Them Crooked Vultures Redefine Supergroup

November 19, 2009 • By Nick Sloane,
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Rock supergroups in the past decade have involved two things: underwhelming debut albums and Slash. Fortunately Them Crooked Vultures involves neither. Though the buzz for the group has been mostly underground, the lineup is nothing short of multi-generational rock royalty.

The all-star trio consists of Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana fame on drums; Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age and the Eagles of Death Metal singing lead and playing guitar; and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin (yes, the Led Zeppelin) on bass and keyboards. The much-anticipated self-titled debut can be described as chaotic, heavy, even downright weird. But make no mistake; this album is good, damn good in fact.

The album opens with the bluesy jam “No One Loves Me and Neither Do I,” a song that essentially is two songs within it. It cruises along for a couple of minutes, then throws it in overdrive with one of the heaviest guitar riffs on not only the album but on any rock album this year. A fair kick off to a solid album.

“Elephants” is a track that sets itself apart as an important high note on this journey through rock. It displays a dirty and loud Southern rock that would make Lynyrd Skynyrd proud and Kings of Leon jealous. Homme isn’t done yet, he’s got half the album to show off the rest of his talents behind and in front of the mixing console, and he’s no slouch.

A prime example of this comes with the ninth track “Interludes with Ludes” where Homme channels John Lennon’s “Tomorrow Never Knows.” The echoed vocals provide a trippy experience for the listener, and it’s something that Lennon might have been aiming for in the aforementioned classic Beatles song.

The stunning conclusion of the album, “Spinning in Daffodils,” clocks in right under the seven and a half minute mark, starts with soft piano intro, then shifts gear into a full blown rock jam. The track combines a little bit of the best sounds from the past few decades and combines it into a nice, heavy package.

All in all, Them Crooked Vultures produced an album that connects the old guard of rock ’n’ roll with the new generation, which is shown in the band’s line up and the music itself. It’s raw, it’s in your face, but still melodic and well produced. If this is a sign of things to come in the world of modern rock music, no one should be disappointed.

Contact Nick Sloane at sloanent@jmu.edu.

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