Reviews (page 2 of 10)
It’s just some basic, milquetoast late 90s stoner rock. This really could be such much more than what it is, and that’s what really gets me on this on. You kind definitely tell that the band really doesn’t have a whole lot of creative ideas on this record, the riffs are samey and insistently sludgy and bland, while the vocals are basic and not not-worthy. It’s not bad don’t get me wrong, but it’s definitely not a rock record, let alone a record that you need to listen to before you die. A bit more time in the studio (I’m looking at you Josh Homme) would’ve probably made this sound much more insipired and not just a collection of tracks that sound more like demos and jams than actual songs. Maybe there’d be some better riffs and vocals if they decided to eat some more shrooms and smoke a little less pot.
This but not Songs for the Deaf?
not my thing
Just average rock music
The Queens' debut album is their most straightforward stoner rock album. It picks up where Josh Homme's old band Kyuss left off, taking their heavy sound and giving it the catchiness of rock music. These songs are dense riff-fests. "Regular John" and "Avon" have gnarly riffs that burrow into your head; they leave the songs no room to breathe, but there's no need for them to when the sound is so pummeling. Elsewhere, "Walking on the Sidewalks" foreshadows the band's later robot sound and "You Can't Quit Me Baby" shows off Homme's swagger. The album suffers a bit from a lack of variety, but only a bit, as the overall sound and the guitar tunings are so enthralling. The band's sound expanded from here, but this is still a worthy entry in their catalog and some of the best stoner rock you'll find.
Really solid debut, might have to check these guys out more.
Muy bno
so good and timeless
Totally sauceless, didn’t move me at all. Trouble, St Vitus, Pentagram won’t have albums on this list and all have songs better than this bands whole output.
Decent rock band of the late 1990's. Nothing really remarkable - not really grunge but not at all pop. Overall a good background music album.
Love QotSA! Haven’t listened to them in a while and this was a reminder of how incredible they are at what they do.
You can hear the becomings of a very good rock band, but this did feel generic and rather boring in some places. Should've been replaced by 'Songs for the Deaf' as the book album.
Kinda way fire and so grunge y
As vezes o primeiro disco é uma mistura do caralho até a banda decidir o que quer ser. O primeiro do QOTSA com certeza é. Acho que falta um pouco de unidade no sentido de temática. Começa rock tesudo, algumas referências latinas, do nada é futurista, volta a ser latino e termina stonerzão de tudo. No geral é um bom disco, Josh Homme faz um puta trabalho aqui, e o baixista também rouba a cena na maioria do álbum. Bom pra ouvir dirigindo o Corsa na Bandeirantes.
Pretty good
This album is like when your friend is dating some guy in a band. And she’s telling you that they’re the next Nirvana. Then you go to a show and it’s the most boring, generic, and limp wristed rock imaginable. That’s this. Its greatest sin is that it’s so uninteresting, with lack luster style or lyrics, that it doesn’t have anything worth grabbing on to. The hand model song I thought could be something, then the beeps and boops came in. A tragically unenjoyable experience.
A heavy sludgy album with a kinda sorta melodic approach. I liked it OK though I wasn’t moved by it.
An album I thought I would like way way more than I did. I thought I really liked QOTSA and I guess I think they are just good not great? Best Song: Mexicola Rating: 7/10 Stars: 4
Not bad. Pretty decent for a debut, but I doubt it’s their best.
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE! You've found me at a very QOTSA time of my life. Genuinely, they are my favourite band of all time and have defined a very distinct period of my life, no I will not shut up about them - I've pretty much constantly got one of their albums on. With one concert under my belt and another coming up later this year it is safe to say that no other band have had such an impact on my life as these guys have. ...All that to say that I must admit this is my least listened album of theirs after Villains (not that I dislike it in any way, shape, or form). Although it is a very solid stoner rock album that sets up the foundation for a lot of their later work, I do not feel this is the right album to represent the band at their best. Given that the first 1001 Albums book was published in 2005, surely psychedelic masterpiece Rated R (2000) or their magnum opus Songs For The Deaf (2002) would've been the obvious choices? Hell I would've even taken Lullabies over this. Glad to see SFTD added as a user album though. Anyway, time to contradict these criticisms with praise! I really enjoy the distinct desert identity and hazy stoner sound established throughout the album - I find even reading the titles in their mentions of 'Mexicola', 'Hispanic Impressions', and 'Vinegaroons' really sets the scene of the Californian desert that characterised Josh Homme's upbringing and musical endeavours. The constantly fuzzy, at times droning, guitars and that beautiful bass are delicious! Love the atmosphere. I also hear a lot of their later work in this album; it seems to follow the general arc of starting out with pummeling, impactful rock at before retreating into the longer, eerie tracks, then mellowing out at the end. Though, I do miss the distinct humour of Josh's lyrics in subsequent albums - his voice here takes a backseat and lets the riffs guide you, but it's done well so I'm not complaining. I also like that some of these songs have their roots in other projects, all tied together in this beautiful stoner rock package. Avon/Nova from the Desert Sessions 3 & 4, Spider and Vinegaroons and If Only in the form of If Only Everything from the split EP with Kyuss, The Bronze and Droids from the Beaver split CD - all of them made their way here and slip into the tracklist seamlessly, perhaps revealing the consistency of the Queen's first sound before they'd even truly started... Thoughts while listening: The chugging riff in the verses on Walkin On The Sidewalks reminds me very much of the robotic sound on Era Vulgaris very groovy. The lyrical allusion on Fairweather Friends off ...Like Clockwork to this song is interesting ("Drink wine and screw")! I really like the end of You Would Know when the drums truly kick in and the riff amps up from its earlier mellow drone...I think this song would be a bit dull without it. Man... the 3 track run of The Bronze -> How To Handle A Rope -> Mexicola is legendary.That eerie, echoing, pulsating sound kicking into the erratic whirring riff and fast drums on The Bronze just does something to me. So good! And that guitar solo reminds me of later ones in SFTD. Really one of the most powerful songs on here. The intense, crunchy guitar on How To Handle A Rope make for such a great rock tune. This song is on my wishlist for the concert this year. Also, dare I say the static and beeping sounds at the end are vaguely echoic of the radio motifs in SFTD? And I couldn't forget to mention the deeeeeep, heavy riff at the beginning of Mexciola - wow! Unbeatable. You Can't Quit Me Baby: the impeccable layering of the persistent bass drone, that beautiful guitar tone, the darker lyrical content, Josh's drawn out vocals... so atmospheric, this subtly eerie, foreboding mood that really exemplifies its story of an obsessive love that ends in suicide. Love 'you're solid gold, i'll see you in hell', probably most iconic lyric of the entire album. Though I generally agree that the extra songs included in the reissue are essential to the tracklist (mostly because of The Bronze, crazy to me that wasn't on the 1998 version), I must say the back end drags a bit, but I do enjoy its greater instrumental focus. I like the erratic, robotic sounds and chugging rhythm of 'Droids' that do somewhat reflect its title! Spiders and Vinegaroons has unfortunately always annoyed me (more out of my own personal taste than actual fault of the song).That simple guitar work and drone track in the beginning, and then the later almost electronic chugging drums are so effectively ominous, but...argh! the visceral flashbacks to the stomp-clamp genre are too much for me! I Was A Teenage Hand Model as a closer is interesting. The clarity here of Josh's soft vocal delivery seems to really reflect how his vocal abilities would later develop, and become a greater utilised tool of the band. A pretty outstanding first endeavour into singing I'd say! At its core, this album feels like a sonic and thematic stepping stone between Josh Homme's first departure from Kyuss and their later, clearer-defined hard rock sound. This very specific, authentic sound of desert fuzz seems to aurally embody its oppressive dry and heat. Though my thoughts obviously come from the biased mind of somebody who has spent hours listening to this band, poring over the lyrics, scouring wikis and obscure internet threads for any information I can find, this album is truly fantastic, and still not even their best. God help us all for when I get to talk about SFTD. Standouts: Regular John, How To Handle A Rope, The Bronze, You Can't Quit Me Baby
This album is really a great one, with some pretty interesting tracks and some really nice energy. Although I am not much of a fan of the instrumental songs in this record, it is pretty cohesive and a very enjoyable one. Not to add that some of the psychedelic sounds in here are delightful. It is surely not perfect, but an album you can enjoy whenever you listen to it. And that is fantastic.
but we have nirvana at home: nirvana at home
Should have been Songs for the Deaf but this rocks. Just a little less.
