Queens of the Stone Age Album: “Songs for the Deaf”

Queens of the Stone Age might be the best rock band active today. "Songs For the Deaf," the group's third album, is their finest to date. That in and of itself is no small feat, as both of Queens' previous efforts were excellent in their own right. Dave Grohl (former Nirvana drummer, now Foo Fighters singer) plays drums on "Songs...," and his presence is most definitely felt. Homme and Oliveri, meanwhile, pieced together a record that works beginning to end.

"No One Knows" is the first single. The song is very unconventional underneath, with a guitar riff generally foreign to this genre, but rocks nevertheless. "First it Giveth" and "Go With the Flow" combine mainstream rock sensibilities with a powerful, live-sounding production. The overall song-writing quality here is phenomenal. "The Sky is Fallin," "Hangin' Tree," (from Desert Sessions 7/8), "Do It Again," and "Another Love Song" are all remarkable. Production is also very true to Queen's sound (I've seen them live). The end result is an album which in some ways reminds me of "In Utero," by Nirvana, not so much for its style, but its substance.

Anyone who likes rock music, be it Staind, the Vines, Linkin Park or Nickelback, should buy "Songs for the Deaf." It may wind up being as essential as "Daydream Nation," "In Utero," and "OK Computer." At the very least, its among the best of 2002...

I bought this as a stocking filler for my father (He's deaf).

Sadly however, he cannot hear any of the tracks on it...

Firstly I thought perhaps it's only for people who are partially deaf... but then I thought; surely any CD is for someone who is partially deaf... you just turn the volume up on the CD player.

Then I thought... maybe it's just aimed at being a humerous title although my father didn't laugh when I gave it to him.

We had a huge fight and now I've been thrown out of the house.

I am completely new to the whole "living on the streets" thing... however thankfully I still had my library card so I could come on here and warn people.

I'm going to buy the CD "Living In A Box" by the band "Living In A Box" in the hope that they can provide some insight

If you think "Corporate" and "rock" are two words that should never go together, then you should thank God for Queens of the Stone Age, one of the few bands keeping rock interesting. Although their first two albums were both terrific, this one is the culmination of all QOTSA have done in the past. Indeed, "Songs for the Deaf" seems to be a combination of the riff-heavy stoner metal of the debut and the eclectic, experimental approach of "Rated R." The result: an album chock full of twisted guitars, trippy vocals, and eccentric song structures, sure to please even the most discriminating rock fan.

The album fires out of the gate with the roaring "You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire," which gives me an uncontrollable urge to turn my car into a one-man mosh pit. From there, the goods come quickly, as the first five songs are all no less than terrific. "No One Knows" and "A song for the Dead" boast two of the most likeably wacky time signatures in recent rock memory. Much publicized addition Dave Grohl gets to show off his drum chops on the hard-driving "First it Giveth," while "The Sky is Fallin'" combines a heavy riff and laid-back vocals to great effect. Later, "Go With The Flow" introduces a pounding piano beat into the mix, and the result is just spectacularly infectious. "Do It Again" and "God is in the Radio," meanwhile, boast grooves so deep you could fall into them. I know I've mentioned just about every song by now, but they're all just so damn good it's hard to single any out. The guitars are great, and the bands multi-vocalist approach gives you a variety of sounds to chew on.

Now this isn't pop, and if you're the kind of person who forms an opinion about a song within one minute of the first listen, "Songs for the Deaf" might not be for you. But with a little close listening, it's pretty easy to settle into a groove. "Songs for the Deaf" is one of those rare rock albums that actually get better with time, and manage to hold your attention all the way through.

Queens of the Stone Age is a band I was introduced to back in college. It was actually this album, Songs For the Deaf, that was released during that time and a few of my friends were buzzing about it. I didn't give the band much of a change back then though. I liked their singles, but something was keeping me from sitting down and listening to the album from beginning to end. Recently, due to the last three QOTSA albums, I've become a pretty big fan of the band and I'm kicking myself for not giving them more of a chance back then. As of this review, Songs For the Deaf is my favorite release from the band. I guess the main thing that kept me from getting into them sooner is Josh Homme's voice. He sings in several different styles and tones and I like it when a vocalist is capable of doing that. It's just at times it sounds like he's not putting much effort into singing. He sounds kind of monotone and his vocals crawl along in certain songs. Sometimes, like with the song, "Hangin' Tree," it works extremely well. In my opinion, it sounds like he tries to match his tone of voice to the beat and rhythm to the song. Sometimes it works and sometimes it makes you look forward to the end of a song. That really seems to be my only complaint as I love everything else about this band. The lineup to the band is constantly changing and while that's kind of disappointing on one hand, it's pretty impressive on the other. With new band members, new ideas could be brought to the table. Their sound won't ever go stale. This also leaves multiple opportunities for Homme to work with a lot of musicians and the creative outcome isn't always the same. I think Josh Homme described it best in a quote from him in 2000, "It really is more of a musical experiment...It keeps moving and reinventing itself. That way we never get painted into a corner." If you're wondering why this band is getting the buzz that they do or if you've been putting off trying to be a full fledged fan of this band, then this is the album to start with.

The album kicks off with "You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I feel Like A Millionaire." There's a certain theme throughout the record. It's like someone is flipping through radio stations and you're just along for the ride. That theme starts here with a thirty second intro. We hear a DJ say, "I need a saga. What's the saga? It's Songs For the Deaf. You can't even hear it!" That statement alone is so ridiculous, I have to love it. Josh Homme immediately introduces us to how well he can scream. The song is filled with crunching guitars and clapping...of all things. It's actually an incredible combination. The drums almost seem to take a backseat on this song, but don't worry. There's plenty of time for Dave Grohl to strut his stuff later. All in all, a great way to start off the record.

