It finally happened. STP’s sophomore masterpiece has finally gotten the remaster it deserves. Initially it was the bands lowest bit recording in their catalog. Which made the mix sound a little out of place on a playlist. But finally, the 24 bit remaster makes the album pop out of the speakers like it really should. Not only that, but the remaster comes with plenty of tasty extras. Including a full length concert from New Haven, CT on the massive ‘Purple’ tour. STP did it right.
The first disc is the remaster of the album. And it finally sounds like a mix that keeps up with say, ‘NO. 4,’ which is my personal favorite STP album. ‘Meatplow’ and ‘Silvergun Superman’ have never sounded so heavy. And on the other side of the coin, ‘Big Empty’ and ‘Interstate Love Song’ have never sounded so intimate. Out of all their albums, ‘Purple’ was the one that needed a remaster the most. And even though the record came out a few months earlier than the remaster release, the band still got it done.
The second disc contains outtakes and rarities from the album: Demos, early versions and acoustic versions are all available for hardcore fans to take a deep dive. It’s really cool hearing primitive, raw versions of ‘Unglued’ and ‘Army Ants.’ The live acoustic material is hair raising. ‘Kitchenware & Candybars’ is pure magic. Along with the spacey ‘Pretty Penny.’ And the crowd is in it! In many ways, this was the last great era of hard rock. It still exists and is out there, but not with tens of thousands attending a concert.
But the true highlight of the deluxe remaster is the full, plugged in set from New Haven, CT. It’s STP in their absolute prime. The best songs from ‘Core’ and ‘Purple’ are played. With the exception of ‘Wicked Garden,’ ‘Piece of Pie’ and ‘Sin.’ Man, if those tracks were in the set I think the universe would explode. Either way though, there’s some great moments. ‘Meatplow’ is super phat and heavy. For sure my favorite version of the the song. STP open the set perfectly with their signature ‘Vasoline’ before ripping into a two ton weighted version of ‘Silvergun Superman.’ What’s great about the attached live album is that it sounds excellent! Sometimes when bands attach live material to a remaster it sounds really bootlegged and unclean. This set sounds like an official live album. Which is extremely welcome because STP have never released a full, live audio document. It makes the price of admission worth it.
Overall it’s a tremendous remaster. The album itself has never sounded better and the bonus material is top notch. If you’re a fan of Stone Temple Pilots, get this remaster.
