Scott Weiland died last night. While I'll wouldn't call myself a die-hard fan of his bands, I've definitely enjoyed my share of his music over the years. So much so that I was inspired to write a few thoughts about him...
Many bands have singers that don't know how to command the audience (I've even been in bands myself that had this problem). Scott is not one of them. Velvet Revolver was great live, as was Stone Temple Pilots (I caught them 3-ish years ago at Aftershock Festival...they were in fine form, Scott included). He's confident, with the right about of cocky. He delivers a show the way a rock show should be done.
Whether you believe he was sonically ripping off Eddie Vedder or not is a separate thing (and kind of dated and cliche at this point anyway). But whatever words Scott was singing, it felt genuine. Scott sells it, Scott owns it, he sounds honest in all of his vocal deliveries. "Plush" gets loud when it needs to get loud and quiet but not weak and whimpy. "Sex Type Thing" is performed so well that when singing along to the track, you almost forget what it's about.
This song was one of the things that really piqued my interest about STP early on. Holy crap this is a good song. It starts out spooky, quiet, yet bluesy, then the chorus kicks in -- bam. There are at least 2 really catchy hooks in that chorus. That big, anthemic, singalong chorus. It's fun to sing, and equally fun to play on guitar. Which brings me to...
One of the best things about the GOOD grunge-era bands is they often use more than just typical 3-string-bar-chords in their song structures. Stone Temple Pilots are no exception. Over the years I've learned how to play Plush, Sex Type Thing, Vasaline, Big Empty, etc. There's always some aspect to the guitar part that makes me THINK. They're not instinctual, muscle memory 3-chord progressions like a lot of bands (yet they're filled with great memorable hooks which just shows how well crafted these songs are).
Depeche Mode are Nature's Most Perfect Band. David Bowie is Nature's Most Perfect Solo Artist. Scott likes both, a lot -- facts I just learned this week. And honestly learning this was part of my inspiration for writing this top 5 list. In his last interview before his death, Scott talked about how David Bowie is one of his biggest influences. A couple years ago Scott Weiland and The Wildabouts covered "But Not Tonight" live, one of my favorite Depeche Mode songs. While I'm very critical of DM covers, I gotta say, Scott's band did a pretty good job with this one.
RIP, Mr Weiland, and thanks for the music.