Stone Temple Pilots - What I'm Obsessed With

Stone Temple Pilots are a Rock Band from California, and are the latest group of musicians to simply amaze me. STP are hailed as one of the great 90's groups, and were around for the Grunge Explosion throughout the 1990's, as they formed in 89, but never seemed to gain the same recognition as bands like Nirvana or Pearl Jam, despite their music being quite similar. I discovered STP through Youtube's 'Recommended' Section, classic, for their song, 'Creep'. Now when I saw it, I assumed it was some Indy Metal Cover of Radiohead's 'Creep', but I was wrong, so very wrong. This song was so perfect, so moody, and from the calm anger in lead singer Scott Weiland's voice, I was hooked. This song sent me down the STP Rabbit Hole, and well, here we are.

Stone Temple Pilots in 1992.

The best way I can describe this band, is Pearl Jam, but good. Bold. I don't mind PJ, but there's just something off putting about them to me, but STP are the sh*t. Their music makes you feel stuff, it's not fake or hollow or artificial, it's just brilliant and meaningful. And along with the music, and actually most bands I seem to like, they have a story, filled with triumph, defeat, loss, and eventual redemption. You can't not be drawn in.

STP released their first Studio Album in 1992, 'Core', and this is my favourite. This album is now certified, wait for it, 8x Platinum. I've no idea how that adds up, but it's what the facts say. Insane. I simply can't recommend this record enough. It can be quite heavy and dark, but it's their best overall piece, and key tracks for me are 'Creep' and 'Plush', despite it's noticeable Pearl Jam influence. Their second album, 'Purple', came out in 1994 and is the fan favourite. This record is more psychedelic compared to 'Core', but the signature sound is still in there. My favourite here is 'Vasoline'.

Stone Temple Pilots performing live in 1993.

This is a minute detail but for my taste, this is always a huge bonus. Stone Temple Pilots performed an MTV Unplugged show in 1993. This is my favourite, if you can call it this, 'genre', of music. Bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Oasis, and Stone Temple Pilots, all have their 'loud' sounds respectively, they all produce music that will blow up your speaker, amazing vocals, and downright badass music. And I f*cking love all of that more than anything, but it's these MTV Unplugged performances from the 90's that are just spectacular.

They manage to always show a softer side to an edgy or loud band, while always maintaining the meaningfulness of it all. Alice in Chains' Unplugged from 1996 is easily my favourite, but the STP performance can easily match Nirvana's, also from 93, as one of the best. They perform most of 'Core' here, but also a David Bowie Cover, of his song, 'Andy Warhol'. It's funny how STP and Nirvana's Unplugged performances would both take place in 1993, and both feature a Bowie Cover. The whole show can actually be heard on Apple Music and Spotify, it makes up the first half of the Live Album, 'Live A Little', and I highly recommend listening to 'Creep', 'Andy Warhol', and 'Crackerman', if not the whole thing. Watch that version of 'Creep', below.

But amongst all this positivity, must come negativity. STP split up in 2002 due to complications within the band, and Scott Weiland's drug issues. They would reform in 2008 however, and in 2010 would release their 6th Studio Album, self-titled, 'Stone Temple Pilots', and was the followup to their 2001 release, 'Shangri-La Dee Da', which was also fantastic. The new album got mostly good reviews, and they toured the world after it's release, until 2013, when Weiland would be fired from the band! Again for drug issues, but he then made his backup band, 'The Wildabouts', his main focus. Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington took over the frontman role for STP for the next two years.

But then, tragedy. On December 3rd, 2015, before a Wildabouts show, Weiland was found dead on his tour bus at the age of 48. The cause of death was an accidental overdose, and after his death was praised as being the Voice Of A Generation, along with Kurt Cobain, Layne Stayley, and Chris Cornell. All of which, have now passed. Chester Bennington would then also pass away in 2017, by suicide. Even though I knew it all before, seeing all of these names who I've grown very, very close to over the last two years, all lined up together, and them all being dead, is f*cking rough.

Scott Weiland's last ever live performance with 'The Wildabouts' on December 1st, 2015, in Toronto.
He would be dead 3 days later.

Stone Temple Pilots are still going to this day, carrying along Weiland's legacy despite their differences in the past, and released another self-titled album in March of last year, their first without Weiland. Stone Temple Pilots seem to go unnoticed when going through the 'Big Four of Grunge' phase, but I urge you all to look into them. It's definitely worth a listen, for a song or two, or ten. Thank you for reading.