This week marked the death of Scott Weiland, 48, who was the frontman for the post grunge band Stone Temple Pilots, and later, Velvet Revolver. Perhaps, with his history of drug and alcohol programs, it wasn't really a surprise, but regardless, it was a tragedy as this had happened to one of my favorite nineties bands.
And while perhaps Weiland never got the critics respect as say, Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder or Chris Cornell, Weiland was as much a soundtrack to that decade as any of those. It was late 1992 when STP burst on the scene with the lead track from their debut album Core, "Sex Type Thing", but it was their follow-up single, "Plush" that really made them a household name. Granted, it did sound a lot like grunge, and critics weren't impressed, perhaps because they weren't from Seattle like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains or Soundgarden, but they were definitely part of the new rock sound, in particular in 1993. "Creep" was another major track off of that album, and in my opinion, they were better than Pearl Jam, as they had a bit more life to them.
1994 was a banner year for STP, as their second album Purple debuted at #1, and the track "Big Empty" was not only a big hit, but it was my #1 song on my year end list that year. "Interstate Love Song", was a monster hit and was part of that year's summer soundtrack, which I had spent in a beach house in Belmar. It topped the Mainstream Rock chart in Billboard for 15 weeks. Critics were divided on this record, but agreed it had more life to it than their initial offering.
Perhaps this success affected Weiland as some of his well publicized drug problems began to surface, but when the third album came out, Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican, it had a vastly different sound. Weiland stopped sounding like Vedder and had more of a higher pitched voice; the music more resembled a throwback to glam rock days than grunge. Still some great tracks like "Art School Girl", "Lady Picture Show" and "Trippin' On A Hole in a Paper Heart". Reviews of this album were much better, and the band earned its keep. Unfortunately, due to a falling out between Weiland and the others, the band split.
Weiland went into rehab, but checked himself out soon afterwards. He did release an album 12 Bar Blues, that was mediocre at best; in the meantime, the other three members (which include brothers Dean and Robert Deleo, originally from Montclair NJ), release an album as Talk Show. That album also left much to be desired, thus they reconciled and recorded a fourth album in 1999.
By then, alternative music was getting much harder and rawer, with rap rock and nu metal the dominant forms of the genre, and STP was right there as the initial track from No. 4, "Down" fit right in alongside Limp Bizkit, Korn, and the like. But popularity was waning a bit, until their third single of that album, "Sour Girl" was their biggest hit since the Core days. It was more of a moving, mellow song, and it became the second STP song to top my year-end list in 2000, like "Big Empty" did six years earlier. Only Adele has been able to match that feat (then again, Adele has been able to do a lot of things lately!). Their fifth album Shangri La De Da was released in 2001 but it really didn't make a big impact, and disagreements between Weiland and the others broke up the band once again.
In 2004 Weiland joined, along with ex-Guns 'n' Roses members (including Slash), Velvet Revolver, a supergroup that had instant success. It seemed Weiland had peace with himself finally with his new band mates. Contraband debuted at #1, but critics weren't impressed as the styles of STP and GnR perhaps clashed a little. Liberdad was their second (and final) release in 2007 and did ok, but their sound in an era less dependent on rock music made their music sound a bit "dried up".
The following year, there was talk about reforming Stone Temple Pilots, and Weiland made up with the Deleo brothers. All Weiland needed to do was tell Slash and the gang that he wanted to take a break for that reunion. This caused a riff between him and Velvet Revolver, and they released Weiland from the band. As it turned out, Velvet Revolver didn't really have a direction after that, and disbanded in 2008.
Stone Temple Pilots released their self-titled reunion album in 2010, and it debuted at #2 on the Billboard album chart. Even more impressive is that the lead track "Between the Lines" became their first #1 on the Alternative Chart (after several near-misses back in their heyday). That song was very catchy and a big departure from what they had been doing. "Between the Lines" appeared on my very first blog list dated August 23, 2010, and had I started my blog a few months before, it would have topped that list. Still, that song, along with "Take A Load Off" and "Cinnamon", the three singles, all made my SNS top 20, becoming the first album to do that.
Anticipation rose again when there was talk of another STP album, but Weiland again fell out of favor with the others, and was fired form the band. They released an EP in 2013 with Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, but Weiland moved on with his new band The Wildabouts; it was that band's planned concert in Minneapolis that he passed away just before taking the stage.
Weiland's legacy, for all his issues, is a good one. STP was one of the major rock players of the past twenty-five years, for sure, and his great music will live on..
BACK TO THE CURRENT: Adele once again leads the SNS 100 hit parade, with "Hello" and it stays for a fifth week on Billboard. It is topping many charts, including even the Dance Mix chart. In its second week out, her album 25 racks up another one million units in sales, becoming the first album to sell a million in each of its first two weeks of release. I have yet to listen to the entire album, but it is getting mixed reviews from friends. One friend, Dan Hued, can't get enough of the album and loves it a lot. On the other hand, Janice Cunningham wasn't impressed with "Hello" as well as her recent Saturday Night Live performance. She says the storyline is a bit over the top and a bit complex, and that her SNL performance bordered on "maudlin". Ten people, including three close friends agreed with her assessment. Then again, perhaps with all this airplay and talk going on, it may be subject to burnout factors. Janice loved her earlier stuff, and agreed that it was much better.
