Queens of the
Stone Age released their fourth album in 2005 and it’s a sprawling beast of an
album at 14 tracks (16 on the deluxe version).
Mark Lanegan takes lead vocals on the curveball opener, the brief folk
song This Lullaby before the hard-riffing Medication blasts this away, Josh
Homme barking out the lyrics to set up a run of seven or so absolute nailed-on
QOTSA classics.
There’s
Everybody Knows That You’re Insane which explodes into riffing a minute or so
in, the glitter-stomp of Burn The Witch, and pounding rockers In My Head and
the cowbell-driven Little Sister.
Something for everyone! These are
among the finest songs in QOTSA’s entire back catalogue. I Never Came is a little more of a
slow-burner and a welcome breather after the high octane tracks which precede
it. After this however, the album sags
alarmingly, with relatively weak tracks like Someone’s In The Wolf and The
Blood Is Love.
The album
never quite recovers until the aptly-titled final track Long Slow Goodbye,
where the pace slows for a fine electric strum.
The deluxe version is well worth getting for the slinky, moody Like A
Drug, and a storming version of ZZ Top’s Precious and Grace with Lanegan again
on lead vocals.
Because of its
excessive length this album tends to be in the shadow of Rated R and Songs for
the Deaf . But for the first 8 tracks
alone it deserves to be ranked up there with this bands finest work.
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