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Stone Temple Pilots Purple Release Date: 1994 05 31 Running Time: 47:02 Label: Atlantic Stone Temple Pilots had hits with Core, but they got no respect. They suffered a barrage of savage criticism and it must have hurt, since their second effort seems a conscious effort to distinguish themselves as a band not indebted to grunge. That didn't get them anywhere, as they were attacked as viciously as before, but Purple is nevertheless a quantum leap over their debut, showcasing a band hitting its stride. They still aren't much for consistency, and there's more than a fair share of filler over this album's "12 Gracious Melodies." Still, this filler isn't cut-rate grunge, as it was on the debut; it has its own character, heavily melodic and slightly psychedelic. That's a fair assessment of the hits, as well, but there's a difference there -- namely, expert song and studiocraft. Yes, they were considerably more mainstream than their peers, but time has proven that that's their primary charm, since they were unafraid to temper their grunge with big arena hooks and swirling melodies. It works particularly well on the tight, concise "Vasoline" and the acoustic-based "Pretty Penny," but it really shines on the record's two masterpieces, "Big Empty" and "Interstate Love Song." "Big Empty" is ominous and foreboding, yet remains anthemic, a perfect encapsulation of mainstream alienation that is surpassed only by "Interstate Love Song," a concise epic as alluring as the open highway. These two songs are so good (really, mainstream hard rock didn't get better than these two cuts) that the unevenness of the rest of the record is all the more frustrating, but the filler here is better than before -- and those singles are proof positive that STP was the best straight-ahead rock singles outfit of their time. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Tracks: Title Composer Time 1 Meat Plow DeLeo, Weiland, DeLeo 3:37 2 Vasoline DeLeo, Kretz, Weiland, DeLeo 2:56 3 Lounge Fly DeLeo, Weiland 5:18 4 Interstate Love Song DeLeo, Weiland 3:14 5 Still Remains Weiland, DeLeo, DeLeo 3:33 6 Pretty Penny DeLeo, Weiland, DeLeo 3:42 7 Silver Gun Superman DeLeo, DeLeo, Weiland 5:16 8 Big Empty Weiland, DeLeo 4:54 9 Unglued Weiland, DeLeo 2:34 10 Army Ants DeLeo, Weiland 3:46 11 Kitchen Ware & Candy Bars Weiland, DeLeo 8:06 Releases: Year Type Label 1994 LP Atlantic 1994 CD Atlantic 1994 CS Atlantic

Group Members: Eric Kretz Dean DeLeo Robert DeLeo Scott Weiland More >> Similar Artists: Temple of the Dog Paw Mother Love Bone Nirvana Candlebox More >>

Influenced By: Led Zeppelin Soundgarden The Rolling Stones Chris Cornell Aerosmith More >> Followers: Emanuel Full System Purge Viciana Life of Agony Seven Mary Three More >>

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