Allo, allo, allo. Another new feature. Yes I know, I could be reviewing albums and new singles like a normal (successful) blogger but hey, I don't feel like it today. I feel like doing this, its an idea I had. You know what I hate on a lot of music websites? "Rate the albums" articles. Albums are so interchangeable for each listener, one man's masterpiece is another man's overrated crap sandwich. SO, I decided to talk about band's who have those kind of discographies that faults are hard to pick at and generally just give a background to each outing and why they might be enjoyed, not why the others are better or worse. A perfect run of albums is incredibly rare and deserves much more commending than a band with that "one classic" *coughFRANZFERDINANDcough*.
But yeah, kicking this series of articles into gear are a band most (apart from the painfully ignorant) can't help but be in love with, Queens Of The Stone Age. Josh Homme's desert stoner rockers are a force like no other, instantly recognisable and immediately (and widely) adored. Formed from the remains of 90s stoner rock/metal quartet Kyuss (if you're unaware check them out, easily one of the most exciting 90s alt bands), Queens of The Stone Age came to life with Homme who released the EP Gamma Ray before recruiting past Kyuss drummer Alfredo Hernandez in writing a full length LP. And thus, this delectable discography was born.
Queens Of The Stone Age (1998)
The bands debut album is an important album to any QOTSA fan, the seeds sewn by this record were incredibly influential to the growth of both the band and so many musicians of the future, the start of something big. And before the 2011 reissue it was a rare item in any format, only designated to those cheeky enough to torrent it (guilty). The debut from the Cali-stoner rockers is a mean record that saw Josh Homme embrace a groovier side he couldn't carry out in Kyuss. Opening 3 tracks "Regular John", "Avon" and "If Only" are a fearsome force, the perfect introduction to this record. Raw, groovy and sexy, its an album Josh Homme still prides for not being "a bad haircut record", further tracks "Mexicola" and fan favourite "You Can't Quit Me Baby" often still included in QOTSA sets of the present.
Rated R (2000)
Rated R (2000)
Two years later and Homme was back with the band's sophomore album and their first real breakthrough, particularly in the UK. Rated R, the band's first release on major label Interscope Records, was aptly titled with continuous references to drugs and sex that earned the band their stoner rock tag. Album opener "Feel Good Hit Of The Summer" featured verses listing the narcotics "Nicotine, Valium, Vicodin, Marijuana, Ecstasy and Alcohol" and a repeated chorus of "C-C-C-C-C-Cocaine" and single "Monsters In The Parasol" was influenced by Homme's first experiences with Acid on a cruise ship with his childhood friend. Lead single "The Lost Art Of Telling A Secret" is a particular highlight that in turn provided the band with their first experience of regular airplay.
The record was also the first to feature vocals from others than Homme. Bassist Nick Oliveri, former member of Kyuss and QOTSA bassist since the touring of the first record, took vocal duties on the violently vehement numbers "Auto Pilot", "Quick And To The Pointless" and "Tension Head". It was Mark Lanegan of Screaming Trees fame however that stole the show taking vocal duties on "In The Fade", with a hauntingly bass driven track including the spooky delayed guitar effects the band would use extensively throughout their career. The more daring and spooky side of the band came to fruition in the form of the ensnaring darkness of "Better Living Through Chemistry" and album closer "I Think I Lost My Headache",an 8 minute epic (ending in a trumpet orgy) both characterising later sounds of QOTSA records in both length and sinister atmosphere. With Rated R, the band developed the platform they needed to amaze people. If you didn't already know, they used it wisely.
Songs For The Deaf (2002)
Songs For The Deaf, a record everyone must own. If you don't, I'm sorry but I don't have a lot of musical respect for you. It's not only the band's most popular record but by far their biggest statement of a record (so far at least...). The thing most unique about SFTD is the strange concept and theme that is carried out, an album of car radio. We are introduced to album opener "You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire" by a slamming car door and intro from 'KLON Radio' who 'play the songs that sound more like everyone else... than anyone else'. A riff and drums combo sets the atmosphere before the song explodes to life as Oliveri screams your lug holes off.
