Album Review: Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
In this day and age, few things come around that make us stir from head to toe with glee and anticipation. One of these things was the announcement of the new rock super ensemble that is Them Crooked Vultures, a tripod of giants with the force of three generations of rock ‘n’ roll. I’m going to assume a number of people know by now, but all the same, the Vultures are: badass Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age on guitar, the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl going back to his drum set, and none other than John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin to tie it all down on the bass front. Their debut album, Them Crooked Vultures, has hit our timpani, and the shelves on the way.
What can you expect from a lineup such as this? Well, at times they sound like Zeppelin, and at times they sound like Zeppelin mixed with Queens of the Stone Age. Pretty simple, no? It’s needless to say that there’s a considerable amount of thunder on this record, powered by Grohl’s confident beating and Homme’s shameless way of channeling Jimmy Page while simultaneously sprinkling some of his very own cold-blooded strum on top. Yes, the song is “Reptiles”, and it is but one of the many instances when the Vultures “summon the spirit of Zep”, as Rolling Stone puts it.
It’s not like they set out to recreate all Zeppelin masterpieces, though. Them Crooked Vultures is an entirely new, unprecedented project, not to be confused nor dangerously associated with any of the members’ high-profile musical histories.
…Nah, it’s Dave Grohl and Josh Homme jamming with John Paul Jones!
And that’s really the best way to sum it all up. I mean, just because they too hold their own celebrity statuses and accomplishments does not mean they were not psyched to make a record with Jones, who brought us “Kashmir” and “No Quarter” and “Black Dog”, to cut the list short.
Celebrity status aside, however, the trio cooks up a blend of demonically sly licks, heavy-pedal forward trudging drums, and bass lines that exude calm mastery. “Nobody Loves Me And Neither Do I” kicks off the titanic hard rock mega-jam with Grohl’s precise, determined beats leading into Homme’s seductive vocals—coupled with his teasingly strange lyrics, a key instrument of this album’s appeal. The elemental pieces of this sound are their uniformly arranged hooks, which produce a full, wholesome energy; and their musical attitude, screaming unrefined hard rockin’ outlaw (see: “New Fang”). After a few good listens, it’s evident that Grohl carries the torch of power for the group, setting down some hard, strong crashes and rides like the great drummer that he is. I couldn’t help but wonder just how tired he would be after playing all 13 tracks back to back.
On “Dead End Friends”, they probably sound their most original, introducing the song with ghoul-like guitars and following with some pretty alarming solos. The best off this one, though, is in “Elephants”. It starts out with, you guessed it, a Zeppelin sound, but quickly grows into a spinning-mad jumble with a few stops on the psychedelic riff express. “Scumbag Blues” gives room for Jones to bring forward his keyboard skills and superimpose them onto his cool bass, while Grohl keeps the pace for Homme’s well-deserved guitar-sturbation. The aptly-named “Interlude With Ludes” comes flowing in at just the right time, since 45 minutes of hard-stomping mammoth-led rock ‘n’ roll can get a bit exhausting. This track unleashes a more freaky side of the Vultures, and caters to the need of almost all experienced rock musicians to go a little Eastern in sound. The pace then picks up again with “Warsaw or the First Breath You Take After You Give Up”, which for a split-second, oddly reminded me of Portugal. The Man live, but it was just that split-second that is now lost in all the reverberating riffs and pummeling bass pedal kicks that followed.
The band is unlikely to be permanent, but it’s really an outstanding collaboration, and definitely one to be remembered. The only problem is that, from the get-go, you knew this stuff was going to be good. That allows for plenty of bias in expectation, and you wouldn’t want to like a record before you hear it just because it carries some impressive names, would you? Just kidding. After all, it is Dave Grohl and Josh Homme jamming with John Paul Jones.
Rating: 
Check Out:
See:
On Tour Now!
Alice -
Before I heard this album I was a little hesitant because, like you said, the lineup is great and, like I said, that alone leads to high expectations and possibly influences people’s opinions on whether it would be good at all or not.
