by Brian Rochester, NY United States Reviewed on October 15th, 2004
As good as 1992's "Core" was/still is, I've always found it to be a tad bit homogenous throughout. Not to mention, all of the big hits from it ("Sex Type Thing", "Wicked Garden", "Plush", "Creep") have been overplayed to death on the radio.
1994's "Purple" retains the heavy guitar sound of their debut, but adds a much more colorful palate of influences along with it. Thus, STP is able to craft their own sound rather than sound like a Pearl Jam knockoff.
The opener, "Meatplow", has a grinding, confrontational feel throughout. Thick guitars encapsulate the track, yet it contains one important element that the boys of STP are absolute masterminds at crafting: a catchy hook.
The modern rock hit "Vasoline" takes an intense, repetitve guitar riff (with some subtle strumming in the background, along with class work on the drum kit from Mr. Kretz) before exploding into a rather anthematic chorus. There's also a wicked guitar solo in the middle eight.
The modern rock *classic*, "Interstate Love Song" is..well, I'm sure we've ALL heard that song by now. It really showcases STP's direction at the time..the murky, 'grunge' sound is heavily toned down in favor of classic pop tendencies. It's breezy and deliciously infectious, but it still rocks. Timeless.
And don't get me started on "Still Remains"..eh, how can I resist? This thing is just..WOW. A glorious meeting of the ways between dream-pop, carefree psychadelia, and rock. Combine that with Scott Weiland's passionate, love-struck vocals and it's a recipe for total ear candy. (My favorite STP song of all time, for the record.)
The reflective, largely accoustic tones of "Pretty Penny" is another hint of 'things to come' for the band, as they continued to expand their sound. "Silver Gun Superman", on the other hand, is more along the lines of "Meatplow" (which has more of a "Core" feel). But again, it has a great hook..so it never feels overbearing.
"Big Empty" and "Unglued" were both minor radio hits as well. The former is an awesome tune that combines hushed, meditative verses (with some wonderful guitar work from the DeLeo's) with an explosive, anthematic, stadium-sized chorus. Good stuff. The latter is a raucous & gritty two and a half minutes..but it's catchy as hell, and has another wicked guitar solo.
The closer, "Kitchenware & Candybars", is simply incredible. It's the most radical sounding thing on the album, heavily hinting at the direction they'd take two years later on "Tiny Music..". The introspective, accoustic verses lead into the sweeping, majestic chorus. There's even some orchestral touches in the [amazing] bridge, to further provide the song with a really theatrical feel.
The other songs I didn't mentioned are great too. The brooding, tense "Lounge Fly" and the intense "Army Ants".
If you don't already own this album, please..do so. It's STP's most consistent album, bridging the gap between the grunge sound of their debut album "Core", and the more experimental pop/psychedelic/etc influenced music of their later albums.
Ten thumbs up.
Best Songs: Interstat Love Song, Still Remains, Big Empty, Kitchenware & Candybars, Lounge Fly.
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