The QOTSA template - stoner rock vibes tidied up into something more digestible, though not yet the finished article.
2⭐️
Absolutely solid album. Loved listening to it. It's one of their better ones. I'll definitely be listening to this one more in the future
There's quite a bit of banging out the by-the-numbers rock here, and it takes too long to get as interesting as Songs for the Deaf does. You can tell they're going to be good at this stage - I'd just rather skip to that bit really.
4.5
Sometimes I worry I’m not a good enough vocalist and then I hear songs like Regular John and I feel ok. Jokes aside, very enjoyable riffs and guitar work, found this easy to listen to
Pretty good, I honestly enjoyed the instrumental tracks towards the end of the album more than the others.
Has a very Detroit Garage Rock vibe to it. Vocals are in a higher range than I would have expected when compared to QotSA's later albums. Songs are definitely samey, and as a result the whole, very long album tends to blur together at about the halfway point. Songs are good, though, and the riffs generally kick ass. Second half of the album tends to be a bit more eclectic than the first half. More psychedelia and other styles to round out the Garage Rock base. All-in-all I enjoyed the second half more than the first half, love the band's unique take on Garage Rock, and would revisit on occasion but only rarely.
This is just a pretty anonymous, stodgy rock record - it’s plodding and nondescript. It surprises me that anyone’s ever listened to it. I had a headache by the third track.
I have several QotSA albums, but not this one. I'm not a big fan generally, but this album in particular shows them as rather uninteresting rock.
It was long and everything sounded the same, but it was okay I guess. It was like a worse version of a Queens of the Stone Age album.
Some interesting stuff that I will need to listen to more to fully digest, but I enjoy the vibe. 3.5/5
- Never considered myself a QotSA fan and I do not think that has really changed; their songs are typically missing a propulsive element to me and hearing Home call the band the rock response to electronica tracks with that. That being said, nothing here is bad and the everpresent raw fuzz of distortion is a welcome attribute. - The first and final tracks are easily the best. Homme's vocals are way more intriguing on "Regular John," and I wish he played with the instrument of his voice more. And "I Was A Teenage Hand Model" felt dynamically different from everything that came before it.
About halfway through this album takes a full turn into just jamming and tbh I’m here for it. 4/5 Best Song: these aren’t the droids
They were cool as fuck back in the day, big riffs and fuzz. Good gear. Best Track: Avon
i forgot to listen to the rest of this but me likey
++: Regular John, Walkin' on the Sidewalks, Mexicola, Hispanic Impressions, You Can't Quit Me Baby +: If Only, How to Handle a Rope +-: Avon, You Would Know, Give the Mule What He Wants, I Was a Teenage Hand Model 7,0/10
One of my favourite bands, so of course I loved this album.
Queens of the Stone Age are one of my favorite bands, but this is not a very good choice to be their one representation on this list. It's not a bad album, but you can tell it's their debut. They certainly have the vibe down from the beginning, which is not very surprising, given that Josh Homme was already an experienced musician when they made this album. It's a lot of heavy guitars, pummeling drums, and a slow, methodical pace. This is a style that I find it very easy to be immersed in, and that's enough for me to say that this album is at least good. Unfortunately, Homme had not quite developed his songwriting skills yet. The structures of the songs get very repetitive, with a few notable exceptions such as How to Handle a Rope and You Can't Quit Me Baby, making this relatively short album feel a lot longer than it is. Furthermore, there are very few interesting melodic ideas or strong lyrics, which are two of the things that made this band stand out from the pack on later releases. Like I said, this is still a good album, and QOTSA definitely deserves to be here, but I wish they had gone with Songs for the Deaf or Rated R instead.
I mean, this is just some great rock. My main complaint is the length. I can understand why some reviews mention the repetitiveness of the album - I found that a few of the songs had the same structure and a similar sound, which made for an unstimulating listening experience. The star of this album was the curious guitar riffs, the most memorable one to me being in Mexicola. Favorite Tracks: Regular John If Only The Bronze Mexicola Give the Mule What He Wants I Was a Teenage Hand Model
You'd Rather Open Up Your Wrist 1001 Albums Generator 353 (9/20/2026) An album that starts out really strong and then tapers off at the end for me. Definitely more straightforward than their later albums, but also less interesting. Rated R and Songs For The Deaf are both much better distillations of the early QOTSA sound, but this one is solid. 4/5. Also I actually like Hispanic Impressions, even though I know a lot of people don't, but idk why it's called that. Favs: If Only How To Handle A Rope Mexicola Least Fav: These Aren't The Droids You're Looking For
An ok listen but nothing too fantastic overall about it for me.
When I listened for the lyrics, it was awful. When I relaxed and listened to the vibes, it was foot tappingly good with some pleasant-on-headphones little spine tingle effects. It's alright if the voice is just another instrument, and then it was just kind of fun. A bit vapid, but maybe I'm not inebriated enough. I think even in desert rock I can have the same quality of sound and a bit more thoughtful lyrics.
You can really hear the Kyuss influence on these early Queens records, but I don't think this one is nearly as refined as "Songs for the Deaf."
It was good but a lot of it was pretty mundane. Rounding down from a 3.5.
Just a very one note album, where every song sounds the same.
Having this over Rated R or Songs for the Deaf is crazy but it's still QOTSA and it still rules
Das einzige Album dieser Band in der Liste. Das halte ich für großen Quatsch. "R" oder "...Like Clockwork" hätten es verdient, "Songs For The Dead" finde ich überbewertet.
No
I like later QOTSA albums, but this one just drones on and on. I feel covered in sludge, and not in a good way. Homme also relies too much on his falsetto here, I much prefer when he uses his deeper range. This sounds like the ingredients for a QOTSA album, but it's just not fully baked yet.
I feel like nothing happened. Is that good or bad? Who knows?
I was so surprised to like this one! It’s a lot harder rock than I usually listen to, but really loved it.
I only listened to this yesterday and I cannot remember anything about it. Dithered between a 2 and a 3, went with 2 cos he's a cunt
perfectly competent.
Best Track - "If Only"
This is a band that has somehow averted me until now. Loved this album. Definitely will be listening to it more than checking out their other albums.
This is the first time I’d listen to a whole QOTSA album. I know their songs, they’ve got a great band and some great tracks. There’s some eclectic tracks on here, and it’s good, hoping we can track some more of them through the list.
meh
Great start, weird end.
Enjoyable and good to listen to but as straight forward meat and two veg rock I’m not sure why it made the list. It isn’t pioneering, first of its kind, genre defining or a mega seller
4.14
Absolute cracker! Love everything these guys have ever done. Regular john and mexicola are a couple of my favourite songs of theirs. So cool
The only good post-grunge album?
2026.10.21.
Virkelig kedelig rock.
Class
Regular John opens the album up with a bang, I love the super dry and harsh guitar tone that drives these epic riffs. The chorus slaps so hard as well. Then Avon and If Only pick up the pace with more nasty riffs that sound like they were recorded on a dessert. The rest of the album continues in a similar direction, but unfortunately without leaving the same impact. The song just feel a lot less dynamic, occasionally a bit clunky. With the exception of Mexicanola, that song is a banger. I wish this record was a bit less one dimensional and the songs felt heavier rather than more droning. However, it's a solid groundwork for the band that they but on succesfully afterwards.
