Oh, you were talking about lyrics. Yea, I'm fine with that claim, but saying they can't write music is ridiculous.
Yes, mostly lyrics, but melodies and composition too. While the DeLeos were amazing at creating music, Scott was able to elevate that music and get the best out of them. I enjoyed Talk Show and AoA, but even their best songs felt like discarded STP tracks.
Also could have been Brendan O'Brien's input as well. Their best music came from time spent with Scott and/or Brendan O'Brien. Musically they weren't the same with other producers, and producing their own STP album was a disaster.
Also, in my opinion everything Scott Weiland created that I consider worth anything was a long time ago.
That's fair, to each their own. But I do listen to Scott's solo stuff, VR, and even the occasional Blaster song more than the few decent songs from AoA and Talk Show combined. Again, to each their own.
I think too many folks here hold Scott up to the Messiah Complex. It's fair to mention that on their best selling record that Eric co-wrote the lyrics to Plush and Robert helped on the lyrics to Creep. It may be also fair to mention that Scott is only as good as the musicians he is with. He only saw true success with STP and Velvet Revolver. I would speculate that much of VR's success had to do with their previous successes of STP/GnR. If they didn't have that name power going in with industry connections I doubt VR would be as successful. Scott without these players had minimal success as a solo artist where, by your definitions, he should have shined because apparently he was the guiding light for everyone. Without STP or huge names like Slash behind him, Scott is about as good as a half empty theatre, as we saw before he died.
GnR was a massive band. It was less about STP's "name power", and more about the music they put out. Speculate all you want, but STP & VR were two massive rock bands and it would be foolish to deny the one thing they had in common. If you're speculating things based on "name power", then how come the Deleo's & Eric could never capitalize on STP's?
The DeLeos failed twice without Scott (three times if you count Chester), and now rather than starting a new band and letting the music speak for itself, they're trying to capitalize on STP's name power one last time as a nostalgia act.
If 'Meadow' is any indication of the future of "STP", then get ready for more failure.
All of the AOA album, but those weren't mega popular, if popularity is what you're after check out Justin Bieber.
I don't know any Justin Bieber songs, but I wouldn't be surprised if he hires better song writers than the DeLeos.
AoA's 'Goodbye' is a good example of what I mean.
The music is good (typical DeLeos side project sound), but would have been better under a different producer, and the words could have been written by a child (instead it took Robert, Dean, AND Patrick to write that.).