Stone Temple Pilots is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Stone Temple Pilots. The album was released between May 21 and May 27, 2010 worldwide, and is the band's first album since 2001's Shangri-La Dee Da. The album is the result of the band's reunion, which occurred in April 2008 with their North American tour. After Stone Temple Pilots had begun playing together, the band decided to record again, but a lawsuit filed by Atlantic Records on June 12, 2008, made the sixth album an uncertainty. Atlantic eventually withdrew the lawsuit, and the band's attorney called the legal situation a "misunderstanding". The album is also the band's final release with the full original lineup, as vocalist Scott Weiland was dismissed from Stone Temple Pilots in 2013, and died in 2015. It is also their last to be released through Atlantic, as well as their last album for eight years until the release of their self-titled 2018 album.
Robert DeLeo, against Atlantic Records' wishes, insisted that he and his brother Dean DeLeo produce the record themselves, which began production in early 2009. Because recording took place during breaks in the band's touring schedule, production took nearly ten months to complete. Three studios were used simultaneously, including Robert's home studio and Eric Kretz's Bomb Shelter Studios. Scott Weiland recorded vocals at his own Lavish Studios. Don Was came in as an additional producer to help keep the band's separate recording sessions in sync, as well as to work closely with Weiland during the recording of his vocals. The album was completed in December 2009, and mixing and mastering were finished by February 2010.
The album received generally favorable reviews. Most critics agreed that Stone Temple Pilots was heavily inspired by country and rock music from the 1960s and 1970s. The band confirmed these assertions and that lyricists like Bob Dylan, and guitarists like Speedy West and Brad Whitford were influences. The album was promoted during the band's performances at music festivals and headlining concerts, as well as in interviews with music websites and magazines, including Billboard and Spin, and radio and television talk shows. "Between the Lines" was the first single, released on March 22. The second single, "Take a Load Off" and the promotional single, "Cinnamon", were released later in the year. Stone Temple Pilots sold 62,000 copies in its first week and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200.
Background After separating in 2002, Stone Temple Pilots reunited in April 2008 for a 75-date North American tour. Scott Weiland would hear new material from Robert and Dean DeLeo while the band performed sound checks during the tour, but he would not collaborate in the songwriting process until he was through promoting his solo album, "Happy" in Galoshes.
Despite the band's intent, a future album from the group was uncertain. On June 12, 2008, Atlantic Records filed a lawsuit against Weiland and Eric Kretz, claiming the two had threatened to terminate their contract unless changes were made. Stone Temple Pilots had delivered six albums (five studio records and the compilation, Thank You) and Atlantic wanted a seventh album with an option for two more. In a statement made by email, the band said they were surprised and disappointed by the lawsuit.
Stone Temple Pilots stressed that a new album would be recorded as long as both parties in the lawsuit acted in good faith, but in November 2008, Weiland would comment, "I was told, and I was told for years, that we were free from Atlantic.... I have no interest in making a record for a major label." Weiland expressed interest in exploring distribution options after the band's reformation. Commenting on his idea, he said, "[O]ther bands, they make more money doing things in an unconventional fashion as opposed to doing it... with the major labels." Dean was curious about Weiland's idea but was aware that the band was contractually obligated to release two more albums. Increasing the uncertainty in the future of a new album, Weiland added, "I'm proud of everything we've written. But to make another record would mean another couple of years of my life dedicated to that, and I just don't know if that's where I see myself going."
The band's attorney, Gary Stiffelman, clarified that the complaint was a result of a "misunderstanding" during contract negotiations, and a representative for Atlantic stated the lawsuit had been voluntarily dismissed. The final negotiation details between Atlantic and the band remain unknown. Weiland later clarified, "I didn't want to record for Atlantic because I didn't know anybody there anymore, except for Craig Kallman. Since then I've gotten to know Craig much better, and I've gotten to know the Atlantic staff pretty extensively."
Recording a new album was, according to Robert, a "natural progression" after the band began playing together again. "The thing that kind of introduces us back together is all those memories of the songs, and once you start playing those songs... it always takes us back to... 18 years now. It can take us back to our past and think about where we were when we were writing these songs, and that's a bond, I think, [that] will always keep us together as four people.... It just progressed into, 'Maybe it's time to make a new record.
Production Stone Temple Pilots marks the first time Robert and Dean have written together since Army of Anyone's only release in 2006 and also their first album to not feature their longtime producer Brendan O'Brien; some of Dean's contributions date from this period, but "Dare If You Dare" was written while Talk Show was touring. Robert and Dean began writing new material by November 2008, but, except for clips played during the tour sound checks, Weiland would not hear anything new until after February 2009. The recording process took place over a period of ten months, due largely to the band's touring schedule, but the majority of actual studio time was spent experimenting with different instruments and miking techniques. Pre-production for the album took place at Kretz's Bomb Shelter Studios and consisted mainly of Dean, Robert, and Kretz sifting through musical ideas.
