SteveAJones Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Them Crooked Vultures Few 'supergroups' transcend their past, but Dave Grohl's thrilling hard rock trio may well prove the exception to the rule Josh Homme fronts Dave Groh's trio Them Crooked Vultures in Plymouth last week. Photograph: Chris Williams/Live Gareth Grundy The Observer, Sunday 13 December 2009 Recently, Mojo magazine asked Dave Grohl what goes through his mind when he considers his former band mate Kurt Cobain. "You think of a rock star who killed himself because of this guilt about being a rock star," said the one-time drummer in Nirvana, who will always be quizzed about his previous life. Spending four remarkable years in one of the last rock bands of any genuine significance is a moment in time destined to overshadow the subsequent 14 fronting the far more lucrative but utterly orthodox Foo Fighters, no matter how many stadiums they continue to fill. Nevertheless, Grohl has always seemed to relish his success, which is only natural given the way his old band ended. Guilt over the big house, nice car and all those platinum discs has never seemed to come to into it for someone regarded as the most convivial of stars. So it's no surprise he should fall in with two other major figures whose charisma comes from being at ease with themselves and their respective legacies. Famously, his colleagues in new band Them Crooked Vultures – Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and Queens of the Stone Age singer Josh Homme – were brought together not at some top-level summit in a gated mansion or mid-air powwow on a private jet, but at a medieval-themed restaurant in Los Angeles. The kind where guests eat with their hands, drink out of goblets and the birthday boy – in this case Grohl, celebrating his 40th – dons a paper crown. It's typical Grohl and says much about why, despite its members' considerable pedigree, Them Crooked Vultures are less nauseating than their "supergroup" tag suggests. True, they've been careful to offset their collective baggage by debuting over the summer with club gigs, low-key festival appearances and, on one occasion, a support slot for the Arctic Monkeys, whose Humbug album Homme bludgeoned, rather than produced. But look more closely at the less flashy parts of their respective CVs and they're actually a trio who are more than happy to dial down the ego in favour of an enlivening change of scene. Homme's Desert Sessions sideline was built around pooling a variety of talents and once drew PJ Harvey into its orbit, while Jones has seemingly followed his nose, leading him to work with REM, shrieking art-house blues singer Diamanda Galas and, in the case of the score for 1985's Scream for Help, Michael Winner. Grohl, who has prior history with both his new compadres, will generally pitch in alongside anyone who tweaks his inner fan boy: Paul McCartney, Queen, and, for best forgotten one-off project Probot, every veteran metal act that ever found a place on his bedroom wall. Homme has defined Them Crooked Vultures' mission statement thus: "We need to roll in like Hannibal and ruin your town."He's in luck on the first night of their UK tour. Two days ago, the sterile, sports hall-like Pavilions hosted Daniel O'Donnell, so Plymouth is in need of a good ravaging. It takes 20 minutes for the conquest to begin, though, Homme eventually prodding the pan-generational crowd with a "don't hold back, this is the night". Rolling out their two best songs back-to-back does the trick, with the evening's initial crowd-surfers hauled aloft to the ominous "New Fang" and delirious "Gunman". Both reveal what's really going on here as Jones's nimble bass lifts two players who, in their day jobs, have tended towards the ponderous of late. Led Zeppelin were a rock'n'roll band, with a spring in their step, while Grohl and Homme are very much sons of rock alone. Serene throughout, Jones is like their dashing uncle and Homme remains an engagingly unconventional frontman, all-American but slightly seedy, as if, somewhere in the past, he swapped the Marine Corps for a biker gang. Grohl's facility as a drummer remains – remember, that heart-in-mouth intro to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" depended as much on him as the guitar riff. This evening, every fill is a small burst of artillery fire: fierce, precise and felt in the solar plexus, especially as "Bandoliers" winds towards conclusion. On record, Them Crooked Vultures, are, like most supergroups, prone to self-indulgence, their debut album, released last month, being a few songs too long as well as heavy on tunes meandering beyond five minutes. They make much more sense live, where overwhelming force and an obvious joy in playing together carries the day. Inevitably, there are intermittent outbreaks of noodling, but no one seems to mind Jones's lengthy keyboard solo at the end of "Spinning in Daffodils". In fact, it receives an ovation. Play on Kashmir and you'll be forgiven anything, it seems. They leave without an encore, having served up their entire catalogue to date, the whole band, auxiliary rhythm guitarist included, stepping forward for a bow, very much a group in its own right. A highly convincing one at that. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/dec/13/them-crooked-vultures-review Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 I'm sure he's thought about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deborah J Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 Great Interview with JPJ!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 www.TheQuietus.com Them Crooked Vultures Live In Berlin: Carrion Rocking Rock of all ages: Wyndham Wallace checks out Them Crooked Vultures in Berlin and finds something sadly lacking by Wyndham Wallace , December 14th, 2009 "You're supposed to throw underwear," Josh Homme announces after picking up the first piece of clothing that has been thrown at him during Them Crooked Vulture's Berlin debut. He holds up a tie. It's clearly not what he was anticipating: he exhibits his disdain by wiping it on his crotch in a slightly puerile display that Dave Grohl, to whom the gesture is directed, fails to spot. But office workers on a night out probably weren't their target audience when he, Grohl and John Paul Jones first started rehearsals for "the second best band John Paul Jones has ever been in" (© Rolling Stone). But then again, perhaps only a cynic would suggest they had a target audience. The thing is, though, there's been a lot of talk of legends these last few years. The word has become tired and overused, much like the word genius. It's tossed around liberally with scant regard for its meaning, used by overexcited critics seeking to generate more interest in their chosen topic, or by businessmen aiming to sell more tickets. With the recent frenzy of reunions it has seemed almost as though the world is full of mythological musicians towering over us, but the more the word gets used the more devoid of any meaning it becomes. Blur: legends. Madness: legends. The Police: legends. And now we have reached the point whereby Dr Feelgood are apparently worthy of the title. This, surely, is not a moment in history that we ever expected to reach. And so we come to Them Crooked Vultures: three more legends bestriding the stage like a trio of Colossi, or so the media would have it. Whether or not the band intended themselves to be seen this way is questionable, but the prospect has certainly got a lot to do with the massed army of rock fans they've enticed down to the second date of their European tour, and said army greets the three men behind this "supergroup nirvana" (© The Times) like conquering heroes. But are these men really legends? Or is this just slick 21st century marketing spin designed to squeeze extra pennies from music fans? Let's take a closer look. John Paul Jones: undeniably something of a legend by virtue of years spent playing bass with Led Zeppelin, one of the most successful bands of all time. Dave Grohl? Sure, he drummed with one of the most influential and beloved acts of the early ‘90s, and Foo Fighters can sell out Wembley Stadium twice, so yeah, to some folk he qualifies as a legend. But come on: Josh Homme? Isn't he just a very tall man who, when he holds his guitar, reminds one of why they're known as ‘axes'? Isn't he just a red haired dude with whom you either want to fuck, or with whom you wouldn't dare fuck, depending upon your sex? Seriously: do Kyuss, Queens Of The Stone Age, Eagles Of Death Metal and Homme's Desert Sessions really justify legendary status already? Is that how fast the world moves now? It's therefore tempting to dismiss this entire venture as a smart branding exercise, one that affords the general public the opportunity to tick three of these ‘legends' off one's must-see list. With Led Zeppelin at their most respected in years thanks to that one-off reunion, Jones' stock has rarely been higher since their split, drawing in aging rock fans and curious youngsters alike. Grohl has somehow managed to wangle his way to the top of the indie rock mountain by virtue of his ‘nice guy' image, his association with Nirvana, some impressive biceps and a handful of tunes that sound good in musty student discos. And Homme hangs with the rock and indie rock elite, leaving a trail of swooning girls and envious men in his wake. Together they've managed to concoct a band that, before it's even played a note, has cornered the indie rock and rock dollars, the male and female dollars, the aging and the youth dollar. It's a marketing man's dream, and with the touring circuit being – so the business bibles say – the way to clean up financially these days, it's the perfect time for the three of them to head out across Europe charging €45 a head for the privilege of seeing them in the flesh. There is, after all, something here for everyone, as long as you don't mind it being loud. But if it is a cynical marketing ploy it seems to be working pretty damned well. The band's arrival on stage – with guitarist Alain Johannes lurking quietly in the shadows to the right – is greeted by whole minutes of wild applause before the band have even plugged in, something which leaves them seemingly overwhelmed. In fact, they seem so genuinely humbled by this welcome that it's almost enough to dismiss the suspicion that this is a route to a quick buck, and as the evening progresses the interaction between the band further undermines any distrust of their intentions. Grohl can regularly be seen beaming at Jones over his