Q - queens of the stone age, songs for the deaf (2002)

one thing i've discovered through this little experiment is how much pleasure i take in the basics; in solid, well-structured songs, in guitar-driven rock, in good old fashioned drumming. just yesterday we were discussing the often quite formulaic nature of metal (in relation to metallica's black album) and although i wouldn't call them 'metal' per se, it rings true with queens of the stone age too - catchy but repetitive riffs, and dependable, clever songs.  but the best songs are often the most straightforward, and in this album's case the basic song structure is complemented by interesting diversions (horns, strings) and if it ain't broke... anyway, at the end of the day, in my mind this is an album for the drums. queens have always been a bit of a rent-a-band with a constantly changing line up, but i think it's the addition of dave grohl on this album that makes it something special.

 

i've seen these guys live, twice as it happens, at big day out 2003 (along with jane's addiction, foo fighters, wilco, damn that was a good year... and for the record no, dave grohl did not make a guest appearance on drums, contrary to all earlier speculation). their first, scheduled, set suffered severe technical faults, fans ranted and yelled, but those smart enough to stick around were treated to a loose, improv, semi-accoustic show dominated by bass and powerful energetic drums. very clever, and not something you get to see every day. they then played a full set (complete with excellent sound) on a much smaller stage, giving fans the full queens of the stone age noise blast, in a more intimate setting. dream result.

 

everyone will know and recognise the two big singles from this album 'know one knows' and 'go with the flow'. excellent songs the both of them, but the album is good beyond its singles. designed as a concept album, it's designed to take the listener through a range of radio stations through southern california. as the album name implies, it's self-referential, and heavily critical of the music industry. last word goes to then-bassist nick oliveri: "a lot of stations play the same thing over and over. we don't get played on the radio, so i figure we should talk shit about them."