Customer Reviews

Shangri-La Dee Da

5 star:		(129)
4 star:		(66)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(22)

 

 

Initially written off as Pearl Jam clones, Stone Temple Pilots turned out to be one of the finest rock bands of the 1990s. Their first three albums "Core," (1992) "Purple," (1994) and "Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop" (1996) were among the best selling rock albums of the 90s and spawned many memorable singles that remain radio staples to this day.

Unfortunately Scott Weiland's drug busts and inner band turmoil stopped the LA quartet dead in their tracks.

The mid-to-late 90s saw Stone Temple Pilots go on a three year hiatus. During this time Dean and Robert DeLeo, (guitar, bass) and Eric Kretz (drums) formed the band Talk Show with singer Dave Coutts for their 1997 self-titled album. The following year saw the release of Scott Weiland's "12 Bar Blues." While both albums were strong, they failed to match the sales of Stone Temple Pilots. Unable to find commercial success without the other, Weiland and the rest of Stone Temple Pilots reconciled for 1999's "No4." The album was a strong return to form and the band regained their status as one of rocks premier acts. The band returned two years later for 2001s fifth and final "Shangri-LA DEE DA."

"Shangri-LA DEE DA" is probably the most underappreciated album in STP's catalogue. Sales were hurt because the band didn't initially tour to support the album and also because it failed to receive a huge push by Atlantic. The album stalled at Gold, thus becoming the only STP album failing to achieve platinum status. The album consequently slid under the radar of the general public, who to this day remain unaware of what a fine album Stone Temple Pilots swan song really is.

Much like "No4," "Shangri-LA DEE DA" takes its cue from the first three STP albums. It mixes the grunge trimmings of "Core," the craft of "Purple," and the retro psychedelic-glam twist of "Tiny Music." But compared to "No4," "Shangri-LA DEE DA" is more refined, more polished, and ultimately a superior album.

The opening "Dumb Love" with Weiland's baritone growl over distorted guitars sounds a lot like vintage "Core" era STP, akin to "Dead and Bloated" and "Sex Type Thing," but with maybe a little more color. The album's leap into power-pop with the super infectious "Days of the Week," echoes the styling of "Tiny Music." "Coma" acts like a hybrid of the two, recalling the grunge aspects of "Core", but with the pop-sensibility of "Tiny Music." The riff and groove from "Hollywood Bitch" comes straight out of Jimmy Page's songbook, making the song analogous to "Misty Mountain Hop." The band demonstrates its pop-craft mastery with the stunning "Wonderful." The off-center, light-as-a-feather, somewhat bittersweet, Bowie-esque "Black Again," is dazzling, reeling the listener in by the hook and refusing to let go. The trippy "Hello its Late" takes it cue from "Black Again," but is considerably more spacey and subdued, but never dull. The melodic solo comes out of left-field, making the song all the more satisfying. The album comes back to earth for ultra-catchy, ode to Courtney Love "Too Cool Queenie." With its infectious hook, melody, and sing-along chorus, this is easily one of the best songs the band ever penned, and could have been a huge hit, had it been released as a single. The manic "Regeneration," changes the pace, taking the listener on an aggressive left-turn. While not the album's best song, it keeps up the momentum. "Bi-Polar Bear" with its alternating semi-acoustic verse and full-throttle, but melodic chorus is another strong, intriguing cut. One of the albums best songs, "Transmissions from a Lonely Room," with its engrossing middle-eastern-esque chorus, which builds up and climaxes to its psychedelic verse, could have been another strong contender as a single. Weiland's tribute to his son, "Song for Sleeping" is touching, without sounding corny. The closing "Long Way Home" sounds a lot like the paranoid "No Way Out" from "No4," but is somewhat slowed down and more refined. It's yet another strong song and a good way to conclude the album.

While the band's earlier work may be better known, "Shangri-LA DEE DA" saw the band reach its creative and ambitious height. "Shangri-LA DEE DA" is a melting pot of many styles; early 90s grunge, psychedelic pop, and Bowie-esque-70s-glam. Ambitious and eclectic as it may be, everything works. It all adds up to a coherent, satisfying whole. An outstanding swan song, a true shame more people aren't familiar this album.

This is without a doubt the best rock cd released this year (2001). I thought Number 4 was a solid effort, but this cd is light years better. The first 3 STP cd's are classics, but I think this is their most complete recording date. It's got everything: "Dumb Love" is a rocker that kicks the cd off, leading into the first single "Days of the Week". "Wonderful" is one of the best ballads you'll hear and you also have "Coma" and "Transmissions From a Lonely Room", both stellar tracks. In fact there really isn't a weak track on the cd. Above all you have great musicianship and Weiland's incredible vocals.