kit, while Homme and Jones square up to one another frequently, little grins visible and far from smug. So real does the affection these musicians hold for one another seem, and for the music that they create, that even the perhaps overgenerous gift to Mr Jones of at least two bass (almost) solos and one keyboard solo seems forgivable. Furthermore, when the crowd start chanting "John! Paul! Jones!" between songs it's hard not to feel touched by their fondness for the man and his history. But then TCV leave the stage after one bow and the house lights swiftly go up, leaving the Columbiahalle with thousands of fans feeling slightly shortchanged by their failure to provide even one encore, or at least an opportunity to salute them one last time with a final curtain call. It's as though the band have taken the money and now they're off for a gentle jog. The problem is that, despite the hormonal screaming of the teenage girls and the committed moshing and crowd-surfing down the front, something seems to be missing. It's not necessarily about the band themselves: for every time that the Lord is thanked for Grohl's battering presence behind the drums, there are also moments when one gives thanks for Jones' solid foundations, never too florid, and for Homme's contributions, his effortlessly fluent guitar lines tearing songs up and then calmly piecing them together again. These guys know how to play, no doubt about it. But there is a weakness, and that weakness lies in the songs themselves. For every ‘New Fang' or "Scumbag Blues' there are at least two more that tumble past in a shower of riffage, all shock and awe but somehow swiftly forgotten. They're little more than an excuse for the boys to play with their toys, which in Jones' case includes an armoury of different basses, some sporting flashing lights like children's shoes. The key to this lies in the oft-forgotten difference between performance and composition: these guys can rock, but they're perhaps not so big on writing. Each song seems built upon a simple premise: a gargantuan beat laid down by Grohl, or another monster riff powered up by Homme, but this is then decorated unimaginatively and forgettably through virtue of the power of the ‘studio jam' alone. If you're here to lose yourself and bang your head you're going to be satisfied, but if you came to have your mind levered open by more than bludgeoning noise – though it is one hell of a noise, as loud as this venue has probably experienced – then you can't help but feel slightly let down. It all seems a little safe. Towards the end of the show a bra drops limply into the photographers' pit and, after a slightly desperate gesture from Homme, a security man passes it up to him. He seems a little happier, perusing what seems to be a note written inside one of the cups and miming a phone call to its owner. Then he drops it by his amp, where it lies alone for the rest of the evening. It's a hint of the kind of behaviour we expect our rock legends to provoke, but, much like Them Crooked Vultures, the bra falls a little short of its goal. http://thequietus.com/articles/03418-them-crooked-vultures-live-in-berlin-what-a-carrion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 NEW RELEASES 'Them Crooked Vultures' - Them Crooked Vultures The Ledger (Lakeland, FL) Published: Thursday, December 10, 2009 As supergroups go, Them Crooked Vultures, who are Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, and Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones, is pretty super. What's more, this self-titled riff-rock debut is superior to most big-name one-off powwows because it refuses to take itself too seriously. The Philadelphia Inquirer http://www.theledger...rooked-Vultures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 Super group Them Crooked Vultures are a flying success The Paly Voice (Palo Alto High School) (California) December 14, 2009 by Arjun Singh and Jamie Blake of Campanile Super groups have never been largely successful. Often times they are dominated by one force, such as Jack White's distinct guitar squeal in the Raconteurs or Rage Against the Machine's bombastic beats in Audioslave. However, Them Crooked Vultures, a new group formed by bassist John Paul Jones (Led Zeppellin), guitarist and vocalist Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and drummer Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) has proven to be distinct in this way. Rather than being dominated by one familiar sound, the album combines the best elements of each member's respective band. The band began with Grohl and frequent collaborator Homme, but the most notable member is easily Jones. A legend in his own right, Jones' inclusion is surprising because he is a generation behind the other two. However, he does not feel out of place and fits perfectly into the band. As the lead vocalist and guitarist, Homme's influence on the band is the most evident out of the three band members. Fans of Queens of the Stone Age will be satisfied to see Homme return to a style more reminiscent of his earlier work, but that is not to say that the band sounds like one of Homme's spin offs; Grohl and Paul definitely pull their weight. On several songs the guitars are reminiscent of the Foo Fighters. In particular, "Mind Eraser, No