Hats Off To The Super Big Homme

Super groups, you either love them or hate them. Some are good, some are bad and some are blatantly shit, but everybody loves a good Super Group don’t they? So, are Super Groups an extension of the famous musician’s egos or just a chance to play with your heroes? They also have a great ability to (as some middle managers would say) ‘think outside the box’. That’s what makes their music just that little bit different to the bands trying to sound like them You can see the appeal with regards self gratification can’t you as it’s basically (in Dave Grohl and Josh Homme’s case with John Paul Jones) given them the opportunity to play with Led Zeppelin Legend John Paul Jones. Must be some feeling that! To put it another way, can you imagine Stuey’s delight at the prospect of playing a duet with Erasure or The Pet Shop Boys? He’d be fucking made up wouldn’t he? Anyway, this week I got my hands on the debut album by Them Crooked Vultures and it has to be said, it’s a pretty superb record and basically a must have for someone who possess most albums by Led Zeppelin and Queens of the Stone Age along with the odd hand full of Foo Fighters albums to boot. This self titled debut comes after a long list of bands who have re-formed from a long line of famous musicians who have ‘broke ranks’ with their usual band mates to form something a bit different with who ever is available at the time. Look at the likes of Audioslave, Raconteurs, Cream, Blind Faith and (to some extent) Led Zeppelin for examples What I love about Super Groups is the ‘seasoned pro’ the band have in their ranks. In the case of Them Crooked Vultures, our Old Hand comes in the form of John Paul Jones. Listening to him play gives me the impression he’s like a big kid in a sweet shop whop has just robbed the dinner money from the younger members of the band to buy a large packet of Wether’s Originals!! Best of all is he (and the rest of the band) sound like they’re wuite simply having some good old fun! But, I think the success the album by Them Crooked Vultures will be a case of just deserts for Josh Homme and will finally give him the credit he has deserved for the years he has spent head of the table at Queens of the Stone Age. He is an outstanding songwriter and, it has to be said here, one of the finest guitarists of this century! He also has the reputation of being one seriously tough-arsed mother fucker who, rumour has it, will go toe – to – toe with some of the hardest men in music and stand up to awkward promoters and 'money men' within the industry. In a world of mamby-pamby pop stars, it’s good to see a musician whose not afraid to show the world he’s got a set of bollocks … and use them Good on him if you ask me Finally, who would be in your Super Group and why? Before you ask, I’m retired Mol