If anyone can bring rock and roll back to the forefront it's STP and "Shangri-La Dee Da.

Shame-faced, some anonymous reviewer has inexplicably blended the histories of two famous rock bands into one homogenized entity - a strange way of thinking that does neither outstanding group any justice.

Consider this: STP are survivors, they've been around well over ten years. Why? Let's start with "Core." "Core" is STP's workmanlike masterpiece, a "grunge-like" album that took the best aspects of many Seattle bands, including sheer melody, and wrapped it all into 12 songs of sheer hard-rock bliss.

Onto "Purple," where the melody was increased tenfold - as was new Beatlesesque songwriting abilities. Suddenly, a new aspect of this band shone through, and the sky was the limit.

STP chose to challenge folks on their third record, and some would disagree with the results of "Tiny Music." I, however, believe it to be another positive step in the band's growing evolution of unique songs. Think glam-rock, Beatles, Stones, and good old-fashioned swagger when you think of "Tiny Music."

"Number 4" brought the truth home. STP rocked hard again, keeping in sheer melodic musical delights, this time on some definite pop and even country tunes that got noticed by rock fans. A few million album sales later, and STP were still Kings of the Radio.

On their fifth record, "Shangri-La Dee Da," STP have expanded their vibe, their sound even more, if that's possible. Every single element of their past recorded history is evident within the confines of this brightly lit, orange CD case. Truly, there's something for everybody on this outstanding record. It's too painstaking to go through each track number by number, but suffice to say, this music is the real deal - it's MAGIC.

Give it a try, and pray for a sixth STP record. Lord only knows where it'll take us!!!

And don't forget, each band is its own special identity....

I like this album, but it doesn't compare to the STP's first two releases, "Core" and Purple". The first 3-4 songs of "Shangra-La Dee Da" come out like your typical STP outing. Good old fashion rock. Then the album settles down & plays more pop oriented tunes that may or may not be radio friendly. The one thing that is always present on a STP album is "change". From the in-yer-face hard rock/grunge sound of 1992's "Core", to the classic rock & sometime 70's groovy feel of "Purple" & "Tiny Music...", to 1999's updated big bass & drums hip rock "4", to hard & soft (acoustic) "Shangri-La Dee Da". I like this album & it's grown on me big time with repeated spins. Weiland has been hot & cold in the past in dealing with his drug addiction(s), the police, bandmates, hair color and life in general... but the STP's stick thru it & continue to throw out likable music for the masses. In this day & age of corporate rock (good hard rock bands going soft for air time on the radio... like Aerosmith), it's very clear to me that this Stone Temple Pilot machine is making the music that THEY want to make, and not necessarily what we want to hear. This is a good thing & it's a theme that I wish more bands would follow. They've taken the notion "...if it feels good - do it" to a new level. Best fast song is "Dumb Love". Best slower tunes are "Days Of The Week" and "A Song For Sleeping". The musicianship & thought provoking lyrics continue to impress me. Good disc.

Shangri La Dee Da is easily the Stone Temple Pilot's best album ever, the musicianship is excellent, Scott Weiland's voice is in top form, and most important of all the songs are great. There is something for everyone on this album from STP's trademark grunge inspired hard rock to meaningful ballads to straightforward pop rock.
Dumb Love 9/10 - The album's hard rocking opener, it's nothing you wouldn't expect from them, Scott's voice sounds great
Days of the Week 10/10 - The album's poppy first single, once you hear this song you won't get it out of your head
Coma 10/10 - The electronic tinged hard rock is one of STP's best songs ever, the musicianship is great, Robert DeLeo's amazing bass playing shines on this song
Hollywood B@*ch 9/10 - This is another standard rocker, just think Big Band Baby on steroids
Wonderful 10/10 - The first ballad on the album and most likely their next single, the lyrics are great
Black Again 8/10 - This is a mellow rocker, nothing else to really say about it
Hello It's Late 10/10 - The second ballad on the album, similar to Wonderful but different and just as good, STP shows that they have a talent for writing great ballads
Too Cool Queenie 10/10 - My personal favorite on the album, the lyrics are definately about the Kurt Cobain/Courtney Love story, though the band won't say anything about it, the music is great especially the guitar
Regeneration 7/10 - Another strong song, not as good as some of the others but still a good listen
Bi-Polar Bear 6/10 - The third and weakest ballad on the album, still not a bad song but compared to the rest of the album this is song that I'm most likely to skip when I'm listening to it
Transmissions from a Lonely Room 10/10 - This song is the equivalent of Crackerman on this album, it's an uptempo hard rock song
A Song for Sleeping 9/10 - The final ballad on the album, it's a great song written by Scott Weiland about his son
Long Way Home 8/10 - The album closes with this midtempo rocker, not a bad song but one of the weaker songs on the album
Overall this album is prefect, anyone who says that STP lost their edge should really take a listen to the album

For many STP fans there will never be another cd to top "Core". But for the rest of us who have grown to love and accept their newer ... sounding music, STP can't get any better than this. Once they shed their "what? who said I sound like Alice in Chains" sound(that I actually like), they started off pretty good(Purple)....but then they adopted this happy carefree annoying sound(Tiny music...). I am happy to say that they have finally reached their peak. This is a kick[in] ... cd with a great mix of their previous cd's...a must buy for people who were so into grunge era that they actually have Nevermind and Frogstomp on tape.

