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In this article, Jack talks about the second half of the Desert Sessions records.

THE COMPLETE COLLECTION OF Desert Sessions: part 2

By: Jack Brouillette

This is the second part of my Dessert Sessions complete article, for the first article, go to the February edition of The Scroll. For a recap, the Desert Sessions is a jam/session band that was started by foreman Josh Homme in 1998, following the breakup of popular desert rock band Kyuss. The Desert Sessions are most known for their evolving sound, with each session having new people and new bands coming into the recording studio and contributing to the Desert Sessions as a whole.

Desert Sessions Volume 7: Gypsy Marches

Two years after the sixth volume of Desert Sessions was recorded, the seventh volume, Gypsy Marches was released. Volume 7: Gypsy Marches has five tracks, including “Hanging Tree”, from Queens of the Stone Age’s critically acclaimed third album, Songs for the Deaf. There have been many instances where a track is recorded on a Desert Sessions album and later makes it onto an album, but this one is the most notable. Mark Lanegan’s rough, gritty vocals alongside Josh Homme’s beautiful lead guitar allows it to be one of the best of the Desert Sessions discography. John Skibeat of music magazine The Line of Best Fit talks about the rough and gritty sound that is on the seventh album of the Desert Sessions, stating that "It’s certainly one of the most song-heavy Sessions and whilst it’s cleverly mainstream it does retain enough that is off-beat to deserve at least a little attention again." The sound of this volume is that distinct, gritty sound that Mark Langean brings with him and which he leaves for later sessions, as well as the rest of the Desert Rock scene.

Cover of the Desert Sessions Volume 7: Gypsy Marches

Desert Sessions Volume 8: Can you see my thumb? There you are

Volume 8 of the Desert Sessions evolves further into the musical timeline. Homme, along with the other QOTSA members, is showing his large influence on this volume-- with tracks such as “The Idiots Guide” and “Cold Sore Superstars” demonstrating a large influence from QOTSA’s second album, Rated R. Although Rated R was released a year prior, the sound brought by Nick Oliveri, Homme and Langean still lingers. Most tracks are a combination of that smooth, melodic acoustic guitar, along with that harder, faster and harsher side brought by Queens and Oliveri’s rock band, Mondo Generator.

Desert Sessions Volume 9: I See you Hearin' Me

Cover of the Desert Sessions Volume 9: I See You Hearin' Me

Desert Sessions Volume 9: I See You Hearin’ Me brings a whole new type of music to the scene. The style of every Desert Session most notably evolves from Josh Homme, along with Nick Oliveri, both coming from QOTSA. As they worked on Volume 9 of the Desert Sessions, Homme and Oliveri were recording QOTSA's third and most famous album, Songs for the Deaf. You can hear how both of them mixed the sound from Songs for the Deaf into this session, especially with some of the harsher songs that were contributed here. The volume consists of six songs, most notably “I Wanna Make it wit Chu”, otherwise known as “Make it wit Chu’”, which was later released in QOTSA’s fifth album, Era Vulgaris. “I wanna Make it wit Chu’” is one of the softer, more comforting songs in Volume 9. The combination of the Rhodes piano being played by Alain Johannes, along with Homme and PJ Harvey’s vocals, makes this song feel like listeners are being wrapped in a homemade, quilted blanket-- heavy, warm, and overall comforting. PJ Harvey, who provided backup vocals on “I Wanna Make it wit Chu’”, is also a widely renowned.

Desert Sessions Volume 10: I Heart Disco

The tenth volume of the Desert Sessions was recorded in a short, two-week window between two legs of the “Songs for the Deaf” tour, featuring Homme and the rest of QOTSA. Volume 10: I Heart Disco consists of six tracks, featuring artists such as Marilyn Manson, formerly from Nine Inch Nails, Dean Ween from Ween, Troy Van Leeuwen from QOTSA and many more. This volume once again differs from its predecessor, Volume 9. Volume 10 has a heavier, but more distant feeling. It almost sounds like it takes inspiration from the first Desert Sessions volume, Volume 1: Instrumental Driving Music for Felons, with the heavier, but distant music taking over again. The best example off of this session has to be “Holey Dime”. The guitars in the background, along with the dazed vocals and echoing bass, make it sound like it was recorded straight out of someone's basement.

Desert Sessions Volume 11: ARRIVEDERCI Despair

After a 16 year hiatus, Josh Homme brought back the Desert Sessions, this time with a much larger and diverse range of musical talent. Volume 11 brought in famous musicians such as Les Claypool from Primus, Mark Rankin, who is known for working with musicians such as Adele and Weezer, Matt Sweeney from Run The Jewels, and many more. Volume 11 has a different sound compared to the rest of the volumes, featuring a harder focus on the weird/alternative sound compared to the desert rock of earlier sessions such as Volumes 1-6. Tracks such as “Move Together” and “Noses in Roses, forever” have a larger focus on a '90s organ-synth type music-- though tracks that feature artists such as Libby Grace and Matt Sweeney have more folk-like tracks. These songs focus on the lyrics and lead guitar more than anything else. The most notable example of this is in the fourth and final track: “If You Run.”

Desert Sessions Volume 12: Tightwads & Nitwits & Critics & HEELS

NPR columnist Tom Moon talks about how the music of Volume 12 has evolved into a different type of music. It is not just how the songs sound but also how the group chemistry changes with each track. “Previous Desert Sessions went heavy on prog-rock jams, but this one is more focused on songs, so the group chemistry changes from track to track.” Homme obviously still focuses on the music part of the session, but the primary focus is the people. Every collaborator from Volume 12 makes their way onto most songs. Whether Homme is on vocals, Claypool is on lead bass, or Billy Gibbons is on lead guitar, every artist contributes heavily. The sound of Volume 12 is similar to Volume 11 but a lot more laid back, focusing more on the guitar riffs and licks, compared to the synths and organs. Recorded in one of California’s most well-known private recording studios, Rancho de la Luna, Volume 12 is most likely the last, if not one of the last Desert Sessions volumes to be recorded. The last track, “Easier Said Than Done” is arguably one of the most emotional and sorrowful tracks in the Desert Sessions as a whole. Similar to Homme's performances on QOTSA’s album Like Clockwork…, his vocals are smooth, and melancholic while a similarly melancholic, yet harder track plays alongside him.

Overall, the Desert Sessions are one of my most favorite session bands. The unique music that comes from each performance and contribution on each volume is, simply put, amazing. It is so interesting to hear each volume's totally different sound for those who are used to bands having a simple stuck genre.

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