Tiny Music... Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop Review

I'm sorry but who thought this album cover was okay?

Date Of Release: March 26, 1996

Stone Temple Pilots is an American alternative rock band that formed in San Diego, California, 1989. The band's members consist of: (1989 - 2013 Lineup)

• Scott Weiland (Lead Vocals)
• Dean Deleo (Lead Guitarist)
• Robert Deleo (Bassist, Backing Vocals)
• Eric Kretz (Drummer)

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As many of you have already heard me say a million times now. The early 90's was dominated by the Seattle grunge movement. Bands like Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam, were everywhere. Their music videos were constantly being played on MTV, they ruled radio play, and effectively killed glam metal.

However, they weren't the only bands to come out of this movement. There were also bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Mudhoney, Silverchair, L7, and Local H. But the one we'll be taking a look at today, is Stone Temple Pilots.

Stone Temple Pilots at first went under the name Mighty Joe Young, but later renamed themselves after signing with Atlantic Records. Under the new name the band released their debut album Core in 1992. It was a huge hit and catapulted them into fame. They went on to become one of the most successful bands of the 90's. Selling more than 18 million albums in the U.S alone, and 40 million copies worldwide.

While their debut album Core was highly successful it also garnered a lot of criticism from critics and some fans. They argued that the band was hopping on the "Grunge band wagon" and were only in it for the money. Many also said they were ripping off Pearl jam as Scott's vocals on the album sounded a lot like Eddie Vedder's. It wasn't until their 1994 album Purple that STP shut the mouths of their critics. Many praised the album's distinct style and regarded it as one of the best 90's alternative rock albums ever made.

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After the release of Core, STP followed it up with: 1994's Purple, 1996's Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop, 1999's No. 4, and 2001's Shangri-La Dee-Da. After which they disbanded in 2003, all of the band members went on to pursue side projects. They would then reunite for a tour in 2008 and in 2010 released their self titled album.

Sadly however, after a constant battle with drug addiction Scott Weiland would succumb to it and die on December 3, 2015. After his death, STP decided to continue, and for a while had Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington as their lead singer but left in 2015. In 2016, Jeff Gutt would be the brand new vocalist for STP and are still going to this day.

Hearing STP's hit song Plush when I was a kid exposed me to them for the first time. I loved it, however, It wasn't until last year when I started hearing more of their hits like: Interstate Love Song, Creep, and Sex Type Thing.

These songs convinced me to check out their discography (which I'm very happy I did). While their album Purple is my favorite and I could've easily made a review on it. I decided to instead talk about one of their more odd albums, mostly because I've been listening to it heavily these past couple of days.

Scott liked the idea of having each album have its own style and sound. The album we'll be talking about today, Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop is an album filled with variety. It has beautiful ballads, songs in the style of Bossa Nova, and it's fair share of alternative rock songs.

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Songs

Press Play
More of an intro than a song, Press Play does a great job of letting you know what to expect going further. This is a loungey and jazzy instrumental piece. It's very relaxing and mellow, I could totally see this playing at a bar (the classy ones). I really like the atmosphere of this song and kinda wish it was longer.

Pop's Love Suicide
Kickin' things off we have a crunchy guitar riff along with Eric's tight drumming and Robert's awesome bass line. I gotta say the chorus to this song, just straight up catchy and I really enjoy the rolling of the drums. This song feels bouncy and has me swaying along to it. Scott's vocals are strange on this song. You can tell it's different from his vocals on the previous album Purple, yet I love it all the same. An overall enjoyable tune.

This song is a major change in direction from the band's previous two albums. Here they strayed away from grunge and tried being more experimental. This song is all about that, more specifically it's about the glossy, poppy, tone they were messing around with.

Tumble In The Rough
Next on up we have Tumble In The Rough. One thing to give a shout out to is the scratchy guitar riff from Dean. Along with that you have these baby guitar solos weaved throughout the song which are cool to hear. Robert's thick bass line is also fun to listen to, while on the topic. Robert Deleo is a massively underrated bassist in the grunge scene. He has so many good and catchy bass lines. Regardless, the chorus of this song easily gets stuck in your head. Actually this whole album is full of catchy choruses. Once again tying in with them experimenting with the pop sound.

Big Bang Baby
Following it up we have Big Bang Baby. This song is very groovy, it's immediately apparent at the start of the song with the bass and drums being the give aways. The bass line particularly on this song is awesome and funky. A piano is also introduced in this song and adds a nice and fun layer to the song. Scott's vocals are great on here, it's so soft and smooth, yet gets gruff when it needs to. It's like sweet and sour candy. The other instruments compliment his vocals well. The sudden ending is also handled well and is a part I like a lot.

The lyrics to this song were made with no intention of making sense. Scott has said that the chorus to the song is a "loving steal" from the Rolling Stones, specifically the song Jumpin' Jack Flash. The rest of the lyrics are inspired by David Bowie's style of song writing.

