the media of the day. In terms of riffing, the song wasn’t exactly the best this band had to offer but, in all honesty, it wasn’t the worst, either. The vitriolic lyrics and the occasional ALICE–IN–CHAINS-styled vocal harmonies save a lot.
The second track proved an instant killer. Ruminating on the topic of authenticity in the rock scene, “Vasoline” was clearly another song inspired by the vocal hate that the band had received from the “tr00” scene lords. This time around, the riffs bit a bit harder, though, and the song has gained a somewhat classic status by now. By way of rolling out a catchy, almost THE BEATLES-like chorus paired with an idiosyncratic 1990s-tinted drum beat and laid-back guitar riffs, the song packs quite a few of the most typical grunge ingredients. In passing, the song sounds maybe even grungier than the founding fathers of the genre themselves. Yeah, this track was obviously one of the culprits that got people labeling the band as a grunge outfit.
That said, the biggest hit of the album, “Interstate Love Song,” couldn’t have been further from the darkly shaded Seattle vibes. Driven by an acoustic guitar, the song is more akin to the country-flavored alt-rockers, GOO GOO DOLLS, than any of the grunge acts that STP had so eagerly been associated with. Then again, even PEARL JAM was infamous for flirting with country music at the time and we flannel-wearing teenagers were perfectly okay with it. Still, 30 years later, this song is like a warm breeze on a summer day – if you disregard the fact that the lyrics speak about the toll that drug addiction had on Weiland‘s relationship with his then-wife. This must be one of the most beautiful songs about such a grim topic. Surely, I’m just an incurable nostalgic but 1994 was the best time to be a 20-year-old music junkie. This is not a matter of opinion but a cold, hard fact.
The album came with yet another hit, the slide-guitar-infested lead single, “Big Empty.” The song appeared on the soundtrack to the 1994 film, The Crow, which undoubtedly factored in the song’s haunting legacy. So, with the album boasting three hits of this caliber, the rest of the songs were destined to be slightly overshadowed. Given the sad fate of Cobain just a couple of months ahead of the album’s release date, it was perhaps a little odd that not even the NIRVANA-pastiche, “Unglued,” could make waves. Well, had it bowed down to “Nevermind” rather than “Incesticide,” who knows what might have happened.
Now, 30 years later, “Purple” sounds delightfully 1990-ish, not necessarily grungey, a track or two notwithstanding. In addition to the biggest hits, tracks such as “Silvergun Superman” and “Army Ants” have stood the test of time rather brilliantly. Even the songs that felt like curiosities back in the day – tracks such as the Southern-rock twanger, “Still Remains,” and “Pretty Penny” with its Middle-Eastern vibes – sound pretty nice after all these years. This album propelled STONE TEMPLE PILOTS to headliner status – and for a bloody good reason.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Meatplow
- Vasoline
- Lounge Fly
- Interstate Love Song
- Still Remains
- Pretty Penny
- Silvergun Superman
- Big Empty
- Unglued
- Army Ants
- Kitchenware & Candybars
Lineup
Scott Weiland – vocals
Dean DeLeo – guitars
Robert DeLeo – bass
Eric Kretz – drums, percussion
Label
Atlantic
