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Era Vulgaris (album)
Encyclopedia
Era Vulgaris is the fifth full length studio album
by American hard rock
band Queens of the Stone Age
. The album was completed in early April 2007 and released on June 8, 2007 in some countries, June 11, 2007 in the United Kingdom and June 12, 2007 in the United States. The tracks "Sick, Sick, Sick
" and "3's & 7's
" were released as singles in early June, with a third single "Make It wit Chu
" released around Halloween
of 2007.
The album debuted at #14 on the US Billboard 200
charts selling 52,000 copies in its first week, which was a decline in comparison to the previous album, which opened at #5 with 91,000 copies sold in its debut week. In other countries it has reached much loftier debut positions, mostly in the top ten, such as number five in Canada where it sold approximately 10,000 copies in its opening week.
was said to be inspired by Josh Homme's tedious drive through the Southern California
n desert, the inspiration for Era Vulgaris came from Homme's daily drive through Hollywood. He described the record as "dark, hard, and electrical, sort of like a construction worker,", "…it's like dirt, clearly seen." The album's title Era Vulgaris refers to the Latin
term for Common Era
. The title was chosen by Homme because he thought "it sounds like 'the Vulgar Era', which I like, because that sounds like something that I would like to be part of… I mean I think we're in it, and I'm stoked".
Two tracks from the album had previously been released or performed elsewhere. "Into the Hollow" was previously performed by producers Josh Homme and Chris Goss
as The 5:15ers
, and "Make It wit Chu
" was previously recorded as a Desert Sessions
track, as well as appearing on QotSA's live album Over the Years and Through the Woods
.
, Jesse F. Keeler
, the former bassist from Death from Above 1979
, revealed that he would be playing bass on an upcoming Queens of the Stone Age album, but said that he would more than likely not be touring with the band due to his desire to spend more time with his girlfriend. Eventually on the DFA internet forum, Keeler revealed that due to conflicting schedules, he would not be appearing on the album. In a July interview with NME
, Homme confirmed that the band was back in the studio, writing, but he remained unwilling to reveal who would appear in the band on the new record:
The album was expected to include guest performances by Trent Reznor
from Nine Inch Nails
, Julian Casablancas
from The Strokes
, former band member Mark Lanegan
, Billy Gibbons
of ZZ Top
, and (jokingly) deceased humorist Erma Bombeck
. Of these, however, only Casablancas' and Lanegan's tracks appear on the U.S. release: Casablancas performed synth guitar and backing vocals on "Sick, Sick, Sick", and Lanegan sang backing vocals on "River in the Road". Ultimately, scheduling conflicts prevented Gibbons from appearing, while Reznor's track "Era Vulgaris" was released separately on the You Know What You Did promotional CD, as well as on the UK release of the album.
and Sound City Studios, Van Nuys and mixed
at Bay 7 Studios, North Hollywood, California
. Recording and mixing were by Alain Johannes
, while the album was produced by Josh Homme together with Chris Goss
as the Fififf Teeners
. The primary contributors to the recording were Homme, Troy van Leeuwen
, Joey Castillo
, Johannes and Goss.
Goss and Johannes were replaced by Dean Fertita
(keyboard) and Michael Shuman
(bass) for later bonus track recordings and the subsequent supporting tour. Regarding the bands line-up changes for Era Vulgaris, Homme commented "I like combinations that no one would expect…It's the cool part of any surprise party."
with heavy, crunchy guitars and adding in some electronic
influences. Rolling Stone
noted the influence of "New Wave
synth
geek Gary Numan
…all over this record." Musically, the album has been described as "brand new retro
", a fusion of "punk
, rock, blues
and southern grit" (FHM
), and slower, moodier, and groggier than the band's previous efforts.
Shortly after the album's announcement in February 2007, a video was posted on the band's official website showing Homme, Castillo and Van Leeuwen jamming
. Along with brief footage of the recording session for "Misfit Love", the last 6–7 seconds of the video contained footage of the recording of "3's & 7's
" accompanied by studio-mastered audio. A second video of the recording of the album surfaced subsequently on YouTube
, depicting the band (this time including Alain Johannes) recording a new track, "Turning on the Screw" in studio.
