How to Handle a Rope / The Queens of the Stone Age Thread

[Leatherhead]

I don't think either Era Vulgaris or Like Clockwork are very enjoyable, hence their omission. Lullabies at least has a handful of alright songs.

Wow, that's surprising. ...Like Clockwork is my favorite, but I've only been enjoying QOTSA for a few months.

[Dev]

i feel so heartbroken every time I hear someone say like clockwork is their favourite. I know that's an overreaction….

[VinylGuy]

i get you Dev....but i dont know, this one really spoke to me.

[zeb]

i feel so heartbroken every time I hear someone say like clockwork is their favourite. I know that's an overreaction….

It has been out for almost a year now.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

The first album is a masterpiece. I recommend listening to the albums in reverse order. It's the only way it gets better as you go.

[lowlight79]

I feel as if Rated R has really aged well. I LOVED LTP when it first came out and spun that shit everyday. It was really the first record that got me into Queens, but it just has not aged well IMO.

[VinylGuy]

i love the first one, but its too Kyuss for me.

[Bob Loblaw]

I LOVED LTP when it first came out and spun that shit everyday. It was really the first record that got me into Queens, but it just has not aged well IMO.

Yup. Not as well as I thought it would, anyway.

[Tuolumne]

Went to the Aragon show a few nights ago. Great show, my thoughts:

The show got off to kind of a sluggish start. 'Millionaire' as sung by Josh just doesn't do it. That song is pedal to the metal, and when Josh sings it feels like your driving a Ferrari at 35mph. The next few songs felt a little like I was watching a good show online on a webcast, such is the experience of watching live music in this era. Good workmanlike versions and then they did a take on 'I'm Designer' which is a song I don't like on record but actually came off decent live.

'Smooth Sailing' finally gave the show a real pulse, people were jamming to this and the groove was great. I've been on record as saying Like Clockwork is a solid effort but not my fav but the title song is a nice little breather in the set and opens up their stage sound and provides a nice dynamic change of pace. 'Little Sister' really kicked the show into gear, great mid-set song and something they probably use to get the place bumpin. From here on, it was a super stellar show. Fairweather, Make it Withchu, were good, and even though Make it can feel like a goofy novelty tune the guitar solo here was great.

Then they played Fun Machine and that's a song I barely know, regardless it completely kills live and is real jammy. It has the dark Lullabize feel to it and lots of peaks and valleys, this kills live. I Sat by the Ocean and 3s and 7s are "solid" concert songs. Would I have liked some 'oldies' from their first album? Sure. But these are good Queens songs and kept the ball rolling.

Now, the end of the first set was utterly amazing. Lost Art into Better Living into Go With the Flow - oh man this is a lethal combination and the crowd was ready for it by this point after the sluggish start. I've always sort of bounced between albums 2, 3, and 4 being my favorite, but this is the exact moment I came to the conclusion that Rated R is my absolutel fav Queens album. Songs for the Deaf has the sheer volume of quality songs, but Rated R is their most concise and varied statement. It contains the full scope of Queens with it's hooks and riffs but still contains their weirdness and effectively packages it into one definitive statement of an album. Better Living through Chemistry just had all ofthe power, mystery, hooks, and instrumentation I love and they went full throttle and Josh dug a little extra into the solo. Jon Theodore is the best drummer they've ever had. Yeah, I said that. He brings a tightness and agility to the band that even Grohl couldn't and he also plays with plenty power. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, they slammed right into Go With the Flow. Luckily I felt satiated at this point, anything else was gravy so my absolute least fav Queens song, Vampyre didn't kill the buzz for me. Feel Good was a crowd please and Song for the Dead finished it off. Funny enough, Song for the Dead is kinda overrated for me, it's meant to overpower you and it is crushing live but doesn't live up to the promise of the song, if that makes any sense. Better Living did everything on that front, Song for the Dead just sort of put icing on the cake.