Chaser" could very well have been a leftover remnant of a Foo Fighters jam session. Grohl, who returns to the drums in Them Crooked Vultures, has shown significant growth since his days in Nirvana, which consisted mostly of just banging on the drums as loudly as possible. While that style was effective at the time, the more complex musical structures found in Them Crooked Vultures was too different to fuse with the other members of the band effectively. Grohl successfully adapts his style to have a jam band feel, which is essential to the overall driving force of the music. The drumming is not as masterful as in the rock staple "Songs for the Deaf" by Queens of the Stone Age (Grohly drummed on the album), but it gets the job done given that the band needs to sound cohesive. This is most evident on the lead single, "New Fang." The song opens with a deadly open high hat and a pounding, synchronized bass drum that instantly establishes the song as a true head banger, reminiscent of the legendary John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. A deeper cut on the album, "Elephants," is propelled by Grohl's mastering of the switch from single to double time, as the rest of the band seemingly takes the lead from Grohl's contribution. The tempo shift is easily the most memorable aspect of what would otherwise be a fairly forgettable rock song. Jones, while not dominant on most of the songs, proves his musical mastery in several songs. "Scumbag Blues," a funk driven song and one of the stronger tracks on the album, shows him to be efficient with the bass as well as the keyboard. On "Interlude with Ludes," a more psychedelic track, he takes up the mandolin and only cements his role as a renaissance man of music. The album is ripe with fresh guitar riffs that keep the listener engulfed over the duration of the album and will keep the attention of any devotee of rock music. Most of this can be attributed to Homme, who has written some of the most memorable guitar riffs of the decade. The inspiration clearly is there for Homme, who sounds rejuvenated by the new band he is playing with. "Mind Eraser, No Chaser" is a clear highlight, as the opening solo reminds us all why rock and roll is a genre that will never die out. The song transitions back and forth seamlessly into a smooth, running guitar riff from a breakdown that can only be described as awesome. On an album that is clearly more about the sum of the parts rather than the individual performances, Homme's guitar work stands out among the best of the album on "Mind Eraser, No Chaser." The best overall collaborative effort comes on the opening track of the album, "No One Loves Me & Neither Do I." The drums are complex yet danceable, the guitar gives the song the edge stylistically associated with the band and the bass acts effectively as the glue for the song. Even the lyrics, typically a weakness of the band, shine through as Homme's voice bellows out his trademark cynical outlook on life. The jamming aspect of the band works beautifully, with multiple parts of the song meshing together to be both unexpected and catchy. Them Crooked Vultures has managed to create an album that harkens back to the simpler days of music when it was not about auto tune and simple beats. The album cannot compare to the epics of the members' previous bands such as "Physical Graffiti" or "Nevermind," but it is still a solid album in it's own right. The best part of the group is that they do not let one member's style overcrowd another. Instead the band has formed a sound distinctive to Them Crooked Vultures. The tracks can best be summed up as, what sounds to be, an extended jam session between the three of them. No track falls short of the three-minute mark and many extend to five or six minutes. During certain songs it is easy to see that the musicians are becoming lost in their work, which works for them but it can also work against them. While it is evident that they put a great deal of effort into crafting each song, the jam band feel can also become repetitive and slow. "Gunman" in particular consists of a boring guitar riff mixed in with gospel like vocals and runs for 4:45; this would be a good song had it been edited down to two or three minutes but ends up dragging on and pulling the album down. In spite of the few songs that drone, the album has quite a few solid sounds and is a good addition for fans of any style of rock. The combination of the three legendary rock stars simply works, as they create a sound that reminds the listener where they came from but also shows how Them Crooked Vultures is a monster all of its own. http://voice.paly.ne...ory.php?id=9325 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juliet Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 I'm sure he's thought about it You think he's thought about visiting London? Wow... Thanks for beautiful video...there was ice fishing on the lake close to where I live but lately the water hasn't frozen solid enough for the fisherman..maybe this year it will.. Juliet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledded1 Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 Saw TVC at the 02 academy in Birmingham last night. Jonesy's bass playing is what drives the live shows even more than the album. Dave