Scott Weiland was a mess of beautiful contradictions. He was an art-rocker stuck in one of arena rock’s biggest bands. He was one of the greatest rock singers in the world, but felt forced to change his style every few years. And, he bravely opted to change, despite the hits keeping the lights on.
I think that Scott Weiland’s talents as a vocalist occasionally get overlooked in the grand scheme of things. I want to play my part. Here are. In my opinion, Weiland’s 10 greatest vocal performances.
Scott Weiland’s 10 Best Vocal Performances
10. ”Plush”
It was an incredible vocal performance and a well-written song. That made everyone who accused Stone Temple Pilots of having ripped them off all the more annoyed and envious. It’s easy cuss out talentless hacks.
Sure, here Weiland is one of the many singers trying to emulate Eddie Vedder’s chesty baritone. But he does a better job than most. Besides, that bridge part, and the way he rises to those softly sung higher register tones is excellent stuff.
9. ”Atlanta”
Scott Weiland was seriously considered for a job replacing Jim Morrison in The Doors. When he had sung with the remaining group members, he’d delivered not just a strong vocal performance, but a swagger he’d accumulated in years of playing to stadium crowds.
On “Atlanta,” Weiland takes his love of Jim Morrison and uses a similarly downtrodden croon over lyrics about falling in love with a kind of Mexican bruja.
8. ”Slither”
Scott Weiland still had star power. He still looked like a rockstar. He had a famous name to boot.
However, on “Slither”, Weiland doesn’t quite sound like the singer of old. He’s mastered his lower register and uses it give a sinister, rumbling sound. And his vocal distortion is controlled, yet sounds as dangerous as ever. Velvet Revolver’s first album was a bigger success than many anticipated.
7. “Kitchenware & Candybars”
It’s painful to say, considering what happened, but I think that part of Weiland was inspired by the hatred with which some in the press treated him.
“Kitchenware & Candybars” is a song about betrayal and about being hounded by the press. It contains some of Weiland’s most emotional and earnest singing.
6. ”Tumble in the Rough”
Originally, Weiland wanted to play in a punk-rock band. What happened? He was a little too good at singing hit rock songs.
“Tumble in the Rough,” however, moves closest to what a punk STP would’ve been like. The verse is, essentially, one chord. But that simplicity is compensated by Weiland’s rolling, quicksilver lines. Excellent!
5. ”Interstate Love Song”
I remember hearing “Interstate Love Song” for the first time. I didn’t yet love STP. I wasn’t much interested in Weiland’s singing.
But it was the sound of his voice, tortured yet controlled, over those oh-so-catchy chords that, ultimately, made me want to find the song and listen to it repeatedly. Simply put, that is a quality reserved for a world-famous singer.
4. ”Big Bang Baby”
Weiland, to his great fortune, also possessed an excellent singing range. Throughout his career we know he could go from a chesty E♭2 to a piercing B5.
He was most comfortable in a lower register, of course. And it was his choices of how to deliver parts that made him unique.
That’s why “Big Bang Baby” with its Bowiesque glam-rock falsetto and undeniably strong groove deserves its mention on the list.
3. ”Set Me Free”
He was supposed to be a washed-up, unemployable former rockstar by the time that Velvet Revolver came calling. However, his first vocal attempt made Slash and Duff McKagan call off any other auditions.
On “Set Me Free”, Weiland delivers an incredible vocal that starts with rumbling bass notes in the verse and climbs to a powerful tenor in the chorus. Fantastic!
2. ”Sour Girl”
What saved Stone Temple Pilots from being dragged down by accusations that they were merely aping groups like Pearl was a sensational level of sophistication. Much of this came from the DeLeo brothers and their musicality.
However, Scott Weiland also played his part. There’s a restraint and a willingness to let silences play their part that makes the singing on “Sour Girl” something that cannot be easily replicated.
1. ”Sex Type Thing”
Many audiences were initially suspicious of Stone Temple Pilots. After all, a great lot of tough-looking simpletons populated alt-rock scenery once Nirvana had made the big time.
That’s why “Sex Type Thing” was misinterpreted by many on the first listen. However, closer inspection reveals a brave, harrowing song about abuse. Weiland doesn’t just roar through it, but plays out the song, bringing theatricality and honesty to grunge. It’s, in my opinion, Scott Weiland’s greatest vocal performance.