I like Era Vulgaris a lot, its much more meatier than their other albums which is good since i've always thought they should be much heavier. Run Pig Run is just awesome.

I completely agree.

Hmmm. I really do like QOTSA and I have since the days of Kyuss, but I just can't seem to endorse Homme's crazy desires for solo projects. Personally, I hope Homme keeps the lineup he's got for a while. I really like Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo, and they seem to work well live and in studio.

Whenever it was Homme and Olivieri, the music was sweet and they were the badasses of their day, partying at night and fighting other bands by day. But after Homme fired Olivieri, I think QOTSA really lost its soul, the metal tinge upon its conscience. Don't get me wrong, I still liked EV, but Lullabies was awful and neither album is a match to their first three and a half works. Rated R and SFTD were amazing, retaining a good bit of the ol' days of desert rock while drawing Homme's talented falsetto into their works.

i've been digging on the queens for a few years now. i think homme's solo projects are key to QOTSA's longevity. something he mentioned in interviews regarding the demise of kyuss was that the band was too focused on doing a specific thing and eventually ran its course. i think keeping his various other outlets open will be to everyone's benefit.

i've seen the queens in concert twice. first time was in 2005 in montreal as a warm up for the lullabies tour. was also mark lanegan's last show with the band. alain johannes and natasha schneider filled out the rest of the band. also saw them a few months ago in halifax with the current lineup. i have to say the mix of new and old musicians really added to the dynamic of the band. it was obviously still the queens both times but the feel of the shows were totally distinct.

i remember being upset about oliveri's removal from the band (or however you want to state it). but in retrospect i think it was necessary. if you check out some of the early bootlegs the band was spotty, even on the songs for the deaf tour. when it was good it really was, but there are also some really effing sad live cuts out there too, 'go with the flow' should never sound sloppy or like it's dragging.

i can't say i know any of the individual's personally nor do i know their real motives but it seems pretty clear to me that homme was interested in playing music for a living and realized that if he wanted to do more than scrape the edge of mainstream obscurity his live show had to be as tight as his albums, and excessive drug use is not conducive to that sentiment.

i also think era vulgaris is on the same level as R.

Now that's certainly a bold statement. Honestly, I didn't find anything particularly wrong with Era Vulgaris. There were a few filler tracks (I'm Designer, Misfit Love, Suture Up Your Future and Battery Acid come to mind) but nothing that really stung of shit like most of Lullabies. I just wasn't that into it.

Rated R, on the other hand, was for me the zenith of QOTSA. It has a brilliant opener (Feel Good Hit Of The Summer) and an ethereal closer (I Think I Lost My Headache) and really only two filler tracks which clocked at under 2:30 combined don't really affect the album's integrity. One of Homme's best showings-off his of guitar prowess is there too (Better Living Through Chemistry) as well as perhaps their most well-recognized song (In The Fade). The album takes turns among different genres, breaching their many talents, and when I first listened really surprised me with its stunning composition.

I saw Queens live twice: once in 2003 during their prime and once just last year. I have to admit, the 2007 show was MUCH better, and Homme satiated the audience by playing most of the set from earlier works. The set closer, I Think I Lost My Headache, was spectacular, even without the horns.

we'll just have to agree to disagree on EV. the only track that sounds like filler to me is 'make it wit chu'. i think it twists around enough different moods and styles to merit the comparison to R.

while 'better living through chemistry' and 'in the fade' are two of my favourites i won't elevate them based on preference. BLTC isn't that complicated or challenging to play on guitar. 'i think i lost my headache' is a lot tougher due to the twisted melody. both tracks are easily trounced by 'songs for the dead', especially any live version.

as for 'in the fade' being the most well-recognized.... wtf? when they played it at the last show i saw most of the crowd didn't seem to recognize it. it wasn't a big single and i'd be curious to hear how you figure it's more recognizable than 'go with the flow' or 'no one knows' to casual listeners.

Heh. I actually liked Make It Wit Chu. The extended solo in BLTC is one of the fastest compositions Homme wrote, and it's certainly difficult enough to play. 'Round my neck of the woods In The Fade is probably the only QOTSA song ever played on the radio. Bit of a shame really, 'cause it doesn't showcase Homme's talented falsetto. NOW Go With The Flow and No One Knows are bigger, but only because of f*cking Guitar Hero and Rock Band out there. I have never heard either one on the radio.

i guess it all depends on regions. the only queens tune i've ever heard on the radio is 'no one knows' and the only videos i've ever seen on tv are 'go with the flow' and 'little sister'.

as for 'make it wit chu' i thought the live version on the through the woods disc was top notch. the song had a nice raunchy feel to it, like early stones. the EV or desert sessions versions just didn't do it for me.

and the guitar nerd in me says 'born to hula' (feel good hit of the summer single version) tops 'better living through chemistry'

and please don't think i'm being argumentative haha i'm just digging on having someone to go back and forth with about the queens / homme :thumb: <--- it's the thumb that holds down my lighter

Queens of the Stone Age
 

Which of their albums should I buy first?