Grohl was in his element but Jonesy seemed well pleased and was so "in the groove" he was awesome to see and hear. And I have never seen him sweat so much, mind you it was a little warm in there. I am hoping my hearing returns to normal in a day or so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 Saw TVC at the 02 academy in Birmingham last night. Jonesy's bass playing is what drives the live shows even more than the album. Dave Grohl was in his element but Jonesy seemed well pleased and was so "in the groove" he was awesome to see and hear. And I have never seen him sweat so much, mind you it was a little warm in there. I am hoping my hearing returns to normal in a day or so lol your hearing will recover ! They are a tight unit but did you think maybe there was something missing from their live performance ? As much as I enjoyed the gig in Seattle, I couldn't help but feel that I was just listening to the band do the album note for note. There is a missing element about them and it's a void that I think needs to be filled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 There is a missing element about them and it's a void that I think needs to be filled They don't seem to be as improvisational on stage as I would have thought, but then they've only done 30 some odd gigs over the last four and a half months. I know there's been some armchair quarterbacking out there amongst the critics concerning the material, but in my opinion this is for JPJ what The Firm was for Jimmy - a vehicle for playing live again. I never expected these guys to be the next Beatles, yet they really are a damn good rock and roll band. So it is what it is. Will it hold up in 20 years time? I care not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 They don't seem to be as improvisational on stage as I would have thought, but then they've only done 30 some odd gigs over the last four and a half months. I know there's been some armchair quarterbacking out there amongst the critics concerning the material, but in my opinion this is for JPJ what The Firm was for Jimmy - a vehicle for playing live again. I never expected these guys to be the next Beatles, yet they really are a damn good rock and roll band. So it is what it is. Will it hold up in 20 years time? I care not! Yeah, I hear ya and it's not my expectation either . I do however think that this band has most of what it takes to be a great band and in time, I think they will address that missing element. Right now it's kinda like Strange Sensation without Robert. I'd still like them and go to see them but it would be so much better if Robert was a part of it. I gotta say, TCV with Jimmy ( a pipe dream maybe ) would be a terrific fit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 It would be so much better if Robert was a part of it. I gotta say, TCV with Jimmy ( a pipe dream maybe ) would be a terrific fit That's got to be the liquor talking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joao Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Live in Cologne: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auQKXZM2xfI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDAL-juGlfI There's more! http://www.youtube.com/user/RegularJohnny (thanks to Ryanne @ rekordsrekords forum) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUCK'EYE' DOC Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 lol your hearing will recover ! They are a tight unit but did you think maybe there was something missing from their live performance ? As much as I enjoyed the gig in Seattle, I couldn't help but feel that I was just listening to the band do the album note for note. There is a missing element about them and it's a void that I think needs to be filled Hi Ally I have the opposite opinion. I loved the concert, thought that the musicianship was superb, loved the jamming. It was very exciting and fresh. The guys were having a great time, as well as the audience. Nothing was missing in my opinion. I was a bit disappointed with the CD, don't like the vocals much, and I don't think that the drums and bass come through on the CD like they did at the concert. But I attended their concert in October before the CD was released, and I had never really heard the songs before. Maybe it depends on which one you heard first, the CD or the live show, that determines which one that you liked the best. Maybe I just have to hear it LOUD (like at the concert) to appreciate the CD? It took two days for my hearing to return to normal after that concert! Edited to say: The void that you feel is the lack of Robert on vocals and Jimmy on lead guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taker328 Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S93MHjpQBd8 Here's the opener, No one loves me The whole freakin concert is up on youtube. Go watch it. THESE FOUR MEN ARE AMAZING!!! Interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUEdK0ZsMAE&feature=channel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Grohl, Jones, and Homme Team Up as Them Crooked Vultures By Mike Gibson Metro Pulse (Knoxville, TN) Wednesday, December 16, 2009 Them Crooked Vultures, Them Crooked Vultures (DGC/Interscope) God love Joshua Homme, but nothing he's done with either Queens of the Stone Age or the