Joss Stone Temple Pilots

by Walter Price

90’s inarticulately labeled ‘grunge’ and one of my faves rock powerhouse Stone Temple Pilots have had a weird history to say it nicely. With a good portion of its legacy centering around what the hell is going on/wrong with former vocalist Scott Weiland today and some subsequent legal this and that’s, name calling, accusation and then the hiring and recent ´parting ways with Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington…It is enough to make you throw-up a little over your cheese platter.

I’ll skip most of all that and start with Bennington, whom I have spoken with in the past and seems to be a nice dude a great vocalist with real rock n roll in his blood but let’s face it…The EP his version of STP released, High Rise, was just, well…what goes wrong when two worlds collide. I wanted and tried to dig on it and although technically all the professional elements were there it just didn’t do it for me but hell, it was worth a go.

This is now and Bennington sent out this little diddy on the STP website, “The last few years have been an amazing experience. I got to create and perform with one of the greatest rock bands of our generation, that had so much influence on me growing up. With the amount of time STP deserves, in addition to being in Linkin Park, and with the needs of my family, one of them always seems to fall short. Going in to this, the four of us… Robert, Eric, Dean and myself knew what we were up against. We decided in due fairness to friends, fans and the legacy of STP that it needs more than time was allowing me. And in all fairness to my bandmates in Linkin Park, as well as to myself and to my family, I’m going to focus solely on Linkin Park so I can contribute 100%. It’s been an amazing experience and a dream come true, and I look forward to the future of both STP and Linkin Park.’

Ahhh, sweet and good luck Chester!

Now, here is where my decades in music are going to come into play and the DeLeo brothers (and Eric) will certainly take notice.

I just watched the band on Jimmy Kimmel’s weekly (I think weekly) feature Mashups and this week he had Joss Stone and STP join forced for the far too easy to imagine Joss Stone Temple Pilots for a new and possibly better version of “Interstate Love Song”. Although the sound was a bit wonky as it is when he has bands play the inside stage you could feel the sense of something grand was taking place. First off, over time some may forget what a damn good track it is in all facets of the term. The lyrics rock slow long distance love problems and the words lay and submerg from time to time in one of the best orchestrated compositions of the modern rock era. Most notably the weeping and stark opening guitar work…gets me every single time. Legend.

Add the beautiful and mesmerizing soulful voice of Joss Stine to the new version you may start to ask “Weiland and Bennington whooooo?!”. I feel it like a modern Big Brother & The Holding Company colliding with the now. I love it.

So, STP, get a deal done and return to making some real rock n roll with a voice that comes from a woman, an artist who has taken extreme measures to protect her music legacy because she believes in the soul of music and make a record! Don’t even change the band’s Kimmel appearance name, there is enough quirky and straight forwardness to please the masses.

No need to thank me later…but if you must you know where to find me.

*I do not own the images in the amazing collage I put together in hast for this article…if you do let me know and I will credit accordingly.