Attention came in the form of Foo Fighter's Dave Grohl taking the drum seat for the majority of the album. "A Song For The Dead", "First It Giveth", "A Song For The Deaf" and the prolific "No One Knows" are examples of Grohl's characteristic ability to make a small drum kit sound like a never ending bombardment. Mark Lanegan once again returned to administer his signature growl on 4 songs, most notably the rollocking brilliance of "God Is On The Radio" and the title track "A Song For The Deaf". Collaborators were in full flow as guitarist Alain Johannes and his keyboardist wife Natasha Shneider made their first appearances on QOTSA records, Johannes even getting co-writing credits on the menacingly rhythmic "Hanging Tree".
It is of course Homme though who deserves the greatest amount of credit on Songs For The Deaf. Being the main songwriter you have to realise that this album's sound was purely his creation. Whilst the instrumentality is paramount to SFTD's success, Homme's guitar/vocals included, it cant beat the fact that the man penned these songs. The fierce waltz of "The Sky Is Fallin", the Spanish influenced beats of "First It Giveth" and the epic and threatening vibes of "God Is On The Radio" and "A Song For The Deaf". Not forgetting two of the biggest and most popular rock singles of the 21st Century (or EVER) in "Go With The Flow" and the forever loved "No One Knows". The latter of which seemingly exploding overnight, taking Queens Of The Stone Age from the level of "Oh y'know that band with the song about drugs" to full fledged rock royalty. No longer "Ginger Elvis", with Songs For The Deaf, Homme became his own man.
Lullabies To Paralyze (2005)
After a band releases arguably the "masterpiece" album of their career, they must find themselves in a level of musical paralysis. You can't emulate it or you'll lose lots of fans, you can't stray too far from it or you'll lose lots of fans. However, if QOTSA's fourth outing Lullabies To Paralyze can be credited with something amazing, its a lesson in how to follow your "masterpiece" with style.
Something that perhaps worked in Homme's favour this time round was the significant change of line-up. In 2004, Nick Oliveri, bassist/screamer/songwriter of 6 years was promptly fired from the band for "disrespect to the group's fans and excessive partying" though Homme later revealed it being because of Oliveri's disturbingly abusive behaviour towards his own girlfriend. This would also prove to be the last album to feature Mark Lanegan (heard on the eery opening number "Lullaby" with backing vocals provided elsewhere) as the singer decided to spend time with his own band. Dave Grohl of course went back to the Foo Fighters leaving the remaining members of the quartet of Songs For The Deaf era left at Homme alone. The replacements drafted in however proved to be of good stock with guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen of A Perfect Circle and ex-Danzig drummer Joey Castillo earning places after their touring of Songs For The Deaf.
The change in line up certainly affected the sound of the group creating a darker, spookier sound than the band's previous outings with gothic artwork to boot. Lead single "Little Sister" created a suitably sinister atmosphere with a snarling bassy guitar riff and continuous jam block driven drums (NOT A COWBELL - as any drummer will tell you) making it an instant hit in the rock charts. Further single "In My Head" was another chart friendly rock hit ensnaring listeners with a driving guitar line that came from Homme's infamous "Desert Sessions". Singles aside, the pairing of "Medication" and "Everybody Knows That You're Insane" is an insanely intense experience whilst hauntingly epic numbers the band had made their trademark were not lost in the burning fury of "Someone's In The Wolf" and "The Blood Is Love". Though the album was met with a less warm reception than Songs For The Deaf, it is a fantastic record and a favourite of many fans. Homme stated relating to the former album "it would have been easy to make Songs for the Deaf 2, which is basically all I heard in my own head. But I can't do that. You've got to shake all that shit away". Lullabies is certainly a different beast to its predecessor, but as dedicated fans know, its still a monster to be reckoned with.
Era Vulgaris (2007)
2 years on from Lullabies To Paralyze and Queens Of The Stone Age found themselves somewhere they'd not been in a while, out of the limelight. Indeed, I myself (15 years old at the time of release) was for reasons unknown shocked to see the band were back. There had been no hype surrounding the band's fifth album Era Vulgaris and it showed as opening week sales in the US were the lowest they'd been since Rated R. Johannes and Shneider were replaced by bassist Michael Shuman and keyboardist Dean Fertita (who had filled those roles on tour), due to the latter's diagnosis with cancer that tragically took her life in 2008. Though Shuman and Fertita appeared to be part of the new line up, they did not feature on the record that was once again primarily the work of Homme, Van Leeuwen and Castillo. The album was a concept that, like Songs For The Deaf, was influenced by a drive in Homme's car. Whilst SFTD was a desert record, Era Vulgaris portrayed the darkly enjoyable sides of modern lifestyles Homme had witnessed in the city of Los Angeles, primarily in Hollywood. The result came in a more crunchy and electronic influenced album (though still instrumental) that Homme would later describe as "Robot Rock".
