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Songs for the Deaf
Queens of the Stone Age
Retail Price (not our price): $13.98
Release Date: 2002-08-27
Manufacturer: Interscope Records
Format: Audio CD
Discs: 1

Track List
Now here, for your listening pleasure, the tracks...

Disc 1

Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):

1) Amazon.com
Despite the advent of the '00s, thoroughly blunted longhairs wearing three-quarter-length T-shirts still boot around the suburbs in painted vans listening to roaring metal. Fittingly, a whole new crop of post-Dazed and Confused-era stoner rockers--Fu Manchu, Monster Magnet, and arguably the kings of them all, Queens of the Stone Age--provide a shredding contemporary score for righteous three-finger devil salutes. On Songs for the Deaf, core members bassist Nick Oliveri and singer-guitarist Josh Homme (also see Kyuss) balance pure guitar-induced carnage with more complex, though no less aggressive, speed rock that whips by so fast it creates its own breeze. Opening with the 90-second "The Real Song for the Deaf"--a cheeky and amorphous bit of bloopy electronica quite possibly recorded at the bottom of a swimming pool--the disc explodes with track two, a toxic squall of power chords and now-classic Olivera death howls. It's here the album's recurring concept/conceit is introduced as a generic-sounding announcer from L.A.'s "Clone" radio spits out some psychobabble reinforcing the tired if true cliché that commercial radio stinks. Similar mock broadcasts surface elsewhere, but they're easily forgivable, given the bounty on offer. Homme-powered tracks dominate--the lurching, weirdly springy "No One Knows" is a kind of "Monster Mash" for grownups; the vocal harmony-driven "The Sky Is Falling" is almost dreamy until a small army of guitars surges to the front lines to begin firing. And a lyrically winking hidden track, "Mosquito Song," is either an in-joke of ridiculous proportions or a declarative statement about the level of musicianship lurking just beneath the quaking veneer of the Queens' sound. Either way, genuine excitement comes early and often on Songs for the Deaf. It's a remarkable achievement--a hard rock record so good that it immediately evokes a conspiratorial fervor that makes you want to tell everyone you can about it. Er, job done. --Kim Hughes

2) Album Details
Features Guest Appearances from Dave Grohl, Gene Ween, Case Chaos from Amen and More.

Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5

1) Best Album Ever? YES!   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
So i've never been much of a heavy metal (where the singer's lyrics can't be discrened because he's jsut screaming) enthuse because i never saw the music in the stuff. So that being said, first track, BOOM, thats all i can say. It's so in your face rockin that you just can't ignore it. With the bassist Nick Oliveri wailing away on most of the vocals and the lead singer/rythim guitarist Josh Homme holdin down the riffs, it's a song like i havent heard in, well, ever. The albums energy continues all the way through, though i'm not a big fan of the track Shooter, everything else is absolutely essential for any rock fan. As it is a bit of a concept type album in certain aspects, it's a bit like a Pink Floyd album for hard rockers. So whether you like it because it's got that stoner music vibe, or you're just looking for something new, don't overlook this album.

2) Awesome   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
This whole album sounds like it was written by Satan himself. Fantastic stuff here.

3) beginning of the end   [Rating: 2 out of 5]
I liked the majority of the first two albums from these guys and the first two songs from this one. This CD really is kind of dull, even with the "great"Dave Grohl. There are some decent moments here and there, but as a whole, after the first couple of songs I find myself not paying attention or caring. Without Nick Oliveri, Lullabies was worse and I haven't bought anything from them since.

4) TERRIBLE!!!   [Rating: 1 out of 5]
The only reason I gave this album one star is because it doesn't allow zero or negative stars. Apparently this group thinks crappy 70's garage rock deserves revisiting. I beg to differ. This band has actually managed to be worse than the bands that spawned them. This is the bastard offspring of the worst incarnation of rock 'n roll. Retarded machismo abounds, and the lyrics bring to mind the phrase "retards attempting poetry." I had to listen a few more times to prove it was actually as bad as I thought it was the first time. This review is actually the watered down version, as I'm not allowed to use the kind of vulgarity required on this site.

