Scott Weiland’s second solo disc, “Happy in Galoshes,” hits stores November 25th! And you can read my review in Elmore Magazine….maybe.

Frankly, I haven’t had a chance to listen to the disc yet. Why, you ask? Because I tried to check it out three times and was denied by the disc.

The advanced copy I received was a bootleg-ish burnt copy with an FBI Anti-Piracy warning plastered all over it, along with other impending threats pertaining to my eventual consumption of the STP singer’s tunes. All normal at this point. Little did I know from first glance that the discs (deluxe 2-disc edition available with bonus goodies) were watermarked and copy protected!  To sum, “This CD has been protected…with a unique identification code that allows us to trace any unauthorized copies or usage to the intended recipient,” and blah blah blah.

Long story short – I can’t listen to this disc in my car, on my MacBook, in my video game console, or in my DVD player. It will play in some standard CD players.

Wow, thanks for the convenient options Team Weiland!

I really hate when the industry tries to tell me, the consumer, how and where I should listen to music. I get the fact that you don’t want it to leak. I get that you don’t want me copying it for friends. Honestly, I would’ve respected the fact that the disc wasn’t released yet anyways and really didn’t need these hurdles curtailing my enjoyment of this disc. The fact that I’ve tried to listen to it three times with no success bothers me so much that I neither want to listen to it at this point, nor want to give it free press telling thousands of people that they should buy the record.  It’s such a slap in the face.

Listen, this ain’t no “Chinese Democracy,” of which, actions such as these would totally be deemed necessary. (I mean…have you even heard his first effort, “12 Bar Blues”?) Once November 25th hits, the flood gates will be released and all those torrent downloaders are getting this shit for free anyways, should they choose to take that route. Do you really need to give me, a small-time journalist who only wants to rave about Weiland, all of this trouble?

Go ahead. Leave me comments about how stealing music is wrong, and how Weiland and his label own it and can do whatever they want with it. You can also tell me that this is normal for advanced copies and that I don’t have enough experience to know so. And why don’t you add that I’m being obnoxious because I received a copy free of charge (a copy that is utterly useless to me). Condescend me if you want, I don’t care. It doesn’t make the situation any less bullshit.

If you think I’m being over dramatic, I ask you this one simple question: How can I review the record if I can’t even listen to it?

It’s time for record companies to wake up. THEY missed the boat on controlling the digital age of music and that is THEIR fault.

Now it’s off to find a damn CD player that will actually play this thing. Yanno…maybe.