Stone Temple Pilots
Shangri-La Dee Da
Atlantic
2001
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Stone Temple Pilots stand alone as the grunge era's only survivor, and while they have fallen on hard times in the past few years, after the dissapointing sales of No. 4 and singer Scott Weiland's drug problems, that didn't stop them from rising from the ashes and getting back on track to record their fifth album, Shangri-La Dee Da, it's a decidedly more upbeat and poppy album than the previous No. 4, with plenty of nice little radio tunes and a little of classic STP thrown in. These guys once again prove once again to be a good listen even though the overhauled sound takes some getting used to.

After my first listen I wasn't exactly impressed by Shangri-La Dee Da, but soon the newly sober Scott Weiland's beautiful voice grew on me just like it had in previous STP releases. He really seems to be back on the right path with his vocals being at the best I've heard them. This guy has a voice that just catches on to you and makes you sit back and listen. He is the driving force behing STP's pop-rock sound on this album. That's not to say that the rest of the band doesn't hold thier own end up on here. Guitarist Dean DeLeo and the rest of the guys put out sounds that, at times, sound like Black Sabbath during some songs, and on others, resemble old Rolling Stones. Overall it creates a sound for fans of rock, and fans of pop. It's actually a much more diverse album than anyone could have expected. While I don't find too many of the pop-rock songs that are common-place on this album to be my cup of tea, it's Weiland's voice that draws you to them, if you are an old fan of the group such as myself, it's a little hard to swallow, but as I said earlier, Weiland's voice wins you over eventually, for the most part that is.

Some of my album favorites are the explosive "Coma", "Dumb Love", and the "Big Bang Baby" reminiscent "Hollywood Bitch". "Days of the Week" is the first single from the album, and it has a greta radio sound about it, as it is similar to another old STP hit, "Interstate Love Song" or even "Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart". They draw alot from old and new on this album, but many songs feel like classic rock songs to me. Songs such as "Hello, It's Late" and "Wonderful" have a classic pop-rock sound about them that the masses will enjoy, but it doesn't really hit home with me. But it's the mix of the different rock styling that make this album.

To sum things up, this album takes classic STP and elements of their pop sound and blends them together to create an album that will find the band many new fans, as well as have some things to offer to loyal fans. I felt that they could have created a greater balance between the various types of music found here, as the pop songs far outweigh the heavier material that I loved so much about the STP of yore. However some new STP fans may find something in these new styled songs on the album, but as a whole they didn't do much for me. The only thing I can do is hope for a return of the heavier stuff on the next album. As it stands right now, Shangri-La Dee Da is a solid addition to STP's discography, but as far as I'm concerned, it just doesn't compare to thier past efforts. Not bad, but not ground-breaking in any sense, a solid effort from a group that I am glad to see has made it through tough times and is back to doing what they do best, making music that appeals to the masses, as well as rock fans of all types. However, it is good to see that the guys know how to change over time, and didn't try to comply with any trends, they just did exactly what they wanted to, and I commend them for that. Welcome back guys.

The Verdict: 6/10
Bobby

            Adam's score: 3.5/10   If you like STP, you will appreciate this album; however I have never really been a fan of STP's sound and this album does nothing to change my views.  I actually liked "coma" probably my fav STP song   but most of STP's sound just doesn't click for me.