Reviews (page 6 of 9)
Intense in delivery, fairly dismal in tone. It's at once very good and a bit dragging
Pretty good, got a little repetitive but overall enjoyable.
I really thought I'd like this more than I did. It really just sounded like reheated Black Sabbath.
Wow! It’s all the same. They certainly have a distinct sound, but it isn’t defined enough on their debut. Don’t worry guys, it gets better. 3/5
Y'know, I didn't want much out of this album. I mean, I know what a Queens Of The Stone Age is and what it does; I've heard SONGS FOR THE DEAF enough times. As long as it provides me with that kick-ass Palm Springs desert rock I know 'em for, I'll be happy as a damn clam. Heck, I was even willing to keep in that this is their first album and not judge them too hard if it's not "exactly there yet." I'll emphasize: I **was**. But then I heard the album and, uh... Like, look, I'm gonna sit here and tell you it's **that bad**. If you're looking for a little hard desert rock, I can't say this won't do the job, but it won't do any more than that. It's just so flatly fine that I'm not really finding myself inspired to wanna say too much. Off the top of my head, the best I can think of is that, well, this was at least successful enough to lead to the album I'm actually interested in? I'm also mentally comparing it to the other "band debut that's actually a one-man band" dealie I know of, Foo Fighters' eponymous, and, jus'... Goodness, what Dave did on that album was so much more interesting than what Josh did over here. "I'll Stick Around" by itself clears everything on here. 'Coz, I'unno, Dave just has more things going on in his songs than Josh does. Josh is perfectly happy to let the same drum and guitar riff loop for, like, 80% of the songs, with vocals on top that hardly make up for it. This is "stoner rock" in that you might hafta be stoned and not really paying attention to notice how much isn't going on. I wanna give credit to one song, and that's "Mexicola". In my mind, it's the best track here, and it's the closest I'd come to calling any of this material "kick-ass." I mean, heck, it's actually **interesting**, go figure! Now, to be fair, I didn't actually listen to the entire album as it exists on streaming; I listened to the original vinyl track listing. For all I know, "The Name Of This Song Is A Quote From The Movie Star Wars" would've redeemed the whole thing, but I'm not particularly interested in finding out. So... Yeah, I'unno. A 3. It works for what it is, but already being aware of SONGS FOR THE DEAF, I don't have much use for this. Heck, even if I did, I wouldn't wanna listen to it in full again for how "I Was A Teenage Hand Model" ended. Pure discomfort, goodness me. So... I'unno. Honestly, it's kind of a shame that it's the only QOTSA album here, but what'cha gonna do, huh? Well, I don't know about you, but me, I'm gonna go put on "No One Knows".
I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump down to a 3. I’ve heard of Queens of the Stone Age, but I haven’t *heard* them (or in this case, him) until now. This is, much like the first Foo Fighters album, secretly a solo project, although the drums are by someone else. Unlike the first Foo Fighters album, I think this one just sort of flounders in a vague kind of mediocrity – nothing’s ever technically “wrong” on this album, and it sounds really nice when you’re not paying attention. Unfortunately, I am the exact type of person to pay attention, and that attention applies to everything. I think the lyricism isn’t as precise and measured as many of its other 90s grunge contemporaries that we’ve got (i.e., Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, Nirvana), and the broader strokes don’t really paint any kind of consistent picture for most of the tracks. I think the instrumentals are good, but suffer from the occasional really long repetitive pattern in the drums & guitar that doesn’t get covered up by the often safe vocals – his voice, when he’s really experimenting with the range it can take on these instrumentals, can sound super good, but he plays it really safe on a lot of these, and as such, it sort of inconsistently shifts between engaged & disinterested. Sort of like the Britney Spears album we got, there are points where his conviction feels a little half-baked & it just feels off. However, all of those criticisms are partially from my listening style – there were points on this album where I did just sort of toss the lyrics aside, tried to sort of zone out & just let the music come to me, and those moments, while hit & miss, did click pretty well when a zen state kinda came to me. That said, it was just as easy to snap out of that zen state when something more abrasive or audibly awkward came in; the out of key guitar on “You Can't Quit Me Baby” & the harsh electronica/synth work that ends the album are the two biggest examples here. As a whole, I did enjoy this, but it’s clearly not at the same level as its contemporaries, at least on a first pass – it’s not as refined, it feels a little too garage-y at points, and it doesn’t do a great job of filling its emptier vocal space. I’ve read reviews that say their later work, when an actual full band comes in, is significantly better & arguably landmark worthy, and I’m willing to believe that. This isn’t a bad album, it just didn’t click well for me. I can hear the potential for sure, and there are some good tracks on this. It’s just not a great experience, at least for me, hence the 3.5 bumped down to a 3.
Nice listen, nothing particularly intrigued me though. 7/10
6/10 Not really my bag, feels derivative and not super inventive but I know these guys can play so props to them.
Not worth a second listen
It’s definitely a QOTSA album. Hard riffs and a bunch of buzzy feedback. Vocals were the difference compared to albums that followed. Regular John started off the album with musical intention. Vocals were a bit pitchy and high octave. I was into the weird I Was a Teenage Hand Model closer. Top 3 Tracks: 1. Mexicola 2. I Was a Teenage Hand Model 3. Regular John 6.5/10
All the pieces are there, and I appreciate QOTSA for including a couple of genuinely interesting instrumental tracks here, but I think it's hard for me to think anything else knowing QOTSA's most invigorating works are just around the corner.
duplicate
Very grungy not quite my style but a pretty good album, the overall sound put me off a bit though.
Good music
some very great songs, but also a little bit annoying at times
Not bad, especially as I don't generally like their genre.
It’s really only the first few songs that are as good as anything on the next few albums, and the bonus tracks don’t really help much. Never really the same when they got rid of the bass player who got his dick out.
Debut album with most of the QOTSA sound. I'd never heard it before but it was better than I'd expected. That being said, it pales in comparison to some of their later works.
Not a super intentional listen but a cool rock album. Nothing really hooked me personally but I think I get the appeal. Like spiders and vinegaroons. Solid rhythm guitar playing throughout. 3
Wasn't bad.
i do like queens of the stone age but the fact that they've been around so long does make it sound a little generic
I quite like this sort of thing. It didn't set me on fire, though. Decent.
Not my fav but enjoyable rock
I like QotSA, but this album seemed a little repetitive. I really like the overall sound, but the repetition is not for me. Sometimes it's bearable, other times just not at all! I think other albums are better.
A classic debut album that catapulted Queen of the Stone Age to the Grunge Rock forefront. I’m a big fan of grunge. However, QOTSA isn’t my go to in this genre. There wasn’t a great enough balance between distortion and melody. I enjoyed the album but it didn’t resonate with me as much as I wanted it to… Favorites: Regular John, If Only, How to Handle a Rope
While not as strong as some of their other albums, this one has a lot of fun songs. I was always a sucker for “I Was a Teenage Hand Model.” There are a few songs that are a bit clunky, but overall a strong album. 3.5.
Meh
Serviceable. Can tell he’s putting on his best Cobian impression on half the songs
Twee nummers in: Denk dat ik het tot nu toe zou aanraden als iemand vraagt naar een rock album zonder poes pas.
