Blues for the Red Sun

Template:Use mdy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |Template:Short description|noreplace}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=Wretch1991Welcome to Sky Valley1994studioBlues for the Red SunKyussBluesfortheRedSun.jpgKyussTemplate:Start date1992Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, California* Stoner rock

• stoner metal
• desert rockTemplate:DurationDaliChris Goss, Kyussx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}}

Blues for the Red Sun is the second studio album by American rock band Kyuss, released in 1992.<ref name="Allmusic review">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While the album received mainly favorable reviews, it fared poorly commercially, selling only 39,000 units. It has since become a very influential album within the stoner rock genre. It was the last Kyuss album to feature bassist Nick Oliveri, who was replaced by Scott Reeder shortly after recording had been completed. The album is dedicated to Oliveri's father who died in a car accident in 1991.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Touring, promotion, and release

In support of the album, Kyuss went on tour with such established groups as Faith No More, White Zombie, and Danzig. In early 1993, the band was chosen by Metallica to be an opening act for nine shows in Australia.<ref name="Touring+promotion">Template:Cite news</ref> After their first show with Metallica, the group was only allowed to use half the P.A. system for the other eight concerts.<ref name="Exclaim1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The music videos for the songs "Green Machine" and "Thong Song" received moderate rotation on MTV's Headbangers Ball and on MuchMusic in Canada. The album also received airplay on album-oriented radio stations such as KNAC, KISW, WYSP, and KIOZ.<ref name="Touring+promotion"/> The album was released by the independent record label Dali, which was later bought out by Elektra Records.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It ended up selling only 39,000 copies.<ref name="Touring+promotion"/>

Musical style and influence

Blues for the Red Sun incorporates stoner rock<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and desert rock,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and has been compared to acts such as Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, Blue Cheer,<ref name="KyussBio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Alice in Chains.<ref name="BB">Template:Cite news</ref> Daniel Bukszpan, the author of The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal, has written that the album has influenced "countless" bands.<ref name="Encyclopedia">Template:Cite book</ref> Many consider Blues for the Red Sun "the template for 21st-century bands that have followed in the pioneering wake of Kyuss".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Martin Popoff similarly credits the band with the creation of a "certain core sample" of stoner rock, in part due to an "uncompromising bassquake" that was composed of more than "tar-pitted Sabbath riffs".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Exclaim! credited the album for opening "the way for bands like Monster Magnet and a whole host of other desert grunge practitioners".<ref name="Exclaim2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Melissa Auf der Maur has said that she attempted to "knock-off" Blues for the Red Sun for her single "Followed the Waves", to the point that she recruited the band's rhythm section to play on the track and Chris Goss to produce.<ref name="PM">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Other fans of the album include Dave Grohl and Metallica.<ref name="Touring+promotion"/><ref name="NME">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Steve Taylor, the author of A to X of Alternative Music, wrote that, in comparison to the music, "lyrics can't really compete", and went on to call the album's lyrics "stoned immaculate phrases".<ref name="ST">Template:Cite book</ref> Rolling Stone described the lyrics of "Thong Song" — a song about flip-flops<ref name="year1992">Template:Cite news</ref> — as "deathless".<ref name="RS">Brackett, Nathan. "Kyuss". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. November 2004. pg. 473, cited March 17, 2010</ref>

Guitarist Josh Homme plugged down-tuned guitars into Marshall amplifiers with Ampeg cabinets for the distortion featured on the album.<ref name="Allmusic review"/> Wah-wah pedals were also used by Homme on Blues for the Red Sun.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> Wayne Robins of Newsday described Homme's riffs as "post-Hendrix guitar flurries".<ref name="Newsday">Template:Cite news</ref> Several of the songs on Blues for the Red Sun have slow tempos and groove-laden rhythms.<ref name="CMJ">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> "Green Machine" features a bass guitar solo, and the album features several instrumental tracks.<ref name="Allmusic review"/> A number of songs on the album also credit lyrics to John Garcia, but have no discernible lyrics or even vocals. It is possible that the only word written by Garcia is the uttered "yeah" at the very end of the album.

Reception

Template:Music ratings The album received acclaim from both fans and critics.<ref name="Touring+promotion"/><ref name="KyussBio"/> Steve Taylor considers it the best album Kyuss ever made.<ref name="ST"/> AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia gave the album four and a half out of five stars and called the album "a major milestone in heavy music". In particular, he praised producer Chris Goss for its "unique heavy/light formula".<ref name="Allmusic review"/> Debaroh Frost of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+.<ref name ="EW">Frost, Deborah. "Blues for the Red Sun" Template:Webarchive. Entertainment Weekly. January 1993. pg. 53, cited March 17, 2010</ref> Rolling Stone considered "Green Machine" and "Thong Song" to be the album's highlights and also thought that the production had greatly improved from the band's previous album, Wretch.<ref name="RS"/> Kerrang! also gave the album a favorable review.<ref name="Touring+promotion"/> College Music Journal claimed that the album was "raw and unorthodox" and, like Rivadavia, complimented Chris Goss for the production.<ref name="CMJ"/> Q called it "one of the landmark metal albums of the '90s", and rewarded it a perfect five out of five stars. Guitar Player magazine added the song "Green Machine" in their 1995 article titled "50 Heaviest Riffs of All Time".<ref name="Q">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Spin ranked Blues for the Red Sun 10th on their list of the "10 Best Albums You Didn't Hear in '92".<ref name="year1992"/> In 2002, Spin put the album in 36th place on their list of the "40 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> IGN listed the album as an honorable mention on their list of the "Top 25 Metal Albums".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Chad Bowar of About.com named the album the 8th best heavy metal album of 1992 and went on to write that Blues for the Red Sun "was a landmark album that influenced a lot of bands".<ref name="About.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> MusicRadar included the album on "The 50 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time" and ranked it in 48th place.<ref name="Musicradar.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked Blues for the Red Sun 41st on their list of "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Track listing

Writing credits adapted from the album's liner notes.<ref name="liner notes">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.<ref name="liner notes"/>

Kyuss

• John Garcia – lead vocals on all tracks except "Mondo Generator" and "Writhe", producer
• Josh Homme – guitar, producer
• Nick Oliveri – bass, lead vocals on "Mondo Generator", producer
• Brant Bjork – drums, album concept, producer

Production

• Chris Goss – producer
• Joe Barresi – recording engineer, mixing engineer
• Brian Jenkins – drum tracking engineer
• Jeff Sheehan – assistant engineer
• Mike Bosely – additional mixing
• Howie Weinberg – mastering engineer

Artwork

• Skiles – art director
• Art Industria – design
• Marc Rude – cover illustration
• Big Bear Solar Observatory – cover photography
• Michael Anderson – additional photography

Charts

Weekly chart performance for Blues for the Red Sun

Chart (2023)	Peak position
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	26