Oh sunshine,
The loving beauty,
Pass me by,
Should I waste my time
In your valley,
Beneath your sky?
The loving beauty,
Pass me by,
Should I waste my time
In your valley,
Beneath your sky?
This week marks the 20th anniversary of a record that I'm sure has influenced everyone who contributes to Illustrious Words, "Welcome to Sky Valley." Certainly the best album in the Kyuss catalog and one of the most influential records of the 90s, this album re-wrote the rulebook for heavy music and is one of the records responsible for the development of stoner rock. One of my favorite things about "Sky Valley" is that it is broken up into three parts, making it impossible to skip tracks on the CD version and forcing the listener to actually jam the record all the way through. Another reason I love this record is it captures a sense of place arguably better than any album I've ever listened to. When you listen to "Welcome to Sky Valley" you are transported to Palm Desert, California instantly. You can smell the musty air, feel the heat, and experience the lost time. This is a magical album that truly documents a collection of musicians losing themselves in their art. No matter how much time goes by this album will always be timeless.
- Joe