In which a band that couldn't catch a break finally just said "fuck it" and went, inspiringly, for broke. Tiny Music…Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop has a ridiculous title, and sounds strikingly different from the two highly successful albums that preceded it. All of the swampiness drained out of Dean DeLeo's guitar tone, leaving a high, bright attack, and Weiland shelved his man-rock yarling, letting his voice go high and fey until it bore a startling resemblance to Def Leppard's Joe Elliott. The result was unapologetically flouncy, absurdly high sugar content glam-pop. The move was oddly daring: Having been criticized for the first half of their career for sounding too much like others, they now risked being shunned for not sounding enough like themselves.

The opening triumvirate of "Pop's Love Suicide," "Tumble in the Rough" and "Big Bang Baby" left behind "I'm half the man I used to be" laments for a silver lamé suit, a shimmying backbeat, and high backing harmonies smeared thick with mascara. Weiland, in particular, shines, finally having found a style to distance himself, once and for all, from Eddie Vedder. After this concerted blast of hormonal energy, the album drifted apart, into straight Badfinger… read more »