| 12 Bar Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 31, 1998 (1998-03-31) | |||
| Recorded | Scott's house, Foxy Dead Girl, Royaltone, Oceanway, The Village, and Master Control | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 58:51 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Blair Lamb | |||
| Scott Weiland chronology | ||||
| ||||
12 Bar Blues is the debut solo album fromScott Weiland and produced by Blair Lamb. Scott was a founding member and singer forStone Temple Pilots.12 Bar Blues's sound and style differ greatly from STP's previous releases. The design concept of the cover is a homage to the cover design ofJohn Coltrane'sBlue Train album. The album title comes from the simplechord progression known as "twelve-bar blues".
A 25th anniversary vinyl limited pressing (7,500) was offered by Rhino Records for a specialRecord Store Day release on April 22, 2023.
In a 1998 interview onMTV's120 Minutes, Weiland states that his then brother-in-law introduced him to Blair Lamb, who recorded and produced12 Bar Blues with Weiland acting as co-producer.[1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Robert Christgau |  [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[4] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10[5] |
| Rolling Stone |  [6] |
| Spin | 7/10[7] |
Released in 1998 onAtlantic Records, the album was not a commercial success, selling only 90,000 copies in the United States by June 1998.[8]
The album received positive reviews. In a retrospective review,Stephen Thomas Erlewine ofAllMusic declared that "12 Bar Blues is an unpredictable, carnivalesque record confirming that Weiland was the visionary behind STP's sound. He's fascinated by sound, piling on layers of shredded guitars, drum loops, and keyboards, making sure that each song sounds drastically different from its predecessor."[9]David Fricke ofRolling Stone awarded the album 3.5 out of 5 stars and declared that "12 Bar Blues isn't really arock album, or even apop album. Weiland, out on his own, has simply made an honest album – honest in its confusion, ambition and indulgence. It was worth the risk." but also remarked that "Maybe it's a little early for Scott Weiland to be going the solo way."[10]Pitchfork Media stated upon its release that "12 Bar Blues is easily the most innovative album Weiland has ever produced for public consumption,"[11] whileEntertainment Weekly wrote that "the LP's sheer invention and hooks will make your indulgence worthwhile."[4]
All tracks are written by Scott Weiland, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Desperation #5" | 4:03 | |
| 2. | "Barbarella" |
| 6:25 |
| 3. | "Lazy Divey" | 4:54 | |
| 4. | "About Nothing" |
| 4:50 |
| 5. | "Where's The Man" | 5:12 | |
| 6. | "Divider" |
| 4:23 |
| 7. | "Cool Kiss" | 4:57 | |
| 8. | "The Date" | 5:21 | |
| 9. | "Son" |
| 5:03 |
| 10. | "Jimmy Was A Stimulator" | 4:01 | |
| 11. | "Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down" |
| 5:26 |
| 12. | "Mockingbird Girl" |
| 5:03 |
| 13. | "Opposite Octave Reaction" | 4:26 | |
| Total length: | 1:04:04 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Barbarella" (Acoustic Version) |
| 6:06 |
| 14. | "Lazy Divey" | 4:54 | |
| 15. | "Chateau Mars" | 2:11 | |
| 16. | "Barbarella" (Demo) |
| 7:37 |
| 17. | "Desperation #5" (Demo) | 4:52 |
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| USBillboard 200[15] | 42 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[16] | 47 |
Additionally, "Barbarella" peaked at 194 on theUK Singles Chart[17]
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[18] | 26 |
| Solo albums |
|
|---|---|
| Cover albums | |
| Solo singles | |
