The new Queens of the Stone Age album, Songs for the Deaf, hits the street tomorrow, and it's a good one. You might have already heard about a bit of a fuss the new album caused in the UK, where 37 people using sign language were disappointed to learn that QOTSA were not actually performing, um, songs for the deaf.
For the rest of us, there are few missteps on this album. I generally don't like extraneous interludes or fake radio announcers or belches or gargling on an album. Of course, when you're the artist, you have complete power (until the producers knock on the door), and it seems to be difficult to resist the urge to include things like this. For QOTSA, the temptation too great to resist is a fake radio announcer. Okay, they don't like "clone" radio, we get it. We got it the first time. So stop already.
Most notably ruined by these antics is the first track, You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar But I Feel Like A Millionaire. After nearly a minute of admittedly clever mocking of a drive-time DJ, and a very quiet bit of guitar work, the song explodes at 63 seconds in a way I can only guess was designed to deafen any listener who had already attempted to set their volume based on the signal so far. Maybe that's the reason for the album title? As it happens, a friend took the brunt of the sonic impact the first time through and warned me as I was about to turn up the volume myself, so I was lucky. Once the music does start, the track is solid stright-up rock and roll.
No One Knows is trailed by a fake radio announcement in Spanish. It seemed familiar to me as a former resident of Southern California, but I wonder how many people nationwide know the joy of finding predominantly Spanish-language stations while searching the dial? The song itself is one of the album's best. The beat bounces throughout the song, tying together a syncopated guitar riff during the verses with a solid wall of guitar sound during the chorus. While the musical sound of the song changes several times and maintains a hard edge throughout, the vocals are smooth without fail from beginning to end.
I can't quite figure out First It Giveth. The chorus is catchy, and the music is melodic while keeping a hard edge. But the chorus says little more than "First it giveth, then it taketh away." Very Biblical, but what does it mean? In Scripture, the reference is from the book of Job, and it is hotly disputed whether the statement describes accurate doctrine, or is merely a quotation of a character in the story. In any case, as QOTSA have substituted "it" for God and re-phrased the statement to imply inevitability, I'd be very curious to know what the subject of the song actually is. However, the vocals for this track are mixed so far back that I can't easily make out the lyric. What I have been able to make out seems to be roughly nonsense. "I'm in you - you're in me - I can't tell" and "loyal to - only you - up your sleeve" stand out, along with "on the hook - take a leg - part a way." If this is truly nonsense, written only as an excuse for the almost-hypnotic chorus, I understand completely. It's a chorus worth writing nonsense to support.
Article comments
1 - Steve Rhodes
They are doing an in-store at Virgin in San Francisco Monday night at 11 pm.
2 - John Fogde
The DVD features live versions of five tracks. The first three (Monsters in the Parasol, No One Knows, and The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret) were recorded at the Troubador this year and the last two (Quick and to the Pointless and Ode to Clarissa) were recorded in 2000 at Vintage Vinyl.
The highlight of the DVD is seeing Dave Grohl go nuts on the drums during No One Knows. It's an awesome song and their performance is pretty cool as well.
3 - Phillip Winn
I did finally sit down and spend some time with it. There is also a ton of footage between the songs, recorded at the studio, backstage, and just goofing around. It's pretty interesting, actually, for the glimpse it gives into the recording process. Mostly however, it's just what you'd expect if you gave anybody a digicam and let him do whatever he wanted.
And yes, Grohl is a madman on the drums in that song, which has incidentally become my favorite song on the album. I just wish I new exactly what was in his mouth!
4 - Rob
According to Homme it's all about the drive from la to joshua tree. Flipping through channels on the radio and coming across what QOTSA's vision of the radio should be.. A 'concept' record if it could be as under-stated as that. These guys rock.
And isn't Grohl somewhat notorious for chewing gum while banging drums? Betcha that's what that is in the vid..
5 - Chris Puzak
This was better than I expected, but I'm a little disappointed that they haven't been able to equal their work in Kyuss.
6 - Cam
I read somethin JOsh Homme said First it giveth is about the creative then destructive effect of drugs man.
7 - Phillip Winn
Yes, I heard that after writing this review as well. With that in mind, the lyrics make a little more sense. :-)