SCOTT WEILAND Vinyl Records and CDs

As you would expect from anyone struggling to free himself from the inner hells of substance abuse, Scott Weiland's solo work is an exercise in catharsis. Fortunately for listeners, it is no mere banquet of self pity, nor does it sound like the creative death rattle of an addict. In fact, Twelve Bar Blues is far more adventurous than anything Stone Temple Pilots ever ventured. With the assistance of production giant Daniel Lanois, Weiland created a studio-intensive pastiche of spaced-out beats, smash-and-grab guitar riffs, and slick, Thin White Duke synths. I've-come-for-Grunge fans will no doubt feel ostracized by this album, but anyone giving it an objective listen will be forced to agree that it was well worth that risk. While Weiland gives vent to his pain here, he also displays an avid lyrical imagination and a pop refinement that saves the album from turning into (yawn) a woe-is-me plaint from yet another drug-addled rock star.