Misfit Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h76NTH-f97k

Hello there,

I think most people would agree that I am rarely at a loss for words (indeed, often people note I could do with saying less on occasion), but this track off "Era Vulgaris" by Queens of the Stone Age leaves me stunned every time.

From the moment Joshua Homme announces "This is a little dance number called Misfit Love", the audience simply cannot expect the outcome. As the trance-like backing track moves towards the airplane crash guitar loop, the drums ride in with a consistent enough beat and enough variation between the bars to keep it as a reason to become addicted in itself. The screeching guitars, backed the sparse but tactical use of bass amounts to a devastating intro, which lasts for almost 2 minutes. In terms of pure performance, the band live seem to almost attack their instruments, getting as carried away as the track demands. Check out Josh's controlled savagery at 1.47, slicing his body through the rugged auditory chaos as the musicians amount to a mini-climax as the vocals come in.

Lyrically, Queens of the Stone Age have always been one of my favorites. Drugs, alcoholism and self destruction are a consistent theme, as the opening lines suggest:

"Wanna see my past in flames,
Don't waste a drop baby I ain't fussed"

As the band work their way towards the first chorus, it becomes clear that the song is largely about not only partying, but a sense of superiority imposed by their status. However, being QOTSA, the tone is often one of self-cynicism, as these lines suggest:

"Sidewalks, feel me strut so good?
Gutter, don't forget this face,"

Coupled with the cockiness of the initial line is the realistic realisation that the "Gutter" is never that far away, and that he may well return to it soon. As the track moves towards the final, almost euphoric conclusion, the backing vocals come in, chanting "I need a thrill", summarising the main message of the song (and sort of the band), that everything is expendable for the experience. Fantastically, between the two choruses the lyrics change from "I'm so slick" to "I'm so sick", perfectly encapsulating the two sided nature of Homme's business.

The final part of the song is perhaps the most interesting. Moving starkly away from the dark and cynical nature of the first two parts, The band keeps the tempo and dark lyrics but ups the tone of the song. Perhaps this is to suggest an acceptance of his situation, as he recognises himself as "Just a dead man, walking through the dead of night". He recognises his lost cause as he chants "Cause I've already gone", but perversely highlightes that other people benefit from his personal loss as if they "bet on me" they've won.

This live performance very accurately portrays the version I saw live in Dublin in the summer of '08, and the camerawork certainly does wonders for the effect. A very good live band, interestingly not making use of the many visual tools available to artists these days. However, the message is largely in the music, so perhaps this is a deliberate move not to draw the attention away from what is important.

Simply one of my favourite tracks, with much more to it than one might realise on the first listen. Probably my favourite band, although this track is taken from one of their less accomplished albums.

Anyway, that'll do for now. Toodles.