Stone Temple Pilots and Scott Weiland

I had just wrapped up a late night post on David Bowie's new album when I heard the news about Scott Weiland. I was never a hardcore Stone Temple Pilots fan, but their music harks back memories from my youth, as so many alternative bands do. In the nineties, when "Interstate Love Song" came on the radio, I would crank up the volume to the highest setting, letting the sound fill the air and flood my mind. This slowed down song, with all it's hard riffs and infectious hooks, makes you think of past events and what you left behind. Arguably the best track off Purple. "Vasoline," "Big Empty," and the supercharged "Unglued" are just a few more numbers to add to the pot. Then there was the Core album, which preceded Purple in 1992. Tracks like "Dead and Bloated," "Sex Type Thing," "Wicked Garden," "Creep," and "Plush" helped define early 90's rock, grunge, and alternative music. Then you have 1996's Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop release. Their smash hit, "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart," was a radio success and could be heard in every car and shopping mall across America. Just walking into a restaurant in the 90's made it possible to hear that song. I'd say it was their most memorable song and album.

Then came No. 4 from 1999. "Sour Girl" was an outstanding track and the music video matched it perfectly. I loved it upon first listen. The song "Down" was nominated at the Grammys for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2001. "Down" was another favorite of mine from No. 4 along with "No Way Out," "Church On Tuesday," "Heaven & Hot Rods," "Glide," and "I Got You." Then there was Shangri-La Dee Da which was alright. Not their best but I liked "Days of the Week" and some other songs from the album. After the release of their greatest hits album, Thank You, in 2003, I didn't keep up with them and was unaware of their 2010 self-titled release. I think Stone Temple Pilots was the last studio album the band put out. They released an EP called High Rise in 2013 after that but that was really it. Scott Weiland managed to busy himself with side projects and a new band, Scott Weiland and The Wildabouts.

Pretty cool that he recorded a Christmas album!! I just read: "Weiland's 2011 solo effort, the Christmas album The Most Wonderful Time of the Year consisted entirely of Christmas music in a crooning style similar to that of David Bowie and Frank Sinatra, as well as some reggae and bossa nova." You can bet I will be checking that out along with his 2008 solo recording, "Happy" in Galoshes. Ten years prior, he released his first solo album 12 Bar Blues. "Barbarella" and "Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down" were the biggest hits from his solo effort. At the time of it's release, the soundtrack for Great Expectations came out which had "Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down" on it. That was my soundtrack of the year, which I'll revisit once I check out Scott Weiland's solo and Christmas albums. I need to make it a point to listen to the self-titled album. I will check out his material from Velvet Revolver. I've only heard "Fall to Pieces" and "Slither" from the debut album Contraband.

I watched the "Fall to Pieces" music video days after Scott Weiland's death and its quite prophetic:



What makes this so difficult for those affected by this is knowing how hard he fought his demons and that he still lost the battle. He was only 48. He left behind a wife and two children. He had so much to live for. But his time on earth was cut short due to an on-going drug problem. I think when there is a loss of life due to suicide or drug addiction, rather than blaming and/or feeling immense sorrow for the deceased, you should celebrate the life they had and what they gave to the world. No rockstar, or human being, is immortal. Death is apart of life. Just be thankful to have received that person's gift. Scott Weiland's artistic legacy will live on through his music. I feel the same way about other musicians and actors who have passed. They may be no longer with us, but they leave behind something truly great that will remain forever.