Opening 4 tracks are all quite similar but strong. Its not quite Songs for the Deaf but its a strong opening. Album is a bit too long though. In fact it'd be better if it was succinct and about half as long I reckon. Tracks like Spiders and Vinegaroons just kill a lot of time. This album's solid but we only need one album from QOTSA and its Songs for the Deaf without a doubt. 3.8/5
The instrumental tracks were pretty cool, other than that it was kinda flat.
Regular John
this album just kind of bored me? like it sounds like how classic rock sounded to me when i was little (i didn't like it). i tried listening to this once already but i think i was just rocked out from listening to so many other rock albums. i actually like "i was a teenage hand model" until all the beeping at the end, and maybe i even like "regular john", but overall this album just felt so generic and repetitive (i was especially annoyed by the repetition on "walkin on the sidewalks").
I like these guys but this album isn't really it. The magic I feel on some of the newer albums isn't yet present.
I started off liking it but then it kinda blended together and I just couldn’t get into it
Have listened to them plenty, and certainly they seem like a band that should be up my alley, but for some reason just aren’t
Meh. Competent, middle-of-the-road rock. While listening, I kept wondering if it was over yet.
I was not aware QOTSA even had an album, let alone two, before Songs for the Deaf. This started off strong but majorly lost steam midway through.
Cool texture, danceable, too long and clearly a debut though.
This feels like an EP + a jam session tape slapped together and released as an album. The first half is fully-formed songs, metal-ish, OK. They second half is just people messing around in a studio.
Muy buenos riffs la verdad Tiene una base de canciones buenas muy sólida Regular John es la que me atrapó o sea desde el puro inicio, pero por una hora logran un nivel de consistencia muy bueno el incluso incursionan un poco por la electrónica Se siente potencia, se siente desenfreno, no se limitan no se guardan nada, muy buen debut la verdad Recomendable y reescuchable
Нравится мне данная группа, хоть этот альбом и не так зашёл. Всё ещё считаю Songs For The Deaf куда более достойным этого списка, хотя его тут и нет. По трекам 1) Spiders and Vinegaroons 2) If Only 8/10
These guys always bring it, this is a great debut, and Homme is a rock solid guitarist. That said, these songs get repetitive and, lyrically, there's not a whole lot there. They put you into that good trance state and they got better and more interesting with each successive release.
I'd never heard this debut before and kind of assumed that the excellent Songs for the Deaf was their first. Has all the makings of a good QOTSA album anyway, Josh Homme achieves a really unique, heavy guitar tone that I love. Especially shines on tracks like Mexicola. A 3.5 rounded up for me since it's a pretty awesome first effort
One of my favourite bands, so was very happy when this popped up this morning! Love this album, pure, no frills desert rock at its best. Full of driving bass and drums, with Josh Hommes signature style of angular, fuzzy guitar riffs. A 5/5 album for me, from a band who only gets better and better as they go. Shocked that this is the only Queens album on this list, and a little sad that I won’t get another one.
I found it kind of boring and forgettable. At the same time, I could see myself getting used to the tracks if I heard them again and again, and coming around to enjoy it, like, if I grew up listening to this I'd probably love it. As it stands right now I just don't care Regular John ★★⯪✩✩ Avon ★★⯪✩✩ If Only ★★⯪✩✩ Walkin' on the Sidewalks ★★⯪✩✩ You Would Know ★★✩✩✩ How to Handle a Rope ★★⯪✩✩ Mexicola ★★✩✩✩ Hispanic Impressions ★★✩✩✩ You Can't Quit Me Baby ★★⯪✩✩ Give the Mule What He Wants ★★✩✩✩ I Was a Teenage Hand Model ★★⯪✩✩
This is closer to standard rock than I had expected it'd be, though it's clear the band was flirting with more avant-garde stuff throughout the album.
I didn’t get anything out of this. Boring and meandering.
Nice one. Never heard before.
Another I quite enjoyed, particularly the really noisy tracks near the end
This album is where good grooves go to die… Seriously, it seems like the Queens had one nice idea per song and drove it into the ground. These songs are way too long for the amount of repetition that comes with the length. And what they repeat isn‘t really remarkable to my ears. Nice guitar riffs, paired with an uninspired vocal performance. It‘s all so uneventful and dull after a while. I could vibe with a best of mash-up that combinws the actually good moments on here. Maybe they developed on the following albums…
Never been a QOTSA fan, not because i had any issue with them, its just not music i was interested in. A thorough listen shows a lot of merit to it. Yes, there was the rock sensibilities that can bore me, but there was also a wealth of ideas, good variety, real confidence for a debut snd some real intereting instrumentals. I'm going to have to admit i was wrong and start listening more enthusiastically.
3.5/5
i liked it.
Talk about a band that knows how to find a groove and just keep it going!!! Best hard rock grooves out there... period. This is funk music that was turned into straight up hard rock. The guitar riffs are EXCELLENT. The drums are right on key. Bass properly supports. The singing is weak, but was tolerable on this album, unlike a lot of the other QOTSA songs I have heard off other albums. And it just kicks. Kept my attention the whole time.
Falls into proverbial catagory of a glad I listened and exposed to but not an alblum that I would not go out of my way to lusten to again
Too dark and bland for me
Álbum excelente. A energia e um rock alternativo com cara diferente, rápido e menos sujo. Só que muito divertido. QoA Vesper.
As positive as I am, I have a bit of a habit of giving albums pretty low scores despite being pretty forgiving in my track ratings. This is one of those cases, because I don't like this album very much, even if some of the songs are pretty alright. The vocals are just annoying, the soundscapes are kinda trash, and at 46 minutes it's still WAY too long. Maybe 6 songs off of this could make it onto an acceptable album, but it's so monotonous and I can't say I enjoy most of it. Songs to latch on to? I enjoyed the opener. The vocals were pretty cool and the riffs were alright. The best song here is track 2, "Avon," just because of the tune and everything. Memorable and nice to listen to. From there it's kind of a stream of unlikeable boring stoner riffs. "Mexicola" is another memorable one, I just really can't stand the vocals a lot of the time. 4.6/10 DOES IT BELONG ON THE LIST: NO REASON: it sucks dawg
Very good album. Very few songs skipped. Solid 4 stars
Ok but didn't blow me away
Josh hit the ground running after Kyuss. Might not be their best album but still a five star in my book. The raw power and energy from these songs, wow even today after listening to it dozens of times.
Solid stoner rock, not their best:
Nirvana vibes
Surprised Rated R isn’t the Queens of the Stone Age lp or n here. But The compiler does love self-titled American debuts by middle of the road rockers. Josh Homme may now be remembered best as the aresehole who ruined the Arctic Monkeys but he briefly was the great hope of alternative music when he performed Feel Good Hit of The Summer but the good feelings didn’t last and it turned out he had limited talent and fewer ideas. So he went the collaboration route. This is the album before the hit but I bought it in the wake of Feel Good …. I thought it pretty boring and derivative and never listen to it again. Listening now it’s ok corporate rock.
Heavy, sticky, syrupy even. Very meat and potatoes rock, simple yet gets the job done. Great drumming as always from Grohl, and despite his personal misgivings of being a terrible person Josh Homme does sing well. So there's that.
Love QOTSA but hadn’t listened to this album. Great.
Never got into QotSA passed their big hits. Nothing they did, just never bothered listening to a full album of theirs until now. This is a very solid album, especially for a debut. Its raw and rough around the edges without sounding like it was the first thing they've ever put out. While its not perfect by any means, and it does get a tad repetitive towards the end, I couldn't have asked for a better way to start my week (or a better album to get on my birthday). 4/5
Expected Queens of the Stone Age to be sucktastic but this is a strong album. Nothing stands out to me, but it’s a great listen
hard to believe this came out in the 90s. very progressive
Bastante aburrido. No es mi tipo de música ni de asomo. Creo que debería escuchar algo más de QotSA
Had some bangers, but overall not particularly memorable for me. I liked the guitar that was very much present throughout the album and some of my highlights were “Spiders and Vinegaroons” and “You Would Know” as the only songs that really caught my attention. So, in my humble opinion not bad, just neutral.
