Tag Archives: giveth

My iPod #373: Queens of the Stone Age – First It Giveth

“No One Knows” and “Go with the Flow” all got their relatively big-budget videos, so I was a bit disappointed when seeing the one for “First It Giveth” for the first time. It’s one of those ‘band-on-tour’ montage things. But it does include some hilarious clips of Josh Homme jumping into a drum kit, wiggling his butt in front of a sleeping Mark Lanegan and Nick Oliveri swinging his bass around whilst naked on stage. Funny as those are, a cooler video would have been fun too.

“First It Giveth” is third in what are some killer opening tracks to Queens of the Stone Age’s third album “Songs for the Deaf”. After the shrieks and velocity provided in “Millionaire” and signature song “No One Knows” you wouldn’t think that the sheer level of consistency could be maintained. But when the faux-Spanish radio interlude that follows “No One Knows” ends, “First It Giveth”‘s drums enter immediately and you realise just what you’re in for.

Couldn’t tell you what the track’s about. It’s just very good. And dark. All the guitars play the same phrases and lines in unison throughout the track which is awesome. There is no time allowed for you to catch your breath except for one part that comes before the second verse, and even then that is interrupted as the track continues its momentum. By the end, even Homme gives a wayward sigh when he finishes singing.

Not a bad track at all.