Them Crooked Vultures are Josh Homme: Guitars & vocals (Queens of the Stone Age), Dave Grohl: Drums (Foo Fighters / Nirvana) and John Paul Jones: Bass & keys (Led Zeppelin). The line-up is almost too good to be true. Oh, the expectations!
Fortunately the line-up doesn't just look good on paper - this debut album delivers in spades: an instant hard rock classic with some of the heaviest riffs and powerhouse drumming ever committed to tape. And John Paul Jones's inventive bass-lines and signature keyboard embellishments give this album a touch of musical class that only a master musician can deliver.
I played this non-stop for 3 months when it came out in November 2009 - at a volume that my car speakers have never recovered from - and for me it's still the best example of what a modern day rock album should be. No pretending, no posing and no overindulgence. And no Pro Tooled synthetic production - just raw, straightforward rock.
The band rolled into Perth one balmy summer evening in early 2010 and I went along to the gig with a group of friends. I thought I was over the five-year "Zeppelin addiction" that overtook my life as a teenager in the early 90's until I realized I was actually standing in the same room as a member of Led Zeppelin. And then the shakes started....
A great evening and a truly great album.
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