Robert insisted, against Atlantic Records' initial wishes, that he and Dean produce the album together. This freed the band from the constraints of any outside producer's schedule. The recording process could then be intertwined with tour dates, which, Dean said, resulted in improved performances on the record. Dean admitted they had been spoiled by working with producer Brendan O'Brien on previous releases. "I'm not so good at walking around the control room with a pen and clipboard in my hands, marking down what takes are the best. It's a lot of work. But I like being the very best I can be, and when you're producing, you are taking on everyone's performances and wanting it to be the best it can be."
The DeLeos often worked off each other when writing the songs. Robert's primary instrument for composing was the bass, and Dean complimented his achievements: "It's probably easier to tell a story through a piano or a guitar, but when [someone] can tell a story with a bass, that's pretty remarkable." Robert recognized the important roles each of the band members played in bringing his songs to life:
CDs were submitted to Weiland containing music in completed demo form, including scratch melodies, which Weiland had the option to use or discard. Dean did not mind when his melodies were not accepted by Weiland. "[W]hen I write a song, I know what I want it to be melodically. But Scott always... knocks my melodies out of the water." Weiland worked on the lyrics using these demo arrangements, often making suggestions for musical phrases to be doubled or moved. Weiland was credited for the lyrical melodies, but Robert pointed out, "This record was made in a way that Scott wasn't really there for the creation of these songs, musically." However, both Dean and Robert would be surprised at the direction Weiland would take the songs, which could have been composed with an entirely different vision. Robert found this to be a strength within the band. "People always have this misconception that a band all need to think alike... [There are] so many different ways of looking at songs and [how they're] put together, and that's really the beauty of a great band".
Working as an additional producer, Don Was helped keep Weiland's and the rest of the band's separate recording sessions in sync by bringing them together to perform live. When the band performed together, they would do so acoustically, so each member could hear the nuances of the songs. Weiland credited Was for helping the band learn how to play together again. Was also worked closely with Weiland during the recording of the vocals.
By June 2009, the band had written eighteen songs, twelve of which were planned to be released on the album, with B-sides for Japan, the United Kingdom, and Europe selected from the remaining songs. Recording began in early 2009, at times taking place in three studios simultaneously. Bass lines and overdubs were recorded at Homefry Studio, located in the basement of Robert's house. The majority of "Cinnamon" and "First Kiss on Mars", including drums, were recorded in Robert's home studio. Dean's guitars were recorded at Kretz's Bomb Shelter Studios, and Weiland's vocals were recorded at his Lavish Studios. By early December, nine songs had been finished, and the entire record was completed later that month. Mixing began in January 2010 with Chris Lord-Alge, and mastering for the album was completed in February by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound. Robert described the overall feel of the album as having a " '60s vibe." Though previous albums explored new sounds, Weiland acknowledged that the new album would be a "back-to-basics rock record."
In a retrospective interview in 2017, Robert DeLeo commented that he would "never want to make a record like that again", referring to how the songwriting and recording process with the DeLeos and Kretz was kept separate from Weiland and referred to the initial vocal takes as "not satisfactory...we were doing four different versions of [the songs] to figure out what key is the best" because of communication difficulties between both parties.
Composition The music on Stone Temple Pilots was influenced by various styles, most notably country music and 1960s and 1970s rock. Various amps and vintage guitars from Dean's and Robert's personal collections were used to produce the desired sounds. Dean's guitars included two 1970s Gibson Les Pauls, a 1956 Stratocaster, three Telecasters dating between 1965 and 1966, and a 1960s double-cut Danelectro. An assortment of amps were used, including 10-, 15-, and 20-watt Valco speakers and late 1960s 18- and 20-watt Marshall combos. Robert recorded the bass lines to "First Kiss on Mars" with a 1950s six-string Danelectro Longhorn bass, and Weiland used Robert's collection of vintage microphones for some of his vocals. Dean exclaimed, "Most bands do a retro thing and apologize for it. We're unapologetically retro here. That was the whole idea!"
Leading up to the recording process, Dean had been listening to country, drawing inspiration from 1960s guitarists like Jimmy Bryant, Speedy West, Hank Garland, Pete Drake, Hank Snow and Aerosmith's Brad Whitford. Songs like "Hickory Dichotomy" gave Weiland and Kretz a "Down South" and "swampy kind of feeling". Although it was recorded in standard tuning, "Hickory Dichotomy" features a slide guitar solo performed in open G. Both "Cinnamon" and "Maver" were recorded with a Telecaster set up for Nashville tuning, and Dean described "First Kiss on Mars" as having a "down-home country kind of feel", but noted Weiland's influence on the song: "That title takes it to this whole other plateau."