🤟🤟but maybe slightly too long/a bit repetitive. Enjoyed it either way
Stands its ground exceptionally well. "If Only" is a banger. 3/5
Ajajaj das ist wieder mal nix :/ So schlimm ist nicht es ist halt einfach nur ganz 🆗👍
This one brought back some memories.... Not their best album, but consistent.
Some songs sound alright, but mostly it doesn't sound super good or interesting.
Kompliziert und ruhig. Für das Genre gar nicht schlecht! 3,4
Was expecting something a little different, and maybe a little more. Sounds surprisingly Soundgarden-esque stoner rock with only flashes of the Desert Rock sound I was really looking for...
I was surprised how much I was almost enjoying this, but as I’m finding throughout this exercise albums of an hour or more generally lose me after the halfway mark. Solid enough, but reiterated why I never really went for grunge generally
American 90s rock. Quite hard.
Musikalisch ganz ok. Cover würde mich vom Kauf abhalten!
Average
Regular John was recognizable, and the guitar outro of You Can’t Quit Me Baby was the best part of the album. Pretty good rock collection going on here.
Sonido bastante pesado, pero nada mal. Me gustaron mucho las canciones puramente instrumentales y el vocalista me convence bastante.
Starts strong, but becomes a bit repetitive. A credible exemplar of its genre.
Enjoyable rock album, if a bit repetitive 3/5
honestly this just sounds like if early radiohead were american and therefore slightly worse (ESPECIALLY the first song). i really expected this to be shit but it’s perfectly fine. the drums are mad boring but i like most of the other elements of the songs especially the quieter ones. the album was way too long tho. fav tracks: regular john; i was a teenage hand model [even with all the stupid sound effects]
Nothing grabbed me, but the sound was solid overall. The vocals weren't terribly interesting either. My favorite song was the outro, sans the final minute (which was hilarious).
Der er nogle bangers på, men det er til gengæld et virkelig langt album der ikke rigtigt kommer ud over den ene tone, den sætter. Stor 3’er
This is the first album in our run of this project that I already know well. QOTSA has been a favorite of mine ever since Songs for the Deaf, so I like all their albums to varying degrees. Josh kicked things off by laying the groundwork throughout this album, and spent the subsequent albums building and improving on that foundation. I really enjoy this album through "Mexicola", but the rest of the songs after it overstay their welcome. And while that makes for a challenging final stretch that I respect (none of the other albums I've heard from this list so far have been this abrasive or proudly weird) it can also get on my nerves sometimes. For me it's really half of a great album. Thankfully that gets better from here, but it also means that this is my least favorite of their albums. Technically this is a 3.5 for me, but there's no option for that on here that I can figure out.
I liked this less the longer it went on but it's still decent enough
This sounds a lot like the B sides from the first Foo Fighters record. Queens would go on to make some really awesome music. But this is not the best freshman record. Which is totally fine. Just not sure why it's on this list. Towards the end, there is a lot of wasted time. Hour long records are not a requirement.
A prime example of the wrong album by a great band being on the list. Songs for the Deaf is the obvious choice, with Like Clockwork being a fantastic later album, and Rated R also deserving of a spot. The self-titled debut is promising but never quite reaches its full potential, with swaggering riffs and that classic QotSA attitude but nothing as memorable or impactful as their later work
Queens of the Stone Age are really good at Just The Right Amount. Just the right amount of melodic variation, of emotion, of sounds vs. silence. Where they really excel is in producing an atmosphere (songs for the deaf will go on to further prove this). Really good rock music that isn’t bogged down by an awful singer
A good intro to this band but the next two albums are the best of them
Well... It's not bad but also not excellent. It has solid tracks and is the base of stoner rock. Definitely not either two or four stars although you could argue for both ratings, so three must do.
There's a bit to like in here. Overall it's a good debut. I like the riffs and the guitars in general, and the kind of down and dirty production. There's some propulsive energy to the songs. It has that QOTSA feel to it, with a lot of minor keys. The main criticism I guess is that not enough really stands out. It's all kind of similar.
I think they got better after this - it's a solid if unspectacular debut.
Cool vibes in instrumentals wish there was more singing. Fav song The Bronze
Some of the songs I really like, others don't really do it for me at all. Not as bad as Kings of Leon but at times I really didn't enjoy the abrasive repetitive guitar songs. Some bangers but overall just okay . 3
I really remember this being a better album...
pretty good debut
Weird choice for a QOTSA album
To be frank, I don’t have a whole lot to say. It was nice, however nothing really stuck with me a whole lot. The riffs are energetic and good, however they’re kind of generic. Most of the time. They don’t really give me anything to look into. I guess this can go for the lyrics as well.The opener, “Regular John,” was decent though, along with a few other songs. This debut was just okay. I’ve heard good stuff about Queens Of The Stone Age, I hope I can enjoy the other albums from them on this list.
Rock bastante monótono.
I only know two QoTSA songs and neither of them were on this album. Starts off pretty good with some great alt rock/90s style rock songs but then they just decided to stop singing and repeat the same sound/riff/noise for like 5 minutes until a random song would come in. Very strange pacing on this album. I liked what I heard in the first half but they lost me halfway through. 5/10
interesting album with a few songs i liked quite a bit
It’s kinda just like the deep purple album I just listened to but more modern.
Ok, leider kein markanter Song.
I knew their name beforehand and I still don't know what I expected. More hardcore rock? Only one track was not mediocre for me. I cannot see myself listening to this again. It still well-produced album, but I don't know if it deserves the place on the list.
I listened to this one 1.5 times. I really tried to get through this one a second time because I felt like it was just kinda there. I'm not sure I had the time to give this the listen it deserved. It sounds good and interesting but nothing really caught my attention. I know this band has a cultish following so I'd like to "get it". I'll try it again someday.
Knowing this band this album fit really well, and wasn't anything shocking. I do like the band and think they are a good mix of heavy, rock, alt, techno and all around different, but it works. I wasn't a huge fan of the guitar riff songs, sort of like they were drunk or tripping and just got distracted. But overall it was a solid album from a solid band.
Queens of the Stone Age is a band I feel like I keep being told I should like despite never meeting anyone who is like, THEY’RE my favorite band. They kept showing up on video game soundtracks, and I remember them being in an episode of Anthony Bourdains show. And the whole time I was like. Eh. They’re fine. They’re the logical conclusion of what main stream alt rock would be post grunge. And it’s fine. It’s perfectly acceptable.
Love QOTSA. As I was listening, I was considering whether this album needed to be included on this list. Certainly “Songs for the Deaf” should be on here, but this one is a quieter, more chill vibe. The instrumentals changed my mind a bit.
It’s just some guy noodling on the guitar for an hour. And it’s not very good.
# Playlist Track - If Only # Notes - Solid start, but kind of a mixed bag from track 5. Great riffs, tho. The next QOTSA albums are better.
I know QOTSA but was not expecting to see them on a Top 1001 album list. Typically they have 3-4 great songs and a bunch of filler tracks on each album. This album is no different. I missed this album and started with 2000's "Rated R". I can't deny their groove and the nice hooks they throw into their some of their hard driving songs that leave you wanting more, but also wondering why they can't do it more regularly. Good intro track in "Regular John", great jam in "If Only", a deep groove on "You Would Know", a galloping rocker in "How To Handle A Rope" and On the flip side, sandwiched between the rockers mentioned above you get sloggers like "Avon", "Walkin On The Sidewalks", "These Aren't The Droids..." & "Hispanic Impressions". Great song titles though! For this reason I can't grade this too high, but it's a good rock & roll album.