In early April, the official band website was updated with a 37 second excerpt from "Sick, Sick, Sick
". This was replaced, however, by the complete song, "3's and 7's", which was later removed. QOTSA fansite thefade.net announced a promotional contest for fans to win "a special package" from the band, confirmed as legitimate by the band's webmaster. On April 13, packages were sent to selected winners containing a CD entitled You Know What You Did with the sole track "Era Vulgaris", which Homme separately confirmed would not be appearing on the record, although it was included as a bonus track on the UK edition. The CD was accompanied by a handwritten letter asking fans to share the song in any way possible:
On May 2, 2007, Homme, Van Leeuwen and new band member Dean Fertita appeared on London radio station Xfm
, performing an acoustic
set that included the tracks "3's & 7's", "Into the Hollow" and "Suture Up Your Future".
It was announced that tracks from the band would appear in the video games Madden NFL 08
, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
and Rock Band, specifically that the track "3's & 7's
" would be featured in Madden NFL 08 and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Both "3's & 7's
" and "Sick, Sick, Sick
" are available as downloadable content on Rock Band and Rock Band 2
, as they share the same Music Store. In addition, "Make It Wit Chu
" was later included in the tracklist of Guitar Hero 5.
The album's cover features the two lightbulbs from the promotional video, Bulby and his pirate accomplice (pictured right), marking a change from the plainer designs of the bands' previous albums. According to Homme, the light bulb represented "…what you perceive to be a great idea that really is not that great of an idea". The cover was a slip of paper, with a simplified credits page on the back side, marked with the outline of the record. The typography follows an Old English style font; Blackmoor, with the 'Spermy Q' seen on their album Songs for the Deaf.
An art booklet was also included, featuring "Bulby" and several other characters which unfolded to display a pin-up advertisement for the album, following the 50's advertising satire as the rest of the album art followed. The lack of liner notes for the album was remedied when the official website allowed users to view an e-booklet, containing more detailed liner notes, lyrics, and previously unseen artwork. The green light bulb with the pirate hat, eye patch and peg leg is known as "Patchy".
The lightbulb characters were created by Morning Breath Inc. with overall art direction from Jason Noto and Doug Cunningham of Morning Breath Inc.
, a decline from their previous two studio album
s. Uncut
and Allmusic's reviews were particularly glowing, with the latter noting how Era Vulgaris is "as different from Lullabies
as that was to their dramatic widescreen breakthrough, Songs for the Deaf
". The Observer
also commented on the album's change in direction, commenting that the band had "turned its back on the mainstream" and that the album was "uneasy and brooding" and "Gripping stuff". Rolling Stone
gave the album four stars for the first time since the band's self titled debut
, commenting that "Era Vulgaris is Homme's fifth Queens album, and like the others, it's intricately crafted, meticulously polished and ruthlessly efficient in its pursuit of depraved rock thrills." New York Times critic Jon Pareles selected the album as the 10th best release of 2007.
A number of reviews were negative, however; Q
magazine gave the album two stars out of five, while The Village Voice
criticized Homme for lack of originality, describing the record's sound as "listless and drained of ideas". The Guardian
slated the record as lyrically clichéd and lacking the input of former bassist Nick Oliveri
and Entertainment Weekly
delivered the closing indictment that "there isn't a single song here that you'll remember, or want to return to, two summers hence."
Era Vulgaris had sold 198,000 copies in the US, and 521,000 copies worldwide before falling off the charts. Since it fell off the chart, it has sold 223,000 copies in the US, and 600,000 copies worldwide. The US sales are a drop off from their previous album, as Lullabies to Paralyze
, had sold 342,000 copies in the US by March 2007. Neither album achieved the commercial success of the band's 2002 release, Songs for the Deaf
, which had sold 986,000 copies in the US alone as of June 2007.
