Songs For the Deaf

Songs for the Deaf is the 3rd studio album from Queens of the Stone Age, released on August 27, 2002. The album marks the transition from a looser sound in its predecessor, Rated R, and into a heavier, riff-driven rock. It is known for the singles Go With the Flow and No One Knows, two of the best-known songs from the band, and also from the feature of Dave Grohl on drums.

Concept
The album has the concept of a drive from Los Angeles to Palm Desert, California, listened through the radio stations on the car. You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire begins with the sound of the car being started and the radio stations, shuffled, until it stops at the KLON fictional station, which announces the song. Throughout the album, there is radio stations shuffling between songs that conduct one into another, up until A Song For The Deaf. After that, the "hidden tracks" don't present any radio sound at all.

Features
Deaf is most known for featuring Foo Fighters' frontman Dave Grohl on drums, but, although everyone believes he wrote the drum tracks, they were originally worked by the previous drummer, Gene Trautmann. After Trautmann left the band, Josh Homme called Grohl (since Queens had opened for Foo Fighters on the Rated R era) inviting him to play the drum tracks for the new album. Grohl then put Foo Fighters into hiatus, playing drums for the album and playing on the promotional tour for Deaf. The first gig from the short tour with Grohl was in the Troubadour, in Los Angeles, on March 7, 2002; and the last one was on July 28, 2002, on the Fuji Rock Festival. Shortly after, Grohl returned to Foo Fighters, releasing the album One By One on October 22, 2002. After Grohl's exit, ex-Danzig drummer Joey Castillo entered the band for touring, turning into official drummer up to the recording process of Queens' 6th studio album, ...Like Clockwork.

Songs for the Deaf marks the last appearance in studio albums from Brendon McNichol, Gene Trautmann and Nick Oliveri, and the first appearances from Natasha Schneider and Alain Johannes. On the touring lineup, it was debut for Joey Castillo and Troy Van Leeuwen, which later became two of the most important musicians in Queens history. It also marked the last Queens tour for Nick Oliveri.

Fun Facts
The Real Song for the Deaf is a ghost track from the album: hitting play on Millionaire and then rewind on the CD version takes to an 1:33 minute-long hidden track. The "song" begins with a man saying "Huh? What?" and then takes us to a bassline which goes to the end of the song. The bassline was recorded in such a deep, low tone it is possible that deaf people might actually percieve the vibrations in it, "hearing" the song (hence the name, The Real Song for the Deaf).

Although Mosquito Song and Everybody's Gonna be Happy are featured as hidden tracks on the album, they are actually listed on the back of the album.

After A Song for the Deaf ends, there is an approximately 30 second-long break, and then a "hidden track", that is the recording of a bit of Feel Good Hit of the Summer, but with the lyrics exchanged for laughter.

Between No One Knows and First it Giveth, Alain Johannes plays the fake DJ announcing the song. Between Another Love Song and A Song for the Deaf, it's Natasha Schneider, and between A Song for the Deaf and the silence, Dave Catching.

The intro bit from the drum track in A Song for the Dead is taken from a Black Flag song, Slip It In.

The next album from Queens, Lullabies to Paralyze, has its name taken from a line in Mosquito Song: "where will you run / where will you hide / lullabies to paralyze..."

On the bridge of God Is in the Radio, there is a reversed audio track. Most words are intelligible, but you can hear Lanegan whispering.

Tracklisting
No.        Title                                                                   Lead Vocals     Length
 * The Real Song for the Deaf features as a ghost track. Both Mosquito Song and Everybody's Gonna be Happy are featured as hidden tracks.

Additional Musicians
Alain Johannes - e-bow and organ on Another Love Song, piano and flamenco guitar on Mosquito Song and flamenco guitar on First it Giveth

Natasha Schneider - e-bow and organ on Another Love Song, piano on Mosquito Song, theremin on Six Shooter

Dean Ween - guitar on Six Shooter, Another Love Song and Mosquito Song

Brendon McNichol - lead guitar on Go With the Flow

Chris Goss - keyboard on The Sky is Fallin'

Gene Trautmann - drums on You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire and Go With the Flow

Main Street Horns - strings and horns on Mosquito Song

Singles
Go With the Flow - released April 7, 2003

No One Knows - released November 26, 2002

First it Giveth - released August 4th, 2003