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Queens Of The Stone Age
Rampant personnel changes are usually a sign a group's best days are behind them as original members either abandon ship over creative differences or seek other, better opportunities. Few groups make consistent personnel changes their chief operating procedure. One group that has successfully shifted members, around guitarist/singer Josh Homme, is Queens Of The Stone Age.
Following the '95 demise of his band Kyuss, Homme began recording with a number of Seattle based musicians including Soundgarden's Matt Cameron and Dinosaur Jr.'s Mike Johnson. This loose collection released a number of EPs as Gamma Ray. Homme then reunited with ex-Kyuss drummer Alfredo Hernandez in '98 for the Queens Of The Stone Age's self-titled debut. That success led to the addition of yet another ex-Kyuss member, bassist Nick Oliveri. Also jumping on board was guitarist/keyboardist Dave Catching. In the meantime, Homme continued his loose knit collaborations with other musicians releasing the "Desert Sessions."
'00 saw the release of the group's second album "R" which was followed by a heavy tour schedule. The upshot was Hernandez bailed, replaced by Gene Troutman and Nicky Lucero. The group performed at Brazil's "Rock In Rio" festival where Oliveri was busted for performing nude. Must have been a very hot night. Homme and Oliveri also launched another edition of the "Desert Sessions."
Here's where it pays to have famous fans. Ex-Nirvana drummer and lead Foo Fighter, David Grohl was very vocal in his appreciation of the Queens. This led to an invitation to record with the group and go on tour. Putting the Foo Fighters temporarily on hold, Grohl signed on. "Songs For The Deaf" arrived in '02. The tour line-up now included former Screaming Trees' vocalist Mark Lanegan and A Perfect Circle guitarist/keyboardist Troy Van Leeuwen.
Homme and Oliveri also wrote the music for the film "The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys" and started a new group, Headband, with Twiggy Ramirez, formerly of Marilyn Manson, and singer Casey Chaos.
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With Oliveri bounced (for being unreliable and difficult), the Homme led Queens released "Lullabies To Paralyze" in '05. Later in the year, "Over The Years And Through The Woods," a live CD/DVD, dropped. Prior to the London shows that comprised the DVD Homme underwent knee surgery. But he wanted to do the concerts because the group had already nixed five previous London appearances. "I took enough Vicodin to kill a small child," said Homme. "I didn't want to cancel again."
Homme's daily drive through Hollywood inspired QOTSA's fifth studio album, "Era Vulgaris." ("Songs For The Deaf" originated from a tedious drive through the SoCal desert). "It sounds like 'the Vulgar Era', which I like, because that sounds like something that I would like to be part of," Homme commented in an interview.
A couple tracks had a life prior to "Era Vulgaris." "Into The Hollow" was originally performed by Homme as part of the 5:15ers, and "Make It Wit Chu" came from the "Desert Sessions." But the big news was the Strokes' Julian Casablancas' work on the single "Sick, Sick, Sick." He played synth guitar and sang. Also, former bandmate Lanegan contributed backing vocals on "River In The Road." But what would have been the title track, recorded with Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor was omitted from the album and released separately.
Studio Albums:
1998 Queens Of The Stone Age
2000 Rated R
2002 Songs For The Deaf
2005 Lullabies To Paralyze
2007 Era Vulgaris
Everyone from David Bowie to Marilyn Manson (with Poison and Papa Roach in between) has used Hollywood as a theme or referenced the reality of living in the land of make believe. The aptly titled "Era Vulgaris" is another chapter in that infamous and tattered history.
QOTSA's mode of operation is to create a one measure dense, propulsive riff; get that going, then hang what they can on it. "Sick, Sick, Sick," and "Battery Acid" are right there. But when they leave that template things get real interesting. "Suture Up Your Future," takes Pink Floyd's "Money" and lashes it to a Halloween organ and a boogie rhythm. "3's & 7's," the set's best track, is a lean uptempo number with a killer guitar solo. It contrasts with most everything around it. The slower "Make It Wit Chu" finds a sparse, hypnotic groove.
Of course, you can't do Hollywood with out a heady, tripped out song. For this album, "Into The Hollow" is it. The track sounds slightly retro '60s, with touches of Spirit. "River In The Road" uses the backing vocals (ahhs) to provide a disturbed, edgy feeling that seems to hit around the intersection of Sunset and Highland Blvds., just as you're about to enter the vortex.
The set closer, an ominous, "Run Pig Run" could have fallen off Manson's "Antichrist Superstar." There's nothing like ending a Hollywood excursion on a harsh, brutal note - which is usually how it ends for most.
"Lullabies To Paralyze" lacks Grohl, Oliveri and Lanegan but then stability hasn't been a QOTSA trait. Still, this effort has enough to make it work. "Everybody Knows You're Insane" is a break-up favorite. "Burn The Witch," a surprisingly good Blues Rocker, owes thanks to the work of ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons. "Little Sister" is another hot track.
"Songs For The Deaf" is an excellent set but "R" tops it. Written predominately by Homme/Oliveri, the prime cuts are scorching guitar Rocker "Feel Good Hit Of The Summer, " the intriguing "The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret" and the captivating "Better Living Through Chemistry."
"Songs For The Deaf" also has its notable moments. The guttural guitar and insistent rhythm of "You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Million," herky-jerky retro-Rocker "No One Knows" and the album's best track "Go With The Flow" are recommended. On the lighter side, Metal Rock rant "Quick And To The Pointless" tops off with some irresistibly snotty female backing vocals.
The Queens' debut is OK but there are some notable missed opportunities. A potential rave Rocker "I Was A Teenage Hand Model" goes nowhere. Too bad. The eclectic "Desert Sessions" generated a lot of interest but ultimately sound like one-off demo/jam sessions. However, the Mid-Eastern sounding "Don't Drink The Poison" is worth a listen.