Queens of the Stone Age: The Ultimate Review
Neirad Enilno music reviewer Will Wygal takes a look back at his favorite album of all time
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Queens of the Stone Age is one of the best bands out there. They have been through many personnel changes but have always managed to put out the best albums I’ve ever listened to. My favorite Queens of the Stone Age album is Songs for the Deaf. The 2002 album stands the test of time. It is about a road trip through the desert that lead guitarist and singer Josh Homme invented. The true goal of the album was to show exactly how much radio sucks.
Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri wanted to point out how radio stations never play good music but instead play the same songs over and over again, hence the fictional radio stations featured in this album called Clone Radio: LA’s Infinite Repeat. The album is a parody about a ride through a desert where they can only get two local radio stations, which feature the predictable drone of lame pop tunes. Songs for the Deaf also features the strongest Queens of the Stone Age line-up: Josh Homme sang and played lead guitar; Nick Oliveri also sang and played bass; Troy Van Leeuwen performs a multitude of instrumentals, and then there’s Dave Grohl pounding out the best drum performance of his career.
The album starts off with “The Real Song for the Deaf” which is a dark techno beat for a solid minute then segues into “You I Ain’t Worth A Dollar But I Feel Like a Millionaire.” The song starts off with a fake radio broadcast, which happens frequently throughout the album, then it shifts to Nick Oliveri screaming “DEAD BULL WITH LIFE FROM THE LOW, I’LL BE A MASSIVE CONQUISTADOR.” The album then transitions into the best song I’ve ever listened to called, “No One Knows.” Not only does it have a sick rift it also has one of Dave Grohl’s best drumming performances -- even better than the Foo Fighter’s first album where he recorded every instrument himself.
The album moves in a fashion similar to the Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band with its smooth transitions and variation of musical styles. Songs for the Deaf is so ridiculously good because like the Beatles' masterpiece, it includes several singers, an awesome story line, and the absolute need to continue listening to the album over and over again.
Songs for the Deaf reached gold status in 2003, with sales peaking at over 900,000 copies. The band followed up with a heavy touring schedule featuring Dave Grohl until he reunited with the Foo Fighters for the release of One By One. The European leg of the tour was then joined by former Danzig drummer Joey Castillo.
Queens of the Stone Age had come out with two albums before Songs for the Deaf, all three featuring different drummers. The first self-titled album actually had Matt Cameron from Soundgarden and Pearl Jam pounding the drums. The second album Rated R was a lot like Songs for the Deaf, but it didn’t have the perfect sequencing and failed to retain the feeling of riding in the desert. Not to mention no other Queen's album has been as hard hitting because of the unmatched drum mastery of Dave Grohl. Throughout the album, Grohl keeps challenging 5/4th beats with an ominous sound like a storm about to erupt.
Through and through, Songs for the Deaf is the best rock album I’ve ever heard. It has an extremely creative plot behind it with the tracks to reinforce the original choices. The album has the best Queens of the Stone Age line-up with my favorite song “No One Knows.” It’s one of the best rock albums ever created.
