So in August of this year, it will officially be ten years since "Songs For The Deaf" by Queens Of The Stone Age was released. Like so many bands over the years, despite this having been their third album, "Songs For The Deaf" was the first QOTSA album I'd bought, though I'd heard maybe two songs off of "Rated R" (their second album) before then. But this was the first album of theirs that I'd listened to. This was also the album that my dad "borrowed" and then never returned. As annoyed as I was about this at the time, at least he had good taste. And no idea who Dave Grohl was. I digress.
It's easy to say that Dave Grohl being on drums is the best thing about this album, but I mostly disagree. Yes, the album wouldn't have been the same without him, but there's a lot more to it than that. It's a "concept album" and yet it isn't. It's brash but smooth. It was obviously created within its own universe. The "radio banter" spots interspersed between songs is something I find charming, unlike Pitchfork, who finds them disruptive. But let's be honest; when Nick Oliveri is in your band, you just have to go with it. And when he's not, you really notice a difference and wish he'd kept his act together, because "God Is In The Radio" is a brilliant song. Anyhow.
"Songs For The Deaf" is when Josh Homme really came into his own as a singer. While Nick sings a few of the songs (along with "God Is In The Radio") on this album, you realize how gifted of a singer Josh is, in addition to being an excellent guitarist (and very cute, but that's irrelevant). Most people think of singles like "First It Giveth" and "No One Knows" from this album; I think "Do It Again" and "The Sky Is Fallin'" are much more memorable. It couldn't have been sequenced better. And despite having been released ten years ago, I remember listening to this album a lot. Along with Wilco and Ryan Adams, this was mostly what I listened to in 2002/2003 (what does that say about me?).
To me, its identity is much more distinct than their previous album, "Rated R". It's as cohesive as their first self-titled album, but varied and more interesting. For an album that's a decade old, it holds up very well. Unfortunately though, it's the kind of album you hear and know you'll never hear anything like it again. Which is, of course, exactly what happened. As much as I like the two albums Queens Of The Stone Age put out after "Songs For The Deaf" they just aren't the same. Nick was kicked out of the band, and Josh had a kid and got married (in that order, actually). Poor Joey Castillo playing drums on the next album was like when Eli Whiteside had to fill in for Buster Posey on the Giants - it's not fair and you shouldn't judge, but you do. It is what it is. We're only human. But no QOTSA album before or after "Songs For The Deaf" can compare to it. It's that simple.
Despite my love for "Songs For The Deaf", I know that like many albums I love, it's not for everyone. Although for its genre, it is arguably a classic. It captured that brief moment in time when the band really came together and were brilliant.
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