Customer Reviews

Happy in Galoshes

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

No matter what you think of Scott Weiland, one thing is certain--he is a ridiculed artist. Almost immediately as he achieved fame in the early 90s with Stone Temple Pilots he was accused of ripping-off Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder with his baritone growl in "Plush," and then with his solo album and later STP it was David Bowie he was said to have taken a page from. His lyrics are mocked as nonsensical gibberish and he has been called a hack, a fraud and a poser.

All this is unfair because the man does have talent, a lot of talent in fact. I will be the first to admit Weiland is somewhat of a "musical chameleon," borrowing elements from Vedder, Bowie, Reed, etc, over the years but his songwriting, willingness to experiment, melodies and, overall ability to craft a good song are superb. As for his lyrics...yeah, I don't always get them, but whatever...

Weiland's full talents perhaps best manifested themselves on his solo debut "12 Bar Blues" (1998). Unconcerned with making something radio-friendly in the vein of STP, Weiland was free to experiment, throw in the kitchen sink and create whatever he wanted. The result was an eclectic, wonderfully bizarre, carnival-esque; Bowie/Reznor inspired ride through a depressed, tortured, and most importantly creative mind.

Ten years and four albums later (two with STP and two with his "supergroup" Velvet Revolver) Weiland is back with a new album "'Happy'" in Galoshes" (2008).

If you're one of those people that absolutely loved "12 Bar Blues" you might be a little disappointed with "Galoshes." There's really nothing as alluring and downright weird and hypnotic as "Desperation #5," "Barbarella" or "Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down" and the album, overall, is far more straightforward and can seem a little pedestrian compared to its predecessor. That said "Galoshes" is still a fine album and has a lot to offer. Think of it as a cross between the more mellow songs from "12 Bar Blues," like "Son" and STP's final album "Shangri-La Dee Da," (2001) like "Hello, it's late." It's the sort of album you can just kind of unwind and relax with. The last year-and-a-half haven't been the best for Weiland as he lost a brother, his marriage fell apart and he was kicked-out of Velvet Revolver, and this album sort of reflects that. "Galoshes" is a poppy and melodic, yet melancholy, lonely journey...

While there may not be a "Slither" or "Sex Type Thing" to rock out with or anything quite as captivating as something from "12 Bar Blues," "Galoshes" is still a worthy effort that might hopefully help Weiland win over some of his more harsher critics (Note: a lot of the album's more offbeat songs were left off and available on the deluxe edition).

If you're a fan of Weiland's first solo album, 12 Bar Blues, you will probably enjoy this album.

If you're a fan of STP, you may or may not -- it's more experimental and less mainstream than STP, but not as far out there as 12 Bar Blues was.

Scott gets back to some singing on this second solo release. The 2nd velveeta revolver was a step up from the first but it kinda stifled someone with a voice of his caliber. Maybe you can have Slash solo on stuff but you can't go in all directions if you write with him. This cd like his first solo finds all sorts of moods and tempos but is more cohesive than the first solo cd. He even covers Bowies "Fame" and its good but I could swear that justin timberlake was behind the board somewhere on the percussion track! Most impressive is the last uncredited track in the vain of a gospel/inspirational feel - it must be a standard from years past and if it isn't more credit to him. Other standouts are Blind Confusion & Big Black Monster. Hell, really its all good.

Great CD.

Listened nonstop for a week now and the sounds just keep growing. Very original, very real.

I'm glad Scott made an effort to write actual songs this time. Simple and melodic. With clear emotions and creative yet tasteful arrangements. Not designed to compete with anything on radio. Just to be listened to at home from beginning to end.
Weiland will probably never be able to duplicate this album again so enjoy it while you can.
Note: my review is based on the double-cd edition.

I'm a great fan of STP. I loved Army of Anyone and Weiland's first solo effort, "12 bar blues." I think the DeLeo brothers and Mr. Weiland are probably the last really imaginative rockers left out there. That being said, for Scott's current release, I like it's oddness, but miss the DeLeo's effect on Scott. Sometimes he gets a little carried away with himself, and the DeLeos always were able to either rein that in or take it even further over the top. Scott's writing is more introspective than ever, and there are moments of brilliance on this album, most noticeably in 'Killing Me Sweetly,' 'Missing Cleveland,' and 'Fame.' This makes me yearn for the next STP album; hopefully the guys won't make us wait too long.