All in all, great show. The first time I saw Queens in 2006 I was disappointed. This redeemed them in my eyes. This lineup is super tight. Playing wise they're a good as they've ever been. If they somehow added in the vocal rage of Nick Oliveri and gruffness of Mark Lanegan it would have all of the ingredients I love in Queens.

Coming off of this, my album ranking for them now is:

Rated R
Songs for the Deaf
Lullabize to Parralize
QOTSA
Like Clockwork
Era Vulgaris

[resonance of distance]

I listen to this album here and there, Them Crooked Vultures reminded me a lot of this record.

[Revelator]

QOTSA just announced a date (17 Jul) at Merriweather in MD. I definitely plan to go.

That said, I can no longer make the Philly show on 20 Jul. Am willing to sell the ticket for face value (I'll cover admin and shipping costs). PM me if you're interested, I can do Paypal.

[LetMeSleep]

Funny enough, Song for the Dead is kinda overrated for me, it's meant to overpower you and it is crushing live but doesn't live up to the promise of the song, if that makes any sense.

I feel this too. In fact I feel that that sums up the whole album. It's just too much (if that makes sense). I'd take the first 2 albums over SFtD everyday.

[Bob Loblaw]

Wrong. Song for the Dead is the original analrapist.

[Tuolumne]

Funny enough, Song for the Dead is kinda overrated for me, it's meant to overpower you and it is crushing live but doesn't live up to the promise of the song, if that makes any sense.

I feel this too. In fact I feel that that sums up the whole album. It's just too much (if that makes sense). I'd take the first 2 albums over SFtD everyday.

SFtD is awesome in the sheer number of catchy tunes on there, especially the back half. But, yeah, if there's a weakness on the album it's that is sometimes doesn't achieve the bombast they are trying so hard to achieve. Grohl is great but I can tell he's not their full-time drummer and there's a certain nuance that they didn't ahieve that Rated R has. If someone asks me to give them the true Queens experience, I'd play them Rated R.

And, cannot say enough how good Jon Theodore is for this band. He is the guy that brings them together the most, keeps them tight and rocking and jammy all at once. When I saw them in 2006, they were a total clusterfuck. Too many stand-ins and new guys who obviously hadn't worked out how to communicate and they seemed really exhausted. Band-wise, this is the best version, although they are missing the vocal variety they used to have with Oliveri/Lanegan.

[zeb]

Funny enough, Song for the Dead is kinda overrated for me, it's meant to overpower you and it is crushing live but doesn't live up to the promise of the song, if that makes any sense.

I feel this too. In fact I feel that that sums up the whole album. It's just too much (if that makes sense). I'd take the first 2 albums over SFtD everyday.

SFtD is awesome in the sheer number of catchy tunes on there, especially the back half. But, yeah, if there's a weakness on the album it's that is sometimes doesn't achieve the bombast they are trying so hard to achieve.

I think you might be missing the point of SFTD. They weren't trying to achieve "bombast". The record is meant to sound like you're listening to the radio in your car - dry, hollow and muted.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

The QOTSA soundboard remasters series has begun:

http://zombtracker.the-zomb.com/details.php?id=50491

[VinylGuy]

Over the years....is amazing. I love those years with Alain and Natasha in the lineup.

[ridleybradout]

The QOTSA soundboard remasters series has begun:

http://zombtracker.the-zomb.com/details.php?id=50491

Let it not go unnoticed how awesome is it is to finally have a definitive high quality version of this rare 1998 soundboard.

Looking forward to hearing more as the series continues

[VinylGuy]

The QOTSA soundboard remasters series has begun:

http://zombtracker.the-zomb.com/details.php?id=50491

Let it not go unnoticed how awesome is it is to finally have a definitive high quality version of this rare 1998 soundboard.

Looking forward to hearing more as the series continues

Thats a badass cover as well...ill try to download this one tomorrow.

[kreng]

Homme is doing a solo acoustic show in the UK tomorrow (16th)