Eu amo Queens of the Stone Age, mas posso dizer calmamente que este é o meu álbum que eu menos gosto. Infelizmente. É uma excelente banda.
my first QOTSA album! i wasn’t really sure what to expect, but i enjoyed it quite a bit. i definitely need to listen to Songs For The Deaf now. 3.5
It’s a decent rock and roll record to be fair! Nothing especially significant, and nothing that jumped out at me? All got a bit “samey” after a while. It’s clearly a good band, with a decent singer but not the absolute screamer of an album I was hoping for!
The vibe is pretty good, but the words are generally kind of hit-or-miss. "You Would Know" is amusingly creepy. There are long and rambling instrumental tracks, too, which aren't bad, but don't really do anything.
Actually don’t think I’ve listened to these guys before. Better than I expected but nothing that blew me away. High 3.
Yeah! Rock on!
Run-of-the-mill. Songs for the deaf is better in every aspect.
Well. this was disappointing. I love Songs For The Deaf, and seeing them that tour is one of my favourite ever concerts but I found this underwhelming. I think a lot of it has to do with the production
Queens of the Stone Age made what some were calling stoner rock in the 90s, and heavy rock as QOTSA developed their sound in the aughts. QOTSA has had something of a revolving line-up, with frontman Josh Homme as the only bandmember involved for its entire career. Homme was previously in a band called Kyuss, and some of the original QOTSA members were also former Kyuss members. The band makes heavy, guitar driven rock, embellished with a range of electronic effects. Homme's vocals fit the "heavy rock" classification, in that he a brash inelegance that matches the band's sound.
Started strong but then I kinda got lost and it melded into the background. I love some of there stuff and happy to listen if it came on a playlist.
Скажем так: 3 песни неплохи, остальное -- полное говно и высер в уши. Но 3 песен хватит для 3. Мб эти песни я даже буду переслушивать. Лучшая -- mexicola.
Not that this album was horrible, but why is this in the best of all time. It just sounds like a demo tape from someone who learned to play a few cords in the electric.
went into this with pretty low expectations but was pleasantly surprised by first few tracks-strong guitar, and enjoyed the vocals. then the 2nd half of album lost its focus & rambled. it's like they ran out of something to say
Some great parts mixed in, too long and a bit generic. 3.5
Ok. Never really rose above, nor feel way below. Perfectly ok. Liked their later work a bit more.
My first introduction The Queens of the Stone Age was 3's and 7's in Guitar Hero and I always thought that song was pretty cool. Working my way through this album, though, and it's a bit raw and undercooked. Feels like it's missing something that keeps it engaging for the full hour long album length. Maybe the riffs are a little too droning and repetative. I thinkmy favorite riff on the album is from These Are Not the Droids You're Looking For, and I also liked The Bronze, How to Handle a Rope, and You Can't Quit Me Baby. But I didn't really love any of it.
This is a good album from a band that was destined for bigger and better things. I missed this one because, by 1998, heavy rock in the grunge vein had mainly fallen off for me. I was actually working at an independent record store at the time, but I guess we were into other stuff. Until hearing this record, I had only listened to Songs for the Deaf after getting a vinyl copy on sale. I liked it, but I didn't love it. The same can be said for Queens of the Stone Age. It's cool, but I didn't really connect with it on first listen. Three stars.
Overall - good, but has some annoying as hell sections in several of the tracks (personal opinion).
90's dad rock. Not bad, but it would be hard for any album like this to get above a 3.
The trick is to avoid the reissue that clocks in at over an hour and go with the original 1998 released version which is 46 minutes. The extra tracks don’t add anything in my opinion.
Just slightly more interesting than most hard rock and metal-adjacent bands. The understated and stoneresque vocals speak to uncertainty and anxiety, rather than aiming to express godlike delusions or raw power. And there are interesting aural twists here and there. But, pretty meh overall and not nearly as “original” as advertised, with the middle cuts very same-y.
QOTSA is a 3 or 4 star artist but this album isn't in their top 5.
its not bad, and has flashes of greatness (and not so greatness), but im overall not much of a fan of stoner-rock or w/e the genre is YNN
Weird choice of album for QoTSA
Really awesome debut. But they go on to make better
It alright. All their albums sound the same and Rated R and Songs for the Deaf were better. So alright but extraneous
Average stoner garage/indie rock. It felt like an eternity waiting for the vocals to kick in. This approach might be good live but it doesn't really work on record.
Long outros and instumentals that are mental. Kinda sounds like 70s rock made crazy.
Nothing particularly outstanding but yeah, good stuff
If you like Chilli Peppers and Foo Fighters, here's another band you'll probably like. A pretty good dirty guitar and obfuscated lyrics band.
As much as I love QotSA, this isn't their strongest album, still good though. Songs For The Deaf or Rated R would have better choices for the 1001 list.
Too much experimental electronica, not enough hard rock.
I like QOTSA and this album, but wouldn't have picked it for their representative album. Solid first album, though, and I think it would grow on me with repeated listens. 3.5*.
So there were definite song highlights that I enjoyed quite a bit. And as a whole, decent album. There were just also a few points where it sorta meshed together and lulled but not really in a way I thought was BAD. But like. Not really in a standout way. And then that’d be broken up by a song that DID stand out and I was like hell yeah we’re back! So if I could, I’d give it a 3.5. But I can’t do that. So we’ll see if I end up on a 3 or a 4.
a prototype of a truly great band. there’s a few songs that rank with their best stuff but it’s just less consistent and confident than all of the stuff that comes afterwards.
Not their best album at all - Songs for the Def would be a far better choice. It's good though, not groundbreaking but perfectly captures the stoner rock vibe. Guitar sounds great here.
Meh, it's okay.
Not terrible, but not as good as I was hoping.
I found some parts of this really good. But somehow it didn't grab me as a whole. A bit underwhelming. Not terrible, and sounded pretty good in the car. Just not enough to take it into 4 star territory.
I wanted to like this a lot more than I ended up. Some heavy, driving bass lines were fun but I think my lack of nostalgia for this album hurt my rating.
The theme for the week is picking the wrong album by a band for the list. And in both cases they are self-titled debuts! Some bands hit it out of the park on their first album and can never reach those inspired heights again. No such worries for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, or for Queens of the Stone Age. Their self-titled debut never grabbed my attention, droning on in the background. On the other hand, 2002’s “Songs for the Deaf” is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ album. I think having more collaborators on “Rated R” and “Songs for the Deaf” was good for QOTSA leader Josh Homme. Bringing in Mark Lanegan and Dave Grohl did wonders for QOTSA’s sound. Homme describes “SFTD” as bizarre and crazy, but it’s also catchy without sacrificing raucous energy. Since this is the only album on the list by any Josh Homme, Tim Armstrong, or Brody Dalle list, we’ve also gotta call out their weird love triangle (as well as the fact that there are some great Rancid and Distillers songs). Armstrong started dating Dalle when he was 30 and she was turning 17. They married a year later, and then several years later Homme wrecked their already creepy home. Their marriage fell apart too, with accusations on both sides of physical and mental abuse. Not a great trio of people, but some exciting musicians. And as an exciting musician of long and winding career, the list of people Homme has worked with creates quite the web of 90s and 00s talents. The aforementioned Grohl and Lanegan, but also many others, and even 70s icons John Paul Jones (with Grohl in Them Crooked Vultures) and Iggy Pop. Mapping out the connections would be wild. For instance, through Paz Lenchantin, who played violin on “SFTD,” you can link Homme six degrees of separation style to the Pixies and Perfect Circle, and one more step away to post punk and math rock innovators Tortoise and Slint that we listened to recently. Put Homme in the center and I bet the web can connect just about every major rock act of the last 30 years in just a couple leaps.
