Kyuss

Blues for the Red Sun

By A Customer

If you're unacquainted with Kyuss, this is the place to start getting acquainted; Blues for the Red Sun is more mature and deep than Wretch, but not quite as psychedelic and sprawling (in terms of track length) as Kyuss (Welcome to Sky Valley). Ignore the constant comparisons to Black Sabbath -- Kyuss rocks more than Ol' Man Ozzy could ever dream of rocking. In fact, Kyuss rocks more than pretty much anyone could ever dream of rocking, and the same can be said of this record.

"Thumb" starts off with a quiet but ominous riff and slowly builds to a bludgeoning swirl of guitar, bass, drum, and visceral vocals. Kyuss only lets up sporadically throughout the rest of the album, playing softly just long enough to lull the listener into a comfortable position and then -- WHAM! -- they assault you with thunderous guitar riffs, explosive basslines, and pounding drums. It's truly something you have to experience to appreciate.

A lot of people criticize John Garcia's vocals as "unoriginal" or "unimportant." Maybe singing and lyrics were (and are) not the point of Kyuss; still, his vocals add quite a bit to the songs. What would "Thumb" be without John Garcia's primal roar? What would "Allen's Wrench" be without his grabbing yells? What would "Thong Song" be without him? John Garcia is a vital component of the music and truly an underappreciated singer who can do it all with his voice.

Another incredible thing about this record is that the band members were in their late teens and early twenties when this was recorded. Josh Homme, Kyuss' guitar god and primary songwriter, was a mere nineteen. To write music this complex (music that puts practically every other artist out there to shame) at nineteen is unbelievably. Josh Homme (as well as Brant Bjork, the wonderful drummer) is truly one of the best artists out there now. Before he's done, he may be this generation's answer to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Hendrix, Clapton, and Page.

Another criticism about this album is that it's heavy on instrumentals. While it's true that almost every other song is an instrumental (or close to one), the instrumentals serve as bridges between the other songs, as well as some of the album's most interesting pieces. Try not to like "Apothecaries' Weight," I dare you. Try to tell me that "800" is a throw away track. The instrumentals are great, just like everything else on here.

As for standout tracks, everything here rocks. When I first bought this record, I hated "Thong Song." Now it's possibly my favorite song. It starts slow and turns into one of the most crushing songs on the record. "Freedom Run," "Mondo Generator," and "Thumb" are other top picks that'll have even the most steadfast music fan rocking out. -- Amazon

And The Circus Leaves Town

By

Reviewer

When this album was first released it seemed as if it was missing an unknown ingredient that is found in "Blues for the Red Sun" and "Welcome to Sky Valley". As the years passed I found that I would grab one of the other two albums before I would grab this one (never mind "Wretch" - that album is more of a trophy for Kyuss collectors than anything else, not as good as the others, but still a keepsake). Not that this album isn't good... it's amazing... just different than the others. Perhaps there is a sense that the band is on its way out, perhaps the unity that was in the other albums doesn't come out of the music like it once did. It's hard to place.

And then a few years ago I popped this CD into my car stereo one morning... and left it there for weeks. I listened to it every time I was in the car, enough that people started to notice. It was just too good to take it out. It was one of those great moments when I "rediscover" a CD from my collection, when I remind myself how cool an album is.

This album takes everything that the members of Kyuss built over the previous albums and puts a 400 grit sandpaper polish on it. It's not shiny, but for Kyuss, it's polished, where they are taking on a dull sheen that comes with exposure and experience. Josh Homme has learned a lot by this album, exploring more of the guitar neck than he had in the past. Like other albums, Homme still uses the technique of layering octaves over one another to create depth in the sound, but he has acquired more courage to use the higher notes, the frets above number 7 and the strings lighter than .032 gauge. Homme never attempts wailing solos, probably because he doesn't like them (he tried on "Wretch", but he was young and inexperienced then).

The instruments don't blend together as much as they do on other albums, meaning that the mixing is perhaps cleaner than before. Each track is more distinguishable. "Phototropic" is a reminder of what Kyuss can do, a 5 minute studio jam of octaves layered on one another, blending in and out of melody and heavy rocking, and Garcia's vocals don't start until half way through the song. It is a beautiful thing.

"El Rodeo" is definitely one of my favorite songs. I remember my freshmen year of college, listening to this album in my dorm room and picking out the touch of Spanish guitar in the lead riff. When I finally nailed it, it wasn't hard to pick up the rest, and then I kept rocking to it for probably a week. Its the same Kyuss formula... find a riff, built on it by expanding on the key, bring it to crescendo, and then rock it out. And it always works.

"Size Queen" is a grooving rythm that is more funky than things Kyuss has done in the past. Again, it is based on a single riff created by Josh Homme that is distinctly his own, but they build it well. One gets the feeling that much of Kyuss' music is built on riffs that Josh discovered while messing around with his guitar, but every song is inevitably a masterpiece.

"Catamaran" is beautiful. It uses much less distortion, much more reverb (and maybe some chorus?), and is much more expansive than any other song on the album. Again, Kyuss shows the odd talent to blend metal with melody, because it isn't long before "Catamaran" takes on the low dirge of metal riffs, but falls right back into the melody. It is sad that it is only a 2 minutes and 59 seconds long.

"Catamaran" is followed by "Spaceship Landing", an appropriately long jam that ends the album, fades into silence after 11 minutes until 32:15, when a slow melody arises, a combination of many layers of Garcia's voice accompanied by only guitar and bass.

The Kyuss triumverate, "Welcome to Sky Valley", "Blues for the Red Sun", and "...And the Circus Leaves Town", are a must-have set for anyone looking for unique and pleasurable music. The first album, "Wretch" will disappoint anyone familiar with Kyuss' later work, but it is an extra piece to add to the collection, just to say you have it. --Amazon