, Troy Van Leeuwen
and Joey Castillo
, except for ""Sick, Sick, Sick" (Homme, Goss, Van Leeuwen, Castillo) and "Make It wit Chu
" (Homme, Johannes, Melchiondo
).
This list is exhaustive of the core eleven tracks (see above), but does not take into account contributions to bonus tracks.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
. The album was completed in early April 2007 and released on June 8, 2007 in some countries, June 11, 2007 in the United Kingdom and June 12, 2007 in the United States. The tracks "Sick, Sick, Sick
Sick, Sick, Sick
"Sick, Sick, Sick" is a Grammy nominated single released by Queens of the Stone Age from their 2007 album Era Vulgaris. It was released on May 8, 2007 as a digital download only from the U.S. iTunes Store...
" and "3's & 7's
3's & 7's
"3's & 7's" is the second single by Queens of the Stone Age from their 2007 album Era Vulgaris. It was released on June 4, 2007 and followed the digital download-only "Sick, Sick, Sick"....
" were released as singles in early June, with a third single "Make It wit Chu
Make It wit Chu
"Make It wit Chu" is the third single by Queens of the Stone Age from their 2007 album Era Vulgaris. Originally a track on The Desert Sessions Volumes 9 & 10 titled "I Wanna Make It wit Chu", the song also appeared on the band's live DVD Over the Years and Through the Woods before being rerecorded...
" released around Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
of 2007.
The album debuted at #14 on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
charts selling 52,000 copies in its first week, which was a decline in comparison to the previous album, which opened at #5 with 91,000 copies sold in its debut week. In other countries it has reached much loftier debut positions, mostly in the top ten, such as number five in Canada where it sold approximately 10,000 copies in its opening week.
Overview and background
While 2002's Songs for the DeafSongs for the Deaf
-Production and release:In September 2002, Josh Homme explained the band's goals with the release of the album:In the same month, Nick Oliveri explained the band's aims in an interview with retail company HMV:...
was said to be inspired by Josh Homme's tedious drive through the Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
n desert, the inspiration for Era Vulgaris came from Homme's daily drive through Hollywood. He described the record as "dark, hard, and electrical, sort of like a construction worker,", "…it's like dirt, clearly seen." The album's title Era Vulgaris refers to the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
term for Common Era
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
. The title was chosen by Homme because he thought "it sounds like 'the Vulgar Era', which I like, because that sounds like something that I would like to be part of… I mean I think we're in it, and I'm stoked".
Two tracks from the album had previously been released or performed elsewhere. "Into the Hollow" was previously performed by producers Josh Homme and Chris Goss
Chris Goss
Christopher Ryan Goss, born August 17, 1958, is an American record producer and musician.-Selected discography:Throughout his career Goss has worked with a wide range of musicians in various genres.* 1988 - Masters of Reality by Masters of Reality...
as The 5:15ers
Fififf Teeners
Fififf Teeners is the name given to the side project of musicians Josh Homme and Chris Goss.The alias of the duo was first used when they co-produced Queens of the Stone Age's Rated R, and again for the band's fifth studio album, Era Vulgaris...
, and "Make It wit Chu
Make It wit Chu
"Make It wit Chu" is the third single by Queens of the Stone Age from their 2007 album Era Vulgaris. Originally a track on The Desert Sessions Volumes 9 & 10 titled "I Wanna Make It wit Chu", the song also appeared on the band's live DVD Over the Years and Through the Woods before being rerecorded...
" was previously recorded as a Desert Sessions
The Desert Sessions
The Desert Sessions are a musical collective series, founded by Josh Homme in 1997. Artists such as Brant Bjork, PJ Harvey, Jeordie White The Desert Sessions are a musical collective series, founded by Josh Homme in 1997. Artists such as Brant Bjork, PJ Harvey, Jeordie White The Desert Sessions are...
track, as well as appearing on QotSA's live album Over the Years and Through the Woods
Over the Years and Through the Woods
Over the Years and Through the Woods is the title of a live album and video by Queens of the Stone Age.The release features material on audio CD as well as video DVD — both recorded at London's Brixton Academy on Monday August 22, 2005 and KOKO on Tuesday August 23, 2005...
.
Pre-production speculation and contributors
In June 2006, in an interview on the Australian radio station Triple JTriple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
, Jesse F. Keeler
Jesse F. Keeler
Jesse Frederick Keeler is a Canadian musician. He is known as the bassist of Canadian dance punk duo Death from Above 1979, and for being one half of the electronic music duo MSTRKRFT....
, the former bassist from Death from Above 1979
Death from Above 1979
Death from Above 1979 are a Toronto-based Canadian dance-punk/noise rock duo. Their album, You're a Woman, I'm a Machine, was released in late 2004. The band broke up in 2006, but announced a reunion in 2011.-History:...
, revealed that he would be playing bass on an upcoming Queens of the Stone Age album, but said that he would more than likely not be touring with the band due to his desire to spend more time with his girlfriend. Eventually on the DFA internet forum, Keeler revealed that due to conflicting schedules, he would not be appearing on the album. In a July interview with NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, Homme confirmed that the band was back in the studio, writing, but he remained unwilling to reveal who would appear in the band on the new record:
The album was expected to include guest performances by Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
from Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, Julian Casablancas
Julian Casablancas
Julian Fernando Casablancas is an American singer-songwriter and musician of The Strokes. Casablancas pursued a solo career during The Strokes' hiatus, releasing the album Phrazes for the Young on November 3, 2009....
from The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
, former band member Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan is an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s, forming the grunge group Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band Lanegan would start a low-key solo career...
, Billy Gibbons
Billy Gibbons
William Frederick "Billy" Gibbons is an American musician, actor and car customizer, best known as the guitarist of the Texas blues-rock band ZZ Top. He is also the lead singer and composer for many of the band's songs. Gibbons is known for playing his Gretsch Billy Bo guitar and his famous 1959...
of ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
, and (jokingly) deceased humorist Erma Bombeck
Erma Bombeck
Erma Louise Bombeck was an American humorist who achieved great popularity for her newspaper column that described suburban home life from the mid-1960s until the late 1990s...
. Of these, however, only Casablancas' and Lanegan's tracks appear on the U.S. release: Casablancas performed synth guitar and backing vocals on "Sick, Sick, Sick", and Lanegan sang backing vocals on "River in the Road". Ultimately, scheduling conflicts prevented Gibbons from appearing, while Reznor's track "Era Vulgaris" was released separately on the You Know What You Did promotional CD, as well as on the UK release of the album.
Recording
The album was recorded "with exactly zero input from [record label] Interscope Records" between July 2006 and April 2007 at Cherokee Studios, Hollywood, Steakhouse Studios, Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Sound City Studios, Van Nuys and mixed
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
at Bay 7 Studios, North Hollywood, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Recording and mixing were by Alain Johannes
Alain Johannes
Alain Johannes Moschulski is a guitarist and, along with his late partner Natasha Shneider and drummer Jack Irons, a founding member of the band Eleven...
, while the album was produced by Josh Homme together with Chris Goss
Chris Goss (U.S.)
Christopher Ryan Goss, born August 17, 1958, is an American record producer and musician.-Selected discography:Throughout his career Goss has worked with a wide range of musicians in various genres.* 1988 - Masters of Reality by Masters of Reality...
as the Fififf Teeners
Fififf Teeners
Fififf Teeners is the name given to the side project of musicians Josh Homme and Chris Goss.The alias of the duo was first used when they co-produced Queens of the Stone Age's Rated R, and again for the band's fifth studio album, Era Vulgaris...
. The primary contributors to the recording were Homme, Troy van Leeuwen
Troy Van Leeuwen
Troy Dean Van Leeuwen is an American musician and producer. Van Leeuwen began playing music at young age and started playing guitar at age 13. Soon Van Leeuwen was playing in various local bands such as Jester, 60 Cycle and later Failure...
, Joey Castillo
Joey Castillo
Joseph Willam "Joey" Castillo is an American drummer currently playing with Queens of the Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal...
, Johannes and Goss.
Goss and Johannes were replaced by Dean Fertita
Dean Fertita
Dean Fertita is an American rock musician and multi-instrumentalist. Fertita was the lead singer and guitarist of The Waxwings from the band's formation in 1997 to its breakup in 2005...
(keyboard) and Michael Shuman
Michael Shuman
Michael Shuman is an American rock musician. He is most famous for playing bass with rock band Queens of the Stone Age...
(bass) for later bonus track recordings and the subsequent supporting tour. Regarding the bands line-up changes for Era Vulgaris, Homme commented "I like combinations that no one would expect…It's the cool part of any surprise party."
Musical style and influences
Era Vulgaris displays influences from many different genres. The album departs from the softer, hollowbody guitar sound of their previous album Lullabies to ParalyzeLullabies to Paralyze
Lullabies to Paralyze is the fourth studio album by hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age, released on March 21, 2005. The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, and sold 97,000 copies in America during its first week of release, eventually topping over 342,000 copies as of March, 2007...
with heavy, crunchy guitars and adding in some electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
influences. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
noted the influence of "New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
synth
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
geek Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
…all over this record." Musically, the album has been described as "brand new retro
Retro
Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again. The use of "retro" style iconography and imagery interjected into post-modern art, advertising, mass media, etc...
", a fusion of "punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, rock, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and southern grit" (FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
), and slower, moodier, and groggier than the band's previous efforts.
Behind the scenes and promotional contest
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
. Along with brief footage of the recording session for "Misfit Love", the last 6–7 seconds of the video contained footage of the recording of "3's & 7's
3's & 7's
"3's & 7's" is the second single by Queens of the Stone Age from their 2007 album Era Vulgaris. It was released on June 4, 2007 and followed the digital download-only "Sick, Sick, Sick"....
" accompanied by studio-mastered audio. A second video of the recording of the album surfaced subsequently on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, depicting the band (this time including Alain Johannes) recording a new track, "Turning on the Screw" in studio.
In early April, the official band website was updated with a 37 second excerpt from "Sick, Sick, Sick
Sick, Sick, Sick
"Sick, Sick, Sick" is a Grammy nominated single released by Queens of the Stone Age from their 2007 album Era Vulgaris. It was released on May 8, 2007 as a digital download only from the U.S. iTunes Store...
". This was replaced, however, by the complete song, "3's and 7's", which was later removed. QOTSA fansite thefade.net announced a promotional contest for fans to win "a special package" from the band, confirmed as legitimate by the band's webmaster. On April 13, packages were sent to selected winners containing a CD entitled You Know What You Did with the sole track "Era Vulgaris", which Homme separately confirmed would not be appearing on the record, although it was included as a bonus track on the UK edition. The CD was accompanied by a handwritten letter asking fans to share the song in any way possible:
Bulby, Xfm and soundtracks
The full track "Sick, Sick, Sick" was leaked onto the Internet, countered by the posting of a promotional video to the official site featuring a "sales pitch" for Era Vulgaris by two talking lightbulbs , followed by streaming of "Sick, Sick, Sick" with official lyrics displayed in the background.On May 2, 2007, Homme, Van Leeuwen and new band member Dean Fertita appeared on London radio station Xfm
Xfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
, performing an acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
set that included the tracks "3's & 7's", "Into the Hollow" and "Suture Up Your Future".
It was announced that tracks from the band would appear in the video games Madden NFL 08
Madden NFL 08
Madden NFL 08 is the 2008 edition of the American football video game series published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It is the 19th installment in the Madden NFL video game franchise. It features Titans star quarterback Vince Young on the cover. San Diego Chargers defensive end Luis...
, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall...
and Rock Band, specifically that the track "3's & 7's
3's & 7's
"3's & 7's" is the second single by Queens of the Stone Age from their 2007 album Era Vulgaris. It was released on June 4, 2007 and followed the digital download-only "Sick, Sick, Sick"....
" would be featured in Madden NFL 08 and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Both "3's & 7's
3's & 7's
"3's & 7's" is the second single by Queens of the Stone Age from their 2007 album Era Vulgaris. It was released on June 4, 2007 and followed the digital download-only "Sick, Sick, Sick"....
" and "Sick, Sick, Sick
Sick, Sick, Sick
"Sick, Sick, Sick" is a Grammy nominated single released by Queens of the Stone Age from their 2007 album Era Vulgaris. It was released on May 8, 2007 as a digital download only from the U.S. iTunes Store...
" are available as downloadable content on Rock Band and Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
, as they share the same Music Store. In addition, "Make It Wit Chu
Make It wit Chu
"Make It wit Chu" is the third single by Queens of the Stone Age from their 2007 album Era Vulgaris. Originally a track on The Desert Sessions Volumes 9 & 10 titled "I Wanna Make It wit Chu", the song also appeared on the band's live DVD Over the Years and Through the Woods before being rerecorded...
" was later included in the tracklist of Guitar Hero 5.
Artwork
An art booklet was also included, featuring "Bulby" and several other characters which unfolded to display a pin-up advertisement for the album, following the 50's advertising satire as the rest of the album art followed. The lack of liner notes for the album was remedied when the official website allowed users to view an e-booklet, containing more detailed liner notes, lyrics, and previously unseen artwork. The green light bulb with the pirate hat, eye patch and peg leg is known as "Patchy".
The lightbulb characters were created by Morning Breath Inc. with overall art direction from Jason Noto and Doug Cunningham of Morning Breath Inc.
Reception
Reviews for the album were generally positive, earning a rating of 75 out of 100 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, a decline from their previous two studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
s. Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
and Allmusic's reviews were particularly glowing, with the latter noting how Era Vulgaris is "as different from Lullabies
Lullabies to Paralyze
Lullabies to Paralyze is the fourth studio album by hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age, released on March 21, 2005. The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, and sold 97,000 copies in America during its first week of release, eventually topping over 342,000 copies as of March, 2007...
as that was to their dramatic widescreen breakthrough, Songs for the Deaf
Songs for the Deaf
-Production and release:In September 2002, Josh Homme explained the band's goals with the release of the album:In the same month, Nick Oliveri explained the band's aims in an interview with retail company HMV:...
". The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
also commented on the album's change in direction, commenting that the band had "turned its back on the mainstream" and that the album was "uneasy and brooding" and "Gripping stuff". Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave the album four stars for the first time since the band's self titled debut
Queens of the Stone Age (album)
-Re-release track listing:All tracks written by Alfredo Hernández and Joshua Homme, except where noted.Tracks 6, 11 & 13 are tracks that were included in the re-release. "The Bronze" & "These Aren't the Droids You're Looking For" were included in the 1998 EP The Split CD with the band Beaver...
, commenting that "Era Vulgaris is Homme's fifth Queens album, and like the others, it's intricately crafted, meticulously polished and ruthlessly efficient in its pursuit of depraved rock thrills." New York Times critic Jon Pareles selected the album as the 10th best release of 2007.
A number of reviews were negative, however; Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
magazine gave the album two stars out of five, while The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
criticized Homme for lack of originality, describing the record's sound as "listless and drained of ideas". The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
slated the record as lyrically clichéd and lacking the input of former bassist Nick Oliveri
Nick Oliveri
Nick Steven Oliveri is an American musician from Palm Desert, California. He plays bass guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and is a vocalist...
and Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
delivered the closing indictment that "there isn't a single song here that you'll remember, or want to return to, two summers hence."
