jimmiespipe's Full Review: Desert Sessions Vols. 1 & 2 by Desert Sessions
With the increased popularity of Queens of the Stone Age(QOTSA), I figured it was time to educate the new comers to the underground workings of the band and source of many Qotsa releases. Josh Homme, Qotsa lead guitarist and co-vocalist, pioneered desert rock with the band Kyuss in the 90’s. The band mastered the stoner jam with unique vocals and an addictive total band sound.
After the disperse, Josh dabbled in Screaming Trees with future collaborator Mark Lanegan, and also in Gamma Ray, before re-uniting with Nick Oliveri on the Qotsa projects. While Qotsa pulls in the cash, the desert sessions albums gave the guys time to explore there true creative side. These sessions, normally packaged in two’s and featuring mind boggling titles, feature about 4-5 songs a session. These sessions also feature a revolving cast of normally at least 15 musicians, mostly underground rock legends.
As custom, for the sessions the delinquents making up the project give themselves a working name, in this case the Acquitted Felons. Volume one is entitled Instrumental Driving Music for Felons while Volume two is aptly titled Status: Ships Commander Butchered. Interesting titles that should give you plenty of warning for what you’re headed for. If you thought Qotsa was kind of eclectic to begin with, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Take Ween, get them really, really stoned, drunk, and whatever other drugs you can find, stick them in a room and let them go at it and you’ve got a very minimum of what to expect here.
The Acquitted Felons are:
Revered Bruno Ponce Jones - ?
Alfredo Hernandez - Kyuss
Dave Catching – run the studio the album was recorded at
John Paul Mcbain – Qotsa
Fred Drake - run the studio the album was recorded at
Josh Homme – Qotsa, Kyuss
Bryant Bjork – Fu Manchu
Ben Sheperd – Qotsa, Soundgarden
Peter Stahl
Now that you have a vague conception of what’s coming, through your feeling for Qotsa out the window and prepare for the ride. The album opens with an instrumental entitled Preaching. The song has a rolling drumbeat and constant bass line rhythm. If there were a stoner rock instrumental band(and I think there are some), this would sound like them. Nice lead work and overall a pretty good song that will feature cool 㣪’s lead guitar toward the end.
Next up is Girl Boy Tom. Imagine getting the Doors drugged to there absolute O.D. point, then let them play. The song has hanging elongated keyboard pieces with snail speed guitar work with a 60’s era sound. Very interesting to say the least.
Monkey in the Middle is a faster instrumental based mostly around a lead guitar ripping out screaming guitar pieces at first, but drift into a Pink Floyd type instrumental song.
Next is a cleaner version of Girl Boy Tom. The song actually barely resembles it’s predecessor, holding more of a 70’s prog-jam rock sound, than the sixties artsy sound of the previous version. This version also holds true to the desert rock solo sound.
Coward’s Way Out crawls back into the odd eclectic art rock sound. Out of tune guitar pieces, one on high notes, one in low start are the lead of the song, with a drumbeat as the backbone. The guitars sound like someone who has never seen a guitar before is sliding there hand up and down the neck while strumming random notes.
The instrumental volume one ends here with the vocal tracks beginning with Robotic Lunch(Alternate Version). Josh cranks out this stoner rock staple with his trademark lyrics and lead guitar solos. The song sounds very 1st album Qotsa. If you wish to hear the original version of Robotic Lunch, good luck because to my knowledge the track doesn’t exist. This song does have a catchy, garage rock type sound that has been pioneered by the Hives but not half and great as it sounds here. Awesome song.
Johnny the Boy steps up next featuring two guitars rocking out over some Queen like backing vocals consisting mostly of “Aaaaaaaaahhh.” The music on this track is great, featuring a modern musical sound, yet clearly the riffs and rhythms have a seventies southern rock meets the Beatles type sound. Another Excellent song that is mostly instrumental.
Screaming Eagle keeps the catchy Fu Manchu style stoner rock jams going with an awesome track that sounds very similar to original Kyuss vocalist John Garcia, whom it may actually be, but to know this for sure one must translate the monikers listed as bandmates that really aren’t so bad on these albums, but will get increasing worse as the sessions continue(Josh eventually adopts the name Carlo Von Sextron.) Awesome solos toward the end of the track.
Last is Man’s Ruin Preach is exactly what it says, a preaching rant about watching for Man Ruin releases(Which this is) because they are the devil.
The instrumentals are great and the vocal tracks are excellent stoner rock classics. If you are a fan of desert rock or have been with Qotsa from the beginning you should check this album out, but therein lies the problem. Unless you see Qotsa, you won’t get a chance to purchase this album unless you go to rekord rekords, and order it. If you want the original pressing of the vinyl version they are a mere $130 at Ebay. But if you can get you hands on it, it’s classic stuff.
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