Dear Josh Homme,
We have come a long way, you and I. Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. Our first meeting was not through your music, but through all the reports and things that were said about you in various media and on the internet. I know – the internet. Surely the beacon of integrity, always to be trusted, right? But you hear some things over and over, and you start wondering. Continual reports about being moody and/or grumpy to your fans is one thing – we can all have bad days. Even a lot of bad days, I guess. Stories of you being snarky and even yelling at people are certainly out there. Getting physical is another thing entirely. At the time of this writing, the most recent example is when you kicked the camera of a photographer into her face while she was just doing her job and taking pictures of you at a show (for which I’m glad you apologized). Just remember that love is never having to say you’re sorry. More love, Josh!
In the spirit of just that, I will also try to show more love. First off, maybe it isn’t fair of me to lead off with an introduction like the one above. But, this is the backdrop I was working with. Perhaps not inducive to picking up one of your albums. Possibly not something that makes me want to listen to your music. We can laugh at that today, can’t we? At this point, I think Villains is one of the better albums of 2017.
I never latched on to the first part of your career, including your first band Kyuss. Some cool stuff, no doubt – just not my thing. When that band turned into Queens of the Stone Age, things could have changed – a fresh start, breaking away from the old, all that stuff. Perhaps I didn’t give it a fair shake as I didn’t particularly seek it out, but what little I heard I found strange. I may have heard the wrong songs, which featured alternative rock mixed with electronic music and hip-hop. You’ve played some weird shit, Josh, but that is actually very cool. It’s probably not you, but me. Sometimes one may not be ready to embrace certain styles because one might be in a different headspace, and timing can be everything.
Also, I almost certainly paid more attention to the non-music side. Some of it is no doubt media-created, and some of it might be more of a public persona, but it was still there. Josh the diva. Josh the stand-offish guy who behaved awkwardly to fans, who in return never knew which Josh they would meet. Then came the stories about the firing of another founding QOTSA member, which seemed weird and very uncool at the time. Obviously I have no knowledge of the background, and you may have had a ton of reasons. Crucially, though, I have since acknowledged that QOTSA in reality always was your band. You should do what you feel is best. I leave all of that to you and move on. No judgement there.
So, that’s pretty much where we were. What happened?
Well, you know our friend Iggy Pop? He introduced us again when you teamed up with him for his Post Pop Depression album. I was having some deep conversations with Iggy about that. “Really? You want to make an album with Josh Homme?” I said in surprise. “Oh, trust me, Josh is good. You’ll like him,” Iggy said. I do trust Iggy, but the jury was still going to be out on that one until I heard the results. I was however certainly going to give it every chance with an open mindset.
The first thing I heard/saw was an early TV performances of Break Into Your Heart. A powerful, powerful track. This was something else! I first saw a performance of the track on a late night TV show, and it struck me as an “Iggy Pop featuring Josh Homme” type of set-up. Iggy in front, as usual, with a certain band member carefully positioned a few steps back and to the side, always in camera with Iggy, with the rest of the band somewhere at the back. A well-rehearsed set-up. Even David Bowie was happy to play in the shadows when he performed with Iggy in 1976-77. Why should things be different for Josh Homme?
I get the full album, and it’s an excellent piece of work. Brilliant, even. At this point I seriously think it should be counted as one of Iggy’s best albums ever. I see more live performances. Iggy and the band are clearly having a lot of fun. At this point, no careful positioning is needed. It is clear that this band is special, and on that merit, everybody are featured – deservingly so! The band is a happy unit, interacting greatly. The new songs sound fantastic, and even nailing the classics perfectly. This is just a great, great band! Iggy is smiling. Josh, you smiled too, and I will admit – so did I. Before realizing it, this collaboration, the album and this line-up – including you, Josh – was fully embraced. Iggy had been right. “You will like him” indeed.
Having been won over, I got all associated releases, live shows, the Blu-ray of the performance at the Royal Albert Hall, the documentary, etc. Fantastic! Josh, at this point I started seriously wondering whether I had been too rough on you all these years.
In order to redeem myself a bit – and, to be honest, because a new Iggy album wasn’t forthcoming but I wanted more music by the people who were involved in that fantastic project – I picked up the new QOTSA album Villains, released 14 June 2017. My first and only QOTSA album so far, and really the only one I have given a chance as a full album.
What can I say? This is a fantastic album. I am blown away. I really did not expect it to be this good. It’s definitely better than what I remember checking out several years prior.
I may have been guilty of buying the new album looking for Post Pop Depression-like moments. I realised this may not have been a fair or even realistic expectation, but you know, I found them. Those moments are in there. There’s also other types of moments and more general goodness, and this might be exactly the bridge I needed between Iggy and QOTSA to warm up to that band. Like I said before, we all have to start somewhere, and timing is important.
The album is full of irresistible well-played hooks and music that really just appeals. The staccato rhythms in Feet Don’t Fail Me are super-catchy and was the first track that won me over. Domesticated Animals is another fantastic track with the right mixture of smooth delivery and kick-ass instrumentation.
Fortress has a wonderful, soothing quality which would have fit 100% on the Iggy album. Josh, has anyone ever told you that your voice sometimes has a delivery similar to David Bowie? I hear it a lot in this song, and also on Un-Reborn Again. Bowie is of course another link to Iggy Pop, so it does make sense. You are moving in exquisite company, and deservedly so.
I still wonder what to make of Josh Homme the man. You seem like a funny dude, and I know you have it in you to be cool and even compassionate. At the same time I read reports about certain behaviours. Josh, I don’t care so much about that, but I genuinely hope you find continued peace and happiness and that this will influence how you interact with the world.
Still, nobody can take away your accomplishments with Iggy and the new QOTSA album, and a long and successful career also speaks for itself. So, here it is. My biggest personal surprise of the year: my 180-turn on you, Josh. The amount of love I feel for this album, and the mellowing of my stance on your music. I am happy about that.
One last request: please talk Iggy into making one more album with you. And realize that me asking you to do this is a sign of extremely high trust and praise indeed. If the next album you do turns out to be another QOTSA album, I will actually be fine with that too. But, even David Bowie took time out to make two albums with the Igmeister – just sayin’.
Yours,
The Norselander
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