Album opener "Turning Of The Screw" set the scene with viciously corroding percussion and a sharp, unruly guitar riff turning Homme from a roots rock purist to the role of a mad scientist, his voice drenched in echoey spookiness. This was expanded further on tracks like the groovy "I'm Designer", the turbulent booming of "Misfit Love" and the orgy of industrial noise that is "River In The Road". Lead single "Sick, Sick, Sick" was equally volatile with a monotonous riff paired with robotic synth guitar (supplied by Julian Casablancas of Strokes fame) and Homme's harsh vocal and lusty lyrics "A lick of the lips and a grip on your hips". Further singles "3's and 7's" and "Make It Wit Chu" were well received, the former providing a more charmingly classic QOTSA-esque riff and the latter being possibly the sexiest song ever written (move over Marvin Gaye) that also initially came from Homme's celebrated "Desert Sessions".
Critically and commercially the album was semi-successful compared to past efforts with some believing the band to be 'past their best'. This, at least in my opinion, was certainly not the case and it was a shame to see the press and some fans not appreciate the progression of the group. Era Vulgaris was and is an excellently unique album that has won more appreciation in time than any of QOTSA's previous efforts.
Those 6 years & ...Like Clockwork
So there we have it, Queens Of The Stone Age's fantastic and forever adored back catalogue... or at least so far. Yes this post is timed specifically well (or badly, depending on your outlook) as the band set to release their long awaited 6th album ...Like Clockwork. There being a six year gap between it and Era Vulgaris, people once again seem to be buzzing with excitement. Not that Homme hasn't been busy, with supergroup Them Crooked Vultures in 2009, he was tested to new realms of genre and style and with the backing members of Dave Grohl and Nirvana's John Paul Jones, its easy to see why Homme was eager to spend time away from QOTSA to try something new. Homme again worked with Grohl on the latter's Sound City: Real To Reel soundtrack. Further new experiences came in 2009 when Homme found himself behind the producers chair for Arctic Monkeys' third album Humbug, arguably the Sheffield band's darkest record and a favourite of many. Queens' themselves weren't totally inactive either with reissues of the band's first two records and tours in support of them.
However, six years is a long time for any band to go without releasing any new material, even for a highly established act. "...Like Clockwork" has people itching for it's release and this time the fans are definitely eager. With an advertising campaign of promo videos like no other, and the news that Dave Grohl returned to the drum seat for over half the songs much drool has been expended (by myself included). In fact, collaborators come in bunches with confirmed contributions from ex-members Nick Oliveri and Mark Lanegan and further appearances from Trent Reznor, Alex Turner and Sir Elton John... no I'm not kidding! Joey Castillo, though appearing partly on the album, has departed the band replaced by ex-Mars Volta sticksman Jon Theodore (also credited with drumming on the LP) who already is proving to be a worthy replacement (though I will miss the "Sexy Mexy"). Single "My God Is The Sun", a rollocking waltzing track that brings Songs For The Deaf to mind which is promising to any QOTSA fan. With further sessions of songs like "If I Had A Tail" and "I Sat By The Ocean" causing a frenzy of excitement its safe to say ...Like Clockwork will be a definitive record of 2013.
So why didn't I wait until ...Like Clockwork came out before making this discography? Well you didn't think I was going to let myself cram a tiny review on the end of this did you. No, I promise to you (and myself!) a full review will be posted on this blog the week of it's release.
So, if you made it this far, thanks for reading! Its a long post I know but I did enjoy writing it and I hope people will enjoy reading it. Should it be regular? You tell me. Love it? Hate it? Feel free to say. There are a few other artists I could write within the same title so either way you can expect me to repeat it. Now though I'll give your eyes a rest and your ears a treat with a career spanning playlist of 30 of my personal favourite QOTSA tracks from every album. Enjoy and til next time!
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