Era Vulgaris had sold 198,000 copies in the US, and 521,000 copies worldwide before falling off the charts. Since it fell off the chart, it has sold 223,000 copies in the US, and 600,000 copies worldwide. The US sales are a drop off from their previous album, as Lullabies to Paralyze
Lullabies to Paralyze
Lullabies to Paralyze is the fourth studio album by hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age, released on March 21, 2005. The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, and sold 97,000 copies in America during its first week of release, eventually topping over 342,000 copies as of March, 2007...
, had sold 342,000 copies in the US by March 2007. Neither album achieved the commercial success of the band's 2002 release, Songs for the Deaf
Songs for the Deaf
-Production and release:In September 2002, Josh Homme explained the band's goals with the release of the album:In the same month, Nick Oliveri explained the band's aims in an interview with retail company HMV:...
, which had sold 986,000 copies in the US alone as of June 2007.
Track listing
All tracks were written by Joshua HommeJoshua Homme
Joshua Michael Homme is an American rock musician, and record producer. He was the guitarist and a founding member of the stoner metal band Kyuss, as well as the founding and only continuous member of the hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age , in which he sings, plays guitar, and serves as the...
, Troy Van Leeuwen
Troy Van Leeuwen
Troy Dean Van Leeuwen is an American musician and producer. Van Leeuwen began playing music at young age and started playing guitar at age 13. Soon Van Leeuwen was playing in various local bands such as Jester, 60 Cycle and later Failure...
and Joey Castillo
Joey Castillo
Joseph Willam "Joey" Castillo is an American drummer currently playing with Queens of the Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal...
, except for ""Sick, Sick, Sick" (Homme, Goss, Van Leeuwen, Castillo) and "Make It wit Chu
Make It wit Chu
"Make It wit Chu" is the third single by Queens of the Stone Age from their 2007 album Era Vulgaris. Originally a track on The Desert Sessions Volumes 9 & 10 titled "I Wanna Make It wit Chu", the song also appeared on the band's live DVD Over the Years and Through the Woods before being rerecorded...
" (Homme, Johannes, Melchiondo
Dean Ween
Dean Ween is the stage name of Michael "Mickey" Melchiondo, Jr., American guitarist and half of the alternative rock group Ween.-Biography:...
).
Band line-up
- Josh Homme – vocals (lead, backing), guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(lead, acoustic, electric), percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, lap steel guitarLap steel guitarThe lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
, piano (electric, rhodesRhodes pianoThe Rhodes piano is an electro-mechanical piano, invented by Harold Rhodes during the fifties and later manufactured in a number of models, first in collaboration with Fender and after 1965 by CBS....
, "badly tuned"), organ, "percussion ball" - Troy Van LeeuwenTroy Van LeeuwenTroy Dean Van Leeuwen is an American musician and producer. Van Leeuwen began playing music at young age and started playing guitar at age 13. Soon Van Leeuwen was playing in various local bands such as Jester, 60 Cycle and later Failure...
– keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, guitar (lead, "crazy delay"), lap steel, backing vocals, bass, "the percussion part that's a bitch", MoogMoog MusicMoog Music is an American company based in Asheville, North Carolina which manufactures electronic musical instruments. The current Moog Music is the second company to trade under that name.-R.A. Moog Co. and the original Moog Music:...
, rhodes - Joey CastilloJoey CastilloJoseph Willam "Joey" Castillo is an American drummer currently playing with Queens of the Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion
Guest appearances
- Alain JohannesAlain JohannesAlain Johannes Moschulski is a guitarist and, along with his late partner Natasha Shneider and drummer Jack Irons, a founding member of the band Eleven...
– bass, guitar (acoustic, counterpoint, harmonic), fiddle (counterpoint, "cig"), marxaphone, backing vocals - Chris GossChris Goss (U.S.)Christopher Ryan Goss, born August 17, 1958, is an American record producer and musician.-Selected discography:Throughout his career Goss has worked with a wide range of musicians in various genres.* 1988 - Masters of Reality by Masters of Reality...
