This album is way more experimental than your run-of-the-mill stoner rock. Pianos, horns, and electronic effects are pulled out for effect while Josh Homme digs deep into his bag of guitar riffs and comes up with a memorable, headbangable one for each track. The lyrics are typical QOTSA--ironic, intelligent, funny, and drug-induced. Most of the songs are kept short and to the point, and never lose their punch.

And my, what diversity. Loud Olivieri screamers (Tension Head), straightahead yet left-of-center rock (Leg Of Lamb, Autopilot), a floaty little instrumental (Lightning Song), a brilliant number featuring Mark Lanegan on vocals (In The Fade), Sabbath-esque lumbering rock (I Think I Lost My Headache), and just all-out trippiness (Better Living Through Chemistry, Monsters In The Parasol), it's amazing what this band can do with just a 42-minute run time.

While there is one weak song (the aptly titled Quick And To The Pointless), it's not enough to keep me from giving Rated R 5 stars. Whether you're a QOTSA fan, a Kyuss fan, or just love alternative or stoner rock, this is one of the best-executed albums I've heard lately. Highly reccommended.


A great follow up to a great debut. 4.5 stars   February 10, 2002
Wheelchair Assassin (The Great Concavity)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Eclectic, creative, and addictive, "Rated R" sees Queens of the Stone Age expanding on the riff-driven stoner rock found on their classic self-titled debut. Whereas their prior album found the band using grinding, repetitive riffs for the most part, with "Rated R" the band uses a much greater variety of sounds and song structures. "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" is fast and catchy ode to drug use, while the single "The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret" places Josh Homme's laid-back wail over a driving guitar riff. Other highlights include the trippy "Leg of Lamb," the slow and atmosperic "Auto Pilot" and "In the Fade," and the propulsive "Monsters in the Parasol" (how much pot did Homme smoke before he came up with that lyric?). The use of multiple singers is a plus, as Nick Oliveri's gritty voice powers "Auto Pilot" and Mark Lanegan lends "In the Fade" its relaxed air. Throughout the album, QOTSA maintain the garage edge that characterizes stoner rock, without it sounding like it was tape-recorded in a garage. Like its predecessor, "Rated R" is a great album for cruising around with the windows open and the stereo blasting, or just sitting around mellowing out.


Not 17? We'll need some ID please...   April 26, 2005
himeigma (Washington D.C.)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

I have to admit, I found out about Queens of the Stone Age after Songs for the Deaf was released so I naturally went for the latest release. With the new album coming up (review coming soon!), I decided to go back to Queens' Rated R album. While different from Songs for the Deaf, this album still has the epic nature of its successor.

The album starts off with "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" with pulsating bass and drums and crunchy guitars that are the background of Homme's voice repeating intoxicants. The occasional guitar solos and background voices make this song one of the best Queens songs; a good way to start the album.

Next comes "Lost Art of Keeping a Secret." With a more mysterious yet upbeat tone, this song is very catchy. Homme's souring voice flouts over Oliveri's jumpy riffs. With the crunchy distorted guitars in the chorus makes this song great and original.

"Leg of Lamb" comes with a repeated guitar riff that changes during the chorus. Overall, a decent song but not able to compete with the first two hits.

"Auto Pilot" has souring (pardon the pun) guitars and Oliveri's voice is calm and soothing. A relaxing rock song. Some would consider it a first. Great song that's very catchy.

"Better Living Through Chemistry" is back to mysterious guitar riffs. Homme smooth singing tells some stuff that seems like Matrix movie references in the lyrics. With occasional pauses, humming voices, and guitar solos keep you on your feet and enables to pay attention to the whole song. A great song and matches it up with the first two songs to become a hit.

"Monsters in the Parasol" starts off promising with a crunchy guitar riff and upbeat drums. However, the guitar and Homme's voice in the chorus crashes and burns and sounds like music that would be on the background of a circus.

"Quick and to the Pointless" is exactly what the title says. It's a Oliveri scream session. There's some German (?) in the lyrics that makes is slightly more interesting. The kids' screaming "Yeah yeah yeah yeah" and the guitar riffs are catchy and you can't help but randomly start singing the song in conversations.

"In The Fade" begins to start like another mysterious song but turns out to be...should I say...happy? The bass and guitar riffs seem one that would be used a mainstream love song. The most mainstream-like on this album, its not bad and its catchy but it doesn't seem like the same Queens. However, at the very end it seems that the band felt nostalgic and gave us about a 30 second clip of "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" which gives off a meaning to their audience: Don't do drugs, kids!!

"Tension Head" gives a mainstream-like guitar riff that accompanies another Oliveri scream session. Like "Quick" its still a good song and fits into the flow of the CD.
As if to make up for the loud guitar riffs that blow off your ears, "Lightning Song" is an instrumental song that has a piano, soothing acoustic guitars, and a nice beat that makes you think of hot girls on the beach. Great song! It's going on my calm music playlist.

To go out with a bang "I Think I Lost My Headache" sounds like "Better Living" but with a slightly syncopated beat in the beginning and Homme's voice is not filtered. This over-eight-minute-long epic is a great way to end the song. Curiosly enough, it even has a brass section to the song where trumpets and French horns take on the guitar riff. Along with that is a trumpet solo in which you can't help but smile.

Better than Song for the Deaf? Hard to say. Less poppy and more pure rock, "R" is one of the best albums around. How do they do it? I guess it doesn't matter, as long as they keep doing it. So I highly suggest this CD. Well that's the end of the review. And remember kids, don't do drugs.


My second favorite full length QOTSA album   July 7, 2000
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

I have listened to Rated R repeatedly just hoping I could learn to love it as much as the first one. But, I'm left with mixed feelings about this album. Most of the album I just can't get enough of. It's a very good album. The band is very experimental in nature. That is one of the things that makes this band great. But, I think there's just a little too much of that on this album. Sure, it's interesting the first time but it quickly turns monotonous and irritating. Half of the album is excellent and definitely worth buying. That's not my major gripe though. If you are a stoner rock fan or a Kyuss fan, you may find a major flaw in the album - it doesn't rock. It has it's moments, but if you compare this to Kyuss, Unida, or the first QOTSA, it sounds like stoner pop.


What a great album!!   December 10, 2005
B. Santos (Faro, Portugal)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Yes, this is, without a doubt the best QOTSA album. Breaking away from the previous album which was quite boring ( almost every song sounds the same ) , Rated R has an unique appeal to it. Starting off with "Feel good hit of the summer" and it's simple but heart felt message (someone that spends 2m43s singing "Nicotine, valium, vicodin, marijuana, ecstasy and alcohol, c-c-c-c-c-cocaine" really likes it!!), passing through great songs like "Monsters in the parasol", "Leg of lamb", "Auto pilot" and so on, you get a sense that although the core of the band lies in Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri, QOTSA is nothing but a bunch of friends gathered around to play great music and share experiences and sensibilities. Unlike "Songs for the deaf" and it's visceral appeal, "Rated R" has more of hallucinogenic side to it and that makes it a great trip. Excellent record, worthy of every cent. A must have and a must hear, over and over. And then again.