Stone Temple Pilots: Tiny Music…

If great art is inherently polarizing, then Stone Temple Pilots' Tiny Music...Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop might just be their greatest achievement. Twenty-nine years after shocking critics and fans alike with their radical departure from grunge orthodoxy, Mobile Fidelity's 2025 reissue proves this album deserves every ounce of its hard-won reputation as a creative masterwork.

The Album That Broke the Mold

Released March 26, 1996, Tiny Music found Stone Temple Pilots at a crossroads. Following the massive success of Core and Purple, Scott Weiland's substance abuse issues had nearly derailed the band. The DeLeo brothers and Eric Kretz had written roughly 30 songs during his absence, some destined for their side project Talk Show. When the band reconvened at Westerly Ranch in Santa Ynez, California, they faced a crucial decision: evolve or repeat themselves.

They chose evolution in the most dramatic way possible. Gone was the gruff, Eddie Vedder-influenced baritone of Core. In its place emerged a raspy, mid-range sneer lifted from Bowie and Jagger, complete with bubblegum falsetto harmonies. The band's sound expanded into a smart blend of glam rock, psychedelia, jangle pop, and other related styles that left critics scrambling to categorize them.

From the Rhodes piano-driven instrumental "Press Play" to the bossa nova swing of "And So I Know," *Tiny Music* showcased a band unafraid to take exhilarating creative risks. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and all three singles—"Big Bang Baby," "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart," and "Lady Picture Show"—reached the top of the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

Technical Execution: MoFi's Mixed Bag

Mobile Fidelity's approach here follows their familiar template: sourced from the original analog tapes, this numbered 180g 45 RPM 2LP set employs a 1/2" / 30 IPS analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe chain. Pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing and housed in a gatefold Stoughton jacket, the physical presentation meets MoFi's typical standards.

However, collector reactions prove decidedly mixed. "It's like I've never heard this record before," raves one enthusiast, praising the soundstage and separation that reveals buried harmonies and instrumental details. The 45 RPM treatment does provide benefits, particularly in dynamic range and clarity on complex arrangements like "Big Bang Baby" and "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart."

But dissenting voices carry equal weight. One collector found the pressing "muddy and overblown," noting it's "very heavy on the mids and bass, while the treble is left to fend for itself." Guitar textures, crucial to the album's appeal, reportedly lose definition in favor of a "soupy, swampy texture." Some quality control issues surface too—premature fade-out cuts and label misprints suggest inconsistent manufacturing standards.

The Sound of Evolution

For us, we experienced a similar mixed bag. When Tiny Music works on this pressing, it truly soars. The opener "Press Play" benefits from the expanded frequency response, while "Pop's Love Suicide" and "Tumble in the Rough" showcase the band's newfound speed and ease with previously unattained clarity. Weiland's vocal performances—arguably his career best—gain depth and nuance, particularly on the melancholic "Lady Picture Show."

The album's genre-hopping ambition becomes more apparent in high fidelity. "Art School Girlfriend" fuses British post-punk with jazz, "Adhesive" ventures into prototypical indie rock with Miles Davis-inspired trumpet solos, and the Zeppelin-esque "Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart" reveals layers of orchestration recorded on the ranch's front lawn.

The Vinyl Verdict

This MoFi pressing divides collectors for good reason. When it works—revealing hidden harmonies, expanding soundstages, and showcasing the album's sonic ambition—it justifies the premium price. When it doesn't, the muddy mid-range and occasionally overblown presentation make earlier pressings more appealing.

For Stone Temple Pilots completists and fans of this specific album, the pressing offers enough improvement to warrant consideration, particularly for complex tracks like "Big Bang Baby" and "And So I Know." However, those seeking their first copy might consider the Music on Vinyl pressing as a more balanced alternative.

Tiny Music...Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop remains Stone Temple Pilots' creative peak—a fearless album that expanded rock's possibilities during a conservative era. This MoFi pressing, despite its inconsistencies, allows listeners to hear that ambition with enhanced clarity. Just ensure your expectations align with its particular sonic signature. 💵

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