I'm not ashamed to admit that hearing Samba Nova for the first time had me choked up. Not because of the lyrics, but the music itself.
Ditto on that - only I was crying hysterically because I'm a psycho-stalker-fan like that. :lol: 
The vocals are incredible. I absolutely LOVE when Weiland makes his voice sound that way. Maybe that's why I was one of the few people that thought SLDD was so wonderful?
I know many people who think Scott sounds great when he actually sings with his true voice, not the raspy one, or the deep one, or the strained one. Most of them are trained singers themselves, who at that point realize how lucky Scott was to be given his pipes. Others that like his true voice are people who don't like hard rock, and are mostly into pop music.
I thought SLDD was amazing. As far as art goes, it's a tough call between that and Tiny Music...Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop. Most people will still go for Core and Purple because they were pretty damn good albums at a time when music was damn good. Plus, radio tells you those are the good albums by playing STT, D&B, PLush, Creep, WG, Crackerman, Vasoline, ILS, BE, and Unglued, and virtually ignoring SLDD and No. 4. Only Trippin... gets any other airtime.
But the media has that control somehow. How is Scott a joke in STP, but all of a sudden cool in VR? I like VR's album, it's a cross between Appetite, 12 Bar Blues, and No. 4, but it is not an STP album. And it's not Appetite either. But its been deemed cool because of the street cred GnR has? Ok.
No one ever wanted to admit what incredible records Tiny Music and SLDD where after STP where burned at the stake for so many years critics, and having so many radio hits despite it. SLDD is art in songwriting, singing, beautiful guitar melodies, bass playing, and of course production (Brendan O'Brien, what a talent). All the while Kretz keeping the beat with as much chameleon capabilites as Weiland. What critic, after calling them the names they had, wanted to admit it (and Tiny Music) were two of the great rock records of the last 14 years?
If Tiny Music had been released in 2002, as one critic pondered, BBB would have topped critics lists for best song of that year, and TM would have been considered album of the year potential. But then again, Core is a hard rock masterpiece, that puts what other people think are end to end great hard rock albums of recent years (Godsmack) to shame. And Dirt came out that same year. Two of the best ever. AIC got lots of critical success over their ability to 'go acoustic', which Godsmack is now getting (which, hey, I kind of like G'Smack, but still), but STP never did? Are you KIDDING ME?
Anyways, off the rant, you are definitely not the only Scott true voice/SLDD fan.
