The Stone Temple Pilots Thread

[Birds in Hell]

Geez, I think Meatplow might be the best STP song.

[PHATJ]

Geez, I think Meatplow might be the best STP song.

I really love/like every song on Purple. Including Meatplow. It was super difficult to rank those songs.

[LetMeSleep]

Oh man I dislike that song so much. It's an album that starts track 2 for me.

[PHATJ]

I'm in the process of listening through the STP catalog in chronological order and then ranking the songs on each album with a fresh perspective. It's been quite enjoyable so far. The most surprising/interesting thing thus far is being reminded that Tiny Music is such an uneven album (in terms of great/crap songs). There are six really great songs, including two of my absolute favorites, but the other half of the album is either forgettable or just not that good.

No. 4 remains an enigma. It has two of my top ten STP songs, and two other very strong tracks. After that, it takes a pretty big dip. There are maybe a few more tracks worth listening to, but most of the rest of the album doesn't do a lot for me. Some of the songs have moments that I like, but that's about it.

[PHATJ]

After listening to the first five albums, I can say with certainty that Shangri-La is my favorite STP album. It's truly fantastic. I have found this album to be as rewarding as any that I can recall. I've talked many times about finally giving Shangri-La a real opportunity to be heard after years of only listening to a select few tracks. And as I spent time with it, and really got familiar with every track, a masterpiece slowly revealed itself.

Purple was the STP album for me. When it was released in 1994, it instantly made STP my second favorite band. And I've loved that record ever since. By the time Shangri-La came out I had lost some of my interest in the band. I hadn't been a big fan of No. 4, and I was deeply into a ton of other bands at the time. Simply put, new STP wasn't something that I spent much time on.

Many years past and I listened to STP fairly frequently, but usually just to Purple or Tiny Music, and never Shangri-La. And then Scott died. When I looked at my Shangri-La CD I realized that I didn't even remember what several of the songs sounded like. So I decided to give it a listen. And then another listen. And another... It ended up being pretty much the only thing I listened to for a month or two straight. Sometimes I was listening to it multiple times a day. It just kept growing on me. Songs I didn't initially care for started to reveal things I was missing at first blush. And then those songs starting becoming even better than good. They were great. The album is so consistently strong. I don't remember any other album that surprised me in such a gratifying way.

As it stands, Shangri-La has pushed through my love and nostalgia of Purple to become my definitively favorite STP album. It has so much to offer the listener. It was by far the hardest album in which to rank the songs. My top 9 are nearly interchangeable (within several spots). In fact, I've edited and rearranged them several times before finally deciding on the current list. If you don't already love this album, keep listening to it. Hopefully you'll find what I did.

[VinylGuy]

Im glad you feel that way.

Shangri La is such a complex and rich album...it took me years to really understand it.

[PHATJ]

Im glad you feel that way.

Shangri La is such a complex and rich album...it took me years to really understand it.

I'd like to hear about your experience of finally "understanding" it. What flipped the switch for you?

Falling in love with this album was such a unique experience for me. No other album has ever grown on me more or revealed itself so incrementally through repeated listening experiences. I love it.

[PHATJ]

I've finished listening through all the albums.

New rankings:

01. Shangri-La Dee Da
02. Purple
03. Tiny Music... Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop
04. Core
05. No. 4
06. Stone Tomple Pilots

Time to figure out my top 20 songs!

[blackagain]

I like lists...

Core:
Piece of Pie
Sin
Wicked Garden
STT
Crackerman
D&B
Where the river goes
Creep
Plush(overplayed and somewhat of a curse for this band, the eddie comparison thing)
Naked sunday
wet my bed
No memory

Purple:
Meatplow
Unglued
ILS
Silvergun Superman
Vasoline
Still Remains
Army Ants
K&C
Pretty Penny
Big Empty
Lounge Fly (there are no bad songs on this album)

Tiny Music:
Adhesive
Trippin'
pop's love suicide
Seven caged tigers
BBB
Tumble in the Rough
Lady picture show
And so I know
Art School Girl
Daisy
Ride the Cliche
Press Play

No 4:
Atlanta
I got You
Down
Sex & Violence
Heaven & hotrods
Glide
No Way Out
Sour girl
CHurch on tuesday
Pruno
MC5

SLDD:
Black Again
Regeneration
Dumb love
Transmissions..
Coma
Wonderful
Hello,it's late
Hollywood bitch
too cool Queenie
Bi-polar bear
Long way home
Days of the week
Song for sleeping
(great album indeed, very underrated)

[LetMeSleep]

I've finished listening through all the albums.

