Portion of Distortion: Songs for the Death

Portion of Distortion: Songs for the Death: "

Originally posted on July 6, 2010

Few bands can combine groove, stoner drone and overt licentiousness as well as Queens of the Stone Age. 2002’s Songs for the Deaf was a monumental record, released right as I was getting back to the ever-pleasant dorms to start my second year of college.

I had deprived myself of the Queens’ mystical powers to this point: I heard about them whenever they got roped into playing the neo-nazi shit-show that is Ozzfest and I had read somewhere that Rob Halford sang on the lead track to 2000’s Rated R when that jam dropped, but for some reason I just never got around to listening to them until I saw the “No One Knows” video on MTV.

I have to admit that Dave Grohl was the biggest selling point until I listened to the album in its entirety, roping me in for life and introducing me to their back catalogue (Rated R is without a doubt on my Top Ten Favorite Records of All Time list) and Josh Homme’s prior group, the almighty Kyuss (I can’t even go there right now).

Anyway, I found this sweet yellow pressing of Songs for the Death, a collection of “alternative versions from the album ‘Songs for the Deaf’”, at Earwax earlier this year and wanted to share its loveliness with you.

The standout cuts are:

• “You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar But I Feel Like A Millionaire (RoughVersion)”




• Slowed down and dragged through the forest of sludge

• “No One Knows (Orchestral arrangement. No Guitar Solo. Piano conclusion)”




• The strings adds a cool and unusual depth to an already cool and unusual tune

• “Go With The Flow (Rough Version. Added Percussion)




• The entire drum sound just seems to pop more on this cut. So rad.

• “God Is On The Radio (No Reverb On Guitar & Drums)”




• Love, love, love this cut. Dropped out is the deep-blue reverb on the axes and Grohl’s kit, and raised is Homme’s vocal contribution to the track allowing it to be heard alongside Mark Lanegan’s tortured croon. And Grohl’s kick drum thuds like a troll’s testicles hitting a wrestling mat as he Bonham-shuffles through this evil mantra.

Unfortunately, I can’t find the digital stream of “God,” so you need to go buy the record. Do it now.

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