The one word I keep thinking of is heavy. This album feels heavy. And not totally cohesive. There’s a lot of instrumental sections. And some vocals that aren’t anything to write home about. And I can’t get the thought out of my head that the electronic sounds in I Was A Teenage Hand Model sound like robot farts. The album also feels unsettling.
...
Great and interesting listen, though I did not really connect with their style of music usually
Solid freshman entry. Especially at s time when rock had faded to the background. A signal for even better things to come.
Listened Before? N Groovy! Stoney stuff. I like it. Heavy and heady. A couple of the later songs would probably give me a bad trip just because they're not as groovy but it's debatable whether I care or not. I think not. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: If Only
This is a fun record, as are most fro these guys. Kind of a poor man's Soundgarden thougg
I like it when a debut album is just loud. A debut album should be filled with silly noise. Don’t trust artists who have perfect debuts - there’re probably little nerds. It’s a shame how much of this silly noise sounds like grunge though.
Another album you can easily skip.
Queens of the Stone Age are a decent band. Extremely straight forward but for the most part it works. Album is too long. 6.1/10
It wasn’t bad - I liked it more than I thought I would given the genre listed as “stoner rock” - but too generic and forgettable. My enthusiasm waned about three tracks in when I realized it’s all pretty much the same sound, and I don’t think I need a whole album of it. It reminded me of Soundgarden’s “Superunknown,” for which I had similar feelings.
A good listen but not a remarkable album. Solid.
Good album.
Meh. Generic sounding 2000s era rock.
Overall solid. Good guitar tones, and some solid songs. Nothing really stuck out except some latter songs that drug on a bit.
I like QotSA, but they have multiple albums more deserving than this one
I somehow never listened to this band before. It was just kind of okay for me. At times it reminded me of Nirvana or Foo Fighters with a lot of fuzz. I can see how people like them.
Drags a bit.
I'm familiar with some of QOTSA's music (Songs for the Deaf and Like Clockwork), but I've never listened to this album of theirs. "Regular John" hooked me in right away. The guitar playing was great, and I loved its fuzzy sound. Josh Homme's vocals sounded a little softer than what I'm used to on later QOTSA albums, but I still enjoyed his singing. After that lead-off track though, the album didn't really go anywhere interesting. Sure, this was a fine hard rock/stoner rock album, but there are plenty of other, better albums from this genre out there, and several of them by the same artist. This album really lacks the hooks and punch that later QOTSA albums have. There just aren't any memorable hits on this album, and it really suffers for it. An album doesn't necessarily have to have hits in order to be good, but QOTSA are so talented as musicians and songwriters, but none of that is showcased here. Even without the context of their other works, I don't think this album belongs on the list. This isn't a bad album, but there's nothing on here that would ever draw me back to it.
Bueno.
Took me back to a time where this album belongs. Queens of the Stone Age is a band I always wish I was into more, only to realise that the majority of their songs are nothing special.
I enjoyed the soft rock style of the album. I liked Regular John and Spiders And Vinegaroos the most.
I haven’t listened to this band at all but I’ve heard of them in rock music. So I was looking forward to seeing how they sound. I didn’t mind it too much but it wasn’t my ideal taste in rock. I’ll listen again though and maybe check out their other albums to see if they are better.
A solid debut but it doesn't hold a candle to what's to come.
вроде дерзко так, кайфовенько прям местами, в рамках жанра очень неожиданно для 1998 близко к 4, но поставлю 3
Да вроде хорошая музыка Местами дают стиля и жару когда ускоряются (you can't quit me baby кайф). Но глобально пролетело мимо. Хотя послушал бы еще раз просто по приколу Алкоальбом: да сделали бармен коктейль на свой вкус
Грязно, громко, но интересно. Мне кажется, шикарный альбом в паре со Screaming Trees, чтобы закрыть тему 90-х на West Coast. Быстрого мы здесь почти не услышали, но у них есть оно (к сожалению, вне рамок подкаста)
maybe the worst album cover i have ever seen. also the music is boring. 6/10
Un excelente disco de Stoner Rock, con canciones pegajosas e interpretaciones atrapantes que dejan a quien lo escucha con ganas de mucho más. Claramente, Josh Homme tenía una idea muy clara de lo que quería hacer con su proyecto. Sin embargo, en ocasiones puede sonar demasiado como Nirvana o Foo Fighters, pero probablemente esto se deba a la época en que se estrenó y el tremendo impacto que los años noventa tuvieron sobre los sonidos de las bandas de rock. Recomendable, pero en ocasiones, puede sentirse demasiado largo.
Lacks the sparkle their later albums brought so a band in progress - but still plenty of foot stomping and hard rocking to enjoy.
More boring, mildly talented grunge rock.
First listen of this album, hoping for some good 90's alternative rock vibes. Now I understand stoner rock... all very passive. Bass line in "Regular John" and "Avon" and would be a cool background album to have on.
Stoner rock Rocker stone? Geinig wel maar niet helemaal mijn ding
Instantly recognizable. I like QOTSA vibe.
I feel like I should have liked this more than I did. The production is pretty snappy for the time, the guitar tones are grimy in all the best ways, and the lyrics aren't terribly shallow (which was a problem with harder rock at the time). And yet. I didn't actually enjoy it all that much. There's a laziness here that's really off-putting. It has the form of aggressive, energetic metal without actually being energetic or aggressive. Or even metal, really. It just kinda... chugs along until it's done. Maybe it's asking too much but I want more out of my rock and roll than QotA is apparently willing to give me here. Shame.
QotSA are good, guitar oriented hard rock, and I feel like the music landscape is missing that. But this isn't going to be in my top 25 albums in that genre. When I've looking for good hard rock, QotSA aren't going to come to mind first, second, third, etc. Another "7 out of 10" album, and I'm rounding down. It's quite enjoyable, but it doesn't belong with the typical 4 star album.
Familiar with lots of QOTSA but not this one. And it’s good, consistent with their work but it’s no Songs For The Deaf to be fair. Slightly too long as well, but I later found out they added some extra tracks to the original release. Some great stuff but it’s not quite a 4. Not far off it but not there.
not for me
like it, aber s macht mich aggressiv bim autofahre haha
Album 346 of 1001 Queens of the Stone Age - Queens of the Stone Age Rating : 3.5 / 5 Some good rock but nothing that makes me want to go back for more.
some good songs, but Queens of the Stone Age have better albums to hear before this one. After a whole hour, their sound gets old to me.
