Fire and Water Records: Stone Temple Pilots

I am I am I am I said I wanna get next to you, so you can hear the latest episode of Fire and Water Records. Ryan Daly and guest Delvin Williams from the Longbox Crusade Network discuss the '90s rock band STONE TEMPLE PILOTS. Join them as they share some favorite songs from the band's turbulent career, trace the tragic path of its doomed singer, Scott Weiland, and ponder the question: how many songs about rape can one band play?

Track list

  1. Crackerman
  2. Interstate Love Song
  3. Big Empty
  4. Vasoline
  5. Sex Type Thing
  6. Big Bang Baby
  7. Plush ("unplugged")
  8. Unglued
  9. Hello, Hello *
  10. Lady Picture Show
  11. Atlanta
  12. Fall to Pieces **
  13. Tomorrow (with Chester Bennington)

* by Talk Show

** by Velvet Revolver

Let us know what you think! Leave a comment or send an email to: RDalyPodcast@gmail.com.

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Thanks for listening!

9 responses to “Fire and Water Records: Stone Temple Pilots

  1. I wasn’t much of a grunge guy, but I was in my late teens/early 20s during the flannel hey-day, so of course I listened to the music, and I surprisingly know most of these songs! Even back then, I figured there was some dark stuff in lyrics like “when the dogs begin to smell her”, etc. Plus, I could understand what Weiland was actually saying. I couldn’t make out 75% of what Eddie Veder was singing through his teeth (I still like Pearl Jam fine, but I just couldn’t follow the lyrics).

    The first thing I thought of when I saw this episode in the feed was the video for “Interstate Love Song” and the guy in the mask with the elongated nose. So yeah, the video images from these songs are still a huge part of the legacy. I liked what I heard from Velvet Revolver, so it was even sadder to see Weiland come back strong not long before his demons caught up to him.

    Great discussion!

    Chris

  2. Thanks Ryan for giving some love to “Crackerman,” which I personally like just a tad more than “Sex Type Thing” but can completely understand how/why it was more important to discuss the latter.

    You also inadvertently answered a question I had been pondering in my mind for some time. I always wanted to have a discussion about Velvet Revolver (whom I’ve seen live twice) but didn’t know quite know if there was enough content and material to discuss without going into the previous bands. And basically you guys answered that in just a few minutes. There really isn’t anything else to be said.

    Ironically, it was seeing Weiland live in VR that made me a bigger fan of his previous work in STP. A true classic frontman in the mold of David Lee Roth. This was a good episode and damn, they cranked out a lot of radio hits in the span of just those first 3 albums.

  3. STELLAR, stellar, stellar show, gents. NOW THIS IS PODCASTING!

    I, too, began my STP journey with the Crow soundtrack. And it’s such a tragic story. This band had so much gas in the tank.

  4. Okay, but if you do a Beastie Boys episode without Mac, I’ll have to cut ya’ Ryan.

    A podcast combing Delvin and STP is a can’t lose proposition, and thankfully between the breadth of the catalogue and our strong aversion to radio hits, a Rolled Spine compliment episode is already being planned without any significant overlap. Although I haven’t quite finished the episode as I type this (“Tomorrow” was still playing when I turned off the car) I figure close enough.

    1) For my tastes, “Crackerman” is one of the tracks off Core that never makes it onto my compilations or playlists. To me, it’s a filler track too late on the album, nestled between a skit and the closer, that combine to sink the album in my esteem.

    2) I’ve heard “Interstate Love Song” more times than Kellyanne Conway has lied and somehow I can’t hate it. It perfectly captures that lazy vibe of driving for hours under the summer sun.

    3) Fixit’s been saving “Big Empty” for a One Song Each or an episode on The Crow, so I’ll just say that’s ironically one of the deathless standards of the ’90s. Untouchable.

    4) Heard Ryan say “I love me some Vaseline” and refused to take the bate. Too soon for an Ice Cube episode? Not one of my favorites, but I like it fine and adore the use of schuhplattler in the video to parallel the drum lead.

    5) I was introduced to the band by my brother via one song without context and one music video for “Sex Type Thing,” so I suppose I’ll have to save that one for later.