sidelight Eagles of Death Metal has quite equaled the incandescent majesty of his work with Kyuss, the archetypal '90s desert/stoner rock band. Maybe it's because in QOTSA, he lacks a strong collaborating influence like former Kyuss vocalist John Garcia, whose subsequent projects Unida and Hermano come closer to reaching that lofty stoner-rock Valhalla. Even with the sometime participation of former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan and Foo Fighters svengali Dave Grohl, QOTSA still had the feel of being one man's hermetic industry. But now the singer/guitarist finds himself in a world not of his making—the impetus for Them Crooked Vultures reportedly came from Grohl—backed in close quarters by the drummer who gave Nirvana its propulsive thrashing energy, and flanked by the venerated Led Zeppelin bassman/producer/songwriter John Paul Jones. The result is an album full of riffs stronger than any Homme has been associated with since Kyuss, and Homme's most confident and versatile vocal performance ever. The opening track, "No One Loves Me & Neither Do I," manifests the difference with bold strokes, bridging from its QOTSA-ish main riff into powerhouse Sabbathian stomp. The whole record has a comfortably warm analog feel and features a grab-bag of name-that-influence Classic Rawk-isms (Cream, Zep, and the Kinks, for a few) that keeps the project exhilarating. Credit Grohl for pounding the skins like the spirit of Bonham incarnate. But most of all, credit elder statesman Jones, whose steadying hand seems to have kept his exuberant, but occasionally errant younger proteges from straying off the path. http://www.metropuls...ooked-vultures/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 That's got to be the liquor talking. Nope, no liquor Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Hi Ally I have the opposite opinion. I loved the concert, thought that the musicianship was superb, loved the jamming. It was very exciting and fresh. The guys were having a great time, as well as the audience. Nothing was missing in my opinion. I was a bit disappointed with the CD, don't like the vocals much, and I don't think that the drums and bass come through on the CD like they did at the concert. But I attended their concert in October before the CD was released, and I had never really heard the songs before. Maybe it depends on which one you heard first, the CD or the live show, that determines which one that you liked the best. Maybe I just have to hear it LOUD (like at the concert) to appreciate the CD? It took two days for my hearing to return to normal after that concert! Edited to say: The void that you feel is the lack of Robert on vocals and Jimmy on lead guitar! Hiya Buckeye Oh, I loved the gig alright but it was just my opinion that they could do with a bit more of an edge on the guitar. They sounded a bit like one big rhytmn section with vocals. Not a knock on the band at all because they are one hell of a tight unit and Jonesy/Grohl were phenominal. Not suggesting that Page would or should be part of it , just that I think it would be a terrific fit if he ever decides to return to the guitar. Ha, I think we're all missing Jimmy and Robert ! RO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Pagemeister Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 Them Crooked Vultures Dezember 2009 - Köln, Palladium http://www.wdr.de/tv/rockpalast/extra/videos/2009/1208/them_crooked_vultures.jsp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Led Zep Gurl Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Them Crooked Vultures Dezember 2009 - Köln, Palladium http://www.wdr.de/tv/rockpalast/extra/videos/2009/1208/them_crooked_vultures.jsp Thanks for the link! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Thursday, December 17, 2009 Rock legends join forces as Vultures 'Them Crooked Vultures' Them Crooked Vultures (DGC/Interscope) Craig S. Semon Tracks Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA) Baby, I'm not fooling. Them Crooked Vultures are gonna send you back to schoolin' or hell (whichever comes first) on the power-trio's eponymous debut. With the pedigree and demented drive to do some serious damage, Them Crooked Vultures are singer-guitarist-lyricist Josh Homme, Foo Fighters singer/ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl (sitting in behind the skins) and bassist John Paul Jones from a little band called Led Zeppelin. Like conquering, uncompromising marauders who leave nothing but pestilence and disease in their wake, Them Crooked Vultures set out to greedily devour the carcass that has become your disillusioned soul. Besides the fact that they make Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter" sound like Lady Gaga, Them Crooked Vultures (the album) should come with a disclaimer sticker that says, "No instruments were harmed in making this album." Everything about Them Crooked Vultures is diseased — their self-image, their attitude, their sound, and, alas, their concept of love. But what they lack in polish and niceties they certainly make up in their expertise and understanding of their respective instruments. When a jittery Homme says, "I know how to burn with passion/Hold nothing back" on the dysfunctional relationship ditty, "No One Loves Me & Neither