Personnel: Josh Homme (vocals, guitar, drums, percussion); Nick Oliveri (vocals, bass); Mark Lanegan (vocals); Dave Catching (electric, 12-string & lap steel guitars, piano, Hammond B-3 organ); Scott Mayo (baritone saxophone); Fernando Pullum (flugelhorn); Reggie Young (horns); Chris Goss (piano, bass, percussion, background vocals); Barrett Martin (vibraphone, steel drum, percussion); Gene Trautmann, Nick Lucero (drums); Marek (sound effects); Rob Halford, Wendy Ray Moan, Nick Eldorado, Mike Johnson, Pete Stahl (background vocals). Recorded at Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, California between December 1999 & February 2000. Josh Homme's creation Queens Of The Stone Age, although they remain close to their rock roots, are a complex amalgam of atmosphere and textures. RATED R is a retro-sounding album, recorded on two 16-track machines by producer Chris Goss (Masters Of Reality) and GRAMMY award winning engineer Trinia Shoemaker. The band's name pokes fun at the homophobic rednecks that Homme says used to attend Kyuss (his former band) shows. Some of the album's highlights are "The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret," "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" and "Better Living Through Chemistry." Former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan has some sublime moments on a few tracks, including "In the Fade." RATED R is a unique, eclectic album.

• Genre: Pop
• Format: Vinyl
• Released: 2/25/2003