Illegal Foreign Object

I will begin this review by saying, quite emphatically, “I hate the fuckin’ Eagles, man”. I don’t, but the band is getting a mention in this thing, and I find it impossible to invoke the name without channeling Lebowski for a moment.

I have admired Stone Temple Pilots since I first heard “Sex Type Thing”. There has always been a musical dexterity to the band’s songwriting and playing that is a level above their contemporaries. When Core came out in 1992, many critics dismissed the band as “Pearl Jam copycats”. I’m assuming these critics had writing deadlines and decided to hastily churn out some bullshit because there’s no way you can listen to Core and come away thinking STP is trying to sound like Pearl Jam.

If there was doubt left in the minds of the moronic, Purple surely purged the last of those thoughts. Tiny Music…Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop took an even harder left turn. And so it went with the members of Stone Temple Pilots — when everyone else went one direction, they drifted the other.

Accepting this as fact makes Perdida an unsurprising yet entirely welcome affair. On Perdida, bassist and primary songwriter Robert DeLeo dispenses with any subterfuge concerning his influences. Instead, he pulls down the zipper of his 50/50 poly-cotton blend leisure suit pants and unfurls 10 inches of unabashed love for ’70s California folk rock.

“Fare Thee Well” moves like the Eagles’ “Take It To The Limit”, while “Perdida” recalls Linda Ronstadt’s Spanish language tribute to her dad. “I Didn’t Know The Time” is a reimagined “Wichita Lineman”, and “She’s My Queen” is a nod in the general direction of Jackson Browne. “Found Yourself While Losing Your Heart” is drenched in the Byrds’ quieter moments (listen to “Bugler”).

Almost all of “my bands” are dead and gone, and most of those that remain are either genre-biting or settled into a by-the-numbers ensconce of mediocre repetition. Credit to STP for raising a middle finger at conformity while giving a not-so-subtle wink to the bands that made the members want to make noise and dance around.

Stone Temple Pilots has always exuded “cool” because it has always allowed a song to be what it’ll be (from trumpet solos to bossa nova to lounge crooner charm). You won’t find a single power chord on Perdida — it doesn’t need them. What you will bump up against, however, are plenty of melodies, beautifully simplistic song arrangements, and understated instrumentation. The approach isn’t new — the band’s indifference to conventional rock allowed a Core to Purple to Tiny Music puddle-jump without any fall-off. Three very different sounding records — all “classics”.

The band could have traveled an easy road with Perdida — they could have hopped on the nostalgia train and written a dozen “Interstate Love Song” copies. For ears searching for a quick fix, perhaps that’s more easily digested. The AC/DC theory of songwriting has served many bands quite well, after all. For someone wanting to see every last side of an artist, however, Perdida is essential listening (even if “Plush” remains your favorite song after all these years).

Track List:

1. Fare Thee Well 9/10
2. Three Wishes 10/10
3. Perdida 9/10
4. I Didn’t Know The Time 9/10
5. Years 9/10
6. She’s My Queen 7/10
7. Miles Away 7/10
8. You Found Yourself While Losing Your Heart 8/10
9. I Once Sat At Your Table 8/10
10. Sunburst 9/10

Grade: 85