FEATURE:
Time for a New Fang?
Them Crooked Vulture: When Will They Return?
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I have been thinking about…
supergroups and the fact that, today, we do not really have that many. Sure, groups will call themselves that! They don’t have the authority, calibre and conviction as some of the classic supergroups. I think one of the very best modern supergroups is Them Crooked Vultures. Consisting of Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, with John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin and Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, their eponymous album came out in 2009. The album debuted at number twelve on the Billboard 200, selling 70,000 units in the U.S. in its first week. I have been listening back to Them Crooked Vultures and marvelling at the sheer quality of the songs! Such a tight and talented trio, there have been no plans for a follow-up albums. I think that there is a demand for Them Crooked Vultures to do something together again. I know that Dave Grohl is busy with Foo Fighters and still mourning the loss of his bandmate, Taylor Hawkins. Josh Homme is producing and there has been recent accusations from his former wife, Brody Dalle of domestic violence. Perhaps there is too much going on for the group to come together right now. I do feel like their debut is underrated. Maybe there are one or two weaker tracks, but the album is bursting with gold! From the incredible opener, No one Loves Me and Neither Do I, to Dead End Friends (my favourite track), and the epic closer, Spinning in Daffodils, it is a brilliant Rock/Blues album! Like some supergroups, Them Crooked Vultures do not suffer the issue of someone taking charge and dominating. Although Homme is the lead songwriter and would have the biggest creative say, the tracks are collaborative, and the group are friends. It is a democracy that you can hear on the album and see in the live performances.
In terms of bands, I don’t think there is anyone like Them Crooked Vultures around. It is clear they had a blast recording their debut album. I think they are too good to leave it with one album! With no announcements regarding new Foo Fighters or Queens of the Stone Age music, there is an opportunity for the group to get together for their second album. Although some were more reserved regarding the 2009 album, there was a lot of positivity. This is what AllMusic said in their review:
“Often, supergroups wind up dominated by one particular personality - think Eric Clapton in Derek & the Dominos, Jack White in the Raconteurs -- which makes the egalitarianism of Them Crooked Vultures all the more remarkable. Of course, when it comes down to it, it’s a group of three natural-born collaborators: John Paul Jones, the old studio pro who gravitated toward provocative partners after Led Zeppelin’s demise, teaming up with R.E.M. as easily as he did with avant-queen Diamanda Galas and nu-folkster Sara Watkins; Dave Grohl, who hopped into an empty drummer’s chair whenever the opportunity presented itself; and Josh Homme, who set up a mini-empire based entirely on jam sessions. If Them Crooked Vultures brings to mind Homme’s projects more than Grohl's or Jones', it’s largely due to his role as lead vocalist and how guitar can push a rhythm section as powerful as this to the side, dominating with its grinding riffs and solos. Homme’s predilection for precision does reign supreme -- when the group stretches out, even wallowing in the murk on “Interlude with Ludes,” there’s the sense that, like a great improv troupe, the trio freaked out then retained the best moments, trimming away the indulgence and experiments, leaving behind intrinsically, grippingly musical hard rock, where power is secondary to interplay. And while there are melodies and hooks that certainly dig into the skull, what impresses is chemistry, how the three play together, how they instigate each other, and how they spur each other on, to the point where their familiar tropes sound fresh -- as on “Scumbug Blues,” where Jones’ “Trampled Underfoot” clavinet intertwines with Grohl’s avalanche and Homme’s rigorous psychedelia - creating guitar rock that’s at once classicist and adventurous and undeniably thrilling”.
Not just reserved to me, I know there are other fans of Them Crooked Vultures who would love to see them back again. In another review, The A.V. Club wrote the following:
“What should be expected of Them Crooked Vultures? Put Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, and John Paul Jones in the same band, and it’s hard not to do some basic rock ’n’ roll algebra. Adding Queens Of The Stone Age’s catchy crunchiness to Nirvana’s relentlessly driving rhythms and Led Zeppelin’s flowing basslines and rich orchestral textures certainly sounds, well, super. But Them Crooked Vultures is not the sum of its members’ most famous bands. Thinking that it could be means overlooking an obvious fact about super-groups: Rock stars don’t form bands with other rock stars in order to top what they’ve already done. They do it because hanging out with famous rock stars is a hell of a lot of fun. Freed from the weight of untenable expectations, Them Crooked Vultures is a hell of a lot of fun, too”.
A magnificent album that everyone should check out, Them Crooked Vultures deserves a follow-up fairly soon. I have been revisiting the album and wondering why, over twelve years on, why Josh Homme, John Paul Jones and Dave Grohl have not returned to the studio. Maybe they will at some point. With a clear chemistry and respect for one another, you can feel that brotherhood and incredible musicianship in every song. You do not need to know much about Homme, Grohl and Jones to realise that Them Crooked Vultures is…
SUCH a mesmeric supergroup.