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`Supergroups can be tricky. Sure, the formula sounds good: Take a handful of already famous musicians, throw them together in a room, produce an album, and set up a tour, complete with a previously established (and massive) fan base that is guaranteed, based on their loyalty to one or more of the members, to buy into the idea.
Sometimes it works out, and you end up with groups like Crosby, Stills, Nash, and (sometimes) Young; Cream; and The Traveling Wilburys (this last group tends to trigger debate, but the fact of the matter is they knew how to play to their strengths and were a great band, if you happen to dig that type of music).
Then, sometimes, things do not work out quite so well and regrettable music is made. It’s like breeding two champion racehorses and producing a donkey; it’s just plain wrong.
Luckily, Them Crooked Vultures is among the groups that can make the formula work. Them Crooked Vultures takes members from the Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, and Led Zeppelin.
There is no special reason members Dave Grohl, drums; Josh Homme, vocals and lead guitar; and John Paul Jones, bass, keyboard, and piano got together, other than that it seemed like a cool idea. They had been ruminating over the concept since 2005 and did not rush into production, which is a decision that clearly worked in their favor. Grohl, the apparent mastermind behind the group, considered Paul McCartney as an alternate if Jones was not able to do the project.
Recording and production began July 2009 at Pink Duck Studios and Chalice Studios in California under DGC Records. On August 9, the group had its first performance at The Metro in Chicago, playing an 80-minute midnight set.
The self-titled album, released under Interscope Records on November 17, 2009, contains 13 tracks, including “New Fang,” the album’s single, which premiered October 26 and reached number 10 on the Billboard’s “alternative” chart.
Their success is even more apparent upon listening to the album. Sure, it’s no magnum opus, but it is a solid arrangement of good old-fashioned, ear-blasting rock.
“Them Crooked Vultures” begins with “No One Loves Me & Neither Do I,” a strong opener with gritty distortion that ropes you in as Homme walks up and down the neck of his guitar. The moaning wails sound a little wimpy, but are made up for midway through with a guitar riff that makes you want to throw yourself headfirst into a mosh pit.
The heavy guitar distortion is present throughout the album, continuing in “Mind Eraser, No Chaser,” a great theme song for a night out. “New Fang” is especially well composed, with a drum intro that leads seamlessly into the first note and following rhythm; the solo paired with the instrumentation about half-way through works well for the flow of the song, and the psychedelic sound of the wailing guitar at the end is just perfect. The use of effects in “Spinning in Daffodils” gives the finish an atmospheric mood.
The band takes on some heavy, stomping riffs, though it is certainly nothing they cannot handle. In “Elephants,” which integrates an element of insanity, Grohl times the symbols with Homme’s guitar to form an explosive sound.
“Warsaw or the First Breath You Take After You Give Up,” arguably the album’s best track, keeps up a dirty stomp of guitar that thuds like an unruly march toward debauchery and destruction, it is what the cool bad guys you root for in a good action movie are playing in their heads as they go about their business.
The band also takes some more experimental routes with nails-on-a-chalkboard effects on “Dead End Friends” and the absolute acid trip that is “Interlude with Ludes,” an apparent homage to love on LSD.
Overall, Homme is at the helm with much of the musical emphasis on the instrumentation, especially the guitar. Consequently, the band comes off with a strong Queens of the Stone Age-type sound, but this is by no means a bad thing. Grohl works with the intensity of the guitar with rhythms that complement and emphasize Homme’s; Jones does an exemplary job of keeping the sound together with solid bass playing, to be expected of a rock legend of Led Zeppelin caliber, along with some impressive keyboard and piano playing.
The lyrics seem relatively unimportant given that Homme tends to muddle them together anyway, but you are so busy taking in everything else that it is not really an issue. The songs sometimes begin and end in the same way, but rather than detract from the songs, it gives the album a sense of completeness. For anyone who takes the time to listen, this is a prime example of when rock greats come together the right way.
It’s great noise.