That Guy from Linkin Park Sings for STP Now

The thing about Stone Temple Pilots is that they rock. Hard. And STP does so while remaining eminently radio-friendly. In fact, "Interstate Love Song" proved to be the most oft-played song throughout the entire decade of the 1990s. Though they first appeared under the guise of "grunge rock," Stone Temple Pilots managed to pull out from under it pretty quickly with anthemic rock ballads like "Creep" and "Plush" but also had hits with pretty hard-rocking fare such as "Dead & Bloated" and "Vaseline."

STP was more than just stripped-down rock and roll, dirty bluejeans, and crippling heroin addictions. Like Jane's Addiction, their music had a more thematic and theatrical approach though, again, they kept it reigned-in enough to appeal to a much larger audience than many similar acts. Their music, look, and act was reminiscent of the glam rock bands of the 1970s and early '80s - only without all the make-up and hairspray - it was hard rock with a daring, androgynous edge that appealed to people of all walks of life.

Unfortunately, Scott Weiland's personal problems, especially with drugs, interfered with the band's ability to produce and play live and several times throughout the years, it seemed that STP had called it quits only to emerge with yet another album. But while 1996's Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop was their most accomplished outing, their star had begun to fade even by then.

A few years later (or about this time, I don't know) a band called Linkin Park began its meteoric rise to mid-level fame. A kind of rap/rock hybrid that was basically what one might, if one were so inclined, call Post-Industrial with a mainstream bent, Linkin Park was a pretty big hit with all of the contemporaries with whom I had little to nothing in common. And while it is my sole personal opinion that they blew elderly raptors of any kind, I carry some weight in this regard.

So when the Brothers DeLeo announced that Linkin Park's singer, Chester Bennington, would be replacing Scott Weiland, fans almost resoundingly said, "Nope." However, the band released some early footage of practices with the singer and they weren't bad -- at all -- he wasn't bad, at all. Like I said elsewhere, I'd rather hear Stone Temple Pilots without Scott Weiland than not hear Stone Temple Pilots at all. And, as far as replacements go, they could have done much worse.

The following videos, released through AlternativeNation, were taken from the new lineup's first public appearance. You'll notice Bennington begins with an almost pitch-perfect impression of Weiland that peters-out pretty quickly and, by the third song, he is leaning heavily on his own throaty wail to carry the track. Still, he has to be given some room to make these songs his own and he is simply not as strong a singer as Weiland. I certainly would not mind hearing an edgier voice in new STP songs, as the music has always been (almost) as heavy as it is catchy, and Bennington can carry a tune.

The most interesting thing, however, is the middle portion of the set in which Bennington takes on the band's signature tunes starting with "Big Empty" then leading into "Sour Girl" and continuing through "Interstate Love Song." These are the biggest hits of the band's discography and Bennington pulls them off, even if he can be seen repeatedly looking to his accompaniment as if to say, "Hey! I did it!" Relax, Chester, it'll get better - and, with a lot of lemon juice and honey (and maybe a few voice lessons) - even easier. While he is nervous and reserved about his vocal performance, he maintains a level of energy and excitement that makes you want to see him succeed. I think that will translate well into the type of crowd-pleasing antics a good frontman needs once he feels more accepted by the fans.

All in all, haters gonna hate and masturbators gonna 'bate, so I'm staying down with the STP and the rest of you can go 'bate over there --- - - -- - >

[PS: The author/poster of this selection of videos notes that his academic accomplishments make him "better then you." Heh. I'm going to go on record as disputing that.]

© C Harris Lynn, 2013