Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Latin for "common era," Era Vulgaris holds a pair of common threads with the four Queens of the Stone Age records that preceded it. One, it crosses colossal guitar chords with the most volatile of hard rock melodies. And second, it's as loud as loud gets, thanks to Josh Homme, the impatient instigator behind the ever-evolving cast of personalities that make up the band. Detonation comes with track one, as the jagged riffs of "Turning on the Screw" lead the listener into "Sick, Sick, Sick," where Julian Casablancas spews his vocals beneath a wall of multi-guitar catcalls. Although the head Stroke will likely garner the most attention, perpetual Queener Mark Lanegan's velvety pipes earmark two of Era's most booming selections: the funky "Make It Wit Chu" (complete with Temptations-like backing vocals) and the heart-racing three minutes of "River in the Road." Add the garage rock of Homme's "3's & 7's" and "Suture up Your Future," easy pickings for most likely crossover hit, and Era Vulgaris-- hypnotically and explosively common--holds its own with any in the QoTSA discography. --Scott Holter
Product Description
QUEENS OF THE STONEAGE Era Vulgaris (2007 Taiwanese edition 13-track CD album produced by Josh Homme together with long time Queens production cohort Chris Goss which sees the band return to their deepest darkest roots with shadowy riffs reminiscent of the desert sounds of the Kyuss days combined with multi layered industrial power guitar and organ blasts of a new era including the single 3s & 7s it also features guest appearances from Julian Casablancas [The Strokes] &
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
It's a bit of a funny one, this... Almost a statement of intent rather than just another album:
As has already been stated numerous times, this is certainly one album that takes a bit of getting used to. If you're just discovering QOTSA this probably isn't a great starting point and even if you're already a bit of a fan it probably won't grab you straight away.
For one thing, you'll have to get your head around the way it's been mixed - On first listen certain high frequencies you'd expect to hear in a music recording simply aren't there, meaning that the album sits in a slightly uncomfortable, not-quite-low-fi sounding grey area... And if you're anything like me (ie. already concerned that you listen to far too much loud music) it might cause you to panic temporarily in the belief that you've gone fifty per cent deaf overnight. Repeated listens however, will reveal that the album is actually quite cleverly mixed and although it may not sound particularly conventional, somehow it helps the album to feel that little bit more twisted and awkward and a bit, well, seedy really.
Once you've gotten used to the mix you then have to contend with the hugely raw, angular nature of the songs. Genuine use of melody is pretty sparse but therein lies the secret of this album - The more you listen to it, the more little hooks and catchy lyrics start to leap out at you seemingly from nowhere, and that's when the cleverness of it all dawns on you. It's almost as if the songs in their entirety aren't really the focal point of the album at all but are merely Generation Game style conveyor belts laiden with lots of cool stuff and the occaisional grand prize; a means of keeping everything moving along until you see something you really like.
This is a daring album in the sense that it will cause even the biggest of QOTSA fans to abandon their preconceptions of where the band is (or isn't) headed, and to once again face the music with a completely open mind, and in that sense it's actually quite refreshing.
As has already been stated numerous times, this is certainly one album that takes a bit of getting used to. If you're just discovering QOTSA this probably isn't a great starting point and even if you're already a bit of a fan it probably won't grab you straight away.
For one thing, you'll have to get your head around the way it's been mixed - On first listen certain high frequencies you'd expect to hear in a music recording simply aren't there, meaning that the album sits in a slightly uncomfortable, not-quite-low-fi sounding grey area... And if you're anything like me (ie. already concerned that you listen to far too much loud music) it might cause you to panic temporarily in the belief that you've gone fifty per cent deaf overnight. Repeated listens however, will reveal that the album is actually quite cleverly mixed and although it may not sound particularly conventional, somehow it helps the album to feel that little bit more twisted and awkward and a bit, well, seedy really.
Once you've gotten used to the mix you then have to contend with the hugely raw, angular nature of the songs. Genuine use of melody is pretty sparse but therein lies the secret of this album - The more you listen to it, the more little hooks and catchy lyrics start to leap out at you seemingly from nowhere, and that's when the cleverness of it all dawns on you. It's almost as if the songs in their entirety aren't really the focal point of the album at all but are merely Generation Game style conveyor belts laiden with lots of cool stuff and the occaisional grand prize; a means of keeping everything moving along until you see something you really like.
