A perfect “mistake”: Josh Homme on what made The Doors so special
Some figures are inextricable from their genres, and Josh Homme is undoubtedly one of them. A key force in the Palm Desert Scene, instrumental in the rise of Kyuss and then later moonlighting as the leader of Queens of the Stone Age, he and stoner rock go together like the generator parties and drugs he was so acquainted with in the early days.
As Homme plays such a vital role in the stoner rock and stoner metal stories, the underpinnings of his heavy, groove-laden sound have often been analysed. In light of his music, particularly in Kyuss, characterised by slow-to-mid tempos, heavy distortion and de-tuned guitars, the flame-haired desert dweller has been asked numerous times what metal acts he cites.
He and his former Kyuss vocalist John Garcia have both downplayed the influence of the genre and instead look to punk and hardcore as their key inspirations, with much emphasis placed on the sludgy pulse of Black Flag’s 1984 effort My War as the progenitor of what became their sound.
At first, you might assume Black Sabbath, with weed-laden sonic obelisks such as their 1970 debut and 1971’s Master of Reality, would inspire the grooves of the Palm Desert Scene. Still, on a more forensic level, it’s evident how Greg Ginn’s guitar playing and production on My War would birth what became known as stoner rock and its metallic offshoot early in the following decade.
Although Homme is mainly known for the inherent heaviness of his best work, psychedelia is another crucial aspect that courses throughout his artistry from Kyuss through to Queens of the Stone Age and even into projects such as Arctic Monkeys’ Humbug. While there are no airy flutes, references to Victorian fiction or other more stereotypical aspects of the genre, there has always been a mightily potent substance to Homme’s sounds.
It might seem like a paradox given the gritty nature of his guitar tone and punks such as Black Flag and Iggy Pop ranking among his favourites, but Homme is a lifelong fan of The Doors and their unique brand of psychedelic rock. From the artistic use of jazz elements to their evident flaws, the countercultural group are a perfect “mistake” of an outfit that made an indelible impression on him.
The Queens of the Stone Age leader revealed his love for the quartet when speaking on The Adam Buxton Podcast in 2017. He noted that they are particularly special because they are a product of their time and that an act like them will never exist again because of it.
He explained: “I really like The Doors because they would not exist again, it’s as if they were a mistake. A guitarist, a jazz drummer, an organist-type, what’s this? A silent movie?” He continued: “And then they have a guy [Jim Morrison] who is really a poet. Your lyrics are awesome, but he’s cute, so let’s put that aside. However, he does not sing very well.”
Philosophically, Homme also found solace in The Doors because he likes mistakes, with their very evident shortcomings confirming that perfection is unachievable despite how hard people seek it. Pointing to the sanitised nature of contemporary music, he noted that when everything is flawless, there is no friction, which he deemed a shame, as “the universe was created by friction”.
This idea of opposites rubbing off on each other clearly impacted him most, as it’s another aspect key to his signature sound. Just look at ‘No One Knows’; it’s melodic but heavy and a conflation of a series of other contraries.
Listen to Josh Homme on The Adam Buxton Podcast below.