Thank God for creative artists like STP who have stayed true to the music and haven't given a flying poo over what the public "supposedly" wants. I've been starving for a decent ROCK album ever since the latest Dandy Warhols release (over a year ago). Shangri-La Dee Da (despite the annoying title) fills the bill nicely. Each song is well crafted and harkens back to the great traditions of Rock. The CD, as a whole, is destined to become a classic.

Haunting vocals, relentlessly creative - and precise - bass and percussion and, oh yes, some of the very best guitar work you will ever hear on ANY rock album, ever. By the way, on the way to growing up to adulthood, did the idea of intelligent lyrics ever appeal to you? Whatever anyone says or thinks, STP has grown WAY BEYOND Core, musically, lyrically, and in all other ways. 'Core' is a great CD but what always bothered this reviewer about STP was the lack of consistency. Certain songs (frequently the hits played on the radio) sounded great but when I bought the CD, I kept hitting the skip button to avoid what sounded like 'filler' (or somewhat lesser songs). 'Purple' showed marked improvement and, for that matter, 'Tiny Music' was their most consistent CD to date. 'No. 4' is a great CD - no question - but awefully hard to take at times (like they were trying too hard). Still, each of STP's later efforts easily surpass their previous ones. Some of the reviewers in this space need to pull their heads out of their bongs and grow up, way up, past 'Core'.

The latest from STP is the culmination of all their skills. A coming-together of hard rock, 'pop' sensibility, and the STP style. A great record (period). Long Live STP!

Ok listen up. Im getting really REALLY tired of hearing about Core. Core, core, core! Yes Core was and is still a great album. I own it along with 7 million other people. BUT CORE WAS 10 YEARS AGO FOLKS, LETS MOVE ONTO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT! This band has matured so well musically, and I am very pleased with the new NON COMMERCIAL, NON MAINSTREAM album. This is why these guys are still around people, because they dont crank out Core again every couple of years. They are talented musicians who reinvent their music in a different fashion every album. They write music that is important to them, not Plush part 5 which you want to hear.

I can't say that I've been compelled to write a review like this before, but after reading some of the scathing, one star reviews, I felt like getting my two cents in. First of all, I didn't give this 5 stars, because it is not their best album overall. But that DOES NOT mean that it is not very, very good. STP is one of the most talented rock bands of the past decade, and Shangra La Dee Da proves that they've still got it. I really can't understand why these so-called fans of "Core" and "Purple" would rip into this so much. Yeah, it sounds different than those albums, but so what? Are bands not allowed to progress and evolve these days? This is a solid Rock & Roll album, old STP fans who've fallen off the bandwagon over the years should check this one (and also the MOST EXCELLENT No. 4) out.

Despite my doubts that the swagger of early Stone Temple Pilots "Core" era could somehow mature into something different and yet wholly enjoyable, "Shangri-La-Dee-Da" provides a track by track refutation of this skepticism. In many ways it's hard to imagine this album turning out differently. Weiland telegraphed his blatant affection for Brian Wilson on "Tiny Music..." with the dreamy moon-drenched luau of "And So I Know." And so the devotion continues with a liberal helping of Beach Boys dosed ballads that thankfully never veer into mere homage.

Never fear, this album also has all the trademarks that made STP a hard-driving pop rock juggernaut throughout the 90s. Eric Kretz drumming up a Bonham-esque storm of bombast. Slippery slide contrasted with crunching guitars and catchy, melodic solos that consistently engage. Extended attention to songcraft from Weiland that borders on Seal territory occasionally (track 12, likely the source of much critcism from those liking their music more roughly hewn).

Not that this will ever be considered the best STP recording, it's still worthy of your attention. For it's not a mere "more of the same" formula record, it revises and extends many of the band's great traditions and throws in an occasionally more thoughtful wrinkle, all of which is done in gorgeous balance. When a band channels the heavy metal eclecticism of Zeppelin this well and still effortlessly drops a pop masterpiece like "Days of the Week" on the same platter, admiration is in order.