On June 7, 1994, Stone Temple Pilots released their second studio album, Purple. Compared to their previous album, Core, Purple showed the band’s increasingly versatile sound and diverse influences. The album is often considered one of the greatest rock albums of the era; for example, in 2019, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 24 on the list of the 50 Greatest Grunge Albums.
The album cover is an artwork of a child riding upon a qilin, a legendary creature from Chinese mythology that symbolizes prosperity, favorable fortunes, and virtuosity. The child is being observed by angels, with the word “Purple” written in Mandarin in the bottom left corner. I believe that the imagery, if there is believed to be any meaning behind it, represents the arrival of a messiah and thus a change of fortunes.
The naming process for “Vasoline,” was quite interesting. When singer and instrumentalist Scott Weiland was a child, he enjoyed listening to the Eagles song, “Life in the Fast Lane.” For whatever reasons, he interpreted the song title as being “Flies in the Vaseline.” Weiland stated in interviews and books that the song was “about being stuck in the same situation over and over again,” and “feeling like an insect underneath a magnifying glass.” My favorite part of the song is the distorted guitar intro, it really scratches that one itch in my brain.
“Pretty Penny,” is an acoustic song with a relaxed melody to it, contrasting with the song before it (Still Remains) and after it (Silvergun Superman). It was one of many songs that Weiland wrote about his struggles with drugs. Specifically, he wrote it as an attempt to prove to himself that he was not a drug addict. He liked the song for its introspection wrapped within a third-person storyline.
“Silvergun Superman,” is the definition of a hidden gem. It is so dang catchy; especially the vocals & melodies in the chorus, “You toed the line…Can I, friend, ask you why?” I admit I overlooked this song at first since it wasn’t a single and it didn’t show up on any of my Spotify playlists. Once I listened to it out of curiosity, I realized what I had been missing out on.
“Big Empty,” was notably featured on the soundtrack for The Crow, starring Brandon Lee. The song has a similar structure to the earlier Stone Temple Pilots song “Creep,” having soft, acoustic verses and a distorted chorus. Out of all the songs I have listened to in my life, I think that Big Empty is one of the best I have ever heard. I can play it for hours on end and never get tired of it. I still remember where I was hearing it for the first time; it was playing at a McDonald’s when I was 10 or so and I was instantly hooked.
“Unglued,” was released as a promotional radio single for the album. It was the last song that Weiland ever performed before his untimely death in 2015. One reason that I like this song is just the powerful feel that it gives with the guitars, drums, and all.
Purple was a massive commercial success. It debuted at the number one spot on the Billboard 200 and moved over 250,000 copies in its first week after release. Today, over six million copies have been sold worldwide. I rate this album a perfect score; 10/10. There is no song that I would willingly skip on it. The guitar tones, drums, and vocals are amazing. Every song has its own story and its own feel to it and that’s what I appreciate about Purple the most.
