Number 70: Songs for the Deaf by Queens of the Stone Age
Release: August 27th, 2002
Genre: Hard Rock
Favorite Tracks: You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire, Song For The Dead, No One Knows
Where I heard it:
When I think back to my time in high school, I'm thankful for the lasting friendships that came from some of the most unexpected places. Say, gym class for instance. Instead of knocking out this required elective as an underclassmen, I waited until my senior year and got stuck with a bunch of freshmen and sophomores as a result. I only knew one other person in that class, but he was one of the more annoying kids in band that tended to be picked on. Reluctantly, I began building our relationship out of necessity in gym class. We would converse over any subject we could find common ground on, which was generally music. My friend would often talk about one of his favorite bands, Queens of the Stone Age, a band I had minor knowledge on based off songs featured in rhythm games like 3's & 7's on Guitar Hero and No One Knows on Rock Band. To make a long story short, that kid from gym class would become one of my closest friends, and his love for Queens of the Stone Age only grew with age. I decided that I had to brush up on my knowledge, and Songs for the Deaf was the only album I had any background with previously. Just like my newfound friendship my senior year, there was so much more to Songs for the Deaf than just face that I cherish to this day.
I know the sun is hot
Mosquitos come suck your blood
And leave you there all alone
Just skin and bone
When you walk among the trees
Listening to the leaves
The further I go the less I know
~ Mosquito Song
What to expect:
The fad of combining well-established and talented musicians to form a super band for an album or two mostly ran its course by the end of the 90's. I wouldn't necessarily consider Queens of the Stone Age a super band by conventional terms, but the group's personnel history admittedly feels like frontman Josh Homme & friends. Of the various iterations of Queens of the Stone Age, the lineup featured on Songs for the Deaf boasts the highest musical IQ: Nick Oliveri of Kyuss, Mark Lanegan of the Screaming Trees, and the legendary Dave Grohl of Nirvana. Songs for the Deaf straps the listener in the driver's seat for a journey from the urban sprawl of Los Angeles to the desolate deserts of Joshua Tree. This expedition is represented through the album's gradual pacing, putting petal to the metal on opening tracks like You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire and First It Giveth before easing into the winding desert roads in God Is In The Radio and Mosquito Song. In addition, a plethora of alt rock musicians appear in cameo interludes as radio DJs, simulating the effect of receiving different and fewer radio frequencies as the signal weakens towards the desert. Even the slower selections available on Songs for the Deaf pack a punch from the force of Queens of the Stone Age's heavy playing style. Despite this rigidness, the band still attains a diverse sound spectrum by rotating vocalists between songs. Segmenting Homme's melodic moans, Lanegan's grungy growls, and Oliveri's shrill screams gives each performer their own signature contribution to the album which reflects their particular musical background. While this separation can be disjointed in practice, Songs for the Deaf flawlessly executes its transitions in such a way that the album's full context is required to be enjoyed in its entirety. Otherwise, the attention to detail that makes Songs for the Deaf so special in the first place goes completely to waste.
They say the Devil is paranoid
Always runnin' for cover
But God is leakin' through the stereo
Between the station to station
~ God Is In The Radio
Why it's my favorite:
In relation to my final statement on expectations for the album, Songs for the Deaf didn't click with me until I knew about its overall concept. I've since completely bought in to the idea of burning rubber across the California highway, seeking refuge from the metropolitan hellscape of Los Angeles in the mystical wastelands of the desert. Songs for the Deaf does an amazing job creating an atmosphere that replicates the exhilaration of flying down the interstate through the frantic tempos of Songs For The Dead, or the heat of the desert sun beating down with western ballads like Mosquito Song. Last but not least, the inclusion of parodic radio stations to preface some of the material on Songs for the Deaf remains one of my favorite examples of a concept album. Not only do these humorous snippets reinforce the road trip concept, they also include tiny references and easter eggs meant for fans of Queens of the Stone Age that start to get pretty meta the more you understand. While I obviously enjoy the songs off the album, I am more interested in the story Songs for the Deaf attempts to convey through its themes rather than its lyrics. The message isn't convoluted or preachy; it's aim is to have fun and not take itself too seriously. Ultimately, my love for Songs for the Deaf stems from the use of its music to create an overarching narrative while maintaining the integrity of rock and roll at its essence.
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