Before Nirvana turned their punk sound into what people would later think is grunge, before Pearl Jam sold tickets NOT through ticketmaster, before Alice in Chains went into the flood again, there was Soundgarden. Soundgarden were the perennial rockers of Seattle. Led by the riffs of Kim Thayil, the insane rhythm section of Matt Cameron and Ben Sheperd(Yes , Hiro Yamaoto too) and the fearless vocals of Chris Cornell, Soundgarden helped transform a Seattle trend into the defining sounds of the early 90’s. Everyone says Grunge died when Kurt Cobain blew his overrated, at certain times, brain all over a wall, but true fans of grunge knew it died when Soundgarden broke up in 1996. Read the rest of this entry ?
So it is a beautiful day in New York today. Got me thinking about some future concerts coming up. Slightly Stoopid is finishing off their winter tour. Queens of the Stone Age is hitting the road playing their entire self-title debut album. Atmosphere is ready to tear it up with Ant being accompanied by a live band. Soundgarden is writing new material meaning a tour will eventually come out of it. Chris Cornell is touring tho, therefore you can get your “Outshine” fix on. Lupe Fiasco is playing some sick shows. I’ll be going to all the New York shows, but for those not in new york here are some links to see if anyone is coming to a town near you. I almost forgot, the Deftones will be ripping heads out in the near future as well.
Nicotine, Valium, Vicodin, Marijuana, Ecstasy and Alcohol
The re-issue of Queens of the Stone Age’s 2000 hard rock master piece, Rated R, comes during a time where the balls to the wall of rock and roll just does not exist. Luckily, Josh Homme and his revolving lineup made a solid rock effort at the turn of the millennium. Many might say the predecessor to “Songs for the Deaf” feels incomplete and lacking on some songs. Although true in some cases, the album is meant to cause drug fueled partying, and most importantly, rocking out. This is not a stereotypical frat boy album filled with down tune guitars or dave mathew band inspired lyrics. This was the first album featuring Nick Oliveri on bass and even singing on a basic hard rock punk mix track known as “quick and to the pointless”. Oliveri helped make Queens of the Stone Age stand out and move away from Josh Homme’s days with Kyuss, an equally impressive band, but that is another discussion. The original Rated R has been re-mixed making songs like “Auto-Pilot” and “In the Fade” sound more crisp and sincere. The new mixed version of Rated R literally sounds better than the original, which works out great because it shows the true depth of Queens of the Stone Age.
But with all re-issues, the new songs and extra’s is what makes any re-issue worthwhile. The second CD to Rated R is packed with unreleased and live songs. Starting off with a howling scream on “Ode To Clarissa” really kicks you right in the head, but if you are a hard rock hipster, you probably bought the Japanese version of this album, which has “Ode to Clarissa” as track 12. The one track that stood out to me was “Born to Hula”. Homme had originally written this song as part of a Kyuss demo. For those that do not know, Kyuss was Homme’s original band, and they rocked harder than anymore(Note Kyuss reunited for a tour without Homme for 2011). “Born to Hula” demonstrates Queens of the Stone Age’s roots along with unique sound. The live songs all sound like live songs. A little rough, not as crisp, but definitely enjoyable. However, you would be better seeing them live.
Hopefully, re-issues like Rated R will inspire rock and/or roll musicians to start kicking in doors and living the rock star lifestyle, because in my opinion, every generation needs a rocker to booze with.
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