Happy In Galoshes is Scott Weiland's latest solo offering after his split from Velvet Revolver. I was looking forward to getting this CD after the first time that I heard "Missing Cleveland" and "Paralysis" on his web site, and I've been enjoying it for a couple of months now. For those hoping to find something similar in sound to his work with either Stone Temple Pilots or Velvet Revolver, this CD is not likely to be one that you will like.

However, that by no means implies that Happy In Galoshes is a bad CD. His take on David Bowie's "Fame" is has a killer groove, and it quickly became one of my favorites. This is in complete contrast to "Killing Me Sweetly", a much slower song that balances acoustic and electric guitar. Weiland also features a very melodious vocal delivery with striking falsetto accents. Continuing on the theme of variety is the mid tempo rocker "Missing Cleveland". Here Weiland reminisces about the "lonely bars where everybody knows the truth and lets it be". Other standouts are "Paralysis" and the hidden bonus track "Be Not Afraid", a Catholic hymn of all things. This CD is not, however, without its misses. Both "She Sold Her System" and "Beautiful Day" are rather plodding numbers without much intrigue. Then there's "Arch Angel" that has an electronic rhythm that sounds like one of the preprogrammed accompaniments on the old Casio miniature keyboards.

All in all, though, there is a lot to like on Happy In Galoshes. Anyone who likes Scott Weiland's voice and is interested in musical variety should check this out. The high points are true gems that overcome the weaker tacks.

Download this: Missing Cleveland

Huge fan of STP, and more so of Scott's solo endeavors - love 12 Bar Blues, but I think Happy is even better. I've been playing this nonstop since it was released; favorite tracks are Tangle with Your Mind, Paralysis, Crash, The Man I Didn't Know, & as another reviewer said, the final bonus track is quite stirring. I haven't heard a song that I'd want to skip past. He just lays his life bare on many of these songs, & the versatility of his voice plus the great hooks makes this offering appealing all the way through. I love it!

I got the 2-disc version and am pretty disappointed. I like all of Scott's STP, Velvet Revolver, and previous solo material, but this one is not that great. The production quality of this album is suspect, as often times the vocals sound too low in the mix and kind of get drowned out. The song Arch Angel is a prime example of this.

The first 3 or 4 songs are good, but nothing special. As for the Fame cover, it's alright, but there's a lot better David Bowie songs Mr. Weiland could have chosen to cover.

Musically, not everything Scott Weiland puts his name on magically turns to gold. Even a few Stone Temple Pilots songs from that band's commercial heyday could sometimes make you scratch your head and go, "What?" But usually those same tunes sounded catchy and brilliant upon further listens, which could also be said of Weiland's second solo CD, the oddly titled "Happy in Galoshes." The album is an eclectic mix of well-crafted songs that flow together much better than the singer's first solo effort, the hit-and-miss 12 Bar Blues from 1998.

Whether with STP, Velvet Revolver or making music by himself, Weiland's innate sense of melody usually shines through. On these modernly crafted pieces, the singer/songwriter forgoes a heavy guitar rock sound for a sheeny buzz that matches his chameleon-like voice, which ranges from a scruffy growl to a nice falsetto. Though rockers like "Missing Cleveland," "Blind Confusion" and "Paralysis" are indicative of Weiland's guitar-oriented past, what makes "Happy in Galoshes" so interesting is the meandering sound of "She Sold Her System"; the crooning sensitivity of "Killing Me Sweetly"; the cool buzzing synthesizer and overall plastic pop sound of "Big Black Monster"; and the lullaby-like official closing song, "Arch Angel." And "Tangle with Your Mind," "Crash" and "Beautiful Day" might be among the best songs he ever wrote. Interestingly, the formerly devil-may-care Weiland, who's had more than his fair share of run-ins with drugs and the law, finishes up the CD with a hidden track called "Be Not Afraid," a Catholic hymn that, amazingly, soars behind beautiful, genuine vocals and a majestically strummed guitar.

Some of these tunes remind me a little of what STP were doing on Shangri-La Dee Da from 2001, but overall "Happy in Galoshes" is its own special entity. If Weiland keeps making music as a solo artist, it'll be interesting to see where he goes from here.