I believe this album is underrated and often overlooked by rock fans. What I know is that he was at the top of his game when it came to his poetry and vocal delivery, and it’s an attribute of his I miss terribly in today’s music. What we do know is that he claimed to be sober while recording this. I also considered the opening lines, “Lovely disguise / Read between the lines.” Was he lying to us? Was he lying to himself? Is it possible to write lyrics like, “Penguins don’t fly / Crocodiles sometimes smile / I really love to fish / But don’t like superficial people,” if you’re not on drugs? The world may never know. It’s possible he only stopped doing drugs with one specific person. However, it’s the “we,” that’s always thrown me off. He made it a point to repeat, “Even when we used to take,” numerous times, as though he were trying to convince us he was really clean. The chorus read like testimony from Weiland: Its aggressive energy pulled me in instantly. Releasing “Between the Lines” as the first single, and album opener, was a wise move. The sound quality delivered a knockout blow to my senses and remained sharp when turned up to 11 (which is the only way to enjoy it). This album, produced by the powerhouse siblings Robert and Dean DeLeo, showed they were capable of more than just writing catchy tunes and playing their fingers off (as if that wasn’t enough). One thing is certain though- Scott’s legacy, and the music he created with his brothers in STP, will live forever. It’s somewhat somber to reflect on this now, realizing they were making a statement about celebrating life together. The origin of this Persian design stems from the Cypress Tree, which symbolizes life and eternity. The cover, designed by street artist Shepard Fairey, featured a peace sign filled in with paisley style artwork. Although, unfortunately, neither his departure in 2013 nor his passing in 2015 was totally shocking to most people. Little did I know it would be Scott Weiland’s final recording with the band. After nine long years, it was beyond exciting to have a new record from these ’90s rock pioneers in my hands. The record was simply titled, Stone Temple Pilots.