Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris
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Free Music Notes for Era Vulgaris
Free Music Review: Nothing Common About This Album
Hit: 5 Stars
At least now it can be said that Josh Homme and Queens can make a five star record without Nick Oliveri. Following Nick's departure from the band, Queens released Lullabies to Paralyze, a great record that, unfortunately, seemed only to emphasize that Oliveri was not there, from the not so subtle lyrical jabs in "Everybody Knows That You're Insane" to increased prevalence of slowed down grooves and blues, with often exceedingly slick production. Sure, the drawn out psychedelic riffs had been a QOTSA trademark from day one, but the lack of ANY punk/speed metal counterpoint was a constant, sad reminder that we were never going to hear "Millionaire" live again. Lullabies was a great record with unavoidable, bittersweet timing.
Years later many of us have gotten used to Queens without Nick, and appropriately Josh and company have unleashed a perfect record for this particular place in their career. Enough to remind of us of the good old days, and enough new stuff to remind us why this is one of the most inventive groups in rock. The production is rawer and more lo-fi than everything since their debut. The riffs are harder and the music is faster than on Lullabies. Everything we used to love. On the other hand, there's great stuff we haven't heard. Spidery guitar lines weaving in and out on songs like I'm Designer and Turning on the Screw, and a composition (3's and 7's) which throws everything Queens has done well in their career into one incredibly catchy riff rock buffet for your repeated consumption. Elsewhere, the album's two most powerful cuts, the murky "Suture up Your Future" and "Into the Hollow" show Josh having perfected his falsetto wail, and remind the listener of the difference between hard and heavy. The combination of haunting grooves and emotional vocals on these 2 cuts are worth the price of admission alone. And "Make it Wit Chu," another Desert Sessions redux, is no-frills classic rock that is as simple and honest as the original seventies soul and funk it is imitating. Lyrically, Josh continues to make strides. He's come along way since the days when "marijuana, ecstasy, and alcohol" was known as his most legendary turn of phrase. In "I'm Designer" he toes the fine line between comedy and commentary ever so well, all while singing the verses in a rhythmic pattern I can only describe as "crazy homeless bluesman meter" that reminds you everything he does is at least a little bit tongue in cheek.
With a few exceptions, almost of all this release is excellent, and it continues to reveal new layers to me each time I pop it in. And quite honestly this is probably the most rewarding aspect of Era Vulgaris. It lacks the irreplicable manic presence of Oliveri both musically and lyrically, but makes up for it with musical ingenuity Lullabies only hinted at. Whether you prefer Rated R or Songs for the Deaf as the definitive QOTSA statement, this is probably their second best album.
Free Music Review: Era Vulgaris
Hit: 5 Stars
I absolutely give this 5 stars. I love this album. I was in love with it the first time I heard it, and it only seems to keep getting better.
There are hints of Era Vulgaris that show up on Lullabies To Paralyze (2005), so if there is a change in direction and sound that caught some or many by surprise, it was already leaned towards 3 years ago. I kind of think this is QOTSA's album equivalent to David Bowie's LOW (1976). It would seem imminent that QOTSA next work with Brian Eno, Robert Fripp or somebody of that ilk based on the things happening within Era Vulgaris.
There's always been for me, something sinister afoot in QOTSA's music. Josh Homme's voice and vocal delivery has always reminded me of Ben Orr in The Cars, and when I hear certain songs from QOTSA (especially "I'm Designer") I think 'this is Ric Ocasek when he's almost overdosed'. If no one likes The Cars here, that's okay, or thinks it's a bad comparison. I've always thought of QOTSA as The Cars on really good bad drugs. Probably why I love this band so much and what they do, no matter who is in it. 'They' convinced me Dave Grohl should quit Foo Fighters and go back to playing drums. ;)
My wife thinks "Turning On The Screw" is one of the most annoying things she's ever heard. I'm absolutely enthralled by the song. It's that panning left to right action on the guitars during the 'solo section'(?). Whatever that section is QOTSA called it in the studio. Bridge Maximus 76 or whatever. Apparently it's none too popular with listeners to this album based on reviews I've read. I loved it. "Sick Sick Sick" is irresistible, it's just something QOTSA are so good at. I could go song by song of course. I love that it takes over a 1 minute 30 secs to finally hear a vocal in "Misfit Love" and that that main riff is hammered down into the ground until the end opens up. "Suture Up My Future" I listened to non-stop for weeks. It was just absolutely my favourite song from this album for the longest time.
Really this review is a bunch of nonsense. Everytime I go to write something about Era Vulgaris (and I've tried 3 times and cancelled the review) I never say enough or have too much to say. No in-betweens. That I've gotten this far in the review is a miracle, cuz I'm already reading it back and thinking, "you didn't mention much about the guitar tones and the overall strange sounds you hear on this album". Wait. I just did kinda. It's QOTSA's LOW/HEROES and LODGER. I can only hope they get more weird and strange and innovative, because that sinister 'thing' in QOTSA's music is only served by these disturbing and peculiar sounds that are showing up all over Era Vulgaris. It's really like Musique Concrete of the Stone Age.
Free Music Review: Finally, "It puts the lotion in the basket."
Hit: 5 Stars
I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THIS CD DAILY FOR 2 WEEKS NOW. I have to agree with the writer of "Too Soon;" people are jumping to their keyboards too quickly to review this disc. It's very different from their last 2 albums. At first, I wasn't very fond of this recording for several reasons, which I'll explain. Now, I can't stop listening to it. In fact, 2 weeks after receiving it, I find myself putting it on over and over again without stopping...a rarity for me, as I have a very large, eclectic collection of music (over 10,000 songs ranging from jazz to classic rock to punk to speed metal) and I really like to bounce around. Also, I got to catch a live performance of the new QOTSA line-up on the Henry Rollins show...they did "Misfit Love" and it was freakin awesome!
