UAWIL #184: Stone Temple Pilots - Purple

The Ugly American Werewolf in London Rock Podcast

Stone Temple Pilots helped define the grunge-ridden days of the 1990s with their big downtuned riffs and lyrics soaked in heroin resin. Riding the wave from Seattle, their debut album Core sold over 8 million copies in the US alone. The record company couldn't wait to get more STP out into the market so in November 1993 they released the live Unplugged album featuring the new song Big Empty. Vocalist/lyricist Scott Weiland was a charismatic and troubled performer, writing lyrics about fear, self-loathing and ruined relationships built on his addiction to heroin.

But STP were more than just a grunge band as Dean and Robert De Leo wrote great songs full of melody and cool changes in tempo and delivery. Purple, their second effort, included songs like Interstate Love Song and Vaseline scored high on the charts and while some of the songs were definitely grungy (Meatplow), they showed they can deliver a straight-ahead rockers (Unglued) and lighter songs with heavy themes. The album went to #1 in the US and would go on to sell over 6 million copies. While the UK were enthralled with the Cool Britannia acts like Oasis, Blur and The Verve, hard rock and grunge bands took over the US and Stone Temple Pilots were among the most successful. But were they really a grunge band? Did Weiland have talent beyond the creativity that flowed from his narcotic visions? Were they a band of the time or of all time? The Wolf and Action Jackson tackle those questions and relive some grungy days in the dorm with Purple as it turns 30.

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