Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
1998
Album Summary
Queens of the Stone Age is the debut studio album by American rock band Queens of the Stone Age, released by Loosegroove Records on September 22, 1998. It was primarily written and recorded in April 1998 by founding member Josh Homme and his former Kyuss bandmate Alfredo Hernández, with Hernández playing drums and Homme singing and playing the rest of the instruments. Homme also produced the album alongside Joe Barresi. Bassist Nick Oliveri, also a former member of Kyuss, would join the band by the time of the album's release. Queens of the Stone Age received generally positive reviews from critics, who placed it in the stoner rock genre and drew comparisons to krautrock bands such as Neu! and Can, as well as to Kyuss and other metal bands. In 2011, Homme reissued Queens of the Stone Age through his Rekords Rekords label, having it remastered and adding three additional tracks–two from the album's recording sessions and one from two years earlier. The reissue received a positive critical response and was accompanied by a supporting concert tour. Working on the reissue and subsequent tour also inspired part of the band's approach to recording its sixth album, ...Like Clockwork, released in 2013.
WikipediaSome nice but generic 2000s rock. Honestly, it feels more like a promising demo than a complete album. I liked it, but really not a ton draws me back. (Also, Josh Homme always feels like a dollar store Chris Cornell to me lol)
I like the dusty desert sluggishness of the album, and think with a bit more refinement this could be an excellent album.
“Queens of the Stone Age” by Queens of the Stone Age (1998) Marginally competent stoner rock, but this ain’t Nirvana. Composition needlessly repetitive. Too much l/r separation and hanky-panky in the mix. Pathetic vocals. Senseless lyrics. I preferred the original vinyl LP cover art. 2/5
2.7 - Really nothing special. It's got a straightforward, commercial hard rock sound. Vocals never grabbed me. Uninteresting guitar parts - just a generic high gain drone with the same patterns: power chord-power chord-riff. Songs don't land anywhere emotionally. I'd hear this at a head shop and not give it a second thought. Chuck this album and listen to Superunknown instead.
Too serious to make a virtue of their dumbness, too dumb to conceive of seriousness as anything other than vocal lassitude and fuzzy guitars. More proof that whoever wrote this book used spin the bottle to choose albums from the 90's.
I consider myself a fan, but I must not be a true fan because I have to admit I started at Songs for the Deaf and never looked backward in their discography. This sounds fantastic. Weird to think that Josh Homme was only like, 25 when he made this. The QOTSA sound was already fully formed.
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive/hallucinogenic brew made from various plants and considered among the indigenous people of South America’s Amazon basin to be a ceremonial spiritual medicine. It is purported by many to be effective in treating things like chronic depression and addiction. Author Michael Pollan wrote an excellent book in 2018, 'How to Change Your Mind,' in which he also advocates the use of other psychedelics (namely, L.S.D. and psilocybin mushrooms) in treating disorders as well as offering spiritual insight and transcendence. Both shamans and modern scientific researchers, however, insist that these substances are only a first step, a jump start if you will, into a more sustainable practice of things like daily meditation for life-long wellness. And neither condone hallucinogens for purely recreational purposes. I got very close to taking an ayahuasca treatment a while back, met the requirements and had all but signed up and made travel plans to a location here in the U.S, but then finally decided against it. I was scared of the possibility of persistent psychosis that is also reported among persons who may have a history of psychiatric disorders. I have shown symptoms of mild borderline personality disorder, but this is only a self-diagnosis, unconfirmed by medical professionals. My personal belief, gut reaction/intuition, is that my emotional and behavioral issues are more accurately spiritual disorders, which I’ve been treating for the last few years with a twice daily practice of Sahaja Yoga meditation, among other things. It’s a slow, lengthy process, but I am making significant recovery back to health and wellness. The reason I bring this up is because of the nature of the ayahuasca experience as differentiated from L.S.D. and mushroom. Acid and ‘shroom trips can be both frightening but also quite pleasurable, ecstatic even. But ayahuasca, by contrast, is designed to plunge the recipient into the very heart of terror. The guidance being not to flee from one’s demons (and I’m using that term in a more Hindu/Buddhist/Taoist way rather than a traditional Jewish/Christian/Muslim understanding) but to face them and allow these deeply buried entities, now unearthed, to guide you to a better place. This is exactly what my meditative practice is also accomplishing, albeit in a much gentler, gradual, and less frightening way. As I was listening to 'Queens of the Stone Age,' I was very aware of lyricists Josh Homme and Alfredo Hernandez’s own potential disordered (perhaps even sociopathic, or worse, psychopathic) thoughts, at least as revealed in their lyrics, which are by design subject to a variety of interpretations. These fellas are talented and creative lyricists, no doubt. Still, there is a tremendous amount of violent cutting going on in this LP, among both the objects and subjects of the hellish scenarios they present. In ‘Avon,’ for example, the ‘Free range humans (are) all cooped up… I string ‘em up, I cut ‘em down.’ On the final track, ‘I Was a Teenage Hand Model,’ the protagonist peaks in the window, ‘lookin’ inside, the butcher’s got a fork in your face. I’m standin’ alive, and I was singin’…’ Most disturbing of all, on ‘You Can’t Quit Me Baby,’ we experience the actions of a ‘psycho in love,’ who breaks into his ex-lover’s home and kills himself: ‘I slashed and I cut and I do it for you. I want you to notice when I’m not around.’ And, ‘I’ll see you in hell.’ This is accompanied by a guitar solo that literally evokes a disturbed mind, and then an accelerated tempo at the end concluding in a cacophony of sounds which is quite effective in its artistic representation of insanity, despair, and bloody suicide. It was scary, and not in a fun-scary rollercoaster ride kind of way. (Allow me to make a quick comment here, off the subject. On the final track, a reference is made to the patience of Job. The intent of the story of Job has very little to do with patience, at least as I understand it. Furthermore, as much as I adore Pink Floyd’s 'Dark Side of the Moon,' the Bible reads the love of money as the root of all evil, not simply money itself. I wouldn’t expect casual readers of either the Hebrew or Christian scriptures to know that, nor do I blame them for the mistake, but I just had to get that off my chest. You know, for the record. Ok, back to 'Queens of the Stone Age.') Musically, these boys are in my sweet spot. I do love me some stoner rock, man But these fellas have lifted their version up from the sludge of the Wishkah river where most play, and rinsed theirs off until its squeaky cleanier, sleeker even, and much closer to that wonderfully rich, deep Black Sabbath-esque vibe that is so influential to stoner rock bands, rather than the full-fledged grunge of, say, Nirvana. Josh Homme, while not as good a singer as Soundgarden’s late vocalist Chris Cornell, definitely echoes a similar mood. And he (also playing guitar, bass, and keyboards) and drummer Hernandez share musical surprises galore throughout, including an excellent understanding of dynamics, melodic guitar solos that are more concerned with serving the song rather than showing off (‘If Only’ is a good, but hardly the only, example), and even a taste of prog metal- a quirky 4/4, 4/4, 4/4, 4/4, 4/5 time signature on the LP’s sole instrumental, ‘Hispanic Impressions.’ I’m also a real sucker for that repetitive groove so common to the stoner rockers. ‘Walking On the Sidewalks’ produces a near trance-like state towards the end. They could’ve played that thing for ten more minutes (I’m guessing they just might in concert) and I would’ve been more than content to listen. Seeing as how the folks who create the 1001 LP list did not see fit to include any Melvins recordings (a true loss and major disappointment) I’m pleasantly surprised and relieved to discover this LP, 'Queens of the Stone Age,' as a close alternative. I love everything about this album, despite approaching the lyrics with a bit of caution. I’m emotionally mature enough, now, to take it. However, I would most certainly not recommend this while taking a hallucinogenic trip. It pretty much serves that purpose just fine all by itself. And sometimes the trip soars like an angel, but then it just as quickly takes an awfully scary descent. To smooth out the whole thing, I would recommend a big ol’ bong hit or two before dropping the needle to vinyl, or whatever musical platform you’re on (they’ve never come up with a term descriptive of the playing of virtual music that’s as good as the needle to vinyl image.) I mean, there’s a reason why they call this ‘stoner rock.’ Turn it up real fucking loud, too.
Not my cup of tea; I like the general sound of QotSA, but this album feels boring, like the same bass and drums lines continue throughout the album. Meh.
What a cracker of a first album. Still lots of Kyuss vibes but completely Josh starting something fresh.
I love QOTSA. I would rate songs for the deaf, like clockwork and r rated above this album though. It’s a shame they are not on the list. But in there absence their debut is getting a 5. So much sex and swagger to this.
I consider "...like clockwork" to be one of my formative albums and myself as a QOTSA fan but I had never listen to this one. Maybe I'm biased but this was excellent. strong and meaningful although that last track was confusing and uncomfortable with the headphones lol
Weirdly had QotSA grouped with a bunch of forgettable post-grunge bands without really having listened to much. Turns out this is a actually a really good lo-fi garage rock album. Pleasantly surprising.
Steengoed album met vettig gitaarwerk. Nogal vreemd einde. Maar I like it.
This is the best Queens of the Stone Age album because it sounds the most like a Kyuss album.
stoned and sleepy on you would know. I'm asher burns and I approve this album
Always been an album I've loved. Stand out tracks - How to handle a rope, If only
Probably my second favorite QOTSA album, but goddamn it gets me pumped. A near perfect combo of simple and repetitive structures with complex and intricate arrangements and rhythms and great melodies. The instrumental bonus tracks are unnecessary though and it’s weird that the reissue is the only version on streaming
Queens of the Stone Age debut album, 1998. Desert rock / Stoner rock / Hard rock. Album received generally positive reviews from the critics. Homme remarked that he "just wanted to start a band that within three seconds of listening, people knew what band it was". And it is really damn good! Please generate me more stoner rock albums in this list! :)
There's just something about the way this sounds that's so pleasing to my ears
Crushing stoner rock. More refined and polished and less sprawling than Kyuss and probably better for it.
There is no QOTSA track that I don't like. They are one of my more favorite bands. Have been listening since Kyuss.
Contains two of my favorite rock songs of all time, "If Only" and "You Can't Quit Me Baby." When the album came out, it was more accessible than Kyuss, far less cheesy/repetitive than Fu Manchu, and just odd enough - sonically and lyrically - to be cooler than mainstream hard rock.
Josh Homme's voice soars above the howling guitars. What a fantastic debut! And they went from strength to strength too.
Despite dismissing QotSA back in the day, I've mostly enjoyed this. Not ultra-keen on the novelty album aspect, but the tracks that rock rock hard. People who enjoyed this, be sure to listen to The Divine Comedy's version of Noone Knows. It's extraordinary.
A great first album that I think gets overlooked a lot with QOTSA. I liked the raw grittiness of this.
Regular John is such a strong opener - one of my favorite rock songs period. So danceable, I have hard time staying in my seat with this one. If Only has a similar vibe. Other gems: You Would Know (starts slow & builds really nicely). How to Handle a Rope Mexicola Give the Mule What He Wants Spiders and Vinegaroons I Was a Teenage Hand Model Picking up where Kyuss left off and getting more experimental, this is an iconic stoner rock album that defined the palm desert scene. The album is a bit uneven though. Not all songs go down smoothly. Some songs are experimental, as QOTSA find their sound. Some songs are just repetitive & boring. Also... as far as I can tell this is the only real Stoner/Desert Rock album on this list... so here's my ten-and-one Desert Rock albums to listen to before you get bored of the genre: 1/ this one. congrats you've probably already listened to it. 2/ "Vols. 11 & 12" by Desert Sessions ("Crucifire" if one song) 3/ "Sleep's Holy Mountain" by Sleep ("Dragonaut" if only one song) (San Jose's finest represent!) 4/ "Jalamanta" by Brant Bjork ("Too Many Chiefs - Not Enough Indians" if only one song) 5/ "Clutch" by Clutch ("Spacegrass" if only one song) 6/ "Welcome to Sky Valley" by Kyuss ("Demon Cleaner" if only one song) 7/ "Saint Vitus" by Saint Vitus (title track if you only listen to one song). This album was way ahead of its time. Early 80s. 8/ "Sunrise on the Sufferbus" by Masters of Reality ("Rabbit One" if only one song). 9/ "Dopethrone" by Electric Wizard ("Funeralopolis" if only one song) 10/ "Peace Love Death Metal" by Eagles of Death Metal ("Miss Alissa" if only one song) 11/ "Dead Roots Stirring" by Elder ("Gemini" if only one song... but it's 9 mins long!)
Regular John Mexicola You cant quit me baby Hispanic Impressions Give the Mule what he wants
Class album, weird and interesting all the way through. Lacks any obvious singles apart from regular John but that probably makes it better.
I’ve listened to this 100000 times already, and I’m so glad it made the list. I feel it gets overlooked a lot by QOTSA fans, but this to me is quintessential Queens (well, perhaps Rated R is but this paved the way). Robotic, hypnotic, weird… I don’t think there’s a song on it that you’d play at a house party compared to later records, but all the more reason for this being a rough little gem punching above its weight
landmark riffy stoner rock. i really love this album, but QOTSA would scale to more glorious heights on subsequent releases.
Queens of the Stone Age - Self-Titled - 1998 This album came out the year I graduated from high school. I had stoner friends that loved Kyuss, so when Kyuss/QOTSA released a split EP in ’97, the stoner music crowd was excited for a new Josh Homme-fronted project hailing once again from the California desert. I didn’t give QOTSA much thought for a long time. One day I was watching one of Anthony Bourdain’s food-related travel shows and he was hanging out with Josh Homme in the desert. They were cooking, drinking, playing music, and having a great time. I loved that Bourdain was so into Homme and his music. So I decided to give QOTSA a proper listen. They have been in my regular rotation ever since. This is their first full-length album. It is more polished than a lot of stoner/rock freshman releases. That is likely due to years of experience touring and recording as Kyuss. Out of all their albums, this isn’t the ONE album I would choose from their discography, but it is 100% QOTSA. It is funny, loud, groovy, danceable, and at times a little annoying. Picking a favorite track is hard, but because of the wicked bass intro, and because it has everything I love about the band in one song, I have to go with Mexicola. Also, I might have a bit of a man crush on Homme. 5 out of 5 stars.
Never listened to QOTSA's debut since it didn't really have any notable singles, but damn is it good!
This is rockin…. Much better than expected. Weird, yet familiar! Enjoyed!!
Honestly way way better than expected. Groovy licks and energetic vocal delivery put me in a good mood.
Skulle kunna få ett ännu högre betyg men för långt album och vissa låtar som inte håller måttet.
Nice one! Lots of quality songs; not the massive hits as other albums, but very solid overall!
QOTSA is always awesome, and has always been awesome. I had never confirmed it by listening to their debut, but I'm very happy I did now.
At first I thought "this isn't the QotSA album I'd pick", but I guess I haven't listened to it in a long time, as it's a banger. Lot of great tracks! Fave track - "Avon", maybe? "How To Handle a Rope" and "You Can't Quit Me Baby" are great too!
Begint zeer sterk, maet mijn favoriete nummer van hen. Blijft eigenlijk tamelijk sterk, tot "These aren't the droids you're looking for" (love de Star Wars referentie tho) vanaf daar word het wat experimenteler. Heel bevreemdend einde, al bij al een goede plaat. 4.25/5
Queens was pretty well fleshed out from the beginning, this record sounds like it could have come out next to their most recent. For a stoner rock record it has a pretty unique sound, it’s so dry that at times it seems like the band members are playing in different rooms. This does allow the listener to pick out each instrument individually at any given time, which is a neat trick. Has some of their best songs: “Regular John,” “Mexicola,” “How to Handle a Rope,” the record can drag a bit towards the end but overall worthwhile.
A cracker! I always thought they were very, very stoner rock but this has elements of keeping one eye on the dance floor. I think I'd kinda avoided it because everything I'd heard from Kyuss courtesy of Bennett didn't do much for me and incorrectly assumed the apple hadn't fallen far from the tree.
Not sure why this one was picked as every other album they've produced is better than this.
Pretty good album, I would give an 8/10 because it's very clean and yet feels very jagged at the same time.
This started strong, but the middle was weak. Weirdly liked the last track though.
This was pretty good, not as great as their later stuff -some of it was very simple and similar, but enjoyed it a lot
Probably the first albums of this challenge that I actually enjoyed. Rating: Sick Guitar Riffs/10
I used to own this album, but sold it as I rarely listened beyond track 3 and Mexicola. It's interesting to revisit it 20 years later, and now that QOTSA are a big festival headlining band. As it turns out, I still really enjoy the first three tracks (Regular John, Avon and If Only), and although I'm still not keen on Walkin' on the Sidewalks (track 4), the rest of the album is a really enjoyable listen. It gets into a groove and chugs along nicely. I guess this is at a point somewhere between Desert Sessions and the later, more mainstream, QOTSA albums. This is more subtle than the next two QOTSA albums, Rater R and Songs for the Deaf, but stands up with them in terms of quality and is very much a single and consistent piece. 3.5/5.
I was already thinking I should get into QotSA before this, so it was nice to see the generator spit out something I can cross off my backlog, and even nicer that I enjoyed it. I really like the heavy yet borderline radio-friendly sound the band has (and even the hazy, jaded-about-everything-and-nothing-in-particular lyricism fits the bill well), but Josh Homme's vocals are as vital an instrument as anything else, so it's hard to treat the instrumental wankery included between many of the vocal tracks as anything more than an obstruction. Even so, the majority of that is added through the bonus tracks, and it's worth putting up with considering said tracks include "The Bronze," a highlight of the 2011 reissue that I listened to. I'm definitely digging deeper into the band after this, and maybe even checking Kyuss out. Key Tracks: Walkin' on the Sidewalks, How to Handle a Rope, You Can't Quit Me Baby
I'd be lying if I didn't say it's a generous 4. I like this album fine but I can't help compare it to some of their later works which are some of my favorite albums. it's lacking a bit of punch
so close to being a great album :/ if everything was more interesting and like, 15 min shorter, id give it a 5
Soft 4 stars. Never heard this debut and I consider myself a QotSA fan. Their roots with Kyuss are definitely evident, but with more musical diversity on this one.
I dug this, would go back and listen. Good post-Nirvana grungy ish sound
Un bon album rock, j'aime bien le style. C'est un bon band et un bon album. 4.0
Surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I got ABBA right before this one and this is the perfect palate cleanser after that slick, syrupy pop so maybe that's part of it... But this is an easy win for me. I'm already a QOTSA fan. I've seen them live at PJ20 and I actually just re-purchased Rated R on vinyl. Wouldn't call myself a huge fan though. I actually haven't listened to this one much before. I really liked Rated R and Songs for the Deaf. I kind of lost track of them after Lullabies but a few weeks ago I spent some time catching up with their more recent work. But for some reason I always kind of skipped this one (maybe I listened to it once and wasn't impressed, maybe it's the kind of terrible album art... not sure.) This is great! I think I'd still rate Rated R and Songs for the Deaf above it but it's clearly QOTSA. Love Homme's guitar sound and the big stoner riffs. Great stuff.
Brings together some of my favorite musical pleasures: stoner metal heaviness and krautrock grooves. Sprinkled with an almost poppy melodic flourish in the vocals. Hypnotic and catchy.
kind of heavy grungy. If only is a cool song. simple fuzzy rock. you would know. You can't quit me baby, great song.
As their debut studio album, Queens of the Stone Age took on a stern yet explorative form of hard rock. Through creative use of psychedelic tools in the form of fuzz-guitars, repetitive bars, and an assortment of arrangement styles, 'Queens of the Stone Age' (album) manages to manifest the 'stoner culture' in their direction of sound. Systematic yet colorful, direct yet thought-inducing, this record has its fair share of CHBs therefore earning its credit.
With this acid guitar riffs I would say is stoner-rock for the masses. (7/10) FT: If Only, Regular John
The best of this album IMO: - If Only - You Would Know - How to Handle A Rope (A Lesson in the Lariat) - These Aren't the Droids You're Looking For - I Was a Teenage Hand Model It's very good. Some chord progressions are unexpected, which I like. Many catchy songs. Some tunes are a bit on the weird side. 3.7/5
Would this band have been better named Stone Age Monarchists, or just Stone Age Monarchy? Rock band debut albums tend to be a bit rough, and this is no exception, minus one, and that it is a good one. Josh Homme has a benign vocal style, and QotSA in general showed early on that they had technical prowess to go with their musical talent. This much is evident on "Walkin' On The Sidewalks" with its repetitive bass and rhythm guitar line, screeching guitars that join rather than interrupt, so much so that it is noticeably intentional. Benign vocals for this listener is sort of what gives QotSA its charm. The band, in spite of revolving members over the years, manages to keep QotSA as their branding. Credit should rightfully go to frontman/founder Josh Homme for managing that in spite of the inevitable controversies that plague frontpersons. This is a solid rock album, as though it were recorded in an actual garage and then being mastered in a studio. It carries a 'real, genuine article' feel that precedes QotSA's eventually steady rise in the mainstream.
This was a great listen. Way “sludge-ier” than their later work. Oddly Homme played the bass on this album so it was before even Olivieri joined the band. I dug it overall. Fav tracks: “Regular John” “These Aren’t The Droids You’re Looking For”
Still as good as I remember it - and still holds up well. Not their best album but it’s a good one.