The Stone Temple Pilots exploded on the music scene in 1992 with the release of their album Core. STP consisted of Scott Weiland, Robert DeLeo and Eric Kretz and arrived at a time where music was going through a revolutionary change from 80's hair bands to new grunge and alternative music. STP was heavily involved in the mixture of neo-culturalism and head pumping tunes.
Core can be seen as a gritty, distorted record chalked full of drug use and heavy guitar. The music on this album is some of the band's best work however and tracks like "Crackerman", "Creep" and "Wicked Garden", "Plush", "Dead & Bloated", and "Sex Type Thing" form the pulpy sustenance that is the music this band has created.
Purple was the band's next album in 1994. Hit's from this album include "Vasoline", "Interstate Love Song", "Unglued", "Big Empty", "Army Ants" and "Kitchenware & Candybars".
The next year the band breaks up temporarily due to legal concerns with front man Scott Weiland. Scott was arrested this year for possession of narcotics and faced jail time resulting from the incident.
1996, the band releases Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop. Hits from this album include "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart", "Art School Girl", "Seven Caged Tigers", "Pop's Love Suicide" and "Big Bang Baby". "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart" was an edgy and raw song that just gets the blood pumping.
Two years later Scott Weiland releases his 1st solo album. The album is entitled 12 Bar Blues and contains the tracks "Son", "Jimmy was a Stimulator", "Divider", "Barbarella", "The Date", "About Nothing" and "Desperation #5".
A year later the band releases No.4. The fourth studio album from the band. Songs from this album include "Sour Girl", "Church on Tuesday", "Down", "Heaven & Hot Rods", "Glide" and "I Got You". "Sour Girl" saw some success on this album an the song became quietly popular in the social scene of the time.
Shangri-La Dee Da was the bands next release in 2001. Contained within this album are the tracks "Days of the Week", "Transmissions From a Lonely Room", "Hello It's Late", "Regeneration", "Dumb Love" and "A Song for Sleeping".
Two years later in 2003 the band releases Thank You. This is the bands greatest hits album. Songs on this album include all the band's greatest works. Included tracks on this album are "Wicked Garden", "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart", "Creep", "Plush", "Interstate Love Song", "Days of the Week" and "Vasoline". This would also be Stone Temple Pilots final album.
After the break of the band, Weiland continued to be an influence in the music world by teaming up with other popular musicians.
In 2004 he teamed up with former Gun's N' Roses musicians, Slash, Duff and Matt Sorum. Also added to the group was Dave Kushner from the band Wasted Youth.
Their first album was titled Contraband and was released in 2004. Songs on this album include "Fall to Pieces", "Slither","Dirty Little Thing", "Big Machine", "Sucker Train Blues", "Headspace", "Superhuman" and "Loving the Alien".
Three years later the band debuts their second album entitled Libertad. Songs on this album are "Let it Roll", "American Man", "Get Out the Door", "She Mine", "She Builds Quick Machines", "The Last Fight" and "Spay".
The next year Weiland releases his second solo album. It's called Happy in Galoshes and contains the songs "Tangle with Your Mind", "Fame", "Arch Angel", "Pictures & Computers (I'm not Superman)","Crash" and "She Sold Her System".
Velvet Revolver is a unique super-group and differs from other super-groups like Audioslave in terms of musical style and prose. With such an intricate mix of musician's it's a wonder that Velvet Revolver even exists.
All in all, I like Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver. I think that it’s cool that Weiland got himself clean and back on the road to a successful career. He’s a talented performer. he always being that one of a kind energy to his lyrics and Slash backing him just makes it extra cool.
If I were to pick one album from both bands to listen to it would have to be Core, just because it was so full of good songs. The band’s new direction is good as well but music has changed over the years and sometimes I just feel nostolgic so popping in Core always makes me feel better.