Do I," you expect to hear the gurgling sound of gasoline being poured out of a can, followed by a match being struck. With a sense of impending doom just around the corner, the song sways with an improvisational, rough-around-the-edges bluesy groove that erupts midway into a combustible mix of pile-driving guitar riffs and powder-keg drums. Homme pleads for a lobotomy while unleashing squealing riffs that sound like he's strangling his guitar on "Mind Eraser, No Chaser." For a song about having your memory wiped clean, it's hard to get out of your head. While "New Fang" is not a ditty about Phyllis Diller's husband having a makeover (which doesn't sound as absurd an idea by the time you get to "Caligulove"), Homme adds insult to injury, so much so that even his lyrics suffer bodily harm. But that's secondary to the sonic assault. Them Crooked Vultures show their mettle, starting with Grohl's avalanche drumming, followed by a bass-thumping Jones and guitar-howling Homme. Homme drives all night on what sounds like a long stretch on the David Lynch highway on "Dead End Friends." With skeletons in his closet (and, quite possibly, fresh bodies in his trunk), Homme calmly delivers his nicotine-stained, caffeine-enhanced, internal monologue while the listener uneasily rides shotgun. Top this off with a precision mix of crunchy guitar riffs, locomotive bass lines and piston-popping percussion and you have one fine-tuned monster on your hands. These pro-rock purveyors deliver the grisliest show on earth on "Elephants." Part basket case, part boogie man, part big bad wolf, Homme grimly foreshadows, "Pachyderms full of germs/Elephants broken and screaming and scattered on the shore." And, from the sound of things, the elephants got off easy. Shifting from a trippy, slow-burning groove to end-of-the-world blowout, the song is a hallucinatory and hellish opus that sucks you in while making you look over your shoulder. Scumbags have their day with the classic-rock extravaganza, "Scumbag Blues." Unleashing a gut-wrenching falsetto, Homme threatens, "When I control, you will despair." If this is submission, count me in. Homme's pipes resemble Cream's Jack Bruce, while his guitar prowess comes the closest to channeling Jimmy Page. Adding to the Led Zep mystique is Jones' funky clavinet playing that recalls "Trampled Under Foot" and Grohl's crashing drum beats that once again remind the world that he's arguably the best rock 'n' roll drummer out there today. It's hard to tell if Homme is trying to pull himself out of a snake pit or locked in a rubber room on "Reptiles." Then again, if this album has taught us anything, it's to stay a safe distance away from the singer. When Homme snaps, "You answer like a naive hooker with a big dumb smile," you don't know if you or naive hookers should be offended. Homme wishes that all his problems will be up, up and away when he transforms into a beautiful balloon on the album's trippy closer, "Spinning in Daffodils." Starting as a piano recital before turning into what sounds like the "The Immigrant Song" on crack, Homme sums up the proceedings best when he gushes, "I am so high/I just may never come down." http://www.telegram....ss01&source=rss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Them Crooked Vultures: Them Crooked Vultures (Sony) by Annie Holub Tucson Weekly December 16, 2009 It would be far more interesting to write about a supergroup composed of Dave Grohl, John Paul Jones and Josh Homme if the music sounded nothing like a combination of Nirvana, Led Zeppelin and Queens of the Stone Age. But that is exactly what Them Crooked Vultures sounds like. See the cover of Rolling Stone, Hardeep Phull's review in The New York Times and the band's own description of their sound on their Web site for resounding concurrences. But even though Them Crooked Vultures sounds just like what you'd expect, the actual music is still exciting and fresh. It's a testament to Grohl's and Jones' unique rock stylings that no matter what band they play drums or bass in, respectively, the result will sound undeniably like them. But what is strange is that the Nirvana-Zeppelin blend actually seems to be transmitted through Homme, as if he's the catalyst that makes the blend work. On the first track, "No One Loves Me and Neither Do I," it's Homme's guitar that sounds the most like Zeppelin, and the most Nirvana moment is at the end of the song when Jones, Grohl and Homme lock in for a quick freakout. The album as a whole leans more toward Jones' Zeppelin realm than anything else, but that is as it should be; if any contemporary rock musicians are going to be allowed to rehash Zeppelin, it's Dave Grohl and Josh Homme, precisely because they can do it and still sound like themselves. Or, like Them Crooked Vultures. http://www.tucsonwee...ent?oid=1647933 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Gig review: Them Crooked Vultures By Dave Pollock The Scotsman Published Date: 17 December 2009 THEM CROOKED VULTURES **** CORN EXCHANGE, EDINBURGH BY RIGHTS, a supergroup featuring Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme on vocals and guitar, Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl on drums and Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones on bass should be one of the most