While the surviving DeLeo brothers were heavily involved in the remastering process, the shadow of late frontman Scott Weiland looms over the release. In the included interview, Dean DeLeo notes: “Scott was a hurricane during Purple. Chaotic, brilliant, and untouchable. When you hear these demos, you hear him figuring it out in real-time. That’s the magic.”
The set notably omits any outtakes featuring Weiland’s later solo work or the controversial 2015 reunion recordings, keeping the focus strictly on the 1993–1994 era.
You might ask: Why buy the physical or high-res digital version when the album is on Spotify?
The answer lies in dynamic range. Streaming services compress the life out of "Unglued." The remastered Super Deluxe release allows the song to actually be unglued—the clipping is gone, the distortion feels intentional, and the silence between notes (specifically the drop in "Vasoline") hits like a gut punch. Furthermore, the box set includes a 60-page hardcover book featuring unpublished photos by David LaChapelle and liner notes from surviving members Robert and Dean DeLeo reflecting on the loss of Weiland. Stone Temple Pilots - Purple -Super Deluxe- Rem...
The core of the set is, of course, the album itself. Using high-resolution 192kHz/24-bit transfers from the original analog tapes, the remastering job repairs decades of compressed CD transfers. "Lounge Fly" sounds cavernous; "Silvergun Superman" hits with a martial urgency previously masked by tape hiss. For audiophiles, this is the definitive way to hear the album.
For the die-hard fans, the crown jewel of this box set is the inclusion of the previously unreleased show from the Fox Theatre in Stockton, California. This was STP at their most feral.
Hearing "Vasoline" live in this fidelity reminds you that while the DeLeo brothers were studio perfectionists, on stage, they were a lethal weapon. The late, great Scott Weiland is in rare form here—swaggering, crooning, and snarling. The inclusion of the hidden track "Second Album" (a biting, sarcastic response to their critics) played live is a wonderful piece of history restored. While the surviving DeLeo brothers were heavily involved
What does Stone Temple Pilots - Purple - Super Deluxe - Remastered mean in the context of modern rock? In an era of Tik-Tok sped-up songs and AI-generated playlists, this album stands as a monument to human imperfection. Weiland’s slurred vowels, the Dean DeLeo’s bent strings slightly out of tune, the rhythm section locking in like a jazz combo—none of this can be replicated.
The Super Deluxe edition reminds us that Purple was never a grunge album. It was a classic rock album disguised in flannel. The remaster brings out the 70s influences (Aerosmith, David Bowie, The Doors) that were always hiding beneath the fuzz.
To understand the value of this Super Deluxe edition, one must first acknowledge the weight of the original album. Purple is a sonic outlier. While Core (1992) was a blunt force instrument of post-grunge aggression, Purple showcased evolution. Tracks like "Vasoline" featured a droning, hypnotic riff; "Interstate Love Song" became the defining ode to tour burnout; and "Big Empty" hinted at the cinematic storytelling Scott Weiland would perfect. When you hear these demos, you hear him
However, the original 1994 mixes always felt slightly constrained by the era's "loudness war" limitations. The new remastered audio in this Super Deluxe set rectifies that. Brendan O’Brien’s original production now breathes with a wider stereo field. The low-end on Robert DeLeo’s bass—particularly on "Pretty Penny"—is finally given the vinyl warmth it deserves, while Dean DeLeo’s treble-heavy jangle cuts through without harshness.
For the superfan, the contents are staggering. Beyond a brand-new remaster of the original album from the original analog tapes (overseen by producer Brendan O’Brien), the set includes: