Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
Them Crooked Vultures

Them Crooked Vultures

Date: Dec 07 2009

Themes: Alternative, Music

Grammar: Adjectives

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

A supergroup is like a musical dream-team. Imagine if members from all your favorite bands decided to get together and form a new band. You’d have yourself a rock supergroup.

Supergroups have been around since the 1960s, when members of the already-famous bands The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and The Hollies joined forces and created an even more famous band, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. And more recently there’s been the band Velvet Revolver. But some supergroups turn out to be surprisingly un-super. For whatever reason, putting a bunch of great musicians together doesn’t always result in a great band.

The new supergroup Them Crooked Vultures includes members of Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, and Queens of the Stone Age. They just released their first album, which is also called Them Crooked Vultures. So far the album has gotten good, though not great, reviews. Find out if Marni and Beren think this supergroup is a dream come true, or a dud.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Beren

Beren

Marni

Marni

Beren:  What do you think of the rock supergroup?

Marni:  There seems to be quite a lot of them these days. I think the newest one is Them Crooked Vultures.

Beren:  Yeah. Is that John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl, and…

Marni:  Isn’t it Josh Homme?

Beren:  Yeah, from Queens of the Stone Age. That sounds pretty killer though.

Marni:  I have to say, of a supergroup, that sounds like a supergroup I’d want to listen to.

Beren:  Totally, Dave Grohl on the drums.

Marni:  And he and Josh Homme of course played together when he was in Queens of the Stone Age for a while. Yeah, I think it’s good music. It’s really high energy. And people seem to be responding well. They’re selling out all their shows.

Beren:  Totally. I’m curious, I’m interested. I really want to see them. I haven’t heard their music, but anything Dave Grohl touches behind the kit is usually…I not a huge Foo Fighters fan, but…

Marni:  But he’s a pretty phenomenal drummer.

Beren:  He’s an amazing drummer. So Them Crooked Vultures is kind of like psychedelic stoner rock, like Queens of the Stone Age? Or is it more Zeppelin-esque?

Marni:  I think it has elements of both. There’s definitely a lot of jamming. You can see where those guys could definitely go off. But it’s kind of got some elements of psychedelic rock. It’s just good, it’s heavy.

Beren:  Which is pretty cool, because I feel like there aren’t a lot of rock bands right now.

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Adjectives" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Them Crooked Vultures is a new supergroup with Dave Grohl of Nirvana and the Foo Fighters, John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, and Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age. Beren hasn’t heard their music yet, but she’s curious about the band, because she’s a fan of all the people in it.

Marni has heard Them Crooked Vultures and she likes their heavy, high energy sound. Beren expects them to sound psychedelic like Queens of the Stone Age. But Marni says that they are more classic rock than stoner rock.

Who would be in your dream supergroup? Why do you think supergroups are often a disappointment?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

kpl

kpl

Taiwan

which one  could sing  killer songs  they get cheering . not must all member are superstar .  

06:39 AM May 01 2010 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

Hummm I have no supergroup in my mind…I guess sometimes people are disappointed with a supergroup because expect much of them…

Now,good musicians toguether of different bands in a supergroup isn't always a good idea and not guarantee that they will be successful :)

10:42 PM Dec 16 2009 |

EstebanM

EstebanM

Colombia

I always feel good by listening good musicians and good rock. If not all is good, something really magic happens in some moment.

11:24 PM Dec 08 2009 |

rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

06:45 AM Dec 08 2009 |

glaciernew

glaciernew

China

I know little about these bands.After studying this lesson, I'd like to listen some music of them.

02:09 AM Dec 08 2009 |

André Lopes

Brazil

I need to listen to them! I have long since heard a good rock band!

 

12:37 AM Dec 08 2009 |

Ca_Brazil

Ca_Brazil

Brazil

they can be a disappointing supergroup because they are good playing on their own way. each one got a talent and its complicated to handle in a band with a lot of talented artists. 

10:15 PM Dec 07 2009 |

hebib israfilov

Azerbaijan

i am interested in this lesson

08:35 PM Dec 07 2009 |

iwori

iwori

Japan

I think it's like a chemistry to create killer music, so that's not to say that every famous musician can play awesome tune to get together.

From what I gather, good music enable 1+1=3. But most supergroup did 1+1=1.5…

04:50 PM Dec 07 2009 |

ingrydmm

ingrydmm

Brazil

I'm interested!

01:56 PM Dec 07 2009 |

ingrydmm

ingrydmm

Brazil

I don't know a supergroup, I want to know, but I think that the singers have a different styles and maybe this can cause a "fights" in the group. Because each one come from different band with different experiences and styles, they want to be famous and popular, this can be a dud!

01:49 PM Dec 07 2009 |

THX_wallace

Brazil

well, the losson was good, but i'm more interested on the band hahaha

01:46 PM Dec 07 2009 |

303Kevin

303Kevin

China

i’m interested in this lesson

12:38 PM Dec 07 2009 |

burcinyo

Turkey

i have no supergroup but i think they are often a disappoointment because everyone in the group wants to be most famous and popular.this is human chemistry.

10:50 AM Dec 07 2009 |

ray.lee

ray.lee

China

It's good ,i think!

07:30 AM Dec 07 2009 |

SugaryMimi

SugaryMimi

Japan

i loveeee  Velvet Revolver so much!!!

04:52 AM Dec 07 2009 |

girafinha

girafinha

Japan

I don't know any of supergroup, but I think good music will be created by the synchronization among the group. so no matter how the supergroup mambers are gorgeous, there won't be great music unless they stick together..!  

02:17 AM Dec 07 2009 |

mari_mariana

Brazil

I thing supergroups tend to be a disappointment because normaly the players come from bands with diferent styles! They just don't know how to play together!

02:15 AM Dec 07 2009 |

Ahn Soo-hyun

South Korea

Today's lesson was tough. I can't follow what they are saying. Anyway, I like ballard music. Do you know Seo Tae Ji who is famous singer, I like him and G.O.D. which was group. I like especially Korean music.

Have a happy day!!!

02:07 AM Dec 07 2009 |

julywidiawati

Indonesia

I don't have a dream supergroup because I don't really into classic band.

01:21 AM Dec 07 2009 |

Likes (9):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast