Scumbag Blues – Them Crooked Vultures

As a discography Lord Davey Grohl and his noble Foo Fighters story has more side orders than my local curry house. The only other more collaborative individual in the current top-tier of heavy music is Sir Joshua of Homme. We all know Dave and Josh have over lapped in The Ginger Elvis’ main gig. The really interesting ‘would be Kings’ of the next phase album, Them Crooked Vultures cannot be overlooked in either artists discography.

Them Crooked Vultures thus far has been a one shot deal where members of QOTSA/Foos/Led Zep get together on an equal footing and belt out brutalist stoner rock. That’s stoner rock with such monolithic flat edges that your typical monkey could not begin to scale them without first inventing tools.

There is not a bad tune on that red white and black package. The glorious No One Loves Me And Neither Do I was the opening single and there were a fair few other releases which troubled the radio and allowed the band to tour it for a solid year working in and around QOTSA, Foo Fighters and Remasters/Retirement related activities.

John Paul Jones is the unique ingredient in this mix that separates TCV from the other two bands sound.

I mean, I know he was in *ahem* Led Zeppelin but his playing really is revelatory, not because we didn’t know he could, but because it was awesome to see he still had the fire to want to.

After decades away from the mainstages he nails his parts like a plank welding Johhny Cash. With none of the latter day Zeppelin’s flab these cold, bold rough boy songs were unforgiving gunslingers on the festival circuit in 2010.

Other bands literally melted into puddles of pointlessness in the cold glare of Homme, Grohl, Jones and the other bloke. Credit where it’s due. These cats like to bring along one of their less successful mates when they do their all star projects.

Them Crooked Vultures is a high point in 21st century rock albums. Maybe we’ll get a Vol 2 one day.

Check out this live set from a German Festival if you want some more Vulture culture