Songs for the Deaf has all the excitement of a big Hollywood action movie, which is to say, you may find it thrilling, but you may just as easily find it deadly boring. It all depends on how willing you are to embrace the lowbrow. This record marks the somewhat unwelcome return of Big Dumb Rock — shallow, insubstantial speed-metal filtered through hard rock filtered through punk rock filtered through stultifying obviousness. Particularly obnoxious are the interludes, witless parodies of little snippets from fictional radio stations promising to be "more like everyone else," and to "spoil music for you," positing Queens of the Stone Age as somehow above it all. They're not, and the assertion that they are makes them look even dumber than the music alone would have.
The music alone, taken for what it is, is pretty darn accomplished. They're loud, they're hard. The opening track "Millionaire" is especially arresting, with its gritty screamed refrain of "Gimme Some More!" But as the record goes on, it becomes more and more predictable. Slow it down here. Speed it up there. Ok now, everybody stop at the same time to show how tight we are. Good work, guys. Songs for the Deaf is above all workmanlike, an example of craft instead of art. It's the metal equivalent of a well-built cabinet. If you're looking for an alternative, somewhat less ethnic soundtrack to The Fast and the Furious, look no farther.
Article comments
1 - Phillip Winn
Ouch! I liked it quite a bit better, and reviewed it a few days ago, but I can see where Kenan is coming from. For excellent, solid hard rock, this is the stuff. For challenging your brain, this probably isn't your cup of tea.
Still, I didn't find it workmanlike so much as refined. The radio snippets annoy me immensely, especially now that I've thrown the album into a randomly-select playlist with a few other albums, but it's still a great album.
2 - Phillip Winn
Er, also, at the moment that I write this, using this link to order the disc will get you the bonus DVD and still save you $2 - $10.99 instead of $12.99.
3 - george
i thought this album is amazing, if you see it for what it is. Easy to listen to and some pretty catchy tunes, as for the radio interludes i think the guy who wrote the article was a bit stuck for things to point out on this album. When you think about it all radio stations are nearly exactly the same and they certainly all play the same music, therefore they are making a valid point. Also I do not feel Queens Of The Stone Age are the type of band to seek self glorification by the means of 30 second interludes on albums. I would like to know the kind of music the person who wrote the article listens too, perhaps her prefers motzart, or a piana concerto?as he seemingly knows nothing about rock music.
4 - Johnno
George is spot on