After the previous album, I was really looking forward to hearing Queens and they did not disappoint.....for the majority of the album. Queens has a very unique sound and style that I can recognize their tunes, although I can't say I was a big fan. They have been on my list to dive into deeper and this was a great start. The 1st 3 quarters of this album was very good, but when we got to the song about Droids, I felt like they were filling time some nonsense. They could have cut off about 15 minutes and 3 songs and this would have been a higher rating from me. But it is what it is and this album was about a 3.5 for me. I saw Josh perform at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at the LA Forum, singing a couple Cars tunes and that was pretty cool. This is a band I will be checking out more of their material and Them Crooked Vultures too. Can't quit get that 4 mark, so 3.5 it is 3.5
3.5 Being that I’m pretty sure these guys have a couple acclaimed albums that came later in their career, I was pretty surprised to see that their debut made this list. After giving it a listen, a part of me now sees why it did and a part of me is still just as confused. You can definitely tell that the band had their sound figured out from the get-go, which is more than you could say about a lot of other bands, even some of the all-time greats, yet this seems to lack a real sense of identity, personality, or structure to it - in a lot of ways, it feels more like a demo. For that reason, I actually really struggled with my rating on this one because despite that, a handful of these songs are REALLY damn good. In fact, Regular John, If Only, and Mexicola may very well have become three of my all-time favorite songs from the group. But ultimately, I just don’t think their combined efforts make for a particularly great or remarkable album experience, especially considering the seeming lack of versatility across the board (though the band would later improve in that aspect with later releases). So, as close as this comes to a 4 in my books, I think I’m going to have to knock this down a half star - though the absolute ear massacre at the very end also helped solidify that for me. I do hope this isn’t the last we see from these guys, but even if it is, this has definitely encouraged me to check out more of their releases.
Queens of the Stone Age is basically paint-by-numbers late 90s/early 00s mass produced rock, isn't it? Heavy on the fuzz, driving rhythm sections, random noodling improvisation, it's all listenable but very unpolished and inelegant, and most of the songs are indistinguishable from each other. I listened to the 2011 re-release and my favourite track wasn't even on the original (The Bronze) so dunno if that says anything. I'll give it a middling 3.
This is pretty dull - it's not bad, but it's not notably good either. I loved Songs For The Deaf when it came out, but this doesn't have any of the changes of pace and volume that made that work, it's all at one speed, all with the loud guitar wall driving it, and it's just not that interesting. A low 3.
“If Only” is okay. "Give the Mule What He Wants" has a fun groove to it that makes it stand out from the other tracks. "Spiders and Vinegaroons" (which wasn't on the original release) was kind of cool with the electronic drums and the Stevie Wonder-esque bass clavinet thingy. Other than that, I wasn't really impressed with this album. With the extra tracks, the reissue version is a long hour of unending heavy power chords and deep drums (except on "Walkin on the Sidewalks" which has way too many cymbals—chill out) with the same droning vocal style and lyrics I could barely make out. It all runs together and gets tiring quickly. Very post-grunge but nothing super interesting. Vocally, I'd much rather listen to Chris Cornell. Musically, I feel like this band is a mixture of Foo Fighters and a more commercial version of Tool—the dad rock version of Tool, if you will. Speaking of Foo Fighters, I learned today that QOTSA was not Dave Grohl's baby, and that he actually only played with the band for a short time. It was during their most commercially successful period, so that's probably why I have that association. But even still, if you put a gun to my head and asked me whether half these songs were Foo Fighters or QOTSA, I'm not confident I'd get it right. And just as I've never been a big fan of Foo Fighters, QOTSA just doesn't really do it for me. 3/5 and I feel like that's generous.
The Bronze was my favourite track. Definitely shades of later QOTSA stuff, not quite a 3 but nearly
I'll say this for all the old hair metal bands that come up on this list, at least their lead singers gave it some. This guy's voice goes up to a seven on a good day. That's not to say it can't be good, like on You Would Know, where the dialled-back guitar works with the vocal rather than against. Some of the guitar noodling and electronic bleepery seems almost wilfully irritating at times, but there's still some stuff to enjoy here.
(5,4/6) Solid Rock. Wanna hear more. Reminded me to hear 'Them Crooked Vultures' (1,3,4,6!,10)
90s stoner rock. I like the genre did not know this record. They have a pretty impressive list of musicians that have been in and out of the band
Rocking Meh
Crunchy, kinda overfirm, but crunchy
I didn’t specificaly recognize any of these songs, but on the whole it’s all very recognizable as the kind of background bar music that dominated my early twenties. Pretty decent, hard-driving late ‘90s rock, familiar to a wasted and emotional state of mind.
Slow rock n roll
Solid late nineties rock showing where early 2000s were headed.
One of the better heavy rock sounds. Some parts are kinda weird though
I've never listened to this record before but wow the guitars sound great. The band is just as tight as some of their later records are.
I agree with previous reviews of this album - it sounds like a demo. The bare bones of QOTSA's trademark sound are there. The band just needed some experience and time to polish up (which is noticeable on sophomore release Rated R and third album Songs For The Deaf) Overall: 5/10
3.5 I like the sound of it.
I think they would go onto have stronger albums than this. It’s a good starter place for their sound, really heavy, but nothing I would go super crazy to see live.
fine, not their best, but a solid "debut".
Average. I thought I was going to enjoy this because of hearing them in the radio 1 live lounge but nope. Shame.
guitar and overall band sound are excellent, although some rhythms can get repetitive. singing is mostly repetitive moaning which detracts from a lot of songs. overall hit or miss, but can see the appeal and reason why it's called stoner rock. personally also not a fan of a lot of songs without singing
Queens of the Stone Age Dear John , Mexicola, Walkin’ on Sidewalks, Spiders and Vinegaroons, I Was a Teenage Had Model I liked a lot. Loved If Only. I like their more groove based songs over the more just heavy or chugging songs, they have that little bit more of that hypnotic dynamism. If Only and Walkin’ on the Sidewalks over, say, Avon, for example. I’d say that I’m only a casual fan of QOTSA and I’m not that au fait with desert/stoner rock in general, although the bits I know and hear I do like. Feels like this is a superior example of that genre. You could argue that the songs start to sound a bit samey, however I think there is a kind of ineffable quality to them, maybe that bit of groove, or a feeling they convey that differentiates them and their music. Although having said that, at 1hr it does feel quite lengthy. I listened to the re-issue which has extra tracks, I think the original 45 minute release is probably a tighter, more cohesive listen. I’d say a solid three, might go higher with more listens, but probably prefer Rated R over this. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Much better than I expected
not bad
Ok, so, this album has interesting songs, i don't think they're bad cause there were some songs that made me move my head a bit. But also in some part of the album i was like "when is this going to get over?!" because it felt like the exact same song, just different leatrics. Not completely bad, not completely good.
Good start. Not great. But pretty good.
Decent album with a few decent tracks, but not many stand out ones. Mexicola is good. Hispanic impressions. You can't quit me Baby is probably the best. A fair 4
i've never listened to them before this... i think initially i was impressed but as it went on i feel like it just lost my interest... i think i'll still listen to their other albums though
I don't know, I guess I have specific tastes when it comes to 90s rock and some of these albums do NOT feel like.. necessary to me. Sorry. Definitely not a bad album! Just not sure I absolutely had to listen to it really. I Was a Teenage Hand Model: absolutely favorite song on the album Regular John, You Would Know: solid track, enjoyable! Walkin' on the Sidewalks, How to Handle a Rope, Give the Mule What He Wants: close to being something I would enjoy... but not quite there Avon, If Only, Mexicola, Hispanic Impressions, You Can't Quit Me Baby: Decent but not really standouts
Really pas ma came non plus musicalement
i was more familiar with songs for the deaf. but this album is quintessential queens of the stone age. walking on the sidewalk was my fav track.
