You can admire an artist for the effort to try out new sounds and work with new people, without being fond of the results, and so it is with Queens of The Stone Age/Josh Homme as of 2007 and the release of their fifth album, Era Vulgaris. Telling is that the best song, “Make it Wit Chu,” is pulled from the Desert Sessions collective and not a Queens original. For all its problems Lullabies to Paralyze has a few songs that work, Era Vulgaris has one. One could opine that Homme is spent from all the Queens of The Stone Age upheaval, or maybe he’s committed to too many projects at this point (QOTSA, Eagles of Death Metal, Desert Sessions, Them Crooked Vultures) and can only realistically devote the necessary passion to one or maybe two. Not to belabor a point, but the absence of Oliveri remains another glaring problem. If nothing else the dynamic created between the shift from a Homme song to an Oliveri song and back again imbued early Queens albums much of their vitality, without said dynamic the band is adrift in something verging on monotony.

Speculation aside one has to retain hope for the future of Homme/Queens of The Stone Age, and, with two classic albums in Rated R and Songs For the Deaf, they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps Homme will wise up and abandon Eagles of Death Metal and Them Crooked Vultures, bring Oliveri back into the fold, and abscond with a reconstituted band to a secluded recording studio wherein they can lay down another essential rock album.

Songs For The Deaf cemented QOTSA as a premier contemporary hard rock act that not only appealed to its base but indie-kids and the wider listening audience as well. Said crossover appeal owed in large part to Dave Grohl’s presence as recording drummer and even moreso his appearance in the video for “No One Knows,” making it safe for those drawn in by the sound though unsure about the freaky bald guy and the towering redhead. “No One Knows” stuck around in radio rotation and video countdowns for a good while and by the end of its run even non-fans knew the song and the band. The album further refined their desert-at-dusk motif on songs like the graveyard stomp “God Is In The Radio,” the aforementioned paranoid anthem “No One Knows,” and the all or nothing “Go With The Flow.”

(near the 3:45 mark, when Homme looks out from behind Oliveri–so cool)

In early 2005, after well-documented behind the scenes turmoil, QOTSA released Lullabies To Paralyze which retains much of the customary sound though lacks any cohesion as it recalls Rated R, Songs For The Deaf, mimics Eagles of Death Metal in spots, utilizes a new core lineup, and features a rogue’s gallery of fringe talents such as Brody Dalle, Billy Gibbons, Jesse Hughes, and more. Though the album sold and reviewed rather well, none of the songs stick much less burrow in your brain like those on Rated R and Songs for The Deaf.

Two years after Lullabies to Paralyze the band released Era Vulgaris, object of scorn and derision. Tomorrow we’ll take a look at the album and the outlook for Queens of The Stone Age.

Breakout album and arguable high-water mark, 2000′s Rated R is a sizable leap forward in quality and an expansion of the sound established on QOTSA’s debut, most notably via the addition of semi-permanent members Nick Oliveri and Mark Lanegan who serve as lead vocalists on several tracks, punching up the vocal assault when spelling Homme. Oliveri gets on-the-rails punk screed and supposed one-off, “Quick and To The Pointless,” while Lanegan contributes what is essentially a Screaming Trees song with “In The Fade”. Where Queens of The Stone Age is the absolute simplest example of the band’s sound, Rated R is an impressive blend of that sound’s progression and influences brought to the party by new members.

–

Rated R‘s success paved the way for 2002 critical and commercial smash, Songs For The Deaf, the rare hard rock album with considerable crossover appeal. Check back tomorrow for a closer look at Songs…

If nothing else Queens of The Stone Age (1998) works as a primer for someone first discovering the band. While most people started out with some Napster-downloaded Rated R tracks and then ended up buying Songs For The Deaf, and tend to consider those the essential QOTSA albums, Queens of The Stone Age is the clearest distillation of the band’s ethos. Which means you have finger in the socket guitar licks, Homme’s too-cool vocals, contagious rhythms, loud drums, and the occasional nigh-demonic backing vocal, altogether eschewing the digressive experiments found on latter albums Era Vulgaris and Lullabies to Paralyze. Homme apparently prefers “robot rock” over all the labels affixed by critics and the self-proclaimed genre is most apropos on this album. Queens of The Stone Age received a favorable review from Rolling Stone but didn’t exactly set the charts on fire. QOTSA didn’t catch on until  2000′s fan favorite, Rated R–more on that tomorrow.

