Disc of the day
Heaven 17 - Penthouse And Pavement
From Sheffield, synth pop and funk to stick it to Thatcher. Currently being played live!
Features Disc of the day
Queens Of The Stone Age
Songs For The Deaf
(Interscope, 2002)
Joining the Oliveri/Homme hedonists' club: guest vocalist Mark Lanegan and some drummer called Dave Grohl.
Josh Homme to MOJO, 2002: "What do women see in Dave Grohl?" Nick Oliveri: "He's horsey looking. Girls like ponies." Whatever the source of Grohl's personal charms, his presence on QOTSA's 2002 album was not to be underestimated. The heady cocktail of louche Zeppelin rock and Sabbath riffs offered on 2000's Rated R (altogether now: "Nicotine, valium, vicodin, marijuana, ecstasy and alcohol / C-c-c-c-c-cocaine!") proved a bit strong for the nu-metal generation at home in the US. So here was The Queens' sly riposte: two fingers to mainstream radio on a loosely themed concept album parodying US stations as heard on a drive out to the desert from Los Angeles. Introduced by "Clone Radio" drive-time jock, Kit Casper ("We play the songs that sound more like everyone else, than anyone else!") and punctuated with spoof links and glitches on the dial. Musically, their modus operandi remained intact: heavy, propulsive rock'n'roll that renewed the vows between sex and drugs, offering thrills for girls as well as boys. With Josh Homme's ear for a great pop hook and the addition of rock's golden boy on drums, the potential for a mainstream rock hit was complete, with songs like No One Knows and Go With The Flow shaking hips as much as heads. Lanegan's tequila soaked rasp is creepily perfect on the title track and threatening on God Is On The Radio, in counterpoint to Homme's libidinous, raised-eyebrow croon. Songs For The Deaf would be the last Queens album with bassist Nick Oliveri, who was sacked in 2004. Without their loose cannon the Queens have never quite regained this record's brink-of-madness excitement but perhaps one classic rock album per decade is good enough.
Jenny Bulley
Posted by Ross_Bennett at 6:00 AM GMT 22/01/2010
Further Listening
Queens Of The Stone Age – Rated R (Polydor, 2000)
Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures (Columbia, 2009)
Fu Manchu – In Search Of… Fu Manchu (Mammoth, 1996)
Previous Disc of the day
-
Heaven 17 - Penthouse And Pavement
From Sheffield, synth pop and funk to stick it to Thatcher. Currently being played live!
6:00 AM GMT 18/03/2010
-
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River
Essence De Choogle from John Fogerty and crew. Badass!
9:54 AM GMT 17/03/2010
-
The The - Soul Mining
Matt Johnson's self-excoriating - but tunepacked! -classic.
6:00 AM GMT 16/03/2010
-
-
Various Artists - Axe Attack Vol II
Metal Britannica inspires MOJO metal amnesty. Studded leather wristbands aloft!
2:32 AM GMT 12/03/2010
-
The Pop Group - Y
For connoisseurs of pop-as-rupture-in-the-space/time-continuum
6:00 AM GMT 11/03/2010
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OH YES!!!
Posted by morgan at 8:23 AM GMT 23/01/2010 Report Abuse
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I totally agree that Queens haven't managed to equal or top this delicious album - but then I didn't expect them to. It's just one of those deep and wide, multi-faceted gems that, for me at least, will never cease to inspire and empower.
Nick had to go, and with him went a lot of the nihilism and energy that perhaps we assumed came from elsewhere. After Songs for the Deaf, Queens ceased to be dangerous.
I still love them, but have to pick the gems out of what they've done since, instead of immersing myself in the ever-exanding beauty and sheer spot-on-ness of this album.
Posted by George Caveney at 4:40 PM GMT 17/02/2010 Report Abuse
Reply to this post
I totally agree that Queens haven't managed to equal or top this delicious album - but then I didn't expect them to. It's just one of those deep and wide, multi-faceted gems that, for me at least, will never cease to inspire and empower.
Nick had to go, and with him went a lot of the nihilism and energy that perhaps we assumed came from elsewhere. After Songs for the Deaf, Queens ceased to be dangerous.
I still love them, but have to pick the better bits out of what they've done since, instead of immersing myself in the ever-exanding beauty and sheer spot-on-ness of this album.
Posted by George Caveney at 4:48 PM GMT 17/02/2010 Report Abuse
Reply to this post
I totally agree that Queens haven't managed to equal or top this delicious album - but then I didn't expect them to. It's just one of those deep and wide, multi-faceted gems that, for me at least, will never cease to inspire and empower.
Nick had to go, and with him went a lot of the nihilism and energy that perhaps we assumed came from elsewhere. After Songs for the Deaf, Queens ceased to be dangerous.
I still love them, but have to pick the better bits out of what they've done since, instead of immersing myself in the ever-exanding beauty and sheer spot-on-ness of this album.
Posted by George Caveney at 4:51 PM GMT 17/02/2010 Report Abuse
Reply to this post
I totally agree that Queens haven't managed to equal or top this delicious album - but then I didn't expect them to. It's just one of those deep and wide, multi-faceted gems that, for me at least, will never cease to inspire and empower.
Nick had to go, and with him went a lot of the nihilism and energy that perhaps we assumed came from elsewhere. After Songs for the Deaf, Queens ceased to be dangerous.
I still love them, but have to pick the better bits out of what they've done since, instead of immersing myself in the ever-exanding beauty and sheer spot-on-ness of this album.
Posted by George Caveney at 4:52 PM GMT 17/02/2010 Report Abuse
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