Album of the Day

If Josh Homme is now best known for leading Queens of the Stone Age, the performer had already earned a place in hard rock history as a founder of Kyuss. Emerging from the California desert at the end of the 1980s, the band released four albums, of which BLUES FOR THE RED SUN may be their masterpiece. Working with producer Chris Goss, the quartet finally captured the power of their live shows in the studio, and such tracks as “Green Machine,” “Thong Song” and “Thumb” thunder through the speakers like a freight train speeding downhill. While not a big seller, the 1992 collection was hugely influential, both for helping pioneer stoner rock and for Homme's distinctive instrumental work – tuned down two steps and played through a bass amp for maximum heaviness. We'll wish the guitarist a happy birthday now by cranking up BLUES FOR THE RED SUN.