Sunday, 13 November 2022

Scott Weiland - The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year


6 WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!

Buy the updated 2022 version of The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year here (Amazon)

Stone Temple Pilots frontman, Scott Weiland, sadly passed away in 2015 but like so many great performers, his legacy lives on in his music that has delighted millions. In 2011, he released an album solely dedicated to Christmas music - a tribute to the crooners and melodic storytellers who had influenced his earliest musical adventures.  The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year contained 10 of the most indelible, much loved Christmas classics from across the year - performed with such deferential reverence to the source material that it was not only a testament to the singers who originally performed the songs but a genuine celebration of Scott's love for the season. To celebrate a full decade of this album, a deluxe edition has been released - adding some unreleased music to the joyful and triumphant tracklisting that has kept me entertained for years...

The song from which the album title was derived, It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year, is a brilliant example of what made the festive project such a joy. I often think a holiday opus can be a liberating experience for an artist - and this certainly seemed to free Scott from the expectation of sound he was expected to deliver via Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver and Art of Anarchy. The lush, orchestral arrangements and deliciously expressive vocals demonstrated on this song portrayed Mr Weiland in a whole new light; he seems gleefully at ease with the shimmering backing vocals and crescendo of the orchestra as the song twinkles along. It is a relief that the new addition to the album are just as capable of making the listener feel merry and bright...
  • Happy Xmas (War is Over) ~ the new addition to the deluxe edition comes via the John Lennon classic. It remains supremely disappointing that the world still needs such an anthem - yet the lyrics remain as relevant as ever when you consider the situation happening in the Ukraine. It is a fairly traditional take on the song, yet Scott's voice manages to inject it with a nuanced delivery - balancing the weariness with the indomitable human ability to always hope for better. Jingling bells and a shuffling percussion swathes the singing in a gentle glow as it slowly builds into a convivial chorus that will keep you happy right through to New Year. Listening to the clarity of the emotion, it's hard to believe Scott is no longer with us but, as always, he lives on through his music. Beautifully done. 
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