809 Queens Of The Stone Age - Rated R The Stone Age (2000)

 809 Queens Of The Stone Age - Rated R The Stone Age (2000)

Studio Album - Rock



About the Act:

Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA) are an American Hard Rock band from California and from 1996 to now. They were founded by their vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme who has been their only constant member, and have gone through quite a few changes in members. They came about as part of the Palm Desert Music Scene, which was particularly know for collaboration. They have had 7 studio albums so far.


About the Album:

This was the band's second album, known as "Rated X" for the vinyl version and sometimes called Rated RX, and became their breakthrough album, bringing commercial and critical success.


My History with this Album:

In the late 90s, early 2000s I was living with a flatmate and we got into watching alternative MTV channels. Amongst our discoveries there was Queens of the Stone Age, and I got a copy of this album around then. I listened to it a few times and then kind of forgot about it. I would not say I was familiar with it, but I remember Feel Good Hit Of The Summer as it is very distinctive.


Review:

I'm sitting here looking at this, not really sure what to say. I liked it. Actually I loved it. I listened nearly 3 times. Musically it is excellent and engaging. Some tracks could be called metal, but they are in the minority, mostly I would call it hard rock, crunchy and hitting and full of energy. Actually, musically I would say it is full of wit, which may be an od thing to say. It is inventive without being overly challenging, like the second track using a synth bell sound to echo the bass line. Like the extended brass work right at the end, and all the way through it is varied and interesting and good head-bobbing, even at times foot-tapping rock. 

The words - well I think it's fair to say they have things to say about drugs. I get the impression that drugs are quite important to the band, and there are several songs about recreational drugs, the most prominent being the list of recreational substances in "Feel Good Hit of the Summer". There is even a song about prescription drugs. Monsters in the Parasol is a song about hallucinations. Some songs are about other things, like the song about keeping secrets. This all might be an acquired taste and I would not play it to my kids, but actually despite my lack of empathy for recreational drug users, I quite enjoyed the songs. They're kind of honest in a way, and anti-establishment, and who doesn't enjoy a good rebel?

But mostly it's the rock that I like.


8/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/10UBEkRjqtl0iT2BRAwcto

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_ysN9BQm8s

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rated_R_(Queens_of_the_Stone_Age_album)



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