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Purple

 
Album Review: Purple
 

Review

Really fine big band orchestra performs composed material by creative straight man Ken Schaphorst. The Lawrence University jazz studies director has gathered a killer lineup of musicians and found ways to showcase nearly all of them. Clarinetist Doug Yates solos through "With You, Then Without," leading the small orchestra with a clear, tightly corded tone. John Medeski's soloing is ear-grabbing on "Subterranean" and features strong support from a tightly swelling horn section, including an impressive showcase of the bass trombone by Dave Taylor. The title track makes room for an Uri Caine piano solo that is breathtaking as it ebbs and rushes into beauty and balladry. The very clean mixing and production could wipe the life out of most recordings, but the musicianship on Purple keeps the material well out of the purely film-score realm. ~ Joslyn Layne, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Uprising Ken Schaphorst Ken Schaphorst Big Band (12:38)
With You, Then Without Ken Schaphorst Ken Schaphorst Big Band (7:11)
Blues Almighty Ken Schaphorst Ken Schaphorst Big Band (8:11)
Jobim Ken Schaphorst Ken Schaphorst Big Band (7:36)
Subterranean Ken Schaphorst Ken Schaphorst Big Band (9:22)
Purple Ken Schaphorst Ken Schaphorst Big Band (6:10)
Bats Ken Schaphorst Ken Schaphorst Big Band (5:03)
My Island Ken Schaphorst Ken Schaphorst Big Band (7:05)
Bounce Ken Schaphorst Ken Schaphorst Big Band (8:48)

Credits

Ken Schaphorst (Main Performer), David Taylor (Trombone (Bass)), Seamus Blake (Saxello), Jay Brandford (Clarinet), Jay Brandford (Sax (Alto)), Uri Caine (Piano), John Carlson (Trumpet), John Carlson (Flugelhorn), Andy Gravish (Trumpet), Andy Gravish (Flugelhorn), Drew Gress (Bass), Jamey Haddad (Percussion), Jamey Haddad (Drums), Andy Laster (Clarinet), Andy Laster (Sax (Baritone)), John Medeski (Organ (Hammond)), John Medeski (Piano (Electric)), John Medeski (Clavinet), Doug Yates (Clarinet), Doug Yates (Clarinet (Bass)), Doug Yates (Sax (Alto)), Dave Ballou (Trumpet), Dave Ballou (Flugelhorn), Donny McCaslin (Sax (Tenor)), Brad Shepik (Guitar), Cuong Vu (Trumpet), Cuong Vu (Flugelhorn), Josh Roseman (Trombone), Ken Schaphorst Big Band (Performer), Curtis Hasselbring (Trombone), Chris Creswell (Trombone (Bass)), Dane Richeson (Percussion), Dane Richeson (Drums)
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Wikipedia: Purple (album)
Top
Purple
Purple cover
Studio album by Stone Temple Pilots
Released June 7, 1994
Recorded 1993–1994
Genre Grunge
Length 46:57
Label Atlantic
Producer Brendan O'Brien
Professional reviews
Stone Temple Pilots chronology
Core
(1992)
Purple
(1994)
Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop
(1996)
Singles from Purple
  1. "Big Empty"
    Released: 1994
  2. "Vasoline"
    Released: 1994
  3. "Interstate Love Song"
    Released: 1994
  4. "Unglued"
    Released: 1994 (promo only)
  5. "Pretty Penny"
    Released: 1995 (promo only)

Purple is the second album released by the American alternative rock band Stone Temple Pilots, on June 7, 1994 on Atlantic Records. It spawned three singles—"Big Empty", "Vasoline", and "Interstate Love Song"—and two promotional singles ("Pretty Penny" and "Unglued"). The album was a big success for the band, debuting at #1 (and staying there for 3 weeks - longer than any stay at the top of the charts for contemporaries Nirvana, Pearl Jam or Alice in Chains) and being certified 6× platinum. In 2006, the album was ranked number 73 on Guitar World magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitar albums of all time. [1]

Contents

History

The lyric "she said she'd be my woman, she said she'd be my man" from "Lounge Fly" also appears on the Mighty Joe Young Demo in the song "Spanish Flies".

