Last week, I got a message telling me that I should “stick to writing about music” instead of talking about disability rights, politics, or whatever else is on my mind. Because, you know, this blog is connected to my radio show, and apparently, that means I’m only allowed to talk about music.
So, for all the people who want me to “just write about music”—here you go. Here’s your damn music post.
Let’s talk about Stone Temple Pilots and how, somewhere along the way, they went from being one of the hardest-hitting rock bands of the ‘90s to releasing some of the most forgettable, uninspired albums I’ve ever heard.
Like most people my age, I grew up fully immersed in grunge. STP’s Core (1992) was a staple—raw, heavy, and full of gut-punch riffs that made you want to break something in the best way possible. It had grit. It had filth. It had weight. It was the kind of album that didn’t just play in the background—it grabbed you by the throat.
Then came Purple (1994). Still good. Still solid. “Vaseline,” “Big Empty,” “Interstate Love Song”—all great tracks. But something was different. The rawness was fading. The edges were getting smoothed out. It was still STP, but you could tell the industry polish was starting to set in.
And then? I just stopped keeping up.
I knew Scott Weiland left at some point. I knew the band kept going. But I didn’t really care. Life moved on, and I figured STP was just one of those bands where you stick with the early albums and ignore whatever came after.
But today, I decided to finally listen to the rest.
I went back and dug out every STP album I apparently bought at some point—ones I had either completely forgotten about or just never bothered to play. I sat down, hit play, and…
Holy shit, they suck.
Not just “eh, this isn’t my thing” bad. I’m talking uninspired, bland, completely forgettable garbage. Album after album, I kept thinking, “What the hell happened?” The band that once made music that hit like a freight train somehow turned into a half-assed, mid-tempo snoozefest.
Look, I get it. Bands evolve. Artists change. But this wasn’t evolution. This was de-evolution.
Somewhere along the way, STP lost the fire. Maybe it was the industry. Maybe it was Scott Weiland’s eventual departure. Maybe it was just what happens when a band sticks around long enough and keeps trying to recreate something that can’t be forced. Whatever the reason, the magic was gone.
But here’s the weird part.
In 2018, I actually got to see the new Stone Temple Pilots live. And when it came to playing all the classic hits? If you closed your eyes, you could almost trick yourself into thinking Scott Weiland was still there. Or maybe that was just the pot. I don’t know. Either way, the new guy (Jeff Gutt) did a solid job—at least when he was working off the old material. But when it came to anything newer? Nope. It was like a really good tribute band that just happened to still be called STP.
So, if you’re an old-school fan who, like me, hasn’t touched the later albums in years, let me save you some time: Stick with Core and Purple. Go blast “Sex Type Thing,” “Dead & Bloated,” or “Crackerman” and pretend the rest doesn’t exist.
And to the people who told me I should “just write about music”? I did. Hope you enjoyed it.
Now, I’ll go back to writing whatever the fuck I want, whenever I want, because it’s my blog, and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to read it.