New rankings:

01. Shangri-La Dee Da
02. Purple
03. Tiny Music... Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop
04. Core
05. No. 4
06. Stone Tomple Pilots

Time to figure out my top 20 songs!

That may just be how I'd rank them too. Maybe Purple just edging Shangri.

[tragabigzanda]

Top 10 maybe?
Hello Morning
Close Captioned
The Kill
Place/Position
Do You Like Me?
Latest Disgrace
Recap Modotti
Nightshop
Break
Life & Limb

I'd maybe bump Life & Limb for Epic Problem

[epilogue]

Oh man I dislike that song so much. It's an album that starts track 2 for me.

This surprises me.

[LoathedVermin72]

I've finished listening through all the albums.

New rankings:

01. Shangri-La Dee Da
02. Purple
03. Tiny Music... Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop
04. Core
05. No. 4
06. Stone Tomple Pilots

Time to figure out my top 20 songs!

Sure, sounds like fun. I feel confident in the top 5, everything after is my best estimate, but they would probably get shuffled around a little depending on the day.

Adhesive
No Way Out
Sex & Violence
Regeneration
Trippin' On a Hole in a Paper Heart
Pretty Penny
Too Cool Queenie
Long Way Home
Down
Big Bang Baby
Sour Girl
Art School Girl
Unglued
Big Empty
Days of the Week
Coma
Transmission From a Lonely Room
Bi-Polar Bear
Vaseline
Kitchenware & Candybars

You have good taste in STP songs

[VinylGuy]

Im glad you feel that way.

Shangri La is such a complex and rich album...it took me years to really understand it.

I'd like to hear about your experience of finally "understanding" it. What flipped the switch for you?

Falling in love with this album was such a unique experience for me. No other album has ever grown on me more or revealed itself so incrementally through repeated listening experiences. I love it.

Well, i guess i was kinda worn out with STP at the time, the record came out, Days of The Week didnt grabbed me and they broke up again. I didnt pay attention at all...a few years go and they come back, i go and see them play live for the first time...it was amazing...so i went back to listen to the albums and realized how good Shangri Laa was. It was surprising.

[PHATJ]

Im glad you feel that way.

Shangri La is such a complex and rich album...it took me years to really understand it.

I'd like to hear about your experience of finally "understanding" it. What flipped the switch for you?

Falling in love with this album was such a unique experience for me. No other album has ever grown on me more or revealed itself so incrementally through repeated listening experiences. I love it.

Well, i guess i was kinda worn out with STP at the time, the record came out, Days of The Week didnt grabbed me and they broke up again. I didnt pay attention at all...a few years go and they come back, i go and see them play live for the first time...it was amazing...so i went back to listen to the albums and realized how good Shangri Laa was. It was surprising.

Very similar to my own experience. I was shocked too, and so happy I went back to it and had that experience.

[tragabigzanda]

[PHATJ]

I've finished listening through all the albums.

New rankings:

01. Shangri-La Dee Da
02. Purple
03. Tiny Music... Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop
04. Core
05. No. 4
06. Stone Tomple Pilots

Time to figure out my top 20 songs!

Hey, what happened to this?

I'll get to it. I was at the Ryder Cup all weekend and then left at 4am on Monday morning for a business trip to Michigan (of which I'm still on). I just haven't had the time to listen to the songs and vet it out yet.

[tragabigzanda]

Top 10 maybe?
Hello Morning
Close Captioned
The Kill
Place/Position
Do You Like Me?
Latest Disgrace
Recap Modotti
Nightshop
Break
Life & Limb

I'd maybe bump Life & Limb for Epic Problem

[PHATJ]

I've finished listening through all the albums.

New rankings:

01. Shangri-La Dee Da
02. Purple
03. Tiny Music... Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop
04. Core
05. No. 4
06. Stone Tomple Pilots

Time to figure out my top 20 songs!

Hey, what happened to this?

I'll get to it. I was at the Ryder Cup all weekend and then left at 4am on Monday morning for a business trip to Michigan (of which I'm still on). I just haven't had the time to listen to the songs and vet it out yet.

Cool, no rush. Why were you at Ryder? Are you really into golf? Or was it work-related?

I'm a golfer and a fan. And it was in my hometown. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I didn't want to miss. And... it was awesome.

[tragabigzanda]