On my chart, "Hello" still bullets and has a record 226 fave points, but the number two song, the never-mentioned "Queen of Peace" by Florence + the Machine, cuts that lead. The two songs are way out in front, and most likely they'll stay that way until the end of the year, at least.
COUNTRY TIME: Elsewhere in the SNS top 10, Leila Hegazy jumps 15-5 with "Maybe If We Try"; thus four of the top five songs on my list are by female performers. But Thomas Rhett's "Crash and Burn" jumps to #7, tying the position for the highest ranking established country artist; Zac Brown Band's "As She's Walking Away" reached that position in 2010. This, of course, does not count local artist Rachel Allyn's output, which includes four #1's as well as several others exceeding that position. Brown also has his first top 20 song since then, as "Loving You Easy" reaches the twenty position. And speaking of Allyn, congratulations to her as she just got engaged out in Hawaii last week! Best of luck to her and her fiance.
YOU+ME AGAINST THE WORLD: The highest debut is from an act called City and Colour. That may not seem too interesting, but there's more to that. First of all, this is not a band, but a person. His real name is Dallas Green, and if anyone recognizes that name, you may be a baseball fan. No, he's not related to the baseball player and manager (who managed the Phillies and Mets), but his dad, a big Phillies fan, named his son after him. Also, he was one half of the duo You+Me, which released an album late last year, collaborating with none other than Pink. Their song, also titled "You and Me", reached #36 on the SNS 100 late last year. This one, "Lover Come Back", is a midtempo pop-blues hybrid with hooks into, and much more accessible than the You+Me project. Top 40 stations will ignore it, but alternative and Triple-A radio formats should take a shot at it. A worth and tasty tune, for sure.
The other non-holiday entry this week belongs to "When I Was a Boy", by Jeff Lynne's ELO, or, Electric Light Orchestra, if you so desire. ELO was one of my favorite bands in the 1970's and recorded albums until the mid-1980's. The band split into two factions: Jeff Lynne went solo and has collaborated with artists such as Tom Petty, George Harrison (and was in the Traveling Wilburys with them, as well as with Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison). He produced the "new" Beatles tracks that were recorded to John Lennon's demos, 'Free As a Bird" and "Real Love". He recorded an album "Zoom" as ELO in 2001, and has stayed active since. Other members toured as "ELO Part II", and later, "The Orchestra". Currently only Lynne and keyboardist Richard Tandy are members dating back to the band's heyday. The new album is called Alone In the Universe, and the track, entering at #100 is "When I Was A Boy". You could swear that the ensuring 30 years didn't exist, it is vintage Lynne pop/rock. The band performed this song on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show a few weeks ago, and even Lynne looks like he hadn't aged. Although the focus of the blog is on newer music and bands, it's still a list of favorites. Heart, The Cars, The Beach Boys, and Bachman & Turner have all reached the upper regions of my list, so there's no reason why ELO can't, either.
HOLIDAY SPIRITS: Three seasonal songs debut this week: The Hounds of Winter are back with a second song on the list, "Angel Voice" which is actually the Beatles' "Blackbird" set to holiday lyrics. Then there's the annual effort by The Killers, "Dirt Sledding". This one is actually a sequel to their 2012 chart topper, "I Feel It In My Bones" and picks up the feud between Santa and lead singer Brandon Flowers. Finally, an unknown song that I heard of Sirius XM's "Holly" channel, "Wishlist" by Band of Merrymakers. So far, except for the Train single and album, I haven't heard any new songs by major artists, but it's a pleasure to hear the six songs currently on the list.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100
November 29,
2015
| This Week | Last Week | ARTIST-Title | Weeks on List |
| 1 | 1 | NUMBER ONE:
"Hello"
Album: 25
(4 weeks at #1)
|
6 |
| 2 | 2 | Florence + the Machine - Queen of Peace | 7 |
| 3 | 3 | Selena Gomez - Same Old Love | 7 |
| 4 | 6 | St. Paul & the Broken Bones - Broken Bones & Pocket Change | 11 |
| 5 | 15 | Leila Hegazy - Maybe If We Try | 4 |
| 6 | 4 | Palma Violets - Danger in the Club | 12 |
| 7 | 12 | Thomas Rhett - Crash and Burn | 8 |
| 8 | 13 | Django Django - Shake & Tremble | 11 |
| 9 | 7 | X Ambassadors - Renegades | 23 |
| 10 | 9 | Best Coast - Feeling OK | 10 |
| 11 | 5 | Ed Sheeran - Photograph | 19 |
| 12 | 10 | Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats - S.O.B. | 11 |
| 13 | 18 | The Decemberists - Philomena | 7 |
| 14 | 22 | TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
"Wolves (You
Got Me)"
Album: This Album Does Not Exist
|
5 |
| 15 | 14 | Fitz and the Tantrums - Last Raindrop | 20 |
| 16 | 8 | Hozier - Someone New | 17 |
| 17 | 11 | Foals - Mountain At My Gates | 16 |
| 18 | 20 | Soak - Sea Creatures | 13 |
| 19 | 21 | Foo Fighters - Outside | 11 |
| 20 | 24 | Zac Brown Band - Loving You Easy | 7 |
Tremors:
| 101 | 104 | Good Charlotte - Makeshift Love |
| 102 | The Struts - Kiss This |
|
|
Songs
with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week.
● Songs
with 25 or more plays on my iPod.
▲ Songs with 50 or more plays on my iPod. 
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