a day full of breakdowns
#4. stone temple pilots - purple
renee comments occasionally about different places, movies, sounds, music, conversations, etc. that bring back memories for her. the phenomenon is a rarity for me; however since her brain is normal and mine is severely damaged, i would assume these circumstances are appropriate.
this disc is possibly the strongest diviner of memories from my tv-and-video-game-addled-mind. it resuscitates much of my high school years - sailing; weekend campouts; riding in the trunk of jesse's sundance; feeling socially alienated, intellectually mediocre, and physically inadequate; bowling; and the waffle house.
(this is especially true of vasoline, conjuring visions of white-shirted men dancing around wearing towels as capes)
i think the memories, slightly more than the music, make this my #4. not to say that the songwriting isn't clever or deep, or that didn't scratch a particular itch for me at the time i first heard it. the tracks are very good, the deleo brothers pouring out brooding, beautiful guitar, weiland haunting and thoughtful. this was the first grunge disc i heard that sounded as if it had a soul. meatplow, lounge fly, still remains, silvergun, they spoke longing with a subtlety that i hadn't heard before. listen to big empty as they sway between the bluesy slide riffs and the distortion-drenched chorus.
and interstate love song, few tracks so instantly put a smile on my face.
strangely enough, while i love this disc, their other albums don't resonate so much with me. core is a bit too average-grunge-band; tiny music, while my second fave of theirs, it hit-or-miss quality; number four and shangri-la are just boring.
i love the lyrics to still remains, a song that seems like it would work just as well read as a poem.
our bed we live, our bed we sleep
making love and I become you
flesh is warm with naked feet
stabbing thorns and you become me
she holds my hand we share a laugh,
slipping orange blossom breezes
love is still and sweat remains
a cherished gift, unselfish feeling
she tells me things, i listen well
drink the wine and save the water
skin is smooth, I steal a glance
dragon flies are gliding over
i'd beg for you, you know i'd beg for you
pick a song and sing a yellow nectarine
take a bath, i'll drink the water that you leave
if you should die before me ask if you can bring a friend
pick a flower, hold your breath and drift away
This album reminds me of 2 things:
1) Learning what Brian was actually like and becoming solid friends with him
2) Breaking out of my shell and singing in front of hundreds of people for the first time ever.
Both are milestones in my life, and that coupled with the quality songs (including the sweet hidden track) easily place this in the top 5 on my all time list. I need to find a place to buy this album again since I lost it.
This was probably my favorite album in high school. There's really not much more I can say about it. I played it almost everyday. So often that it was scratched all to hell within 6 months.
Vasoline was also the themesong for Here To Save You From A Camp That Bites Man. Ahhh... memories from the Stortz basement.
Good times.
I can't even being to tell you how many times I listened to that album while staring at ET in the Lancer.