– keyboard, "the chicken pluckin guitar", "twinkley bits", organ, piano (electric, "eclectic"), bass, backing vocals - Julian CasablancasJulian CasablancasJulian Fernando Casablancas is an American singer-songwriter and musician of The Strokes. Casablancas pursued a solo career during The Strokes' hiatus, releasing the album Phrazes for the Young on November 3, 2009....
– casio guitar, vocals ("Sick, Sick, Sick") - Serrina Sims – backing vocals
- Brody Dalle-HommeBrody DalleBrody Dalle is an Australian-born American singer, songwriter and guitarist. She rose to fame as lead singer/guitarist for the punk rock band The Distillers and currently fronts Spinnerette....
– backing vocals - Liam LynchLiam Lynch (musician)Liam Lynch is a musician, puppeteer, writer and director. He co-created, co-wrote, played the music for, directed, and produced MTV's Sifl and Olly Show....
– backing vocals - Mark LaneganMark LaneganMark Lanegan is an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s, forming the grunge group Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band Lanegan would start a low-key solo career...
– harmony vocals ("River in the Road")
This list is exhaustive of the core eleven tracks (see above), but does not take into account contributions to bonus tracks.
Technical
Technical credits for the album are as follows:- Chris Goss & Josh Homme (as the Fififf Teeners) - producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s - Alain Johannes - engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Alain Johannes & Joe BarresiJoe BarresiJoe Barresi is an American record engineer and producer who has worked with bands such as Kyuss, The Melvins, Tool, Queens of the Stone Age, Coheed and Cambria, Tomahawk, L7, The Jesus Lizard, Parkway Drive and Bad Religion.-Biography:...
- mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Justin Smith - mixing assistant
- Stephen Marcussen - masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Jason Noto - designDesignDesign as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
, illustrationIllustrationAn illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
s - Dr. Mark A. Williams - A&RA&RArtists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
Album chart positions
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
14 |
| 2007 | Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
4 |
| 2007 | Austrian Albums Chart | 4 |
| 2007 | Belgian Albums Chart | 2 |
| 2007 | Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
5 |
| 2007 | Dutch Albums Chart | 7 |
| 2007 | Finnish Albums Chart | 6 |
| 2007 | French Albums Chart | 22 |
| 2007 | German Albums Chart | 5 |
| 2007 | Italian Albums Chart | 53 |
| 2007 | Irish Albums Chart Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
6 |
| 2007 | New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart | 4 |
| 2007 | Norwegian Albums Chart | 5 |
| 2007 | Spanish Albums Chart | 65 |
| 2007 | Swedish Albums Chart | 6 |
| 2007 | Swiss Albums Chart | 4 |
| 2007 | UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
7 |
Singles chart positions
| Year | Single | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Sick, Sick, Sick Sick, Sick, Sick "Sick, Sick, Sick" is a Grammy nominated single released by Queens of the Stone Age from their 2007 album Era Vulgaris. It was released on May 8, 2007 as a digital download only from the U.S. iTunes Store... " |
U.S. Modern Rock Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
23 |
| 2007 | "Sick, Sick, Sick" | U.S. Mainstream Rock Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
37 |
| 2007 | "Sick, Sick, Sick" | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
65 |
| 2007 | "3's & 7's 3's & 7's "3's & 7's" is the second single by Queens of the Stone Age from their 2007 album Era Vulgaris. It was released on June 4, 2007 and followed the digital download-only "Sick, Sick, Sick".... " |
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles Chart Eurochart Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,... |
85 |
| 2007 | "3's & 7's" | UK Singles Chart | 19 |
| 2007 | "3's & 7's" | UK Rock Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| 2007 | "3's & 7's" | U.S. Modern Rock Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
25 |
| 2007 | "Make It wit Chu" | U.S. Modern Rock Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
N/A |
Album release history
| Region | Date |
|---|---|
| Germany | June 8, 2007 |
| Ireland | June 8, 2007 |
| Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
June 8, 2007 |
| United Kingdom | June 11, 2007 |
| United States | June 12, 2007 |