Core is the debut studio album by the American rock band Stone Temple Pilots, released by Atlantic Records on September 29, 1992.
[7] Produced by Brendan O'Brien, Core became a massive commercial success, reaching number three on the Billboard 200 by July 1993 and has since been certified 8× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
[10] The album initially received poor reviews despite its commercial success; the band was criticized for allegedly copying the musical style of other alternative acts, particularly Pearl Jam.
In 1985, Scott Weiland and his friends in their band Soi Disant – guitarist Corey Hicock and drummer David Allin – first encountered Robert Deleo playing live at various gigs, deciding to track him down after witnessing his shows.
By 1989, drummer Eric Kretz and DeLeo's older brother who was a guitarist, Dean would join the band, which was renamed Mighty Joe Young.
The band caught the attention of A&R executive Tom Carolan who worked at Atlantic Records during their show at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles on April 1.
There was an innocence, yet a determination with all of us.”[1] When the recording sessions ended, the band named the album Core, which refers to the story of Adam and Eve in the Bible.
[15] Eric Kretz would play on a Yamaha Rock Tour Custom drumset while Dean DeLeo used a 1978 Les Paul Standard.
[16] By August, Core was scheduled to be released and the album had reached the mastering stage when the band's lawyer received word that a blues musician had already claimed the name Mighty Joe Young.
Tracks such as "Dead & Bloated", "Sex Type Thing", "Piece of Pie", and "Crackerman" explored a heavy edge combined with alternative tunings similar to Soundgarden and Alice In Chains, while "Wicked Garden", "Sin", "Creep", and "Plush" shared a jazzy and psychedelic tone within the chord progressions.
[23] The lyrics for "Plush" were written in a hot tub and used a real life story about a woman who was kidnapped and later found dead in the early 90s, which acts as a metaphor for a lost relationship.
Critics accused the band of allegedly stealing the musical sound of other popular alternative rock acts, primarily Pearl Jam.
Deborah Frost of Entertainment Weekly stated that the song was, "Mike Tyson's rape defense transcribed into grunge rock.
Jeremy Clarke of Select also gave a positive review saying, "Core is the real thing - a tough, loaded and listenable set with enough identity to pre-empt accusations of copycat tail-chasing.
[37] During the band's reunion in 2008, Weiland reflected on the initial mixed reviews of Core, saying to Entertainment Weekly, "It was really painful in the beginning because I just assumed that the critics would understand where we were coming from, and that these just weren't dumb rock songs.
"[39] Writing for Classic Rock, Emma Johnston wrote, "STP always encouraged their own hype, so this fully-stocked monument to their introduction to the world is a fitting one.
"[40] The singles "Sex Type Thing", "Wicked Garden", "Creep", and "Plush" continue to be rock radio staples in the United States.
A 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Core which has a remastered version of the album, previously unreleased demos and b-sides, in addition to parts of three live performances from 1993 (Castaic Lake Natural Amphitheater, Reading Festival, and MTV Unplugged) was released on September 29, 2017.