"High Rise" Poll & Reviews

[Five Star Edge]

Found this in a article about 'grunge':

http://www.avclub.com/articles/did-grunge-really-matter,105354/

There’s one more morsel of grunge nostalgia that’s appeared recently: Stone Temple Pilots’ High Rise. The EP is the group’s first release of new music in three years, and instead of founding frontman Scott Weiland, it features Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington on vocals. It’s fucking awful. As bad as it is, though, it’s a perfect example of what grunge became, and what grunge remains: a hedged bet, a compromise, and—circa 2013—little more than a museum exhibit.

[ShaneC]

http://www.avclub.com/articles/did-grunge-really-matter,105354/



I don't think High Rise is great, at all, but it's not "fucking awful". That's just an opinion, and this writer sounds like a music snob turd, anyway.

I never considered STP grunge. Grunge was a Seattle thing, and even those bands disliked that term.

Its Rock N Roll, just listen to whatever you like.


Also, I used the term "music snob turd" above. Its a first for me, but I like it.

[Pingfah]

Now there is a writer who is utterly obsessed with labels and fashions. He has completely missed the point that all of these bands he is talking about are just musicians doing their thing, being labelled and compartmentalised by boundlessly unimaginative robots such as himself.

[EyesOfDisarray]

Now there is a writer who is utterly obsessed with labels and fashions. He has completely missed the point that all of these bands he is talking about are just musicians doing their thing, being labelled and compartmentalised by boundlessly unimaginative robots such as himself.

I think if you asked STP in 1992 or today what genre or sub genre they consider themselves, they would probably say the same thing: rock and roll. That's the only label that needs to be used.

All the other labels are pointless. Whenever I read music critics throwing around all these labels and sub genres, I just think they are using them to try to sound proficient in something musical as a means of compensation for lack of any real musical ability or knowledge.

[John]

Very nice explanation, John. Thank you!

I know this had been discussed before, but now that there are some experts in the room, how do you guys feel about the production quality of High Rise and S/T versus the Brendan-produced releases?

This is generally an unfair debate.  Nobody can know what it would have sounded like with Brendan at the helm.  I find it interesting that whenever these debates come up, Army of Anyone and Talk Show don't often come up as well. 

If you want to isolate the production, it'd make more sense to compare High Rise to Lightning Bolt by Pearl Jam (and the last record Brendan produced).  In general they're both fairly "dry" albums.  It's the style these days.  Brendan is never going to produce an album that sounds like Core, or Purple, or Tiny Music, or No. 4, etc.  They're each time capsules of their respective era/time/style/technology/etc. 

Technically speaking I think High Rise SOUNDS pretty good.  Everyone is clear.  Sound spectrum is good.  Stereo field is good.  If I had to pick some negatives I'd say the drums lack a bit of punch, and quite frankly I think Eric's playing on this album is a bit boring (especially in the chorus of Cry Cry).  I think that some of Chester's vocals are a bit over-compressed (especially in Out of Time).  Overall the guitars and bass sit well with me. 

[EyesOfDisarray]

John, I see what you mean and that makes sense comparing it to Lightning Bolt. I listened to them side-by-side a little, and personally, I feel the songs on Lightning Bolt sound more "cohesive." In other words, when I listen to High Rise and S/T, the parts of each song sound a little too separated for me -- almost like I can visualize each song being pieced together in Pro Tools. They don't sound 100% convincing as four guys playing together in a room. And I'm not accounting for the little extras and overdubs that are layered in, but with those things aside, I still feel STP's self-produced efforts lack a bit of realism in that sense. That is the one difference I notice between STP's self-produced stuff and the Brendan-produced stuff. Perhaps it has more to do with how they were mastered than whether Brendan was involved or not. Do you guys hear what I'm talking about or no?


By the way, this observation is a very minor thing. I still think both High Rise and S/T sound really great overall. Just curious if anyone else hears what I'm hearing, especially anyone with experience in the audio field.

[DankoJones]

Not sure if its just the nature if the song but it seems OOT is louder than the rest

[John]

Perhaps it has more to do with how they were mastered than whether Brendan was involved or not. Do you guys hear what I'm talking about or no?

I know what you mean.  If I had to attribute it to any one thing, I'd say it's that the Deleo's like using channel delays more than reverb to get stereo depth.  It makes everything "cleaner", but as a side effect, it can't also makes things a bit less cohesive.

[Five Star Edge]

Seems like High Rise matches S/T in terms of loudness:
 
S/T:  http://www.dr.loudness-war.info/details.php?id=16105
 
High Rise:  http://www.dr.loudness-war.info/details.php?id=47829
 

[MAJOR METAL]

I wonder if STP has been trying to cut down on costs by producing and recording on their own. I do hope Brendan comes back into the picture for the LP. 

[DankoJones]

Seems like High Rise matches S/T in terms of loudness:
 
S/T:  http://www.dr.loudness-war.info/details.php?id=16105
 
High Rise:  http://www.dr.loudness-war.info/details.php?id=47829
 

I dont get those charts

[John]

This is much less of a mastering issue and much more of a mixing/"production" issue. 

[StoneTempleBrett]

Love Brendan but I thought Libertad was mixed/produced pretty poorly.

[Pingfah]

Really? I think it is a huge improvement over Contraband, which was just a rasping brick wall of sound.

[Slither]

Really? I think it is a huge improvement over Contraband, which was just a rasping brick wall of sound.

Agreed. I view Contraband and Libertad like I view Songs for the Deaf and Like Clockwork. Songs is obviously the more highly-revered album, and straight ahead rocker, much like Contraband. But the production on Like Clockwork, or Libertad in VR's case, makes the album much more interesting, and less one-dimensional. You would never get a song like Gravedancer on Contraband (or Kalopsia on Songs for the Deaf).