When I first heard it I wasn’t impressed right off the bat, but I guess it grew on me. Personally, I’d love for music like this to be more ubiquitous. What’s in at the moment doesn’t really satiate my need for this kind of rock music, so I am gonna have to reiterate Boston Jeff’s comment that “rock is back”. (Partly because it just sounds so revolutionary, haha.)
Them Crooked Vultures is definitely on my top 20 of the year, but it sure as hell is not the best. To call it that, I think, is over the top. While there are a list of cool things about this album and this band, they’re more of a transient joy and a break from the cycle of forgettable indie acts that are, in my opinion, too damn many.
Btw, I think it’s so awesome that you mentioned En Pursuit. I ran into their myspace a while ago and thought they were really great too. About the local bands, you better believe that it’s true. I know a few who do just what you said… ok, maybe not exactly, but they do play their hearts out at tiny dive bars.
Thanks for your intelligent comments.
so here are the bands that I could remember and find. sadly, all of them are broken up:
Bleak caught my attention the first time I listened to them. Perhaps it was because the singer sounds a lot like Kurt Cobain, while the guitars sometimes remind me of Zeppelin. Either way, I thought they could be one of the next great bands in history. Then they broke up. My favorite is their Rock and Roll tribute song Janie Sue.
http://www.myspace.com/bleakbleak
Then there’s The Deffects. Even though their influences pull them in different directions, they still manage to capture my attention. Untitled is like a Sonic Youth baby, and the interlude to Extinction of an Individual is still one of my favorite ones…ever.
http://www.myspace.com/thedeffects
Bleak and The Deffects have somewhat similar styles to Them Crooked Vultures. En Pursuit does not, but I just thought I’d put a plug for them… even though they’re not even a band anymore. They remind a lot of TMV, and they’re great at what they do (did?). The Building has probably one of the most infectious guitar leads I’ve ever heard, which is good.
http://www.myspace.com/enpursuitmusic
sorry if you disagree Andy. Everyone has different tastes in music, but I think we can always appreciate the quality in something we don’t like. And while I don’t think ‘Them Crooked Vultures’ is a bad album (it has some good songs), I just didn’t agree with a lot of people’s stupor reactions, as if it was the best album of the decade. And while I probably wasn’t able to find the best local bands to satisfy your “better” needs, I’m sure they are out there, playing their hearts out at night, and cleaning people’s puke by day.
wow… haha you really shut me up on that. i guess what i meant to say is there must be some bands doing it better. i mean, i’ve heard local bands in the past that have played this type of rock and I genuinely thought they were really great. I don’t know if they’re still together, though, but don’t you worry! I will go find them and send them your way so we can all enjoy some great music together!
Alice, if you know of local bands “doing it better,” do you mind filling us in? I’d love to check them out. The grooves on this album are incredible. “Gunman”, “Elephants”, really good stuff.
It might not be “great,” but I still consider it one of the best 20 albums I’ve heard in 2009. There are some gems on it.
Agree with Alice.
id have to agree with garpo. nothing mindblowing. i mean, i can understand how people would go squirrel nuts over this: the lineup is greatly talented and legendary, the type of rock they make is definitely a departure from the generic rock that is on the airwaves (anything from emo to hardcore to “alternative” rock), and they just have a really cool cover for their album.
but really, i dont see anything special. if it was just a local band and this was their debut release, some people would like it, but it wouldnt be hailed as the awesome record that people claim “Them Crooked Vultures” is. Because even though its songs are good, they’re not overall great. Maybe you haven’t heard rock like this in a while, so thats why you like it. or because it’s a “supergroup”. but theres many an unknown local band who play this same style and do it better.
So yes, its good, just not great in my opinion. I hope everyone here who likes it does so because they really do, not because they’re on the bandwagon or because they’ve been subliminally convinced of the greatness of this album due to the hype. And if that’s why you like it, you may not have even noticed it.
The album is solid but nothing mind blowing. I am enjoying it quite a bit. The production is unique. Love the raw sound.
Fantastic lineup. Quality rock. Finally!
Rock is back indeed!
Listened to it once through and really digging it. good review too by the way
buy this album. and if you live on the west coast, you still have a chance to see them live. they destroyed the HOB in Boston w/ their performance. rock is back
yeah this album is sooooo good
amazing riffs!!!! this is a really good album!