massive rock experiences imaginable. Yet Them Crooked Vultures' self-titled debut album has received middling reviews and sales – can a live show featuring these three rock titans (and sometime Queens of the Stone Age collaborator Alain Johannes on rhythm guitar) redeem the whole project? On this evidence, the answer is "yes and no". The fact is that many of TCV's songs simply aren't all that great. Sounding like average QOTSA bolstered by a really good rhythm section, Caligulove and Spinning in Daffodils plodded along, while Interlude with Ludes was a baffling psychedelic anomaly, made all the weirder by a cigarette-puffing Homme telling the audience to feel free to "go f***ing crazy" beforehand. For all the less exciting passages, though, the best parts of the set were truly humbling. Homme's seedy croon is suited to the grinding rock of tracks like Dead End Friends, Scumbag Blues, Mind Eraser No Chaser and Reptiles, while Grohl's drums and Jones's bass (and, in order, keyboard, keytar, 12-string guitar and backing vocals) were thunderous when unleashed. The lengthy instrumental finale of Warsaw or The Last Breath You Take Before You Give Up – itself the closing song of a more than hundred-minute set – illustrated just why a show as imperfect as this can still be unmissable. http://news.scotsman...ures.5918306.jp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 A rock lover's dream Music Review: THEM CROOKED VULTURES - Them Crooked Vultures (Sony) Ratings: 4 BY SUJIN THOMAS AsiaOne.com Fri, Dec 04, 2009 IT'S hard to go unnoticed if you have a member of Led Zeppelin in your band. Then again, this isn't a trio made up of nobodies. Meet Them Crooked Vultures, music's hottest group du jour, which also boasts Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and Joshua Homme from Queens Of The Stone Age. It is clear from the start, though, that Led Zeppelin bassist Jean Paul Jones, who lends his keyboard and bass wizardry, firmly steers this ship. His work over the past 30 years has seen him largely playing with orchestral arrangements - even working on track for R.E.M.'s Automatic For The People. One can almost imagine the production process that must have ensued in the studio - the cosmic explosion of ideas of two fan boys with their classic rock hero and the pats on each other's backs which surely ensued afterwards. They are not unwarranted. Lead single New Fang puts a spotlight on Grohl's pounding drumming, which recalls the late Led Zep drummer John Bonham and his flawless, metronome- perfect timing. Homme makes his presence felt on typically Stone Age tracks like Mind Eraser, No Chaser and Dead End Friends. He lathers the tune Gunman with a lazy slur which is sure to send tingles up your spine. Scumbag Blues hears the trio paying homage to another rock great - Cream - with Homme showing his chameleon qualities by pulling off a convincing Jack Bruce swagger. The trio create a swirling dream-state dabbling with echoey vocals, distantly placed instruments and repetitive melodies. These are all evident on Interlude With Ludes, Warsaw Or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up and Gunman. If this is a rock lover's dream, then good news - it isn't even close to being over yet. The band is heavily touring Britain and the United States at the moment and has yet to announce if there will be a follow- up to this debut. Would they be able to replicate such mastery in another release? Who knows? Who cares at the moment? For Them Crooked Vultures have combined their classic rock with enough modernity to appeal to both the new and old generations of music fans, delivering an album of such heft that you'll be listening to it for years to come. http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20091204-183898.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 www.GigWise.com Dave Grohl: 'I'm Buying Rage Against The Machine' He backs the campaign... December 17, 2009 by Scott Colothan Foo Fighter Dave Grohl has pledged his support to the Rage Against The Machine For Christmas Number 1 campaign. The rock legend, who is currently touring the UK with Them Crooked Vultures, explained he became aware of the campaign in the early hours on the way to a gig. He enthused to Rock Radio: "We were on our way here and we stopped at a rest stop. It was 4.30 in the morning, I hadn't slept all night and there was nobody in there except the one guy who works at the sandwich stand. "I was paying for my sandwiches and he said, 'Are you going to buy the Rage Against the Machine single this week?' "I said, 'Yeah, I think I might have to!' "There's some music that I question for its intention. I think when people rise up and decide, hey man, I'm sick of this, let's derail this other thing for something real - I'm all for it. "It's an incredible song and it's meaningful - maybe people are craving something that actually means something." Grohl joins The Podigy, Hadouken!, Enter Shikari and the Stereophonics in endorsing the Facebook campaign. Don't forget, supporters of the Rage Against the Machine campaign can donate to the charity Shelter HERE http://www.gigwise.com/news/53934/Dave-Grohl-Im-Buying-Rage-Against-The-Machine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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