First off, this CD is almost TOO accessible, a la "Rated R," in that the tunes are SO catchy and so playful, it throws the avid QOTSA listener off at first. I wasn't too fond of "Sick, Sick , Sick" when I first heard it on iTunes, but once I got the entire CD, I found that the rest of the record totally jams from start to finish. For me, I had a problem with 2 major things: (1) the "Songs for the Deaf" sound (my favorite QOTSA CD) is now totally gone, and (2) the entire "Era Vulgaris" record sounds hauntingly like another Desert Sessions expirement...not just because it added "Make it Witchu."
After careful listening, I finally noticed something--this album rocks on so many levels. It's raw, it gives the feel of a REAL jam session, and the musicians are tight, innovative, and not afraid to go off into an ad-lib solo at any time. Not to mention, Joey Santiago's drums are, once again, stellar. He is IMO the best rock drummer today. The music mixes that difficult to follow, "math rock" element (a la Shellac, Jesus Lizard and Slint) the playful, raw, fun elements we are used to with the "Desert Sessions" recordings, but we have vintage Josh Homme music writing. Most of these tunes are unbelievably catchy. MOST IMPORTANT--a band finally found a way to put the line, "It puts the lotion in the basket" into the lyrics of a song. Brilliant.
Rather than go into each song, I'll just say this: just pick the CD up. If you're a fan of QOTSA, I'm sure you'll agree that this is their best effort since "Songs for the Deaf," and is also every bit as good (and nearly as LOUD) as their self-titled debut. Highlight tracks, IMO are: Misfit Love, 3's and 7's, Turning the Screw, I'm Designer, Battery Acid, Into the Hollow and Run, Pig, Run. There's not a weak track on the album. And anyone who knows this band realizes that every album is different; as listeners, we have to expect the unexpected with JH and his merry band of music freaks.
Free Music Review: QOTSA finally has the Stones to make a great record!
Hit: 5 Stars
I've liked this band's previous work over the previous years for their ability to remain a popular rock group while still testing their listeners with odd and uncommon chord progressions, time signatures, etc. QOTSA is unique! Homme's best quality--and one that allows him to make great music--is how little he seems to care about what his contemporaries are doing.
That said, it's refreshing to hear this new record, since it's the band's most experimental and different work yet. "Lullabies" was a little bland for my taste--it was tight, pristinely polished, and sonically mastered, but it was boring. The new record makes me think about what *I* would have done differently with certain songs, and I think this is why it succeeds so strongly. While I'm playing this record over and over, sometimes bemoaning the lo-fi aspect that surfaces frequently, I realize that the melodies and lyrics are incredibly infectious. I actually love how my favorite song, "I'm Designer", is recorded in such a flat way that I can turn it up as loud as I want and it doesn't have the kind of sonic hi-fi quality that, say, "No One Knows" or "Little Sister" does. It's a clever twist that proves the quality of the core material, regardless of the presentation.
The lyrics are clever and cynical. Homme often comes off as self-depricating, especially on tracks like "Misfit Love". This, to me, it typical of QOTSA and very enjoyable, especially in a world of radio that is so full of trite wailing coming from 30-something men who are far too old to be parading as smitten or depressed teenagers. QOTSA is here to make real rock'n'roll and that's exactly what they do, sparing us the fake emotions and whining.
I can understand why a lot of fans won't like this record. It's not a straight-forward rock'n'roll album. The songs aren't forumulaic and they aren't mixed to sound like "Siamese Dream" or "Nevermind." Despite these facts, open-minded fans should appreciate that the songwriting is 100% forward thinking and clever. I didn't want another rehashing of "Rated R" or "Songs for the Deaf." I wanted something new and unique, and this is what Josh Homme and the Queens provided me with. Gracias.
Free Music Review: The Best Album of 07
Hit: 5 Stars
I'll admit it: I was a little worried about Josh when Lullabies came out. Not that it was a bad record--it had some great moments. It was just... missing something... something essential. There was a sense of incompleteness on that record that many commentators (perhaps rightly, perhaps not) attributed to the departure of Nick. I try not to get to into that brand of armchair speculation.
Anyway. Just prior to my first spin of ERA VULGARIS, I tried to rid my psyche of all expectations and preconceived notions. I wanted to be as fair and objective as a walking hunk of meat could possibly be (under the circumstances).
Well, I have to say this is a monumental record--compositionally solid, sincerely delivered, and totally inspired. It's Josh's show and it shows. Punctuating the delightfully inventive riffing are some of the sharpest and most profoundly self-reflective lyrics he's ever caterwauled. Everything fits just right. Everything flows. I cannot stop listening to this record.
I listen to records not as collections of songs, but as albums--you know, 70s style. As such, I avoid the whole "standout tracks include x, y and z" kind of thing. A good album is more than the sum of its parts. That said, the only point at which this record dips into a slight lull is during the tenth track, "River in the Road". It's not awful, but it pales a bit in comparison with solidity of the rest of the disc. (Of course, the worst QOTSA tracks are still better than 99% of what's out there in the market today).
To sum up, this record is absolutely top notch--a very pleasant summer surprise. ERA VULGARIS has officially usurped Big Business' Here Come the Waterworks (which is, by the way, a brilliant effing record) as Best Album of 07. For real.