5) The Queens At Their Finest   [Rating: 4 out of 5]
Queens of the Stone Age is a band I was introduced to back in college. It was actually this album, Songs For the Deaf, that was released during that time and a few of my friends were buzzing about it. I didn't give the band much of a change back then though. I liked their singles, but something was keeping me from sitting down and listening to the album from beginning to end. Recently, due to the last three QOTSA albums, I've become a pretty big fan of the band and I'm kicking myself for not giving them more of a chance back then. As of this review, Songs For the Deaf is my favorite release from the band. I guess the main thing that kept me from getting into them sooner is Josh Homme's voice. He sings in several different styles and tones and I like it when a vocalist is capable of doing that. It's just at times it sounds like he's not putting much effort into singing. He sounds kind of monotone and his vocals crawl along in certain songs. Sometimes, like with the song, "Hangin' Tree," it works extremely well. In my opinion, it sounds like he tries to match his tone of voice to the beat and rhythm to the song. Sometimes it works and sometimes it makes you look forward to the end of a song. That really seems to be my only complaint as I love everything else about this band. The lineup to the band is constantly changing and while that's kind of disappointing on one hand, it's pretty impressive on the other. With new band members, new ideas could be brought to the table. Their sound won't ever go stale. This also leaves multiple opportunities for Homme to work with a lot of musicians and the creative outcome isn't always the same. I think Josh Homme described it best in a quote from him in 2000, "It really is more of a musical experiment...It keeps moving and reinventing itself. That way we never get painted into a corner." If you're wondering why this band is getting the buzz that they do or if you've been putting off trying to be a full fledged fan of this band, then this is the album to start with. The album kicks off with "You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I feel Like A Millionaire." There's a certain theme throughout the record. It's like someone is flipping through radio stations and you're just along for the ride. That theme starts here with a thirty second intro. We hear a DJ say, "I need a saga. What's the saga? It's Songs For the Deaf. You can't even hear it!" That statement alone is so ridiculous, I have to love it. Josh Homme immediately introduces us to how well he can scream. The song is filled with crunching guitars and clapping...of all things. It's actually an incredible combination. The drums almost seem to take a backseat on this song, but don't worry. There's plenty of time for Dave Grohl to strut his stuff later. All in all, a great way to start off the record. The first single, "No One Knows" is next. There's a pretty solid drum beat that leads those same riffing guitars. Dave Grohl lets loose on the drums during the chorus. The vocals are a good example of Homme's unique singing voice. It's a decent song and a great choice for a single. I just feel it drags in certain parts. The radio station tuning returns in Spanish to close the track. "First It Giveth" begins with a spastic guitar rhythm. The switch to acoustic guitar during the end of the chorus is a nice touch. The drums are brought to the foreground as you can hear every stomp and crash Grohl pounds into his drum set. Great song. One of my favorites on the record. "A Song For the Dead" has my favorite intro on the record since it starts with the guitars in the background and some amazing drum work in the foreground. Then the whole band chimes in. Homme introduces us to yet another singing style. It's very raspy. This song is a good example of his tone matching the beat and rhythm of the song. Some pretty incredible guitar riffs occupy the middle, while the drums go off on an incredible tangent on their own. The track ends with those same pounding drums and noisy riffs from the beginning except it's much faster. It's almost as if they're showing off and I mean that in the best way. Another favorite track of mine. "The Sky Is Fallin'" starts off with some background vocals that remind me of Radiohead for some reason. The song revolves around distorted guitars and what sounds like a lot of cymbals. The vocals go into some new territory as Homme sings in a higher tone than he normally does at times. This song seems a little too long to me. It clocks in at a little over six minutes and just doesn't hook me like other QOTSA songs have done in the past. Radio theme returns with some pretty humorous stuff to close the track. "Six Shooter" can best be described as a very loud hard hitting song. There's a lot of yelling and it's only a little over a minute in length. It's actually a great song considering its length. "Hangin' Tree." Another awesome song filled with raspy vocals. I love the rhythm this song has. The guitar riffs and pounding drums make this song...and record for that matter. It has a good pace. The music is a little fast while the vocals are kinda slow. The track ends with us turning the station to... "Go With the Flow." The other single from this record. I usually dislike singles as they're usually overplayed, but I think I could hear this song over and over again and not get tired of it. The piano in this song is an extremely awesome addition that makes me love the song even more. Homme's vocals and Grohl's drumming help wrap this song up into an incredibly good single. The sound of the radio changing stations can be heard again at the end of the track. "Gonna Leave You" buzzes its way into the speakers. Those same distorted guitar riffs we know so well kick in. Homme sings at that slightly higher tone again and it fits the song well. The song itself just doesn't do a whole lot for me. It just feels like filler. It has a decent beat, but the vocals seem to be lacking. "Do It Again" begins with chants of, "HEY!" and noisy guitar riffs. The song is a step above the last one, but still seems to fall short overall. The chorus is a little too repetitive for my taste. It's another decent song that just isn't up to par with other songs on the record. More radio station surfing. Lots of religious stations and songs get skimmed through, which means... "God Is In the Radio" is next. The drum beat and bass line pave the way for the guitars to chime in. The piano/keyboard parts are very brief. I mean, it sounds like one note being played in the background, but it's a welcome addition to the already fantastic beat to the song. The vocals are sung in a way that fit the song very well. It's like Homme isn't putting much effort into singing. The lyrics are almost just spoken. It's a bit slow, but is bound to get stuck in your head. "Another Love Song". Homme has such a unique voice and he showcases it here. The drums have a beat that make you want to stomp your feet as what sounds like an organ occupies the background. The guitars sound like they're straight out of Pulp Fiction. Another decent song, but I usually skip it for... "A Song For the Deaf." Another track that clocks in at over six minutes, but this time it doesn't waste a note. The bass line during the beginning reminds me of Tool. The QOTSA sound isn't really distinguished until the whole band chimes in. Homme's voice shines yet again. There's weird screaming that can be heard in the background as it jumps from speaker to speaker. It's like the vocals are sung while the background vocals are sung in that raspy style I mentioned earlier. The guitar riffs jump back and forth from sounding distorted to sounding fuzzy. A great way to end the album. The secret song, referred to as "The Mosquito Song," is quite possibly the best secret song I've ever stumbled across. They also named their next album, Lullabies To Paralyze, after a lyric in this song. The song is mostly done with an acoustic guitar while Homme sings. I actually really like the lyrics in this song. What sounds like an accordian or maybe an organ chimes in a little later on while a great piano piece occupies the middle of the song. Some horns also make an appearance and some amazing viola work that actually sounds like mosquitos at times. Amazing song overall. While the way Homme sings at times certainly takes away from certain songs, it's also one of the things that makes this album great. That combined with Dave Grohl's amazing skills on the drums really make the third effort from this band straight out of Palm Desert, California my favorite release from them overall. I'd probably rate this album a solid 8/10.