The band debuted the first single, "Big Empty", at their MTV Unplugged performance acoustically. The song would later appear on the soundtrack to The Crow.

The Crow soundtrack (featuring Stone Temple Pilots) reached number 1 and a couple of weeks later Purple reached the top of the charts. In 1994, Stone Temple Pilots appeared on two number 1 albums.


Title

The album title, "Purple," is written as a Chinese character on the cover, and nowhere else on the packaging (including along the spine). When asked about the title in an interview, Scott Weiland replied "It's my favorite color. It's the color of bruises."

Artwork

On the cover of the cassette version of Purple, the child is holding the Chinese letter (which means "purple") in his hand, and it is not in the corner. There are two pressings of the actual disc in Purple CDs. One version has flowers on it and another has dragon scales.[3]

Track listing

# Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Meatplow"   Robert DeLeo, Dean DeLeo, Scott Weiland 3:37
2. "Vasoline"   R. DeLeo, D. DeLeo, Weiland, Eric Kretz 2:56
3. "Lounge Fly"   R. DeLeo, Weiland 5:18
4. "Interstate Love Song"   R. DeLeo, Weiland 3:14
5. "Still Remains"   R. DeLeo, D. DeLeo, Weiland 3:33
6. "Pretty Penny"   D. DeLeo, Weiland 3:42
7. "Silvergun Superman"   R. DeLeo, D. DeLeo, Weiland 5:16
8. "Big Empty"   D. DeLeo, Weiland 4:54
9. "Unglued"   R. DeLeo, Weiland 2:35
10. "Army Ants"   D. DeLeo, Weiland 3:46
11. "Kitchenware & Candybars" (see below) R. DeLeo, Weiland 8:07

Notes

Track 11, "Kitchenware & Candybars", contains a hidden track named "My Second Album," which is a parody of most hidden tracks being unorthodox songs that a band wouldn't usually make. The lounge song was performed by Richard Peterson, a musician who happens to be a big fan of Johnny Mathis, hence the reference to Mathis in the song.[2]

The Compact Disc version of the album is listed for sale as "12 Gracious Melodies" at the CD Universe online store website[4].

Personnel

  • Stone Temple Pilots – design
  • Dean DeLeo – acoustic guitar, percussion, drums, electric guitar
  • Robert DeLeo – bass, guitar, percussion
  • Nick DiDia – engineer
  • Clay Harper – assistant engineer
  • Eric Kretz – percussion, drums
  • Paul Leary – ending guitar solo on "Lounge Fly"
  • Brendan O'Brien – producer, engineer, mixing, mellotron on "Army Ants"
  • Scott Weiland – vocals, percussion, guitar
  • Dale Sizer – illustrations
  • Caram Costanzo – assistant engineer
  • John Heiden – design

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1994 The Billboard 200 1
1994 UK Albums Chart 10
1994 Australian Albums Chart 1

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1994 "Big Empty" Mainstream Rock Tracks 3
1994 "Big Empty" Modern Rock Tracks 7
1994 "Big Empty" Top 40 Mainstream 40
1994 "Interstate Love Song" Mainstream Rock Tracks 1
1994 "Interstate Love Song" Modern Rock Tracks 2
1994 "Interstate Love Song" Top 40 Mainstream 22
1994 "Vasoline" Mainstream Rock Tracks 1
1994 "Vasoline" Modern Rock Tracks 2
1994 "Unglued" Mainstream Rock Tracks 8
1994 "Unglued" Modern Rock Tracks 16
1995 "Pretty Penny" Mainstream Rock Tracks 12

References

Preceded by
Ill Communication by Beastie Boys
Billboard 200 number-one album
June 25 - July 15, 1994
Succeeded by
The Lion King (soundtrack)
by Various artists
Preceded by
The Division Bell by Pink Floyd
Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
June 26 - July 2, 1994
Succeeded by
Voodoo Lounge by The Rolling Stones

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Purple (album)" Read more