If, like us, you might be left wondering where the hell a whole decade went since this was first released, it's much better for you to just forget about it and crank this up to top volume. On its initial release, Rated R had a big impact. Josh Homme and co had moved to a major label to release this sophomore record, and with it came more accessible melodies – and those lamented this as compromise clearly weren't listening properly. The album took them bounding out of Kyuss' shadows and carved a name for themselves through outstanding riffs with lyrics as catchy as their killer grooves.

It starts with – in this reviewer's eyes – the most over-rated song on the heavy side of music. 'Feel Good Hit Of The Summer' trades off of a memorable handful of riffs and the fact teenagers will love it because the only lyrics are a list of (gasp) drugs. Look out, parents. However, once this eye-rolling, tiresome song is over, we get some of their finest moments in the almost poppy single 'The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret' and the skewed, off-kilter 'Leg Of Lamb'. 'Better Living Through Chemistry' is a dynamic groover, 'Tension Head' is satisfyingly heavy and the closing 'I Think I Lost My Headache' is an eight minute, forty second sprawling instrumental masterpiece.

Making this release appealing to those who already own this album is the second disc - the obligatory B-sides, covers and their feisty live set from Reading Festival 2000. However, it's the album that's worth getting. While there now exists enough music like this to fill your CD racks three times over, it only goes to show how much of an influence this album had, and as a result it doesn't sound remotely dated ten years down the line. A true classic.

Rating: 4/5 by Phill May

Tracklisting

Disc 1


1. Feel Good Hit Of The Summer
2. The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret
3. Leg Of Lamb
4. Auto Pilot
5. Better Living Through Chemistry
6. Monsters In The Parasol
7. Quick And To The Pointless
8. In The Fade/Feel Good Hit Of The Summer (Reprise)
9. Tension Head
10. Lightning Song
11. I Think I Lost My Headache
    Disc 2
    
12. Ode To Clarissa
13. You're So Vague
14. Never Say Never
15. Who'll Be The Next In Line
16. Born To Hula
17. Monsters In The Parasol (Live)
18. Feel Good Hit Of The Summer (Live Reading 2000)
19. Regular John (Live Reading 2000)
20. Avon (Live Reading 2000)
21. Quick And To The Pointless (Live Reading 2000)
22. Better Living Through Chemistry (Live Reading 2000)
23. Ode To Clarissa (Live Reading 2000)
24. The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret (Live Reading 2000)
25. You Can't Quit Me, Baby (Live Reading 2000)
26. Millionaire (Live Reading 2000)

Further links

Queens Of The Stone Age on Myspace

Myspace of stoner legends, Queens Of the Stone Age