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Rating: On the eve of the much-talked-about debut of Velvet Revolver (no need to tell you who they are, right?), the DeLeo brothers, tired of their singer's extravagances, bow out of the Stone Temple Pilots project, bidding farewell to the audience that followed them more or less faithfully since the days of Core (1992), with the most classic of anthologies.
Thank You is indeed the almost complete collection of all the singles of the San Diego band (missing only a couple of songs from the last period). Tracing back the career of the Stone Temple Pilots, one cannot deny that they were a much more substantial phenomenon than just one of the many bands that rode the grunge wave led by Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Winners of 2 Grammy Awards (plus various nominations over the past decade), sales champions with their first two albums, pioneers of new grunge-pop experiments Tiny Music... and among the first to exploit the virtues of the Brendan O'Brien/Nick Didia duo in mixing/producing (to name a few, later recruited by various Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine, Korn, Stereophonics...), the Stone Temple Pilots have always coexisted with the misadventures of their singer Scott Weiland, constantly in trouble for substance abuse, which had him in and out of Rehab Houses and prisons across half of America.
However, with the demise of various Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, Screaming Trees and some malicious would add even Pearl Jam, they were the only ones left to make that certain type of music commonly recognized by critics as grunge. Then came Audioslave to revive the 70’s trend of supergroups, and here you have musicians in a state of decomposition like the former Guns N Roses, who see in Scott Weiland the ideal replacement for the old rock icon Axl Rose (whose album, latest news, will be titled Chinese Democracy and will be released on Christmas Day...), and invite him to join them in a potential new money-making machine (and who knows, maybe even make some good music).
The Stone Temple Pilots, weakened by the failure of their latest album, raise the white flag and showcase, for the first time, their most famous jewels. Like any respectable collection, however, there are really several fundamental episodes missing to classify this greatest hits as more than just a simple introduction to the group.
However, for enthusiasts, there is a version of Thank You on sale with an attached DVD packed with nearly 3 hours of video performances, with an unbeatable quality/price ratio. Returning to the music, the collection opens with the memorable riff of Vasoline, then continues with the dark violence of Down and the band's early classics, among which Plush (also present in an acoustic version), Creep and Interstate Love Song stand out once again. The more melodic episodes from their repertoire are not lacking, and here flows the Beatles-style Lady Picture Show and Sour Girl, perhaps the true last hit of the group. There's also an honest unreleased track, All In The Suit That You Wear, an outtake from the N°4 era which clearly reflects its sound, but pales when, upon its ending, the bone-crushing riff of one of the songs that truly made the history of this loved/hated grunge starts: Sex Type Thing.
If you are a fan of this group or if you do not know them, it might be worth purchasing this collection, because among the many, too many on the market at this time, it seems the least trivial and sincerely the most honest.
Tracklist and Lyrics
04 Big Empty (04:55)
drivin' faster in my car
falling farther from just what we are
smoke a cigarette and lie some more
these conversations kill
falling faster in my car
time to take her home
her dizzy head is conscience laden
time to take a ride
it leaves today no conversation
time to take her home
her dizzy head is conscience laden
time to wait too long
to wait too long
to wait too long
to much walkin', shoes worn thin
too much trippin' and my soul's worn thin
time to catch a ride
it leaves today, her name is what it means
to much walkin', shoe's worn thin
Chorus
Conversations kill
Conversations kill
Conversations kill
Chorus
Conversations kill
Conversations kill
Conversations kill
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Other reviews
By marcmat
It is really a matter of affection... at this point, it becomes a bit difficult to conclude because it seems almost like having to forcibly drop a curtain.
Both [new tracks] equally highlight the band’s compositional talent.
By erro
Only the truly great leave the scene with style, and these people have style to spare.
The much-talked-about Scott Weiland already says a lot about himself in these songs... yet maintains a personality.