I've owned songs for deaf at some point, they were a Kerrang staple with the pounding [Go with the flow]. I haven't gone past that though so I'm excited to dig in. Luckily I have a long drive today! ---------------------------------------------------------- This is unmistakable as QOTSA - these guys had it down from the start. Stoner rock is something I really enjoy with it's rhythmic zen. Musically it's tight, with pounding drums, rhythmic distorted guitars and soothing vocals. The songs often build off a single riff and unwind into a sprawling drone powered journey. 4*
I didn’t love this. I thought I would do that disappointing. I wonder if I just need to hear it a few times because I do like their other stuff. I hadn’t heard any of these songs before.
I didn't enjoy it all that much, but I respect it.
Adjacent to genres I like, can tell how it fits into rock-punk transition
wait some of this kind of hit Would I listen again: yes Deserves to be on this list: how is this on it but songs for the deaf isn't 4.2
Nothing that strong to say
Even though QOTSA should be right up my street, I always felt like there was something missing. I've never been able to figure out what, but they've never quite clicked for me
I'd always overlooked this QOTSA album, favoring Songs for the Deaf, Era Vulgaris, and Like Clockwork. Giving this one an intentional listen gave me an appreciation of how Josh really developed the band's sound right from the start. Decently solid album.
I loved Kyuss, but never really got into QOTSA outside of the big songs, but this was really good. I always thought they were a more listenable, commercialised Kyuss, but these days I don't think that's such a bad thing
Solid. Really enjoyed hearing this again. Hard to say it's one a top 50 favourite but always delivers 4.4
I hadn't heard this one before but have there others and wasn't sure what I was going to get but I liked it you can hear the foundations of the music to come overall a solid album good grooves and guitars wish I had of heard this one earlier
2 and a half. Bumped up because I love the live versions of some of the tunes. But fairly weak album for them
Avon one of my fav tracks by QOTSA, great album
Yea
Good shit, QOTSA had their sound dialled in from the start. Some bangers but a lotta fluff too
Either "Rated R" or "Songs For The Deaf" would have been five-star picks. Still, an excellent album. Glad they made the list.
Isn't Songs for the Deaf the essential Queens album?
3,5
Durge American rock
Enjoyed sonic contrasts!
I love a number of the more recent QOTSA albums, but had never listened to this one, their debut. It's another case of band getting better as they develop which leaves me feeling a little disappointed with this effort. I'll persevere and it's encouraged me to catch up on their latest album.
#1041. It's not that this is bad, it's just that every time I listen to a Queens of the Stone Age album that isn't Songs for the Deaf, I actually just wish that I was listening to Songs for the Deaf. 3/5: sigh
Not really sure why this album is on the list but not songs for the deaf? This is good but songs for the deaf is wayyy better
Yeah kinda mid next their other album
4.7 Great album. Love Josh homme and the palm desert sound.
really strong debut album, had some great tunes
I’d already listened to Queens of the Stone Age a few times, but I always found their songs more “okay” than “great.” In this context, however, things look a little different, because compared to the various pop milestones spanning seven decades, the Queens’ sound is quite distinctive and—considering that the album was released in 1998—even remarkably original. On top of that, the album as a whole is absolutely cohesive, even if, in my opinion, none of the songs is strong enough to be singled out for special mention. This is already the second really good album from the late ’90s (the other one being “Celebrity Skin” by Hole) that I missed back then. In a way, that’s reassuring, because I actually had no explanation for why that decade was so extremely disappointing musically in my memory.
A bit of a one-trick pony in terms of sonics and texture. The trick itself is quite good, though - heavy sound but not aggressive. Dramaturgically interesting as well - it disintegrates the further it goes, which also makes the album drag a bit.
Leuk dat ze hun eigen sound al hebben hier. Wel wat langdradig
Nothing to write home about here, prettyaverage Rock music. 3 stars or C-.
Adequate but dull.
All felt a bit samey and really lost itself in the middle. Very strange album but then again, I only Know a couple of their songs before this album.
Not entirely clear which version I would rate and I only listened to the newer one that added two of the better songs at the end. This is unready and without those songs it would be probably be a 2, those two lift them a bit
(7) Solid debut
Dark and brooding, exactly what you expect from QotSA. Good riffs throughout.
Still can't tell if I love or hate this band. They have bangers, then they follow up with weird garbage. They did get better with time. But this album? I guess I'll put it as just average.
I think Songs for the Deaf is QOTSA's best album and the one that should be on this list, but, what a great debut album this was. I like QOTSA, but am not as much a fan of Homme's previous band, Kyuss, so, he found some secret sauce on his own. Compared to SftD, this album is a bit more one-note - like most other QOTSA albums, I don't find any songs that really jump out at me, but the album as a whole is still a great listen start to finish.
# Album Name: Queens of the Stone Age # Artist: Queens of the Stone Age # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Very average album. Not sure why its on. I assume the album with go with the flo is somewhere?! # Top Tunes: if only / How to handle a rope # Would I listen to it again? No
Love this album
It's not bad. The earlier songs are better. As the album progresses, though, some of the songs get repetitive and stuck in a rut.
boring, dull, tedious, unexciting, monotonous, humdrum Oh also a total waste of time
I do quite enjoy QOTSA so I was excited for this listen. As it continued it began wearing on me. Too much of a good thing maybe, or much of a muchness. Some interesting things here for sure but I just didn't have the stomach for it today.
Excellent.
Första albumet, jag gillar QOTSA väldigt mycket och vi såg dem live som förband till system of a down. Detta album är väl det jag lyssnat minst på sedan tidigare, men det är otroligt skitigt, låter precis som QOTSA och är riktigt bra. Får bli en 4/5
I kinda forgot I was listening to this
This was interesting and fun.
Ok
It was alright, 2.7
a mostly boring bridge between 90s grunge & 2000s pop punk, but liked the psychedelic jam band vibes in the second half.
WAY TOO HEAVY
First off, big miss to not have "Songs for the Deaf" on this list. I hadn't heard much of QOTSA's debut album before today to be honest. The pieces are there when comparing to what the group would later produce, though. Sludgy/crunchy guitars and grooves: evocative of the stoner and desert rock scenes that the group helped popularize. Having already heard the albums that would follow sort of lessened the impact of this one to be honest though. The polish just wasn't there quite yet. Wouldn't have been my pick to represent the group, but I guess it was one of the first big stoner rock albums.
Oh thank the bloody gods of rock n roll I’m back on fuzzed out distorted power chord shores again. I haven’t listened to this record through before, having hopped on board with Songs For The Deaf bc I heard Lanegan was on it. (But then I went backwards to Rated R and played the fuck out of it.) So let’s go long play: Regular John - Ode to Sex Workers? Production pales a bit next to SFTD. Not sure what the numbers mean. Prostitution numerology. Avon - Remember this one. A little sleepy. Kyuss-ish. Cool ascending bridge chords. Sexy sustain solo. If Only - Oh fuck yeah that bass tone. Just farty enough. (Yall know what omm talkin bout). Production has a bit of that Gish-era Pumpkins sonic cushion. Fold your arms behind your head and sink in. Josh’s choral couplet is plaintive-sexy. “If only…only.” Clean solo over outro fuzz feels so nice. Walkin On The Sidewalks- Melvins-y sludge swing. Could almost be Ultra-Mega OK Soundgarden. HIROYAMAMOTOOOOOOOOO. By the end it’s fully QOTSA. Could pick em out of a lineup. You Would Know - Creepy confessional verse. Chopped up English. Chopped chorus, too. Sparse and abrasive for the fun of it. Kinda GvsB. Man this album sounds high as fuck lol. The Bronze - Reverb pickin breaks open and spills out a river of fuzz. Straight talking Homme-tar squeals precision algebra over staticky chaos. Really dig the vocals on this. “The more you found the less you’ve been around.” Yeah my fav so far. Rope/Lariat - Four on the floor. A hint of Dulli in Josh’s sexy-ass whine. But like sexy-smart veiled under drooping lids. Goddamn the way that dirty solo cuts in over the roar. Some fucking alpha production on this shit. Mexicola - Given a permit by king Buzzo to traverse the land of D. Featuring the patented protesting Homme string-bend. When in doubt, torture your Dean Markleys. Hispanic Impressions - Problematic? Or are they complaining about racist Spanish impressions? The squealy piggy guitars are straight up Larry LaLonde. In fact…*strokes chin*…is this QOTSA sneaking in their version of a Primus song? Quit Me - Beasties intro. Lil Boutique de la Paul. Bass is laying out a leg-humper. Vocals mixed back like a drunken holler from the toilet with a sly nod to Radiohead’s Creep. Solo reminds me of Boys Against Girls again. Bed of pining choral Hommes. Droids - Patton-y delicious dinosaur stomp instrumental/fuck you 4/4. Tomahawk, almost. Mule - Ozzy’s ghost over start/stop San Diego two-bar econo bear-fuzz. Slide the production slider from fur coat to torn jeans jacket and you get RFTC. Spiders - Stomp La Villa Spideriato morphs into DJ Shadow BOOM bap headrocker with spectral backwards guitar following and weaving all in and around. Teenage Hand Model - Linoleum confessional. So very tired. But never too tired for some doodle-dee-doos. Yeah, probably the cocoon emergence of the QOTSA sound. The next two albums are masterpieces, but here we’re getting there.
Meh, następne albumy dużo lepsze
Rockin
Not entirely bad, but definitely thought it would've been better.
I'm not a grunge guy so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this. I think I preferred the more traditional stuff early in the album but when they got more free form and experimental it was still solid. I wonder if in repeated listens, those later tracks would rise and the early ones would become more predictable/tiring.
No me gustó absolutamente nada, creo que hasta me altero, me gustó la portada
4/5 Favorite Songs: Regular John If Only You Would Know Mexicola
It was worth a listen, but I'll probably skip listening to it again.
Some sick riffs but idk or c really.
6/10
I've never taken a deep dive into this band. I know people love them, they have a cult following. And honestly, I've never hated any of the music I've heard from them. This record is rad. Kind of post rock, post punk, post indie all in one. Elements of blues and stoner sludge rock, but never too much into one or the other. They really just sound like they're having fun.
Surpringly good. Loved the rhythm guitar.
One of my favorite bands. Not my favorite album tho. If Only is a banger tho. 3.5
Alkuun tää släppää aika isosti, mutta ihan loppu levystä puuduttaa. Ihan hauska että levy vähä rauhottuu joo loppuun, mutta en tiiä ei noita kahta vikaa jaksa oikeen kuunnella. Ihan ei riitä täysiin bongoihin sen takia....
Just never liked em. Very boring
Don’t know why this is on here over songs for the deaf
It definetely falls into the realm of generic 90s rock, but there are some good moments here. At points the album drags, nothing really stands out, but it's not a bad listen overall.
I didn’t hate it. The instrumental sections were more interesting than the songs
The album opens interestingly enough but soon it turns into a slog to get through. Almost all the songs sound way too repetitive, which is why I nearly fell asleep several times. I listened to the album twice, and the same thing happened both times. So the music is pretty soporific and on top of that the lyrics seem to be nothing more than a stream of thought, without any deeper meaning. Not my cuppa tea.
hey chatgpt make me a rock album
Notable Textzeile: Mule want it, mule want it someday He'll eat it, he'll eat it one day How long, long, long Do I wait, wait? Be the mule that you gotta be, yeah Ja, das ist sehr stumpf. Ja, das ist unverkennbar. Ja, da ist im Ansatz etwas radikales, im Sound auch. Aber es ist noch nicht ausentwickelt. Es ist zu repetetiv und eintönig. Wird noch was draus, ist aber so wie es ist eher mittelmaß.
Okay, hier habe ich nachgeschaut: dies ist das einzige Qotsa Album auf der Liste - ich bin kein großer Fan,aber das war eine so unausweichliche Band dass ich das ziemlich fragwürdig finde, weil es maximal das viertbeste Album ist, sowohl technisch als auch von der Dynamik und Weirdness weit hinten dran steht und auch noch ein dummes Albumcover hat. Ich gebe dem trotzdem 4, weil vieles doch schon da ist und die Welt diese Musik braucht.
Da brettert es ganz schön aber auch recht Monoton. die späteren QotSA waren da m.E. vielfältiger. Aber ein sehr schönes brettern.
Nice rock and roll!
Josh Homme was in the greatest stoner rock band to ever come out Kyuss. They should be on this list instead of Queens of the Stone Age, but that would be too much for people on here. So if you like this album I suggest go and give Kyuss a listen.
Yep... On the shelves Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★★☆(8/10) Total reviewed : 406 Already owned : 91 Purchased : 21 To buy : 3 Nope : 291
some rock and roll music for my saturday afternoon
Not bad but a bit interminable
Alright.
I’ve always kind of liked QOTSA from afar, like I’ve always enjoyed songs I’ve heard but never really made an effort to properly listen. I think that’s kind of still the case. I enjoyed this across the board but couldn’t necessarily pick out particular tracks or reasons. (3.5 stars)
Okay, I like that Like Clockwork is in the book, but why this? Like if you're going to pick 2 QOTSA albums, wouldn't it make more sense to have Songs for the Deaf? Even Rated R would make more sense. This album is still pretty good though, I'll give it a very high 3
Formed from the ashes of the stoner rock giant Kyuss, QOTSA was formed by that former band's guitarist Josh Homme. This was his first attempt at fronting a band, and for a first outing, it's not too bad actually. Sure, Homme's voice needs some work, (the subsequent albums would see him develop his instrument much more) and there's certainly a few songs that could benefit from a little more time in the oven, but the potential is already quite apparent on this debut release. The songs mostly involve some classic hard rock riffing mixed with Josh Homme's soft, undeveloped tenor, and the 2 mix surprisingly well. I can't really compare it to much except later Queens releases. I will say, however, the songwriting gets kind of repetitive as the tracklist cycles between slow and bassy Sabbath worshipping riffs to the more standard ZZ-Top meets a fuzz pedal hard rock. Homme's own vocal lines leave something to be desired as well as he mostly does the weird jumping-intervals thing for every hook. Listen to this if you want to marathon Queens of the Stone Age's discography: for this sound perfected, check out the followup, Rated R. Key Tracks: Regular John, If Only, Walkin on the Sidewalks, Mexicola
3,5
1998. Probably the closest I ever came to having indie rock street cred. I was 17 of course and in high school and green as hell. I even applied to be the music director of our high school radio station. We had a 100 watt transmitter on the roof of the school. The broadcast radius was about 3 miles, IIRC, and most of that was out into Lake Michigan (I didn't get the gig, but I was a DJ for four years). Apparently the transmitter was originally installed to be able to transmit homework assignments to students who were home sick. Diabolical. Anyway, around that time I also started a record label with a friend of mine. Why did we decide to do that? I don't remember. I was in charge of creating the website and graphics; which, I must say, looked pretty good to me. I probably have the files backed up on a Zip disk somewhere. Anyway, this QOTSA album sounds like something that would have been submitted to our record label. Sadly, that first split 7-inch never was released, nor was it recorded. We never did any business at all, as a matter of fact. But we did get some people to send us demo tapes. My buddy, co-partner, and head of A&R, hated all of them.
Типовий рок тих часів, нічого особливого, 2,5
Queens of the Stone Age's sound has definitely developed overtime. Being more familiar with their 2000s catalogue, this was definitely a surprising listen. Safe to say it's still absolutely awesome. The fuzzy bass driven riffs over the creative guitar parts are so nasty. Unfortunately the drum parts and the vocals are a bit too stale throughout the album for my engagement. The lyrics from the start were always on par however, with the Queens of the Stone Age sexiness and danger seen from track one. You can begin to hear their future sound breaking through on some tracks, which make the record still very fun like The Bronze, Mexicola, and Spiders and Vinegaroons. I see why they added the new tracks on the deluxe version, while half the bonuses are bangers the other are standard 90s secret tracks. It's a pretty typical debut and they're still definitely finding their footing, but it still rips in many ways.
The first track has an insane intro. The rest is actually quite good.
2,6 Highlights: Regular John, Avon
very solid debut. A couple of their other albums I like better but this one is definitely caught my ear
I'm basic and go to Songs for the Deaf, but this is pretty good, too. I listened to the expanded edition, knowing I wouldn't really object to the extra material. It did kick off my day and inspire me to listen to fuzzy rock stuff for hours.
I dig this! It's got riffs and just enough weirdo shit to be interesting, but not so much it turns me off. Solid album I wish I hadn't written it off without listening to it years ago.
I know Songs For The Deaf well (liked it a lot and played it many times), but never listened to any other QOTSA album. (I wasn't looking for extra of that type of rock.) I was hoping this debut album might be good, I was disappointed. It's got kernels of things that could be good, but it doesn't have the polish, tightness or vibes (including good humour) of SFTD. There are some songs here that are good in parts but are let down by indulgent opening or ending, also some jams that just seem turgid. Much 'experimental' rather than well-constructed. Lyrics are more creepy than interesting, offputting with the cranked-up psycho side of stoner rock. So I'm surprised this album is in the book but not any other QOTSA album. I can see this album has fans, but for me, it's Mix of Good and Bad, 5/10. (Also, I am put off by the cover - I wouldn't have this 'pin-up' on my wall and strongly question the marketing of raunchy rock album with this image.)
These all sound the same. Sorta dark, sorta plodding along, nothing that stands out to recommend or any need to re-listen. Feels like what emos would dig? I painted my nails black but was only a poser. Sorry, I got nothing on this. 2, not even a decent 3.
It's bizzare to me that this is the same group that would go on to do Songs For The Deaf. I often baulk at the Josh Homme hero worship you see a lot these days but I'd never deny the fact that he's made some damn good rocks songs. This album doesn't contain any of them though - I can barely remember a single track.
Is a rock band suppose to send you to sleep? As I’m pretty sure I could have to this drivel to start with. I got to track 7 ‘how to handle a rope’ before I finally felt like we had a track worthy of a rock band and as soon as that finished it was like a lightbulb moment in the band (unless I just came round to the idea of what sound they wanted to make!) As before that track It felt to me like a band not knowing who they are, are they trying to be a soundgarden/pearl jam or do they want to be Nirvana? Unfortunately they are stuck between the two and it sounded terribly boring until that half way point and then the sound started making more sense to me. Although not in a way which made me really enjoy it. It still just felt average. Fave track- ‘how to handle a rope’ Worst track- ‘regular John’ 5/10 and that’s maybe a little to generous. I’m off for another listen later to see if that needs an edit.
Grande esordio, da questo primo album si capisce subito lo stile stoner della band. Alcune canzoni forse un po’ ripetitive ma è parte del genere
the self-titled debut studio album by alt rock group queens of the stone age. there's a lot of personnel but the big majority of this record was produced by two guys. one of the guys, josh homme really tried to break out with this new band and sound, he attempted all sorts of projects and studied music at the university of washington. according to the guardian, he describes the music as "trance robot music for girls", make that description what you will. this album was released on a more independent label, so sales weren't too high... in fact a little low compared to other indie releases. it was pretty cool. heh, stoner rock... i should have popped an edible right before listening to this, huh? it feels like this rock music is overlapping into metal territory, but it's not quite there yet. this group makes some pretty good stuff, fits right into some other big bands from the 90s, especially some of the meaty, slowwwwwer tracks that almost sound grungy. hell, i feel like sometimes when i hear the singing, it totally reminds me of the way kurt cobain would sing. pretty alright all around. it was a very interesting introduction to this group, and honestly the more i think about it, the more i want to listen to their other stuff.
Love this sound and love this band. One of the few making great music during a time of the rise of bubblegum pop and party hip hop
Very solid, deserty rock album. High 3s.
This project is so goddamned weird, man. Even when it gets it right, it gets it wrong. Does this album deserve to be here? Probably. But Songs for the Deaf, Rated R, and Lullabies to Paralyze are the better albums - and they're nowhere to be found. Not including Songs for the Deaf is a particularly egregious omission, as that album is arguably their magnum opus. This is a 4 star album, and an excellent debut for a band that went on to be amongst the biggest and best bands of the 2000s. I'm just flabbergasted as to how anyone could listen to the discography of QotSA, and choose this album over classics where the band really hit their stride.
61/100
It was OK and I like their other album with Dave G but I didn't really get this one
Not bad but a bit too experimental in places for me.
Actually quite a few good songs on here but there were some duds. Overall pretty enjoyable
Meilleur que leurs autres albums, à réécouter la chanson suicide sinon un peu long et répétitif
They have better albums. 4.1
It's a good starting point for them, but not as good as their next few albums
3,4/5
I always find QOTSA a bit boring - it's hard/heavy enough but the riffs always seem phoned in, lots of simple rhythms and predictable melody-wise. And this middle-of-the-road genre thats a bit indie, a bit metal, a bit bluesy, a bit garagey, a bit grungey, but nothing overwhelmingly Later instrumental tracks are more interesting! Best track - You Would Know, Mexicola, Spiders and Vingeroons 3 stars - but 2nd side is somewhat interesting
I like queens. They're a unique rock band. Not sure what males them stonery. Maybe people like to do meth or hallucinegenics to them or something although they dont hit me like that. This album is decent enough with plenty of weird riffs and beats. Not a whole lot of highlights, though.
This is definitively not my thing. Simultaneously brainless and boring. I'm sure it's someone's thing. It's not mine.
Solid rock album
Schon bedenklich, wenn mir beim Opener zuerst "Man" von Skepta in den Sinn kommt, der das Opening-Riff ziemlich prominent samplet. Bedeutet wohl, dass ich das QOTSA-Debut nie so oft gehört habe. Die Produktion finde ich schon mal ausgezeichnet und mir gefällt, dass sie hier noch nicht so stark auf catchige Refrains und Hits schielen und Songs auch mal ohne viel Schnickschnack belassen. Die Instrumentals in der zweiten Hälfte stören jedoch den Fluss der Platte deutlich und an manchen Stellen passiert in den Songs zu wenig für die Laufzeit. Aber hier sind schon ausgesprochen viele hervorragende Songs vorhanden. Für die 1001 sehe ich aber andere QOTSA-Platten deutlich weiter vorne.
Keine Ahnung, wieso ich live nicht von anfang an gecatched war, aber diese Band macht doch unglaublich viel Spaß!
Ein super Album, wenn man es in der Gesamtheit der Diskografie betrachtet. Als Debut finde ich nicht so recht Zugang dazu. Es sind schon klar die Strukturen und Wege für die späteren Werke gelegt, aber hier finde ich die Gesamtheit noch zu wild und anstrengend. 2 Sterne
QOTSA und ich sind so ein Ding. sie haben es in meiner Sicht geschafft genau ein 6/5 Sterne Album zu schreiben und ein 5/5, der ganze Rest ist für mich sehr hit und miss, aber das fairerweise auf jedem Album. Also es gibt überall Songs die mich nerven oder langweilen aber auch auf jedem ein paar meiner QOTSA Hits. Nun auf diesem hier ist die Hit dichte nicht ganz so hoch für mich persönlich, trotzdem macht das Spaß zu hören und weniger als 3 fühlt sich dann doch falsch an, dafür ist es zu gut.
We all have something that gets us through the days, the weeks, the years. Some of us exercise, some of us get high, some of us go out and socialize with strangers, some of us grow roots into our couch playing video games or watching streaming services. Me, I listen to music and do puzzles. This album is fantastic for that. It's highly repetitive, it's extremely similar from song-to-song, and sounds great both loud and quieter. It doesn't get my heart racing but doesn't put me to sleep. It's the perfect rock & roll background noise. That's why it falls into the category "Stoner Rock". You don't have to think about it if you don't want to, but if you do listen, it's got some insane lyrics and introspection. I've avoided the Stoner Rock genre for basically my whole life. I never found the appeal of it besides monotone off-tune mumbling or wailing with slurred vocals. This album is no different but hits all the right chords, right beats, right solos at the right time. It's dirty, covered in sweat, smells like pot, and hasn't washed its hair in a week. I, like most of these reviews, heard "Songs for the Deaf" and never looked back at QotSA's discography. I have actually been told not to by friends, relative, and coworkers who were familiar with their work, so I trusted them and didn't look back. What a surprise this album was. It's good, very good. 8/10
* 65 Der er nogle gode øjeblikke, men det blev også nogle gange lidt for meget 'murica beer commercial rock.
Naaaah, det her kan jeg ikke mærke
En smule generisk. Jeg er nok lidt for gavmild her 2.8
Må indrømme, at jeg ikke har lyttet til meget QOTSA foruden 'Songs For The Deaf'. Og synes måske, de har en tendens til at blive lidt ensformige i deres udtryk. Og det var også præcis den tanke, jeg havde, mens jeg hørte albummet første gang. Men ved flere lyt begynder det i den grad at komme under huden på mig; var nok bare lidt mere krævende end jeg først havde forventet. Det er råt, tungt og mørkt - præcis som jeg forertrækker rock. Og 'Spiders and Vinegaroons' er så fedt et nummer, at det alene havde trukket albummet op på 4 stjerner. Synes dog stadig ikke det er QOTSA bedste album, så lidt ærgerligt at det er det eneste, der er med på listen
It's a deliciously sludgy album. It gets a bit robotically repetitive towards the end of the album. I couldn't tell you a single thing any song is about, though. None of it resonated or stuck with me. It's good, and I'd listen to it again, but on the second listen through, nothing has it's hooks in me. My Rating: 3/5
They have one incredible song and it’s not on this album
3½
pretty dang good!
not bad, some nice hits in it.
Queens of the Stone Age seems like a band my Dad totally would have raised me on, and yet I have had next to no experience with this group up until maybe a year or two ago. Listening to QOTSA's music, at least on this project, gives off such a sandy desert vibe as well as being just soft enough to qualify as Rock music despite it walking a fine line towards something like Stoner Metal. The guitar parts are really where this project shines bright as it provides something of a heart beat for this album to chug along to for the duration of the 46 minute runtime. I can't lie, it is a debut album and not every song here is something incredible. I think this album shows what QOSTA could turn into with a bit more fine tuning, but as far as a debut album goes this really isn't as bad as it could have been. Definitely not a classic by any means, but it is something!
3/5. Queens of the Stone Age are one my favorite rock bands, which is why I must say it’s completely baffling that this is the only album of theirs in the 1,001 albums book. No Songs for the Deaf, Like Clockwork or Rated R, just the self titled debut. And it is a good album on the whole, but nowhere near the level of most other QOTSA albums in my opinion. Which is again to not say the self titled debut here is a bad album, there’s a good number of highlights like “You Would Know”, “Mexicola” or the opener “Regular John.” But on the whole it’s a debut where the band is still finding their footing and in retrospect you can see how much more fully formed and confident the band feels on Rated R compared to this.
Dimery’s affinity for an artist’s subpar debut over their most impactful album strikes again.
Meathead riffs and buried timeless vocals!
Stand-out tracks: Regular John, Avon, If Only, The Bronze, Mexicola, You Can't Quit Me Baby, Spiders and Vinegaroons, I Was a Teenage Hand Model Damn, so much distortion and dissonance on these tracks (sometimes a bit too much even). I like the variety and lots of tracks stood out to me as unique and memorable. There were quite a few just ok tracks, and most of the instrumental only tracks didn't catch my attention (maybe a bit too much repetitiveness). I have to give a special mention to the two longest tracks on the album, their progressions are kind of insane. Also wtf was that ending, I was genuinely shaking my head in disbelief and had to turn down the volume because my ears didn't appreciate that.
Highlights: Regular John, If Only, Walkin on the Sidewalks, You Would Know, How to Handle a Rope, Mexicola, You Can't Quit Me Baby, Spiders and Vinegaroons I liked a decent number of tracks, but I'd be lying if I said it was easy to go through this record. There was just something crazy boring about it. Not my favorite record of theirs. Their stoner hard rock sound is dope, but there's just something more "fun" about Rated R or SFTD and their more messy nature. On this one though, there are a lot of songs that have repetitive segments and I didn't hear a lot of variation in general. However, they did get a bit more playful at the end. I didn't pay much mind to the lyrics, but I got the general idea.
Já vi esses caras ao vivo, mas naquela vibe de "acaba logo que quero ver a banda que eu vim pra ver." Mas veremos, tem uma galera que é fã. Parece músicas de Guitar Hero. São boas, mas nada me chamou atenção, parece genérico. Que desgraçado esse final do álbum, achei que ia fazer uma lavagem cerebral em mim.
I don't like Queens, but I did like this album!
This was higher quality than I expected - straight ahead hard rock. Having said that, nothing that particularly distinguishes it.
I liked it more the longer it went on.
Really good album. Wasn’t familiar with band - heard of them but never listened. This album is very grunge influenced, but maybe a little more hard rock at times. Every song was good, although there are a couple tracks that are mostly experimental noise tracks.
nisam mogla da poslusam do kraja, krenulo je uzasno da mi smeta
Killer
The Good: Josh H with the QOTSA The Bad: It’s not Songs for the Deaf… The Ugly: The jams on this thing… I don’t know… I am conflicted… I really want to like this, and there are tracks on this album which really resonate for me. Yet, there are other tracks where I am oh so close to pushing the FF button and just head into the next car-wreck… Great guitar tones though, that’s for sure… Just missing that Dave Grohl beat… Going to rate this one down the middle… 3*
Surprisingly good, if not super-impressive. Totally listenable. A 3.
I have spent a lot of time with the first three QotSA albums and I love them all. It might be all nostalgia buff this one still hits as hard as 20 years ago when I was listening to it multiple times a week. Stoner, desert, whatever you want to call it, it just rocks.
It's rock and roll for sure!
I have multiple projects going. This is the second time round for this one. The first time, I was largely unfamiliar with QSA beyond them being “around” music I did listen to back in the day. The first time I gave this a 4. Menacing guitar lines and drums that actually catch you are an easy sell for me. This time I almost wanted to give it a 5. Those final two tacks are awesome. Spiders and Vinegaroons has become a return track for me. I just keep coming back. So, yeah. I still don’t think I can go 5. But maybe the next time round I’ll be fully in. 4 Boolean: True
Ok, but nothing special
Alle de her moralske kvalan, ikke visste æ at dem skulle følge med 1001 album. Musikken va helt ok, æ sørge over mitt tapte ungdomscrush i Josh Homme, men føkk menn som ikke kan oppføre sæ.
Stoner/doom metal paired with post grunge alt rock radio song writing not shy to throw in a hook. Heavy shades of Dinosaur Jr and Mudhoney: thick riffs chug along at a medium pace, loud and heavy, pushing amps into a rich warm overdrive, droning and looping to occupy the back of your mind and let the front roam. The lead guitar tone is a gnarly distorted squall; this is a band who've sold a billion fuzz pedals. One trick ponies with a great trick, but they do it for an hour solid.
It’s hard to imagine where the whole stoner/desert rock genre would be if Josh Homme would have just hung it up after Kyuss. I know QOTSA was my introduction to it, even though I didn’t know exactly what it was at the time; I don’t even know if it was called stoner rock at that point. Of course there were others that continued holding the torch, but it was Josh that brought it to the mainstream and made it accessible to the masses. And this album is where that particular chapter of the genre all started. It was highly influential and continues to inspire musicians to this day. Great, great album.
If it were any other album by the band…
Pretty great
Solid stoner rock album I need to revisit 07/13/26
Debut album Vocals are okay. Guitar dominates the music. Lots of good hooks Go with the flow is a good song. A good album. Four stars.
Day 335 Had never heard this before, really good album. Highlights Regular John If only Mexicola
2,5
I've never heard a QOTSA album, only the big singles. They've never appealed much, as I'm just not interested in Josh Homme's voice – it sort of slides over my ears without making much of an impression. Here he sounds a bit like a worse Chris Cornell, whose voice (sacrilegiously, I know) I'm not crazy about either. This album didn't do much to change my mind on the band, though it passed time pleasantly enough. There are some good sludgy riffs, and fair play to Homme for doing two or three guys' worth of work on the instruments, but I'm not sure why this was chosen over an album with some hits on it.
For the last few years I have attended a local “blues” festival which despite the name has bands few of which actually play any blues music. I would estimate that 60% of the bands playing over the days sound very similar to this group. Nothing objectionable to this but after hearing 1 or 2 songs from any of them we move on to the next band. Not ever having listened to QotSA other than the odd track on the radio, I don’t recognise or remember any of these songs. The album was my sort of music though and if it had been released about 20 years earlier, I may have enjoyed and get hooked. Not sure I am going to search proactively for any more of this now but will happily give a listen to any others that come my way. Most of this sounds a little too much like generic pub rock of years gone by. Competent enough musically but no original/unique spark to warrant investigating more at this stage. The last track was certainly different and weird however!
I cannot believe this album is on the list and Rated R is not!? This is surely madness - although not a massive fan of Rated R or stoner metal this record is just so … meh? Whereas at least Rated R has the brilliant tracks The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret and Feel Good Hit of the Summer! This record has nothing … no standout tracks just complete [shrugs shoulders]. Anyway back to the record itself - It felt like a transition album for Homme, you can still hear the Kyuss vibes very heavily in most of the tracks. For me, the second half was much better than the first but may have just been because I had got used to it by then.
Can't stand the dude's voice, nor whenever they start wailing about on the guitar (or anyone decides to solo on anything), it's a boring trudge through the same song 11 times. First track is the best because the motorik thing going on was good. The whole record sort of sounds like home demos for an album that isn't finished. Also, apparently Rated R isn't on the list - I am by no means a particularly big fan of this band, but I'd love to understand how anyone rates this over that.
Very nice grunge guitar. But nothing stunning, that makes me stand up and pay attention. 3.5/5
This is a fairly good debut, and there's a good reason songs from this like Regular John still get played live by them frequently. But. Rated R and Songs for the Deaf really are peak QOTSA. I enjoy most of their albums, but Rated R and Songs for the Deaf... Hands down. Why on earth neither is on the list, and instead, we get the debut and Like Clockwork (which has two of my favourite tracks if theirs but as an album isn't as cohesive), No One Knows (see what I did there?).
A perfect album made a bit bloated by the extra tracks.
Love it! One of my personal favorites
Fine didn't think this would be the first QOTSA album I would listen to. 2.5
I’d never really listened to Queens of the Stone Age before. I love their biggest hit, No One Knows, and I’m fairly sure I’ve seen them at a festival at some point, but I’ve never properly explored their albums. I figured there was no better place to start than with their self-titled debut, Queens of the Stone Age. Unfortunately, this one didn’t really land for me. At 14 tracks and over an hour long, it felt much longer than it needed to be, particularly as very little seemed to change or develop as the album progressed. I kept waiting for a standout moment or a song to grab me, but it never came. My biggest issue was how samey much of the album sounded. The riffs blur together after a while, and a lot of the songs rely heavily on big power chords and repetitive grooves without offering much in the way of memorable hooks or interesting guitar work. The vocals didn't do much for me either. There are flashes where you can hear the foundations of the band that would go on to write songs like “No One Knows”, but overall this felt like a fairly average hard rock album. Favourite tracks: I struggled to pick one as very little stood out for me Least favourite tracks: The closing four tracks in particular felt like filler and could easily have been left off the album Album artwork: A bit smutty but does the job
7/8/26. Won't be a fair review because I love QOTSA and all their work. This album is still fantastic even though it's their debut and lays the groundwork for the rest of the band's output. Always loved the unique chord progressions.
Kinda forgettable but I didn’t actively dislike it
So much of this debit album points to what made QOTS great in the albums that followed. It's raw, punchy & full of contained aggression that hits you like a fist. This album though does feel a bit less polished than some of their other material, like a rough diamond that’s still rough around the edges. The songwriting is so basic at points and some of the tracks fall flat for me, offering very little in the way of variety. It's still a fun listen but for me not even close to some of their more mature work.
QOTSA is one of the greatest rock bands, this album isn't my favorite of theirs but it's still super solid. Totally recommend it for people who want metal without distorted vocals.
#375 Not my favourite QOTSA album, and not being my entry point to the band meant I probably don’t hold it in as much affection but nevertheless, this is a great album, rooted in stoner rock, much closer to Kyuss. I’m shocked that this is the album that represents QOTSA in the book, not because it isn’t worthy but because Rated R and Songs for the Deaf are better and should be on the list. Also, there should be a place for Kyuss too. Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Listen before you die? ✅ Fave track(s): If Only; You Would Know; You Can’t Quit Me Baby Rating: 9/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Great debut album! Solid rock and roll.
Fine. Borderline boring. Too long. Adjacent to and inspired by some stuff I like. Overall, it made me want to listen to MC5 and The Stooges.
Fun enough for what it is, sure.
Kind of bland. Too long. But, at times, pretty cool. A solid 3.
Sludgy with some killer riffs, but weighed down by dated, ‘90s keening male vocals.
So interestingly, I am completely unfamiliar with this album. And maybe only familiar with Queens of the Stone Age by name? By reputation? Really very little. By this time I, honestly was not interested in this brand of alt rock, if I ever had been. Funny enough I was in Seattle. But I was dedicated to Modest Mouse. Went to all their shows, bought all their albums. And of course they only have one album on the USER list. Not the one I would’ve chosen, either. But anyway Queens of the Stone Age… So listening for the very first time I felt like, yeah, this is mush; I can’t really connect; there’s something here, but I ain’t got the patience to dig for it today. Then the b side. Spiders and Vinegaroons to be exact. My ears perked up. I came in closer. I had to listen to the whole thing again. And then the closer. F*ing awesome! Talk about the end of an album kicking it up. So this is a debut. Obviously it has issues. But it got me intrigued. 4 Boolean: True
I didn't even know this album existed. And I was a little hesitant as some queens album's aren't really my thing, but this one was pretty damn good. Cool to here how Josh really found his voice and there are some great riffs across this entire thing
Flawed but perfect. What a groove.
2 because skepta sampled the first 2 seconds
Nice abrasive and melodic rock. Sexy, groovy and seductive.
Not rlly my type
Ну ок. Альтернативный рок. Таких миллионы
El gordito este me la pone como tanque de agua. Que hijo de puta bo 🧉
Better than I was expecting given I don’t hear very much about this one compared to SFTD and LC…
PLACEHOLDER
I want to like this one more than I do. Drones on at times. Solid 3 but can't click to 4
Good album, overall. Not as much musical and tonal variety as they'd develop on later albums, and just a bit long here, but you can do WAY worse in late 90s rock, and not a whole lot better.