    6) “Big Bang Baby” is one of my favorites, both of their songs and videos. A kick ass moan about the perils of rock stardom, delightfully tacky in its exploitation of cliche.

    7) “Plush” is the big breakthrough, and while I lack the talent and confidence of Delvin for public singing, this is one of many STP tunes that I’ve carried with me into the shower for a few decades now.

    8) Purple is Mac’s favorite of their albums, so I’m glad “Unglued” didn’t end up on the list of songs he said he wanted to cover. I’ve never known this one by name, even though it did modestly well on the radio at the time, but I find its a highlight when I listen to the full album.

    9) The name Talk Show sounded vaguely familiar, until I googled it and saw the album cover. That CD was a staple in every previously-owned discount bin I scoured from the late ’90s to early ’00s, but I never bothered to take it to a listening booth. I really should have, since other bin constants like Joan Osborne’s Relish were my kick. Again, “Hello, Hello” got airplay on local radio for a bit, so I didn’t realize that it wasn’t a minor STP single until you guys brought it up (plus the whole “oh yeah, I forgot that existed” aspect.) Appropriately enough, besides Oasis, I hear a bit of Stone Roses in there.

    10) I reject Scott Weiland’s stated intent in writing “Lady Picture Show.” It’s about the naughty poster on the bedroom door of a teenage boy. That’s reflected in the music video and fits the lyrics better than “Gang Rape Song, Third Movement.” One of those instances where the artist’s big mouth is getting in the way of the audience’s accepted perception of the art. Nice song that I can’t fully enjoy because of the radio overplaying. Besides, junkies are notoriously unreliable narrators.

    11) Not into “Atlanta,” and only liked two songs off No. 4.

    12) Cool with “Fall to Pieces,” but less as a song unto itself than as a musical What If/Elseworlds that actually happened where Guns n’ Roses was fronted by the STP guy. I too keep wondering why I’m not hearing Axl Rose singing this Axl Rosey song for the band that he famously fronts.

    13) I have recurring amnesia about that stoner notion of the Hybrid Theory guy taking over STP. But the really weird part is that I’m hearing it now and it… kinda works? Whhhuuu?

    *) Hot take inspired by Neil’s comment: I majorly prefer Audioslave over Soundgarden and Rage Against The Machine combined. Mac may now have to cut me.

    1. I also like Audioslave more than Soundgarden, but I haven’t heard much Rage Against the Machine, despite it being my wife’s favorite band when she was younger.

    2. So ‘Lady Picture Show’ is a love song to a poster? That’s kind of shallow for such a melancholy song, Like finding out the Cure’s ‘Love Song’ is about Big Macs.

  5. Cool pod cast. I like this group and She builds quick macnies is on my MP3 player for when I work out at the gym. ad that Velvet revolver didn’t last longer. Sorry Axel is to much of a Man diva for me to care. I like V.R. better than GNR. So it’s sad that home boy died. I 2 saw and liked the crow. I saw it on DVD when I was 14 I think. Most of these songs are cool. Ah so A sex type thing is like No more tears by Ozzy Osbourne. From the bad guys point of view.

  6. I’ve never considered myself a big STP fan, but listening to this episode made me realize how many of their songs I recognize and like. It was also great to learn more about the group’s history. Thanks.

  7. Thanks for the podcast, guys. Enjoyed this. Been a long time since I listened to STP, mind. I was totally in love with their first album after seeing Sex Type Thing. The video was shown on a UK heavy metal show called Raw Power that screened every week at 3AM. I’d tape it, get up early the next morning and watch it before school. Hardly prime-time viewing, and it meant that the album was difficult to find in the UK. I had to get the local record shop to order the cassette specially. I then went to see them on their first UK tour, where they played in a tiny bar to about ten people.

    Must admit, I lost interest after that first album – the flip side of you guys, really. Once they turned away from heavy grunge and to a more classic rock sound, it was less my thing. Although Vasoline (sic) will always be a cracking tune. And you reminded me of a long-buried memory, that my old band covered ‘Unglued’! Each of the three members got to pick a cover version, and the guitarist opted for that one. Sudden flashback to playing in a tiny bar to roughly the same number of people as Stone Temple Pilots did.

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