Queens Of The Stone Age - '3's And 7's'
Much as it will appall the rocksnobs to hear this, the Queens are always at their best when they garnish their swampy robo-rock with pretty pop melodies. Their last album 'Lullabies To Paralyse' was not over-blessed with such things, and so, even though it had riffs and 'tude, it had no spark, and was like being forced to eat nothing but bread and gravy every day forever.
(NOTE: Normally at this point there would be a nice clip of the video for this song. But in a masterstroke of marketing genius, the band's people have elected not to make one. And to make one for their song 'Sick Sick Sick' instead. Now, far be it from me to suggest that if everyone loved 'Sick Sick Sick' enough to make a video for it, maybe that should've been the single instead of the unappreciated '3's And 7's', but what do I know?
Anyway, here's a video someone made on YouTube, using clips of the movie Resident Evil. It kind of makes you realise quite how slack the band are to have not done something of a similar nature at the very least. But maybe they have a very good rock 'n' roll excuse. Like leather trousers in the wash or something..)
(There, that wasn't so hard now, was it?)
Anyway, this song. Well, it's got the riffs and the 'tude obviously, these are the bedrock upon which all QOTSA songs rest. And they've definitely taken steps towards re-harnessing the melody horse to their rusty rock wagon.
There's some unsettling moments, like when they lurch from one seemingly unrelated bit to another and you wonder at what point during the recording they pieced everything together (Before? During? Afterwards? Still at it?).
But there are definite signs that they're finding their pop stride again, after being stuck in a rock rut for far too long, and that's always a welcome development.
Especially as they were clearly paying more attention to 'Sick Sick Sick' all the while.
Download: Out now
CD Released: June 4th
(Fraser McAlpine)
Comments
i like this song, but its got nothing on no one knows....sooooo catchy, great song :D for this song though i must agree with the rating
Surely the point of music videos are to add extra publicity for the single. What's the point of making a video for a different song? Not only this but the song's a bit average as well... What are they playing at?
the problem with critics is they never research into why someone has done something that confuses them. had you done this you would know a video was not made of 3's & 7's until recently because josh homme believes a video should say something and if you have nothing more to say on a record that has already been said, making a half arsed video may just ruin the song for everyone. a video needs to mean something, QOTSA took time to create the perfect video for the song, but if im honest, i only really care because QOTSA are my favourite band, be ignorant all you want with RnB or pop acts.
[You're saying the band took the best part of a YEAR to make a video for a single even though they already had another song ready to go - 'Sick Sick Sick' - and a video for it, at the time this song came out? A song which came out as a single in other places but not here? It had better be AMAZING, right? And, without meaning to sound overly defensive, I did ask the band's record label about this at the time. They couldn't explain it either. - Fraser]