The first single, "No One Knows" is next. There's a pretty solid drum beat that leads those same riffing guitars. Dave Grohl lets loose on the drums during the chorus. The vocals are a good example of Homme's unique singing voice. It's a decent song and a great choice for a single. I just feel it drags in certain parts. The radio station tuning returns in Spanish to close the track.

"First It Giveth" begins with a spastic guitar rhythm. The switch to acoustic guitar during the end of the chorus is a nice touch. The drums are brought to the foreground as you can hear every stomp and crash Grohl pounds into his drum set. Great song. One of my favorites on the record.

"A Song For the Dead" has my favorite intro on the record since it starts with the guitars in the background and some amazing drum work in the foreground. Then the whole band chimes in. Homme introduces us to yet another singing style. It's very raspy. This song is a good example of his tone matching the beat and rhythm of the song. Some pretty incredible guitar riffs occupy the middle, while the drums go off on an incredible tangent on their own. The track ends with those same pounding drums and noisy riffs from the beginning except it's much faster. It's almost as if they're showing off and I mean that in the best way. Another favorite track of mine.

"The Sky Is Fallin'" starts off with some background vocals that remind me of Radiohead for some reason. The song revolves around distorted guitars and what sounds like a lot of cymbals. The vocals go into some new territory as Homme sings in a higher tone than he normally does at times. This song seems a little too long to me. It clocks in at a little over six minutes and just doesn't hook me like other QOTSA songs have done in the past. Radio theme returns with some pretty humorous stuff to close the track.

"Six Shooter" can best be described as a very loud hard hitting song. There's a lot of yelling and it's only a little over a minute in length. It's actually a great song considering its length.

"Hangin' Tree." Another awesome song filled with raspy vocals. I love the rhythm this song has. The guitar riffs and pounding drums make this song...and record for that matter. It has a good pace. The music is a little fast while the vocals are kinda slow. The track ends with us turning the station to...

"Go With the Flow." The other single from this record. I usually dislike singles as they're usually overplayed, but I think I could hear this song over and over again and not get tired of it. The piano in this song is an extremely awesome addition that makes me love the song even more. Homme's vocals and Grohl's drumming help wrap this song up into an incredibly good single. The sound of the radio changing stations can be heard again at the end of the track.

"Gonna Leave You" buzzes its way into the speakers. Those same distorted guitar riffs we know so well kick in. Homme sings at that slightly higher tone again and it fits the song well. The song itself just doesn't do a whole lot for me. It just feels like filler. It has a decent beat, but the vocals seem to be lacking.

"Do It Again" begins with chants of, "HEY!" and noisy guitar riffs. The song is a step above the last one, but still seems to fall short overall. The chorus is a little too repetitive for my taste. It's another decent song that just isn't up to par with other songs on the record. More radio station surfing. Lots of religious stations and songs get skimmed through, which means...

"God Is In the Radio" is next. The drum beat and bass line pave the way for the guitars to chime in. The piano/keyboard parts are very brief. I mean, it sounds like one note being played in the background, but it's a welcome addition to the already fantastic beat to the song. The vocals are sung in a way that fit the song very well. It's like Homme isn't putting much effort into singing. The lyrics are almost just spoken. It's a bit slow, but is bound to get stuck in your head.

"Another Love Song". Homme has such a unique voice and he showcases it here. The drums have a beat that make you want to stomp your feet as what sounds like an organ occupies the background. The guitars sound like they're straight out of Pulp Fiction. Another decent song, but I usually skip it for...

"A Song For the Deaf." Another track that clocks in at over six minutes, but this time it doesn't waste a note. The bass line during the beginning reminds me of Tool. The QOTSA sound isn't really distinguished until the whole band chimes in. Homme's voice shines yet again. There's weird screaming that can be heard in the background as it jumps from speaker to speaker. It's like the vocals are sung while the background vocals are sung in that raspy style I mentioned earlier. The guitar riffs jump back and forth from sounding distorted to sounding fuzzy. A great way to end the album.

The secret song, referred to as "The Mosquito Song," is quite possibly the best secret song I've ever stumbled across. They also named their next album, Lullabies To Paralyze, after a lyric in this song. The song is mostly done with an acoustic guitar while Homme sings. I actually really like the lyrics in this song. What sounds like an accordian or maybe an organ chimes in a little later on while a great piano piece occupies the middle of the song. Some horns also make an appearance and some amazing viola work that actually sounds like mosquitos at times. Amazing song overall.

While the way Homme sings at times certainly takes away from certain songs, it's also one of the things that makes this album great. That combined with Dave Grohl's amazing skills on the drums really make the third effort from this band straight out of Palm Desert, California my favorite release from them overall. I'd probably rate this album a solid 8/10.

This, the 3rd album from So. Cal robot-rockers Queens of the Stone Age has been largely recognized for the drumming presence of former Nirvana and current Foo Fighters member Dave Grohl, who picked up the sticks and played on all but one song on this amazing album. But although the drums can't be overlooked, the main draw into this album should be the diverse styles. It goes from screaming punk metal w/ Nick Oliveri on vocals to the soft growl of former Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan and back to Homme, the vocalist on the radio hit, "No One Knows". This is a concept album, it's supposed to be what you might hear on the radio on a drive from Los Angeles to the Joshua Tree in California, Queens of the Stone Age style. But even if you don't get the concept, if you "get" good music, then you should definitely "Get" this album.