Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures [Album]

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November 23, 2009, 07:31 PM

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by mark191082 [More from this Author]

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Firstly let's clear the air with this one: I know there will no doubt be a lot of naysayers out there quick to deride this as another "supergroup" that serves no purpose other than to inflate the egos of its proprietors. To those people I say this; Them Crooked Vultures transcend this mere notion of getting some mates in to knock out a few tunes in a few weeks and then rape the fans of the multiple bands from henceforth they came. Them Crooked Vultures was an idea that became far too good to ignore and upon hearing this eponymous album I think a lot of you non-believers will convert into fully fledged, head banging animals. Them Crooked Vultures are that damn good.

So what is or are Them Crooked Vultures? As if you didn't already know! I mean some of you may have been in a coma for the last few months or living in an underground bunker who knows, who cares. Them Crooked Vultures are the sticks of Dave Grohl, the licks of Joshua Homme, and the tricks of John Paul Jones and they have created a beast that is this self titled album. To give you a comparison I would have to say 'Them Crooked Vultures' sounds like the natural sequel to Queens Of The Stone Age's 'Songs For The Deaf.' But with Homme fully realising his potential as a psychedelic, rock n' roll, bluesman and with Nick Oliveri's thrashing out of control bass replaced by the elegant, experimentalism of John Paul Jones and his cache of other worldly instrumentation. This is a 70's fantasy mash-up that will recall almost anything that these musicians have touched during their careers at various times over the course of its 66 minutes.

And so on with the show, opener 'Nobody Loves Me & Neither Do I' encroaches with a laid-back stoner vibe that hints at menace in Homme's crunching riffs and Jones hulking rhythm that will eventually hulk up whilst Dave Grohl keeps everything steady making you long for him to sit on the drum stool more often than he does these days. The track keeps a steady pace with Homme crawling "When I told her I was trash / She winked & laughed & said I already know / I gotta beautiful place to put your face" and then comes 2:44 and Jones explodes in what can only be described as a behemoth of a bassline that quakes the whole track to its foundations as we are treated to a mighty jam that just assaults the ears with ferocity. Its mayhem and I love it. The scene is set.

Follower 'Mind Eraser, No Chaser' continues apace with an intro that is beguiling with as Homme teases out more meat from his guitar as the drums fall out of sync and the bass rumbles in another continent. What on earth is going on? But it all ties together as the chorus rushes with Grohl on backing duty for the only really noticeable time on the album and it's something that should have been used to more effect as it works well here complimenting Homme's intentionally lackadaisical delivery as bizarre lyrics flow "New age goosestep on a karma collision - Dulling the edge of a razor blade." Jones gets his moment of playfulness and then the outro that shows the complete lack of seriousness put into the album as horns parp and you realise this is one big bowl of fun.


'New Fang' is a straight-edged affair that no doubt owes a debt to Grohl's way with pop sensibility as it's very regimental in its delivery but also has a certain accessibility to it until Homme wigs out in the end. So three in and we've had balls-to-the-wall matched to tunefulness so now it's time for Homme to get his Queens Of The Stone Age shtick in and 'Dead End Friends' does just that. It meanders back and forth with nothing to really cling onto but then this is really a prelude to what follows. 'Elephants' is possibly the stand out moment from Them Crooked Vultures and is almost a template for what they can achieve. It melds all that is great about the musicians laying it down and instantly makes you want to simultaneously make love to something, anything, whilst head-banging, drinking beer, and playing pool which although all technically impossible to do together it is what 'Elephants' makes me want to achieve! The intro just thuds into your soul with Grohl demonstrating why he's one of the best around driving the track into the ground as Homme tries to keep pace and Jones no doubt does that wonderful Led Zeppelin bass groove he perfected. Hell even when this track settles down it just makes you go with it, swaying with your rock arm held firm in the air. It's the pinnacle moment and they know it "Like lumbering giants in a shameful parade - We came to ruin all & make a rotten trade." And in the end its back to the intro and they all recall their "A" game - simply breath-taking.

Hard to follow unfortunately for 'Scumbag Blues' which while admirable and to begin with instantly likable, fades after repeated listens as Homme goes for falsetto and the music becomes slightly repetitive until Jones reaches for some mellotron making it sound like 'Trampled Under Foot' this is then spoilt by the unnecessary slap bass, tut tut. 'Bandoliers' struggles to match the intensity of other efforts and offers more of a lull in the pace of the album. Though there's nothing especially wrong with it you just sense the three musicians are feeling each other out than really cutting into each others considerable depth. So it's a charm to hear 'Reptiles' which is a bit of a workout for them as it's twists and slithers it way with fractured, squealing riffs and and incessant pounding that becomes infectious, this is all tied together into what sounds so disjointed and unworkable that you can't help admiring them pulling it off. Homme also shows a little gift for words that sometimes goes unnoticed in his day job such as "Tongues flash & flick as if they're screamin / Oh they lie like any lover / Oh do they, those kisses will burn."

'Interlude With Ludes' is a bit of a spoiler as it's so unnecessary and a bit indulgent. Seemingly aiming for that White Album vibe of being able to stick anything in cos' we are that good but sadly it fails I'm afraid though I do like the spaghetti western guitar so not all bad. 'Warsaw Or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up' is a bit of a beast in the live environment but on record it loses some of it's charm, though it does fairly stomp along with a delicious groove but at over 7 minutes you're pushing it guys! There's something of the reach for the sky preachy sound to it but I kind of dig that it delves from that to the rock stomp.


As for 'Caligulove' well much like it's title suggests it makes no sense whatsoever and is as slutty a track as they could muster I'd imagine as Homme goes all Bowie and John Paul Jones indulges in his love for bizarre instruments and quirkiness. It's a wonderful spark up the arse after some mediocrity because Them Crooked Vultures just take it so far you can't help but be impressed. 'Gunman' is a particular favourite of mine as I envision it on a dance floor. Yes folks I said a dance floor as it sleazily oozes funkiness from every pore. I just dare anyone not to dig it in the good old fashioned sixties style of digging things! This smacks of John Paul Jones as it has that lustfulness Led Zeppelin did so well when they were courting 20 girls of an evening.

For the finale we get 'Spinning In Daffodils' which is just an exercise in being outrageous with an intro cut from the Matt Bellamy school of melody that is then torn into by Homme's razor wire guitar and a droning drum beat that looks to unsettle but merely makes me hang my head in silence at its spectacularity (yes I made that up!).

"Them Crooked Vultures" is stunning; sure we can all go and stick on 'In Utero' or 'Physical Graffiti' or 'Rated R' and experience these three rock gods at their peaks but this seems like a genuinely exciting new chapter in their careers that neither seeks to replicate past glories nor doff there cap to them but instead looks to embrace a new dawn as an altogether different beast.

Track-listing:
01 - No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
02 - Mind Eraser, No Chaser
03 - New Fang
04 - Dead End Friends
05 - Elephants
06 - Scumbag Blues
07 - Bandoliers
08 - Reptiles
09 - Interlude With Ludes
10 - Warsaw Or The First breath You Take After You Give Up
11 - Caligulove
12 - Gunman
13 - Spinning In Daffodils

Them Crooked Vultures Are:
Dave Grohl
Joshua Homme
John Paul Jones

Them Crooked Vultures
Them Crooked Vultures on MySpace Music