This is a daring album in the sense that it will cause even the biggest of QOTSA fans to abandon their preconceptions of where the band is (or isn't) headed, and to once again face the music with a completely open mind, and in that sense it's actually quite refreshing.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Seriously, i cant believe anyone would give this album such a low score. I can only assume these people heard "No-one Knows", and thought all QOTSA was from the same mould. This is, in my opinion, the best and most consistent QOTSA album. Every tune has the weird, grungey, dirty feel which i so love about there music. It is almost unclassifiable, and all the better for it. This is'nt Bon Jovi, this is a challenging ride which is a very rewarding experience. Listen to it a few times and the subtle groove which cuts through the entire album comes to the fore. Stand out tracks are "Sick, sick, sick" and "Make it Witchu", but every track is a gem. Buy it and make your own mind up.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
People keep saying that this one will grow on you after a few listens but its still not doing anything for me. Im sure everyone has their own reasons for loving this band and hears different things that appeal to them. For me this is completely lacking in the depth, atmosphere and drama of their previous releases. All their albums are different and tend to have a distinctive vibe that runs all the way through - with Era I can certainly hear what Homme et al were trying with this when he said about it having a kind of trashy LA Hollywood feel. They seem to have captured the vibe but its let down by an almost complete lack of memorable tunes / hooks this time around. The jams are all pretty repetetive and indistinctive. I generally feel its a lower standard of songwriting. Queens have always had melodies / riffs that bend my ear in unexpected ways and for me, they're just not present on Era. I also felt that the kind of robotic, electronic-y production didn't sit well with a lot of the tunes. Whilst that was clearly a deliberate artistic choice by the band, i really wasn't feeling it - didn't sound like a rock band playing as a band to me. Just generally a bit disappointed really. Never mind, im sure they can write another brilliant album in time! Anyway, by the look of the other mainly positive reviews here plenty of people are getting their kicks out of it, so its cool.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Era Vulgaris
Comparing to "Songs for the deaf" and self titled "Queens of the stoneage" this is Ok, probably the worst out of all three, tis still a great albumn with many little hooks within... Read more
Published 27 days ago by rayner
Dark,fun and superb!
Era Vulgaris is a dark trip through killer fast-paced tunes like 'Sick,Sick,Sick' or 'Battery Acid'. Read more
Published 9 months ago by SplashPageFan
Used cd
Not very satisfied with this purchase. Usually it takes about 4 to 5 days to get an article from the uk, but this one took way longer than that. At least 3 weeks. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Carlos Melo Correia
Great
A good mix of sounds and genres. I think this is the best QOTSA album yet (followed by 'Songs for the deaf').
Published 22 months ago by Lex
Probabily the worst
Out of all the albums this is the worst ... That's all I can say
Published 24 months ago by Paul Burgess
Great
Ok,so to start with, I'm not gonna mention THAT album (apart from just then). Seriously though, 5 years in the world of music is a long time. Read more
Published on 30 Dec 2009 by kiwi
Heavy yet brilliantly crafted.
I own all the other albums so bought this one without reading any reviews or even listening to a track! As soon as I put it on I knew I was going to love it! Read more
Published on 13 Jan 2009 by G. Nash
The best QOTSA album yet
I never used to be more than a casual fan of this band, but this album has changed all that. The rhythms are complex and pounding, lyrics intelligent and razor sharp, and when they... Read more
Published on 9 Jan 2009 by Mr. J. A. Halden
Awful
As the title of this review says this album is awful. The best song by a long way is Sick, Sick, Sick which I first heard them perform live on the TV and thought, "Well hopefully... Read more
Published on 22 July 2008 by M. Bosman
Josh Homme Is Always Amazing
at first i thought this just isnt qotsa, but suddenly i found my self singing 'River In A Road' and now i'm loving it! Read more
Published on 29 April 2008 by J. J. Arch
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
