QOTSA Feel Good Hits
As Queens Of The Stone Age are holed up in the desert working on a new album WithGuitars takes a look back at some of the classic tracks from everyone’s favourite rocking red head Josh Homme and his revolving troupe of collaborators.
This is by no means a definitive list of their best songs but when a band has a back catalogue as strong as QOTSA it is relatively easy to pick stand out moments from their career.
Crawl Home
Ok so I have bent the rules straight away, ‘Crawl Home’ is from Josh Homme’s side project Desert Sessions not QOTSA however ‘Crawl Home’ is a menacing bass fuelled highlight that features the divine PJ Harvey
Make It Wit Chu
Originally from the same Desert Sessions album as ‘Crawl Home’ the laid back sleaze of ‘Make It Wit Chu’ was re recorded for ‘Era Vulgaris’ I’ve included the original on my list though as the track definitely is enhanced by those Polly Jean Harvey backing vocals
I Never Came
Probably as close as you will get to a ballad from QOTSA ‘I Never Came’ is an underrated gem from the ‘Lullabies To Paralyze’ album. Who knew Josh had a softer side? This is achingly sublime whilst retaining the traditional Homme hard edge.
https://youtu.be/5eIiu1CjrTE
Sick Sick Sick
This choice cut from ‘Era Vulgaris’ is three & a half minutes of crunchy abrasive guitars, with a riff that pummels you into submission. It’s inclusion on a Guitar Hero game caused many bouts of arthritis due to it’s frenetic fret work
No One Knows
Defiant rock stomp & a quirky video for the first single lifted from ‘Songs For The Deaf’, the fact that Dave Grohl featured as a guest musician on the album was incidental. Fantastic drummer he is but Homme’s talent as a songwriter shines through whoever he is collaborating with and this is a defining QOTSA track.
Feel Good Hit Of The Summer
This rollicking rock blast from ‘Rated R’ has lyrics that read like Courtney Love’s shopping list. A frequent live favourite that has been covered by Foo Fighters and Placebo, a performance of this track at a Los Angeles Rehab Centre saw QOTSA quickly removed from the premises by security… Can’t think why
3s and 7’s
Even those who claimed that ‘Era Vulgaris’ was a misfire cannot fail to acknowledge the raw energy of ‘3’s and 7’s’ a song that you can rely on to ignite a mosh pit.
Little Sister
A single release from ‘Lullabies To Paralyze’ this track is obviously one of the bands favourites, nearly always played live and referred to by Mr Homme as a dancing song.
First It Giveth
‘Songs For The Deaf’ remains most peoples favourite QOTSA record for a good reason. Possibly the bands strongest line up of Homme, Grohl, Lanegan & Oliveri it resulted in the bands biggest selling record to date.
‘First It Giveth’ is nothing short of excellence
Go With The Flow
Full on adrenalin here as ‘Go With The Flow’ is easily one of the best rock tracks of the last 20 years. A great innovative video too, but if you can find it you are a better person than myself. This version at the Rock Werchter Festival displays how great a live act QOTSA truly are
The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret
Seeing as I deliberately cheated by sticking a Desert Sessions track at the start of this feature, I can now legitimately expand this to 11 videos not the traditional top 10.
For my number one Queens Of The Stone Age track I have selected the song that was mine and many others introduction to the band.
For me ‘The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret’ was a revelation. Dark, twisted hard rock but always melodic. This is still my favourite QOTSA song despite the countless great tracks that came after it.
Even if you don’t approve of all my selections here i am sure that you will agree that Josh Homme certainly knows how to write a tune.