I've never been a particular fan of STP. Back when they first came along, they sounded too much like Pearl Jam, and though I've listened to them enough to acknowledge their talent, like I say I wasn't a huge fan. Then came Scott Weiland's solo album, 12 Bar Blues. This made me into a fan, and also made me quite disappointed by Four, the STP album that followed Weiland's solo excursion.

Weiland's battles with rehab are well-documented, but Shargri-La Dee Da proves his undeniable gifts, not only as a songwriter, but as the ultimate chameleon. You can be listening to this new STP effort and totally forget which disc is in the player. Shangri-La takes the listener into all of the best realms of STP and Weilands solo work--effectively meshing the two into a terrific mixture of styles and textures that offer tastes of everyone from Led Zeppelin to Faith No More. This is definitely one you should go buy--it's one of the year's best.