Purple (album)
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| Purple | ||||
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| Studio album by Stone Temple Pilots | ||||
| Released | June 7, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | 1993–1994 | |||
| Genre | Grunge, hard rock, alternative rock, psychedelic rock | |||
| Length | 46:59 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Brendan O'Brien | |||
| Stone Temple Pilots chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Purple | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Blender | [2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (B-) [3] |
| Rolling Stone | [4] |
| Sputnikmusic | [5] |
Purple is the second album released by the American alternative rock band Stone Temple Pilots, on June 7, 1994 on Atlantic Records. It spawned three hit singles — "Big Empty", "Vasoline", and "Interstate Love Song" — and two promotional singles ("Pretty Penny" and "Unglued"). The album was a success for the band, debuting at #1 and remaining there for three weeks and being certified 6× platinum.
In 2006, the album was ranked number 73 on Guitar World magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitar albums of all time.
Contents |
[edit] Album info and musical style
The album's first single, "Big Empty", made its debut at STP's MTV Unplugged acoustic performance in 1993. The song would later appear on the soundtrack to The Crow. The Crow soundtrack reached number #1 in 1994 and a couple of weeks later, Purple reached the top of the charts, thus making two for the band in 1994.
The lyric "She said she'd be my woman, she said she'd be my man" from "Lounge Fly" also appears on the Mighty Joe Young Demo, in the song "Spanish Flies". Paul Leary of the Butthole Surfers is credited to playing the ending guitar solo in "Lounge Fly".
While Purple still features strong elements of hard rock and grunge like its predecessor, Core, the album displays the band developing a more unique sound influenced by other genres, such as the psychedelic rock evident in "Lounge Fly" and "Silvergun Superman", the country vibes of "Interstate Love Song" and ragtime elements of "Big Empty".
[edit] Artwork
The album title, "Purple," is written as a Chinese character on the cover, and nowhere else on the packaging (with exception of the UK and European limited edition vinyl release).[6] When asked about the title in an interview, vocalist Scott Weiland replied "It's my favorite color. It's the color of bruises."
On the cover of the cassette version of Purple, the child is holding the Chinese letter in his hand, and it is not in the corner. There are two pressings of the actual disc in Purple CDs. One version has flowers on it and another has dragon scales.[7]
The vinyl LP release is made from colored vinyl - transparent purple in the US and UK release and a limited edition opaque marbled vinyl in a softer shade of purple available only in the UK and Europe.[8]
[edit] Track listing
All lyrics written by Scott Weiland.
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Meatplow" | Robert DeLeo, Dean DeLeo | 3:37 |
| 2. | "Vasoline" | R. DeLeo, D. DeLeo, Weiland, Eric Kretz | 2:56 |
| 3. | "Lounge Fly" | R. DeLeo | 5:18 |
| 4. | "Interstate Love Song" | R. DeLeo | 3:14 |
| 5. | "Still Remains" | R. DeLeo, D. DeLeo | 3:33 |
| 6. | "Pretty Penny" | D. DeLeo | 3:42 |
| 7. | "Silvergun Superman" | R. DeLeo, D. DeLeo | 5:16 |
| 8. | "Big Empty" | D. DeLeo | 4:54 |
| 9. | "Unglued" | R. DeLeo, Weiland | 2:34 |
| 10. | "Army Ants" | D. DeLeo | 3:46 |
| 11. | "Kitchenware & Candybars" (see below) | R. DeLeo | 8:06 |
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Total length:
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46:59 | ||
[edit] Notes
The opening of track 3, "Lounge Fly", was used as the theme for MTV News's short MTV News Break segments for several years in the mid-1990s.
Track 11, "Kitchenware & Candybars", contains a hidden track named "My Second Album," which is a parody of most hidden tracks being unorthodox songs that a band wouldn't usually make. The lounge song was performed by Richard Peterson, a musician who happens to be a big fan of Johnny Mathis, hence the reference to Mathis in the song.[7][9]
The Japanese release of this album contains a bonus track "Andy Warhol" as track #12.
[edit] Personnel
- Stone Temple Pilots – design
- Dean DeLeo – electric and acoustic guitars, percussion on track 6, drum ending on track 7
- Robert DeLeo – bass, guitars on tracks 2,3,6,7,11 & percussion on track 6
- Nick DiDia – engineer
- Clay Harper – assistant engineer
- Eric Kretz – percussion, drums
- Paul Leary – ending guitar solo on "Lounge Fly"
- Brendan O'Brien – producer, engineer, mixing, mellotron on "Army Ants"
- Scott Weiland – vocals, percussion on Track 6, guitar on Track 7
- Dale Sizer – illustrations
- Caram Costanzo – assistant engineer
- John Heiden – design
[edit] Charts
[edit] Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | U.S. Billboard 200 | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart | 10 | |
| Australian Albums Chart | 1 | |
| Canadian RPM Albums Chart | 2 |
[edit] End of decade charts
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200[10] | 99 |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "Big Empty" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 3 |
| Modern Rock Tracks | 7 | ||
| Top 40 Mainstream | 40 | ||
| "Interstate Love Song" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 | |
| Modern Rock Tracks | 2 | ||
| Top 40 Mainstream | 22 | ||
| "Vasoline" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 | |
| Modern Rock Tracks | 2 | ||
| "Unglued" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 8 | |
| Modern Rock Tracks | 16 | ||
| 1995 | "Pretty Penny" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 12 |
| Preceded by Ill Communication by Beastie Boys |
Billboard 200 number-one album June 25 - July 15, 1994 |
Succeeded by The Lion King (soundtrack) by Various artists |
| Preceded by The Division Bell by Pink Floyd |
Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album June 26 - July 2, 1994 |
Succeeded by Voodoo Lounge by The Rolling Stones |
[edit] References
- ^ Thomas, Stephen. "Purple - Stone Temple Pilots". AllMusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/purple-r203078. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ Reviewed by David Browne (1994-06-10). "Purple Review | News Reviews and News". EW.com. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,302580,00.html. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ "Stone Temple Pilots - Purple (album review)". Sputnikmusic. 2006-04-13. http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/6216/Stone-Temple-Pilots-Purple/. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
- ^ http://s.dsimg.com/image/R-2718967-1297953608.jpeg
- ^ a b Below Empty - FAQ
- ^ "Stone Temple Pilots - Purple (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. http://www.discogs.com/Stone-Temple-Pilots-Purple/release/2718967. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
- ^ Second coming
- ^ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. http://books.google.co.kr/books?id=9w0EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&lr&rview=1&pg=RA1-PA4#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
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