Customer Reviews

Core

5 star:		(166)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

In 1992/93, probably most people would not have expected Stone Temple Pilots to be one of the best bands of the decade. People were really split on STP back in the day. To be sure, they were one of the most popular bands of the decade right off the bat. Over half of the songs on their debut album "Core" were very popular radio staples back in the early 90s and remain popular to this day. Fans bought "Core" in droves upon its release, and it has gone on to sell eight million copies.

Most likely because of the band's almost instant success, they received an enormous amount of condemnation. They were accused of jumping on the grunge bandwagon. The most common complaint thrown at STP was that they were Pearl Jam rip-offs. A few years later, if you were to listen to Pearl Jam's "No Code" and then listen to STP's "Tiny Music," it would be hard to imagine thinking that STP was a knockoff of PJ. But in the early 90s, however, before STP really got into their own groove with subsequent albums, the comparison and complaints remained.

I think that one of the main differences between these two bands is that Pearl Jam is a college/undergound band at heart, and Stone Temple Pilots was an arena rock band at heart. The fact that STP never lost the knack for writing great hooks throughout their five releases, and that Pearl Jam's music became increasingly less commercial, more arty, confirm that for me (not to say that one band is superior to the other, as they were/are both great in their own right).

In all honesty, "Core" is not the most groundbreaking influential album of all-time. Stone Temple Pilots were a very talented and eclectic band, and they did have their own sound. In the beginning, however, they did borrow from some of their peers, like Pearl Jam and Nirvana. On the surface, there are some similarities between "Core" era STP, and "Ten" era Pearl Jam. "Plush" is probably the best example. If you listened to "Plush" on the radio, with its grungy guitars and baritone vocals, you might have concluded that this was Pearl Jam you were listening to. "Core" actually sound like a mix of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. These songs from "Core", however, sound like they were meant as anthems and for the arena and massive radio/MTV play. You get the sense by listing to "Core" that it was destined and tailored to be huge, probably one of the reasons it was so unfairly bashed in the first place.

Original or not, "Core" remains one of the finest rock albums of the early 90s. Even if they did borrow from the Seattle songbook, these songs remain classics from that era. These songs are so timeless because they all have killer groves, monster solos, and infectious hooks. The radio staples "Dead and Bloated," "Sex Type Thing," "Wicked Garden," "Creep," "Plush," and "Crackerman" have all stood the test of time and have weathered as well as anything from "Ten." The non-radio staples are also mostly quite memorable, so "Core" contains very little filler. "Core" sounds as fresh today as it did back in the early 90s.

I would go as far as to say that Stone Temple Pilots were the Led Zeppelin of the 1990s. The band, Scott Weiland (vocals), Dean DeLeo (Guitars) Robert DeLeo (bass) and Eric Kertz (drums) were an incredible band and they reinvented themselves with each new album, always churning out new music that sounded fresh and had new ideas, never stagnating or losing momentum. "Core," was an excellent foundation on to which a great band was built. And while the band's debut "Core" took the cue from some of it's peers, it's still a classic album and is a cornerstone to any good 90s rock collection.

Personally, although Stone Temple Pilots are my favorite band, I still think others should be able to appreciate the underlying angst and heavy guitar rhythms, as well as the passion and strain that can be detected in singer Scott Weiland's voice as he croons through the album. Songs such as Dead and Bloated, Sex Type Thing, Wicked Garden, Creep, and the epic Plush helped to define early 90's rock and roll/grunge/alternative, as well as setting the tone for later artists such as Bush, Godsmack, etc. Call them unoriginal, call them copycats, call them whatever you want, but Stone Temple Pilots always have a new style or a new variation on an old style that keeps you guessing. I give core an A-plus as a musician and as a music lover. This album is especially revered by those who like the heavy grunge sound of the early 90's, as it is very evident. The melancholy 'creep' invokes a sense of desperation, of a man driven out of his mind and into the arms of a woman who doesn't love him. Sex Type Thing, though controversial, is about the evils of date rape, not the benefits of it as was common belief when the song was released. Plush, by far the most masterful of the recordings, will make the price of the cd worth it by its own merit alone.

Sure, there are heavier bands out there, but STP, really kicks it hard with this amazing debut. The world of music owes alot to the talent of Scott Weiland and the boys.. (call then posers if you dare..the sheer amount of album sales of CORE would prove otherwise) - I would dare say that anyone with a love for the "grunge" sound, could not appreciate the sonic intensity at which this music personifies. Go beyond, the wall of sound demonstrated at the onset on Dead and Bloated (evokes Sabbath rifts) Sex Type Thing and Wicked Garden, and get to the heart of the musicianship demonstrated on NO Memory as the lead in to Sin. - The heavy plays out in perfect contrast to the heady - introspective sounds of Creep "I'm half the man I used to be" and Plush (an unforgettable rock anthem that gets better with each listen. Just to get you set up for the other rockers on the cd Piece of Pie and Crackerman and the masterful closer - Where the River Goes (next to Plush, my other personal fave).

- There are other excellent STP albums out there, and I can't quite place my love for this one over Purple, but CORE is the one that will stand the test of time. A masterpiece of angst at it introspective best.