Born out of the breakup of Kyuss and originally known as Gamma Ray, Queens of the Stone Age emerged from the California desert in the late nineties and gradually took over hard rock for most of the last decade. Through albums exemplary and uneven, shifting lineups, an evolving sound, competing side projects, and tabloid antics Queens of The Stone Age continue to release albums stacked with blistering riffs, surly swagger, and inky undercurrents. Even now, after the inevitable backlash, a QOTSA album will grab you by the shirt collar and send you off with a rock ‘n roll contact high.  Check back throughout the week as we take a closer look at QOTSA’s history and discography.

In 2007, the band hit the legendary Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin with producer Nick Launay, who has worked with Gang of Four, David Byrne, and more recently, Yeah Yeah Yeahs.   The sessions produced a return to the guitar rock that has defined Supergrass in the form of 2008′s Diamond Hoo Ha.  The first two singles, “Diamond Hoo Ha Man” and “Bad Blood” sound like the best Queens of the Stone Age tracks since 2002, but for the first time, it wasn’t the singles that made this record great.  The trio of “Rebel in You,” “When I Needed You,” and “345,” would have fit right in on their best albums, In it For The Money and their eponymous third LP.  It’s tracks like these that keep me coming back to Supergrass.

Inspired by David Bowie’s 1973 covers record, Pin Ups, Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey teamed up with producing legend Nigel Godrich to form The Hotrats.   Their 2010 record, Turn Ons featured their take on tracks from Velvet Underground, The Kinks, Sex Pistols, and others.  The album received mixed reviews, which is to be expected on an album full of covers.  The band’s versions of Gang of Four’s “Damaged Goods” and Bowie’s “Queen Bitch” are both pretty faithful to the originals, but Coombes’ vocal abilities give the tracks a new and unique energy.  Here’s a clip of The Hotrats covering “Fight For Your Right” on Letterman.

For a band that has been putting out hits for nearly twenty years, Supergrass is still relatively young, with all members in their mid-to-late 30′s.  NME reported in Januray 2010 that Supergrass are currently in the studio working on their 7th LP, titled Release the Drones.   Though no release date is set, it is reportedly a very collaborative affair with a Kraut-rock influence.  If Diamond Hoo Ha and Turn Ons are any indication, Supergrass and its members still have plenty of tricks up their sleeves.

Supergrass released their fourth LP, Life on Other Planets, in 2002 to more acclaim.  Gaz Coombes’ older brother had played keyboard on all three of their previous records, but it wasn’t until this album that Rob Coombes was credited as a member of the band.   The record was produced by Tony Hoffer, who had previously helmed Beck’s Midnite Vultures and Air’s 10 000 Hz Legend.  Drummer Danny Goffey claimed the reason for bringing in an outside producer was to keep the songs “short and sweet” as the band felt that their previous LP lacked some urgency.  The result kept on with previous releases in that there are some outstanding singles, such as “Grace” and “Rush Hour Soul,” as well as a few missteps.  If anything, the record cemented Supergrass as one of the finest singles bands of the last 20 years.  This is evidenced by their spectacular 2004 greatest hits package, Supergrass is 10. If there was an iTunes singles chart from 1995-2002, Supergrass should have been a mainstay in the Top 10.

In the years following, the Coombes’ mother passed away and Goffey’s life became publicly scrutinized due to his tumultuous relationship with longtime partner Pearl Lowe.  These events were reflected on their fifth LP, 2005′s Road to Rouen, which was recorded in Rouen, Normandy in northern France. The record marked a significant shift in the band’s sound, from energetic guitar-pop to a denser, more orchestral interpretation.  Don’t be fooled though, the gorgeous melodies and hooks are still there, especially on album closer “Fin”; one just needs to dig a little deeper to find them.

