Queens of the Stone Age

Queens Of The Stone Age

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 6, 1998)
• Original Release Date: October 6, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Loose Groove Records
• ASIN: B00000AGA0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,563 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Any similarities that Queens of the Stone Age may have to Kyuss are probably inevitable--all three members of this group were in Kyuss at one time or another. The intention of this band, however, is not to create Kyuss 2, but to make its own brand of noise. Falling somewhere between Can and Canned Heat, the trio brings an occasional electronic aura to the guitar-based chug of stoner rock. While not as brash and earsplitting as their previous band (singer-guitarist Josh Homme--a Jack Bruce sound-alike--lays back where Kyuss frontman John Garcia would have yelped), these guys have made a debut album that is nevertheless an intriguing, aggressive, trippy aural journey that bows down to no trend. --Janiss Garza

Product Description
Collector's Item. The record described here is one from the legendary LOST PALLET. The mystery has finally been solved: The CD's were discovered in a government warehouse in Seattle right next to the Lost Ark of the Covenant. This is one of the final remaining 8,000 of the original pressing of the classic debut album by Queens of the Stoneage. Brought to you by RekordsRekords in conjunction with Ant Acid Audio. "Nobody brings our music to you better than we do & that's our promise." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Plenty of giant hooks, plenty of awesome songs, May 27, 2003

By	Sal Nudo (Champaign, Illinois) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

From the explosive opener, "Regular John," to the subtle and soulful closing song, "I Was a Teenage Hand Model," this is one splendid debut album by QOTSA. From the gimmicky Mexican-tinged thematics, to the abstract song titles that have seemingly little to do with the lyrics, to the crushing and tuneful guitars and awesome drum work, this is one of the best rock and roll CDs in my collection. It's like Led Zeppelin meeting the Pixies who meet up with the Stone Temple Pilots. There's lots of muscially pleasing stuff here, riff after riff, gigantic chord after gigantic chord, as the songs breezily sail forward before you even know what hit you, without one plain or unworthy musical moment occuring.

Mastermind Josh Homme, he of the pleasing, purely melodious song structures emanating from his head to his guitar on a 24-hour basis, plays stellar guitars while changing his falsetto voice and mood from mournful to pleading to bored as the album moves along. It's not all Homme, though. Part of this album's charm is its pervading darkness, underneath all the big guitars, crass, indifferent attitude and bravado. Much of this ingratiating darkness comes from the heavy bass sound heard throughout. Mixed with Homme's crush-heavy ax guitar is somber, Soundgarden-like tuning down, which makes for great music. These guys are much more akin to Nirvana than bands like the Foo Fighters, Blink-182 or most radio bands today who are slaves to their record companies. In my mind, QOTSA were undoubtedly so sure of themselves back in 1998 for one reason: Their music was unstoppable. It's notable that QOTSA's original drummer was great on the skins; his drums on this album really enhance the overall sound.

One song of special mention is the somber "You Can't Quit Me Baby." Playing the role of a lost, depressed soul, Homme sounds mournful and weary as a heavy bass and hard-popping drums surround his isolated voice like down-and-out bliss. The song is a bit of a respite on this heavy rock record, and it fully makes its point, even stands out quite prominently as the music begins to wind down.

No, this debut record is not as complex or musically diverse as QOTSA's later album, Songs for the Deaf, nor is it as sonically easy on the ears perhaps as Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R, but therein lies its beauty. This is Led Zeppelin for a later age -- Zeppelin with a sense of humor, irony and better tunes.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thickish groovly sub-stoner rock fatalist crunchtasy., May 19, 2003

By	M. Justin Fort (San Diegish, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Finding out about Queens of the Stone Age is like opening that trunk in the basement. The funky one you never really noticed, the one that's been there longer than you can remember, the one that's full of priceless stuff you've always wanted and should've found ages ago.

QOTSA revealed themselves to me on the Heavy Metal 2000 soundtrack which I bought for a one-off Pantera tune, and in the classic form of bad movies having exceptional music attached to them I found the QOTSA sound, playing "Infinity" to the best of their form. About a month later, they were booked for the Winter X Games at Mammoth Mountain. After 3/4 of the floor cleared because their limp aural ethic couldn't handle the QOTSA vibe, it was up to me and twenty devoted friends, by ourselves, to be hit full and complete with a great show that reached well back into QOTSA history. After the show, one of my pals suggested I look into Josh Homme's roots and listen to Kyuss if I like this stuff so much. After you buy this album, go try Kyuss' Blues for the Red Sun and it just gets better. This sound has its own gravity.

The band creates high quality, juicy, sludgy, fat and chewy neo-Sabbath stoner/desert rock without sounding like they're trying very hard at all. Their ability to stick to a groove and play it out is uncanny. "You Would Know" - a weird, jerky phone call-stalker anthem that grows into a exceptionally heavy mini-raga. "Avon" - made for radio but too damn good for people to appreciate. "You Can't Quit Me Baby" - suicide on a stick, a melody rich plea for recognition. None of it's the same - listen and grow into it. All of this sound smacks of garage band production ethics done for the big screen, and the QOTSA sound is uncorruptable. If you like your desert metal big and thick, intelligent and complete but utterly rock & roll with a meaty slab of funky Black Sabbath or Deep Purple-style metal flair, try this on.

jf

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Album, October 30, 2004

By	bmw5002 "bmw5002" (NJ USA) - See all my reviews

I first bought Songs for the Deaf and was pretty blown away. Being a classic rocker, I usually cringe at the sound of modern music these days. The QOTSA sound was unlike any other ive ever heard before and I instanly fell in love with it. The way the album sounded like a radio was also very cool. Anyways, I just recently decided I'd pick up the other two albums of the collection. Rated R was so-so. However, this album, their self-titled debut is outrageous! It's about 3 times better than songs for the deaf, if that is possible. I like every song on this album. I recommend it to anyone that is looking for something different than the nu-metal sound that so many bands posess today. Considering I usually listen to the Floyd, Zeppelin, Beatles, and The Who, you should take it from me that this is an amazing modern band and an amazing album.