Hear Scott Weiland’s Trippy ‘Barbarella’ Demo Ahead of ’12 Bar Blues’ Reissue
A new reissue will provide a deeper look at the late Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland’s first solo album, 12 Bar Blues, with a handful of previously unreleased demos, remixes, and alternate versions of songs. The first bonus track to be released is a demo of “Barbarella,” the album’s lead single, which features a loose, acoustic-leaning arrangement and a few scratch lyrics (the Lost in Space line at the end comes out different.) The song, which shows Weiland’s obsession with Bowie-like sounds circa Hunky Dory, stretches a minute longer than the lush, more psychedelic album version.
The news of the reissue arrives on the album’s 25th anniversary. A limited-edition, double-LP vinyl edition, including three previously unreleased tracks pressed on translucent green and blue vinyl, will arrive on Record Store Day, April 22. A digital deluxe edition will come out on May 12 with eight previously unreleased songs and the original album fully remastered.
More from Rolling Stone
Scott Weiland's Memoir Will Be Adapted Into 'Paper Heart' Film
Flashback: Stone Temple Pilots Play Their Final Gig With Scott Weiland
In addition to the “Barbarella” demo, the bonus material includes “Lazy Divey” and “Chateau Mars,” two tracks that appeared only on promo copies of 12 Bar Blues. (Those three tracks comprise the extras on the vinyl reissue.) The digital reissue will also feature a previously unreleased acoustic version of “Barbarella,” a demo of “Desperation #5,” and alternate mixes of “Barbarella,” “Cool Kiss,” and “Lady Your Roof Brings Me Down” by Daniel Lanois.
Rolling Stone’s review of the album at the time was positive. “12 Bar Blues isn’t really a rock album, or even a pop album,” it said. “Weiland, out on his own, has simply made an honest album – honest in its confusion, ambition, and indulgence. It was worth the risk.” In 2015, shortly before his death, Weiland looked back on 12 Bar Blues and his second solo album, “Happy” in Goloshes, as therapeutic for him, in a Rolling Stone interview. “Those were exploratory art albums,” he said. “I took artistic license to make those records because that’s what I needed to do after being in rock bands.”
12 Bar Blues (Deluxe Edition) track list
1. “Desperation #5”
2. “Barbarella”
3. “About Nothing”
4. “Where’s The Man”
5. “Divider”
6. “Cool Kids”
7. “The Date”
8. “Son”
9. “Jimmy Was A Stimulator”
10. “Lady, Your Roof Brings Me Down”
11. “Mockingbird Girl”
12. “Opposite Octave Reaction”
13. “Barbarella” – Acoustic Version *
14. “Lazy Divey” *
15. “Chateau Mars” *
16. “Barbarella” – Daniel Lanois Mix *
17. “Cool Kiss” – Daniel Lanois Mix *
18. “Lady Your Roof Brings Me Down” – Daniel Lanois Mix *
19. “Barbarella” – Demo Version *
20. “Desperation #5” – Demo Version *
Best of Rolling Stone