–

Day 5

Following 18 months of touring behind their debut album, Supergrass released their second record, In It For The Money, in April of 1997.  The LP is a near-flawless collection of pop songs highlighted by the effervescent “Sun Hits the Sky” and the dark masterpiece, “Late in the Day.”  Critical and commercial reception was very positive, and it has become the best-selling album Supergrass has released.  The maturity from debut to follow-up was astounding, not only in the melodies and production but also in the songwriting, with tracks such as “Tonight” and “Going Out” displaying a new-found confidence.  The trouble-making kids had grown up to be legit musicians with hooks for days.

Two years later they released their previously mentioned third LP, titled Supergrass, which was another critical smash that sold well in the UK, reaching #3 on the charts.  Many Americans got their first glimpse of Supergrass too, due to the popular Hammer & Tongs-directed video for “Pumping on Your Stereo” which featured the band with Muppet-like bodies.  The Beatles were obviously a clear influence as with previous outings, but this record has a more spacey, atmospheric sound which points to Bowie as an emerging influence, specifically on album opener “Moving” and third single “Mary.”  Supergrass was the work of a band in its prime; combining brilliant guitar-pop with the melodies to match, the album is as enjoyable today as it was 10 years ago.

Tomorrow: Life on Other Planets and Road to Rouen

Day 4

Supergrass was born out of the rubbles of the Oxford band The Jennifers, which featured a teenage Gaz Coombes on vocals and Danny Goffey on drums.  The Jennifers were a promising local band who played simple pop-punk in pubs and clubs in South East England, even releasing a single called “Just Got Back Today” in 1992.  When the other members left the band, Gaz took over as lead guitarist and recruited a co-worker named Mick Quinn to play bass, along with Goffey on drums. Supergrass released their first single “Caught by the Fuzz” in 1994, quickly earning praise from radio icon John Peel.   The song recreates Coombes’ own arrest for cannabis possession at age 15, perfectly capturing the excitement and rebellion of teenage years, while hinting at the hook-writing chops of Coombes and company.

After the success of “Caught by the Fuzz” and subsequent single, “Mansize Rooster,” anticipation was high for Supergrass’ debut LP, titled I Should Coco.  Released in May of 1995, the album was a smash hit with the critics as well as the British consumer, reaching number one on the UK albums chart.  Rolling Stone gave it a favorable review, claiming that the record combined the raunchiness of Jagger with the melody of The Beatles and the cheekiness of Madness.  Though it was the fifth single released off the LP, Supergrass finally had a breakout hit in the form of “Alright.”  You may remember it from the Clueless soundtrack, but more than likely you know it from that damn cruise commercial.  As a whole the album is a ton of fun to listen to, but the quality of the individual tracks doesn’t hold up to that of their next record In It For The Money and their self-titled third LP, which we will discuss tomorrow.

–

Day 3

I was first introduced to Supergrass during my senior year of high school when a friend gave me a copy of their self-titled third LP, along with The Man Who by Travis.  Years later I can see that this was an attempt to save me from rap-rock purgatory where I was unfortunately spending my mid-teens.   Supergrass quickly became the soundtrack to which I would spend countless hours writing and researching English papers on Jane Eyre, Beowulf, and The Stranger.  The tracks immersed themselves into my brain, to the point that now whenever I hear the album opener, “Moving,” I can’t help but to be taken back to a time when ACT scores, college scholarships, and potential prom dates were my only concerns.  I devoured their back catalog as soon as I could, and discovered a great young band with brilliant, rebellious singles.  This week we will be taking a look back at the Oxford four-piece, focusing on their transition from teenage superstars to relevant, Britpop veterans.

Tuesday: History and debut LP, I Should Coco

Day 2