Shangri-La Dee Da

Shangri-La Dee Da
Studio album by Stone Temple Pilots
Released	June 19, 2001
Recorded	2000
Genre	Alternative rock, hard rock, psychedelic rock
Length	47:25
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Brendan O'Brien
Stone Temple Pilots chronology
No. 4 (1999) Shangri-La Dee Da (2001) Stone Temple Pilots (2010)
Singles from Shangri-La Dee Da
"Days of the Week" Released: January 1, 2001 "Hollywood B**ch" Released: September 3, 2001

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	(72/100) [1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	C+ [3]
Mojo	[1]
NME	(6/10) [4]
PopMatters	[1][5]
Q	[1]
Rolling Stone	[6]
Yahoo! Music UK	[7]

Shangri-La Dee Da is the fifth studio album by Stone Temple Pilots. It was produced by Brendan O'Brien and released on June 19, 2001, by Atlantic Records.

Overview

Shangri-La Dee Da was originally planned to be a double album dedicated to the memory of Andrew Wood, but the concept was vetoed by Atlantic Records. While recording the album, the band also worked on a documentary and coffee table book. Neither was released, however, and limited footage was made available through the band's official website in the form of live performance-based music videos. Shangri-La Dee Da, although being certified Gold by the RIAA and the CRIA, was a commercial disappointment for the band after the success of their first four albums.

Planned double album

In late 2000, lead singer Scott Weiland said that the band planned to record a double album. Shortly after work got underway, bassist Robert DeLeo said that goal looked realistic, stating:

"Scott's in a space right now where we're not cramming to just get a single record done — he's in a space where I think a double record is possible."

The band's label, Atlantic, was hesitant about the idea and the band eventually conceded.

Documentary and coffee table book

Chapman Baehler filmed a behind-the-scenes documentary as the band recorded the LP in their beach villa-turned-recording studio. According to Baehler, the documentary set out to be like a modern-day version of the 1970 Beatles documentary Let It Be. The film follows the band through preproduction and hammering out new songs to putting the tunes down on tape. Baehler explained that the documentary included beautiful and moody shots with either Dean or Robert playing an old organ in a secluded wing of the villa, Robert and Scott playing "Wonderful" acoustically, and some "totally awesome rock-out live stuff" in the main recording space.

An established rock photographer who had shot STP for years, Baehler was already working with the band on a coffee-table book when they approached him about the documentary. The project was Baehler's first venture into filmmaking; all of the footage was shot by him and his sister, Rebecca Baehler. The film and the book were planned for release in late 2001.^[8]

Live Performances

Most of the album's songs were seldom performed live, with the album's most successful song "Days of the Week" only being performed at a handful of dates on the supporting tour for the album. However, the album's second single "Hollywood Bitch" has become a staple of the band's live set ever since their 2008 reunion. In 2011, the song "Black Again" was added to STP's set list and was performed for the majority of the tour. "Bi-Polar Bear" was also performed occasionally after the band reunited.

Appearances in other media

• A live version of "Long Way Home" appears on some foreign copies of the band's 2003 Greatest Hits album Thank You.
• A live version of "Wonderful" appears on the The Family Values 2001 Tour Compilation Disc featuring future STP frontman Chester Bennington.

Track listing

All lyrics written by Scott Weiland.

Personnel

• Scott Weiland – vocals, keyboards (tracks 2,8,9)
• Dean DeLeo – guitars
• Robert DeLeo – bass, percussion (tracks 4,5, 7), guitar (tracks 4,5), acoustic guitar (tracks 5,7,12), keyboards (tracks 5,7), piano (track 6), autoharp (track 10), electric sitar (track 11)
• Eric Kretz – drums, percussion (tracks 4,9,10,12), keyboards (track 5), banjo (track 10)

Additional personnel

• Brendan O'Brien – producer, mixing, keyboards (tracks 2,6,7,10), percussion (tracks 2,4,8,11)
• Nick DiDia – recording engineer
• Doug Grean – engineer
• Billy Bowers – engineer
• Karl Egsieker – recording, mixing
• Ryan Williams – mixing
• Bob Ludwig – mastering
• Erin Haley, Cheryl Mondello – production coordinators
• Gregory Sylvester – art direction
• Chapman Baehler – art direction, photography

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)

References

External links

• Shangri-La Dee Da at Metacritic