The fact that this masterpiece is not listed alongside Dark side of the Moon and Led Zeppelin 4 as one of the all-time classic albums makes me want to bash my fist through a wall. In fact, if you were to meld Zeppelin with the Rolling Stones, and throw Hendrix on lead guitar, then multiply the rock created by about a million, you still wouldn't have STP. They were that good. "Crackerman" is an awesome song that will make you involuntarily bang your head, so DO NOT listen to while driving or operating heavy machinery. "Plush" is the hit single from the album, and there is little doubt why. Not only does "Plush" appeal to music scholars across the planet, who appreciate the complexity of the guitars and the emotional depth of the lyrical content, but also the common fan can enjoy the sheer rocktitude of it. In conclusion, on a rock scale of 1 to 10, this album scores a... 23. Anyone who says otherwise is an ignoramus.

Brimming with energy, inspiration, and dark pathos, Core is a masterpiece from the era that spawned it. Not only does the album have a unifying feel to it, the songs stand out on their own as utterly listenable and enjoyable.

Sex Type Thing, Plush, Wicked Garden, Dead and Bloated.... the number of stellar tracks on this CD is staggering.

Scott Weiland and his band have created an album that is replayable, engaging, and definetely one of the best albums of the 90s. There's some filler in the later half, but it's surrounded by such amazing gems it really doesn't impact the album.

Grade: A-

I think I don't need to tell anything about CORE cd, the reviews on the CD-AUDIO already do this. This STP cd is a milestone on quality and style. But after listening the DVD-A, I've got shocked!! The quality is amazing, the sound is somewhat clear and defined that I cannot describe in words.....but let me try...The quality level difference between the Core DVDA and Core CD is the same as DVD(any title) and VHS(any title)!!
Put it in you DVD-Player, and enjoy!! As a great fan of STP, I really recommend it!! "Hear what you've been missing"!!

This album contained more recognizable hit singles than any debut should be allowed to have. It showed STP's promise that would soon be fulfilled with later albums like "Purple" and "Tiny Music..." along with "No. 4".

Sure they were passed off as Pearl Jam wannabes, but then again this album sold as many copies as Pearl jam's debut and yeilded more hits than that of "Ten" (released a year before this).

Though they deny the term "grunge," this is a Grunge album. To their credit, this is the only grunge album they made...even "Purple" contained songs that were more Alternative than Grunge. This one, though, certainly is...

Onto the review: unless you were nowhere near a radio throughout the past 8 years, you'll recognize the hits on this album within seconds. "Plush" is arguably the best, most known STP song ever. It's so catchy it's disturbing...the lyrics and harmonies blend in with catchy guitar chords, extraordinary bass and a Bonham-esque drum line. If this were the only good song on "Core," the CD would still have 5 stars. Really, people...it's that good.

But there are more. While the lyrics to "Sex Type Thing" and "Creep" are among the most famous words of the last decade, the hooks are just as well. Tell me you've never heard "I'm half the man I used to be" and I'll say you're lying. Equally known are the songs "Dead and Bloated" and "Wicked Garden"...making this a CD with 5 HUGE radio hits.

The rest isn't half bad, either..."No Memory" and "Sin" go as well together as Pink Floyd's "Brain Damage/Eclipse." "Naked Sunday" are some of the only STP lyrics you could understand at a glance without interpreting them yourself..."Piece of Pie" is a nice but not-to-noteworthy grunge rocker..."Crackerman" isn't the best or worst STP song by far..."Where the River Goes" is a good closer.

Inexcusable filler of the album award goes to: "Wet My Bed." Either that's Weiland's attempt at creating a Jim Morrison-esque piece for his album (even Weiland said he was worried people would say he was a Jim wannabe because he was listening to a lot of Doors music at the time), or it is just there to make the CD longer. Either way, I doubt it's at the top of any STP fan's "favorite list."

BUY THIS CD! It is well worth the money. It went on to sell almost ten million copies, coming close to matching "Nirvana" and "Pearl Jam" while surpassing "Alice In Chains" and "Soundgarden" by far...it's funny, because critics saying "STP were wannabes of those bands" surely didn't show.

However, do not make this your only STP CD. They have improved on each one so far, and by now "Core" is just a sample of how great their other albums went on to be.

This is my favorite album of STP. This CD flows like a story and it builds and fades in very moving ways. It has classic radio play songs, so if you are new to STP this should be your first album to get. This CD to me is one of the best Rock Albums you could buy EVER!

I have long considered Core to be one of the best rock albums to be released in the '90's. People can say all they want about STP and how they were grunge posers, but the fact remains that with Nirvana dead, Alice in Chains in extended hibernation, Soundgarden broken up, and Pearl Jam busy recording every concert they perform, these "imitators" have outlasted their peers. This album was the beginning of STP's huge catalog of great songs. Classics like "Sex Type Thing" and "Plush" are accompanied by bombastic fare such as "Crackerman," which in my opinion, is meant to be one cohesive song with "Wet My Bed." Truth be told, there isn't really a single song that I dislike on this album...all 12 are at least very good, many of them excellent. After 9 years, this is still easily STP's best album.

Review number 172.As some of us,including myself might assume that STP had come from Seattle,turns out they're actually from San Diego.Hadn't heard this,the band's first CD in awhile.With tunes like "Plush","Dead And Bloated","Naked Sunday" and "Sex Type Thing",intact,the listener(s) know they're in for some prime heavy-duty early '90's grunge.In fact,this whole disc rocks.Line-up:Weiland-vocals,Dean DeLeo-guitar,Robert DeLeo-bass and Eric Kretz-drummer.I believe I saw these guys open for Megadeth on this very tour.What an experience!Recommended.