Instrumentality they are amazing the lyrics leave a bit to be desired
It’s ok, if you like Queens of the Stone Age. Pretty much exactly what I expected
Ah, another with great potential. Good sound, medium strength songs. But just seemed to drone on a bit and run out of ideas.
Not my fav QOTSA album, but a good album
Favourite song - Mexicola
J’avais déjà écouté un aitre de leur album, beaucoup moins de criage dans cet album-ci, mais pas sûr sûr de la partie expérimentale de la fin
Good late 90's metal. Worth the listen!
Put me to sleep to be honest. Quite dissapointed as some of the tracks of Songs for the Deaf are good.
Never really went through their backlog prior to Songs for the Deaf before this. It is exactly what I expected though. Some tracks are good, and the sound and style is easy to listen to and consistent but that also makes it a bit bland for me by the time I get to the end of the album, like I've listened to variations of the same 3 tracks a lot.
Fantastic album in its own right, but doesn't even crack a top 3 QOTSA album. That's not an indictment of this album so much as it's only a hint at the greatness the band was yet to produce. Was a hell of a way to announce their arrival, though.
I liked this well enough but nothing stood out as great. Or bad. No problems but I don’t think I’ll listen to it again. It’s just….
There's some good parts in here I guess, but their later work is so much better.
Not bad but difficult to finish. Didn’t develop nearly as much as I’d hoped. Don’t understand the significance. Not bad but no songs I’d seek out again. Disappointing to be bored.
Boring! I was excited before I was rudely disrupted with a LACK OF SOUL.
No conocía el grupo El album no esta mal, me ha gustado.
Enjoyable sludge rock. Fun listen though slightly bloated. Could trim some fat to make a tighter project. Nothing mind blowing but still decent
I was pleasantly surprised. I liked around half of the songs. They definitely blended together. The album was very holistic.
I’d listened to most of their catalog previously, but somehow never this album. Solid stuff and you can hear the foundations for their future near perfect work (songs for the deaf).
Here's an interesting album right here. Queens of the Stone Age is one of those bands that I've heard good things about, but didn't really know what they were like or if I would like them. Well, after listening to their debut album, I can sort of see why people like them. The sound is interesting works to create a unique feel that I haven't heard from many other albums. The writing is kind of hit or miss for me, but has potential in my eyes. The singing is not really my thing but I can see why others might enjoy it. I feel like this album may not have been the best to represent this band however. From what I've seen, there are other albums from Queens of the Stone Age that are more beloved and deserving of being on this list. I feel like this is probably another case of "debut album syndrome" where the book just decides to represent a well-known artist through their debut album regardless of its quality or how well it represents the artist. The band does have another album on this list though, so maybe I'll like that one even more. For know, this album gets a high 3/5. EDIT: Apparently that was a mistake. There is not a second Queens of the Stone Age album on this list, which makes the inclusion of this one even more dumb. The album's still a 3.
I thought it would be terrible. It wasn't. But, next!
Yet another Seattle band this Seattlite hasn’t ever listened to. There was a strong Foo Fighters vibe to this, maybe a touch harder… and I mostly did like the album. The presentation is a real turn off though and I don’t know that I NEEDED to hear this. Still, perfectly good album.
Not my usual jam
Ok I guess as the stoner edgy extension of Grunge. Nothing stuck.
Not my cup of tea. I can see the appeal but not my taste.
All a bit samey but what’s here is decent.
Generous 3. Nothing stands out but all OK and similar.
Wow! There's a QotSA album before Rated R? Go figure! Pretty riffy, pretty cool. Kinda reminds me of my cousins band. Not the biggest Queens fan but this was pretty sweet for their first release back in the 90s. Pretty heavy!
I like Queens of the Stone Age, but no Nick Oliveri, no party... even if he does appear at the very end. Subsequent albums (Rated R, Songs for the Deaf) would be much better, and there is a still more than a little Kyuss stank hanging around here, but it's perfectly adequate for what it is (or was).
Great
I wanted to like this more but it wasn't cohesive enough for me
there's something a little interesting about this band. I think they have some decent melody hooks over the stoner rock groove sound. Not enough to make a reason to listen to it and the way it sounds makes my ears tired. Will give them a 3 because I think this is at least somewhat unique. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
Zunächst klassischer fetter (wenn auch etwas eintöniger) Quotsa-Sound, ab der Hälfte driftet ins Instrumentale und teils Experimentelle ab. 2,5-3
I’ve heard the odd track from QOTSA over the years, but I’ve never listened to a whole album before. Really enjoyed this. Particularly If Only, Regular John & the exquisitely- titled I Was A Teenage Hand Model. Would not know how to categorise the band’s music but, whatever it is, it’s tight, & very enjoyable.
It was okay, however really funky and weird outro
Good album.
I can feel anger in the instruments, and boredom in the voice. How unusual. Yet, the whole album is too monotonous, repetitive.
It is not bad but a bit monotonous for it's lenght. Later albums are better.
Going in, I was only familiar with Go With the Flow and 3's & 7's, neither of which are on this album, so this was all new to me. Maybe this band is one you have to listen to more than once to really enjoy it. The songs were interesting, sometimes experimental, but nothing really grabbed me on first listen. I wish the singer put a little more effort in, or maybe lazy, laid back vocals is what he's going for? On the plus side, it wasn't boring, had cool guitar and drum parts. Just average or slightly above to me.
Solid rock, the songs with incessant Sabbathy grinding grabbed me, sandy aftertaste. Not sure I’d return to.
"if you're not blind and deaf, how can we pollute your head?" I'm a pretty big fan of some of the stuff that the queens of the stone age put out, especially a lot of the stuff from "songs for the deaf." this album started off insanely strong with 3 bangers in a row... then it just sucked the rest of the hour. By the third song, I thought I might've found another 5 star, or 4 atleast, and by the end, I think this album will be lucky to get a 3. Regular John is getting added to the playlist, and has the queens of the tstone age sound that I've come to expect. As does Avon and If Only. The only song that has any promise beyond those first 3 tracks is Mexicola with a really nice riff and drum breaks. 3/5
bit repetitive but they be shredding
Старый (старый? 1998) рок, вроде глэм рок, что прикол и нетипично. Слушается приятно, ира даже пританцовывать начала. Но я что-то думаю что DjangoDjango был лучше. Так что 3.
Competent if uninspiring metal. Think of the metal/rock classics of the 70s that you love, then realise that this album is simply a derivative, a facsimilie, a gaping expression of meh.
B- Regular John 3 Avon 4 If Only 3 Walkin' on the Sidewalks 3 You Would Know 3 How to Handle a Rope 3 Mexicola 3 Hispanic Impressions 2 You Can't Quit Me Baby 3 Give the Mule What He Wants 3 I Was a Teenage Hand Model 3 Author of this list being pressured on 3rd and 17: "F*** it, [British rock group] gotta be de down there somewhere."
No me gusta tanto es muy ruidoso. Pero la atmósfera que crea es tremenda y seguro en vivo sean una masa.
Hm. V poho. Neprepnem to, ani nezapnem. Celý album mi bol ale priveľa.
The first Queens album isn't polished. A little grittier sounding than later records. Not my favorite of theirs, but a good time nonetheless. I listened to the reissue that's all over streaming services, which adds three extra songs. While the songs are pretty good, the added length is unnecessary. Goes from a tight 45-ish minutes to an hour.
I'd give it three and a half if I could.
Pretty unmemorable, and I listened to it twice. But not bad
I do not deny that this album rocks, but I also know that this is not really my cup of tea. A great debut album, even though this isn't exactly a group of musicians who are young and hadn't worked together before.
Meh, it's ok. I've never really been a fan and this hasn't changed my opinion. It's not bad, just not for me. Too Zeppelin influenced for my tastes, and I like Zeppelin but everyone seems to forget that style is only half of what makes a band great. The other half is writing really good songs. These guys are in the same bucket for me as Soundgarden and Tool. They're ok, but not really what I like about 90's rock.
Classic stoner sound
Grunge. Not bad but ...
Regular John - 7.5/10 Avon - 7/10 If Only - 8/10 Walkin on the Sidewalks - 7.5/10 You Would Know - 7/10 The Bronze - 7.5/10 How to Handle a Rope - 8/10 Mexicola - 7.5/10 Hispanic Impressions - 8/10 You Can’t Quit Me Baby - 7/10 These aren’t the Droids You’re Looking For - 6.5/10 Give the Mule What He Wants - 7/10 Spiders and Vinegaroons - 7/10 I was a Teenage Hand Model - 7/10 TOTAL -102.5 /140
Good music
Good, not great. Mostly just something I'd throw on in the background, not actively seek out to listen to.
This album was okay. There were some moments that sounded a little Pearl-Jammy, some that sounded like other—I guess—stoner rock. I can't think of examples because it hit me as very generic. Perhaps this group pioneered the sound—I don't know—and if that's the case, I'm sorry that their work was diluted in a sea of copycats. Or, I'm happy for them for starting a trend? I suppose my favorite tracks are the ones added at the end, Spiders and Vinegaroons (present on the rereleased version) and I Was a Teenage Hand Model. The electronic experimentation on the tracks stand out enough from the rest of the album that they at least strike me as interesting. I didn't really dislike anything on this album, so I might come back to it one day.
Solid rock album. Some jump out moments. I liked hispanic impressions, might put it in a playlist. Album overal didnt wow me but its good, might relisten or delve deeper into qotsa You cant quit me baby is pretty aight
This isn't my favorite from this band. I could hear some of the promise that gets fulfilled on the later albums, but it just wasn't there yet. On it's own, it's ok.
never got what all the fuss was about. regular john avon how to handle a rope mexicola you can't quit me baby
I was never a big fan of Queens if the Stone Age, mostly because I thought of Josh Homme as kind of a prick. They have few very catchy songs in their discography, but Ixwas never interested enough to take a deep dive into their albums. So this was my first experience with that and the result was average. Interesting first song, very much in southern style, but then every next track sounds like an exact copy of it. Josh has a great voice, but it isn't enough to hold your interest for the whole song. If something stands out, I would pick "Walkin on the Sidewalks" because of a great, atmospheric outro. Otherwise, nothing special.
Not their best album... but it's good! Great fuzz tone on the opening track! Kind of a motorik beat... like a louder krautrock. Walkin on the Sidewalks has a very good driving bass growl going on! How to Handle a Rope too! These guitar tones and grooves are very good! It's a little too much of the same... I wish some songs were a little slower and a tad more interesting. Still it's very well done! I think the Songs for the Deaf had the benefit of having Dave Grohl on it to really put it over the edge. Really digging You Can't Quit Me Baby. Good change of pace. As it stands, I feel like I'm gravitating more towards a 3... I don't know what it's missing. Maybe it's just the swagger and vocals that don't really do it for me. It’s too cool for school.
This was aight, the fact that I have nothing to say about it makes me feel like it’s a 3
Good except some annoying instrumentals/experimental sounding stuff, which were really terrible sounding
I’m not mad, this just isn’t really my vibe. I did enjoy a couple of the instrumental tracks though. 3 stars for the talent I recognize it takes to create these tracks. I respect the art, I’m just not hanging it on my wall any time some.
Super repetitive, trying desperately to convince that Hard Rock is deep, rather than just guitar strumming and basic drum tempos. Every song starts out like "oh this is good... yep it's the exact same." 2.8
Among the better 90s rock I’ve heard on this list. Occasionally reminds me of early Sabbath’s doom metal sound, but often it sounds like a toned-down grunge
Interesting tactic, sprinkling the bonus tracks throughout the album instead of pinning them to the end. If you listened to an album longer than 11 tracks today, blame streaming. Anyway, the cover is hideously 1998. Later Queens covers are pretty nice, but this is like one of those club flyers that show up on your windshield after you walk out of a Best Buy, the kind that remind you there's a whole world out there that you don't belong to. I didn't get any favorites out of this, but I do like the sound of all of this. I think the ideas and choices here are all pretty strong even if they don't break through. For 1998 rock, this is pretty good.
Best Song: I Was a Teenage Hand Model. Even though the softness runs contrary to the energy that I really like from QOTSA, it shows that they really can sing. Worst Song: You Can't Quit Me Baby. Here's where the stoner wandering schtick starts to lose some of its lustre. It's a fine groove, but that speeding crescendo at the end fizzles into a disappointing nothing, leaving you to wonder what was the point. Overall: This is Queens of the Stone Age before they had really refined their sound, and it shows. The elements are their - the guitar tone, the slick sleaziness - but you can tell they're still working things out. There are better QOTSA albums that should be here instead.
It's been 25 years since I was in high school, but this reminds me heavily of the kind of zone I was in then. I still listen to QOTSA anytime I wanna just chill. (I did like Songs for the Deaf better, tbh)
3.5
Not as good as Songs for the Deaf, but pretty good
Yes actually this is pretty, pretty good (perhaps the kind of album Larry David would listen to to wind other people up). All-round sleazy vibes and the world-weary flat vocals work a treat. Could be signficantly shorter and then would go up from 3 to 4.
Clean rock where you can see the beginnings of the QotSa sound. Unrefined to their late sounds but still enjoyable 7/10
90s rock, baby
For some reason this album felt really long. It was an hour which is longer than some but some songs just dragged. It started strong, too, but by the end, that last song hurt my ears with all the sonics sounds like it was trying to shut my brain off with effective power. That criticism aside, I did enjoy some pieces of this.
It would be a 4/5 if the whole album continued as strongly as it starts, but towards the end it feels a bit same-y.
pretty solid rock album mostly, pretty weed friendly i’d say. cool vocals and lots of heavy riffage. it is a tad long and not every song is great. definitely should’ve cut it down. i love the lofi sound and i’ll probably spin a few tracks again!
The 90's produced a lot of good, heavy hard rock, grungy bands that may have been overlooked, because they had a similar generic sound and look and got lost in the crowded alternative scene. Queens of the Stone Age is one of those bands that I overlooked and didn't really listen to that much. The sound is heavy and their debut album starts off strong with a stretch of solid rockin' songs. I like their sound and the songs were good, but there are so many other bands from this era that I liked better. To me, their music isn't very memorable and I honestly can't remember what I listened to yesterday. Good, but not great.