Lady Picture Show
This next song is quite possibly my favorite song off the album. This song is just beautiful and catchy. The best way I can describe it is if The Beatles kept making music into the 90's. There's just this dream-like atmosphere to it that I love so much. Scott's vocals are just beautiful on here, especially the way he stretches out his voice at times. I also love how the bass is the main instrument you hear instead of the electric guitar, the bass line is simple but has something about it that makes you feel good. The same goes for the drumming. The electric guitars at times also use a psychedelic pedal to further add to the dreamy mood this song goes for. The guitar solo is also really cool but still manages to sound charming. I just love this song so much.

The lyrics of Lady Picture Show were written at a time when Scott was battling with heroin addiction. But essentially, the song follows the story of a woman who works at a peep show. She has lost herself and her identity because of what she's become. The sad thing is she keeps working there because, "she don't know nothing anymore". Which is a reoccurring lyric throughout the song.

And So I Know
Coming off such a great song we're immediately thrown into another huge highlight of this album. This song. This song right here, is pure beauty. It's so calm and pure, if there was a 10 hour loop of it I wouldn't get bored of it. This song was inspired by Scott and Robert's love of Brazilian Bossa Nova music. The bass is amazing, the acoustic guitar that's brought in is great as well. The xylophone used for this song is a nice touch. It's a hard song to describe, it's better for people to listen to it on their own. The ending is also so smooth and satisfying. Overall a very underrated song from STP.

Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart
After the previous tracks we now have a fast tempo song to keep things fresh. The quick tempo mixed with the empowering feeling this song gives you makes for a great listen. First things first though, that bass line, oh my god, one of the best if not the best bass line made by STP. Eric's drumming on here is tight and punchy. Dean's guitar solo on here is the best out of the whole album. The chorus is very catchy and I often find myself singing along to it. Overall such a jam.

Art School Girl
One of my personal favorites from Tiny Music. Art School Girl is a song filled with a lot of tempo and volume changes. The song starts out with minimal instrumentation. Light percussion, guitar scratches, and bass. Other instruments make their debut here too, like bongo drums, güiros, and keyboards. As soon as the chorus hits however you get assaulted by Scott's yelling and the other instruments going all out in a punchy mannerism. This back and forth makes the song kinda addictive to relisten to. One of the more unique songs off the album.

This song is about Scott's girlfriend before STP was formed. Believe it or not she actually did go to art school, at California Institute of the Arts. Apparently she was also a little crazy, Scott has said that she set his car on fire when he tried to breakup with her. Upon learning about that the chorus to the song suddenly makes more sense.

Adhesive
On to another very much underrated song, Adhesive is just breathtaking. This song is very melancholy yet there's this beauty to it that, frankly, makes me emotional at times when I hear it. The highlight of this song for me is Scott's vocals. This man's voice is able to pierce straight into your soul on this song! The minimal instrumentation and the buildup to the chorus is just plain amazing to hear. Again, Robert's bass line on here is top-notch. I also enjoy the trumpet solo a lot. This is the kinda song you play while at night, looking up at the stars. Like the song And So I Know, it's hard to describe it, you're better off listening to it yourself.

Adhesive is a song about Scott's heroin addiction and how he got to such a low point. Along with that however, it's also about living with bipolar disorder, something Scott delt with. Parts of the lyrics link his bipolar mood swings to the reason why he was using heroin to cope.

Ride The Cliche
An angry and nasty guitar riff comes out of nowhere for this next song. No worries though it mellows out quickly. The main riff for this song is very catchy and fun to hear go all over the place. Actually this whole song is very groovy, especially the bass line. One of the more overlooked songs on the album in my opinion, but still really good.

Daisy
A total shift from the rest of the songs, Daisy has a country air to it. What, with the acoustic guitar and twangy electric guitar being the only instruments featured on this track. which is entirely instrumental. It's pretty repetitive but luckily it doesn't out stay it's welcome. It's a nice break from our journey.

Seven Caged Tigers
The final song off the album, Seven Caged Tigers stands the test of time. It doesn't sound dated at all and that goes for the rest of the album. This song reminds me of a lot of indie rock that's made nowadays. This song is mellow and pretty loungey, it doesn't go absolutely wild and that's okay. I particularly enjoy the guitar solo and bass line on here. Scott also sings in a much more quiet and smooth tone that makes this song feel like the end. Overall a great song to end the album on, especially with that outro.

You can't make a lot of sense out of the lyrics, they appear to be random. My guess is Scott wrote this song when he was bored and threw words around to match the melody to his liking. Which isn't bad by any means.

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Final Thoughts
To wrap things up. Tiny Music is such an enjoyable album. There's a ton of variety, something for everybody and I love it for that reason. Just about every song on this album is extremely solid. Even if STP reverted back to their grunge sound on their next album No. 4, I'm truly happy this album was made. It's a work of art really.

That being said I recommend you guys to give this album a shot if you're into alternative rock, or really if you're at all interested. I'm sure you'll find something you'll like and who knows, maybe you'll become a fan.

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If I Had To Rate It Out Of 10: 10/10

My Personal Favorite Songs:

• Press Play
• Pop's Love Suicide
• Big Bang Baby
• Lady Picture Show
• And So I Know
• Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart
• Art School Girl
• Adhesive

Songs I Disliked:

• None!

For Those Interested In Checking It Out Here's A Preview Song: