ALBUMS OF THE DECADE: SONGS FOR THE DEAF (2002)

By 2002 (at the still-blissfully-unaware-of-the-trappings-of-life age of 15) three American bands dominated my musical preference; Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age.

Whilst Foo Fighters’ One By One wasn’t good enough to be in the running for this retrospective album of the year award, By The Way is my perfect summer album, showing an epic progression in the band’s song writing capabilities and the coming of age of John Frusciante. As well as this, Hot Hot Heat came along at the last minute with Make Up the Breakdown, the album that started my passion for finding new bands and steering away from the big hitters it was easier to like.

Despite how good these two albums are, the sheer ambition of Queens of the Stone Age’s Songs for the Deaf puts it ahead of the rest, making it an AGCS Album of the Decade.

In these times, when the value and purpose of the album as an art form is being forgotten, QOTSA created a coherent piece that was a musical journey across America. The band released more successful singles off this album than any of their others and brought their stoner-rock-metal hybrid to mainstream attention, but despite this Songs for the Deaf still manages to feature some of their most progressive stuff, as shown on the title track.

Dave Grohl features on drums and he does a fine job of beating the shit out of the kit on almost every track. This was also the last album that Nick Oliveri would work on with Homme, and the record serves as a fitting closing chapter of the early years of QOTSA. On subsequent albums, the band’s sound would change a lot, with following release Lullabies to Paralyze a stark contrast to the songs on offer here. Both great albums, but both offering something very different.

Seeing the band tour this album with Oliveri and Lanegan was one of the greatest gigs I’ve ever seen; if only Grohl were there too. See, QOTSA are a great live band and a great studio band, and the fact that these two areas are so different in QOTSA’s world, but similarly intricate and impressive, is a testament to the musicians and songwriting on show. And SFTD is the perfect show.

Greg.