De basis wordt gelegd door stevig gitaarwerk. Om het te doorbreken heeft de band allerlei bijgeluidjes. Soms ook met de gitaar, soms hoor je iets heel anders als een telefoon. Die bijgeluidjes zouden eind jaren 90 vaak een prima zelfstandige melodielijn kunnen vormen voor typische breakbeatnummers uit die tijd. Zo geeft dit album een grappig tijdsbeeld. Het geheel voelt een beetje als spelen en ontdekking. Het is allemaal wel grappig. Echt eruit springen doet het ook weer niet. Ik houd het op drie sterren.
Surprisingly good if a tad generic. A wannabe super group that ultimately sounds like Soundgarden without Chris Cornell. An apt comparison is when members of Duran Duran branched out to form The Power Station and Arcadia. Dave Grohl apparently rides hard for this band, which shouldn't matter one way or another but bugs me to the point that I feel like every white dude I despise bought this album on CD. I prefer the Eagles of Death Metal, a more interesting offshoot.
Reminds of of rockband a lot. Makes me want to play. Evelyn yelled "WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO!!!!" while I was listening. Would listen to it again.
Killer first half, slows down at the end but still a very good debut with greater things to come obviously; 3.5 stars.
3.5
Meh, it was fine. Nothing really grabbed me though.
Not my favorite record by them but it’s a solid debut
un peu brut, un peu redondant, mais un titre comme "If Only" sauve beaucoup de choses.
Not as good as Kyuss, the Melvins, or Electric Wizard (none of which made this list), it sounds more like a less-produced Soundgarden. 3/5
guitar work was pretty pedestrian
Pretty solid debut album. Gritty and raw, but enough hard rock riffs to get the job done. Not a masterpiece but enjoyable.
3.5
I actually enjoyed this quite a bit. I’ve heard of Queens of the Stone Age, but never really listened. Like my Dad likes to say “extra star for real instruments.”
I’ll be honest I didn’t listen to this all the way. Loved the rock from what I heard but can we just talk about the song titles???? This album could have some of the best song names known to man.
Great guitar sound, good heavy rock. Definitely loses focus from time to time but overall definitely makes a good statement. I would say this is a less pretentious “Funeral.” Extra star for real guitar and drums, as they say.
nice guitar but not really my style
i’m a big qotsa fan, yet i had never previously listened to this album all the way through. i had shrugged it off as another pablo honey kind of first album, but it wasn’t as bad as i had thought. you can hear them exploring a lot of ideas that they would really nail down on later records and you can hear echoing ideas that homme brought from Kyuss. the mixing isn’t quite all the way there compared to later records, which kinda takes away the impact from some of the songs. a number of songs on this record feel incomplete or just kind of haphazardly thrown together. that being said, i think the good songs on this album are great. i’m glad i listened to this all the way through, but it’s still far from my favorite qotsa album
It's interesting hearing this album after many many years of not hearing it and focusing my attention mostly on later QotSA stuff. For context, I used to have every album up to Era Vulgaris on my Zune although I couldn't give you the name of any other desert rock band. Why are they in the desert? Anyway, I explored these guys for a while. It was more of a fascination, a study, rather than an infatuation. There was just something about the "cool"ness of Josh Homme's voice that paired so nicely with the grooves and the absolute rawk n roll. The riffs just spoke to me, the exact type of dark edge crunch that my ears have craved for the last 17 or so years since I first started digging into this band. This album feels like ambient to me in a lot of ways. Getting lost in the repetition. There are some tracks where you can feel that this album is a product of the 90s alt/grunge and there are some tracks where you could tell me this was written last week and I wouldn't question you. Tracks like "Regular John" and "Avon" showcase the band's signature melty guitar tone, while "If Only" has a great chorus and a rawkin' guitar solo. "You Can't Quit Me, Baby" (a play on "I Can't Quit You, Baby"?) features an infectious outro riff that devolves into this frenetic speed up into an implosion. "Spiders and Vinegaroons" off of the reissue is definitely an underrated track with these wild psychedelic reversed guitars and a Travis Barker-level drumline punchy drum highlight. The album, to me, also shows where the band is set to evolve to, with "I Was A Teenage Hand Model" featuring a "cute" indie rock sing-along vibe (and an ending that made my room shake good god just oscillate my street why don't ya). All in all, "Queens of the Stone Age" is an awesome album whose riffs still move me 17 years later. It's definitely going to be hard to listen to for some (dad) but if you're into the whole slo-mo stoner rock/metal sound then I am sure you hold this album in high regard. I'm going to give it a 3 as I don't think it lives in the realm of 4+ but it's a damn good one that had me bobbing my head for pretty much its entirety.
Good debut album from QotSA, I've never actually listened to this one before, more familiar with their later offerings. Already they are hitting a lot of the same notes as their more popular albums, crunchy guitar riffs, catchy melodies and the classic drone vocals from Homme. As a whole, the songs on the record feel a little bit one note to me, they have their sound and they're sticking too it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as it is a good sound, but it makes the tracks blend together as we get further along. Fav Tracks: You Would Know, Spiders and Vinegaroons
I love QOTSA but this is the wrong album. Hopefully a precursor to either Lullabies or Songs for the Deaf. Hell even Villains or Like Clockwork.
eh 7/10
Kinda cool, but compared to their later albums it just seems sloppy
Riff heavy, fun, fuzzy. Saw a cool synthesis of the various strains of 90s heavy music. I liked the last track, until they used the last 30 seconds to show us what it sounds like when you don't know how to use a monophonic synth.
Guitar and bass tone rock, but it gets old/fatiguing pretty fast. Enjoyed the first three tracks quite a bit, but I thought Walkin on the Sidewalks would NEVER end... You would know is pretty boring. That damn riff is going to haunt my dreams. How to handle a rope, mexicola were really cool songs.
3.5
good attempt, but not the best work. Anyway Kyuss i like a lot better.
Starts off really well with the opener, then is okay for a while, though quite repetitive, but around the halfway point any chance for a good rating is gone. In my memory, Songs for the Deaf is much better, but maybe my taste has changed.
This album is pure groove. Seems like each song was built off a singular, crunchy riff. It works. Love the guitar tones throughout. Overall songwriting is a bit lacking, but it makes for a good gym soundtrack.
This album isn’t exactly a classic, but it definitely rocks. Could imagine this would have been very cool to see live around the time of its release. Just love that real sleezy desert groove. Could have been part of the soundtrack for the drive from LA to Las Vegas in Swingers. Overall though the album is more of a vibe than anything, not many notable songs on their own other than Regular John and Mexicola. Would call it a 3.5.
This is the only Queens of the Stone Age record on the list. It's the wrong one. It's a bland version of what they became in the 2000s. Pretty good, but not very exciting compared to their later albums. Favorite song: Give The Mule What He Wants.
An interesting album from a band that has never fully grabbed me. At first listen this sounds like demo tapes of an artist still tryeto find their sound
I'm more familiar with QOTSA's later singles, but I've never really been a fan of theirs regardless. I think they have an interesting and unique sound, it's just not my thing.
Pretty good 90s hard rock.