The band was originally formed in 1989 in Palm Desert, California under the name "Sons of Kyuss". They took the name from a monster in Dungeons and Dragons. Shortly after the release of their self-titled EP, the name was shortened to just Kyuss.
The quartet gained popularity around the desert due to their famous generator parties. These were parties fueled by gas generators in the canyons and isolated desert surrounding the small valley towns.
The group disbanded in 1997. They felt that they were in a decline and felt it best to call it quits before it escalated into something that could not be fixed. The line up had shifted dramatically between 1989 and 1997. Josh Homme, John Garcia, Brant Bjork, and Chris Cockrell were the original members. Chris was replaced by Nick Oliveri during high school. That line up recorded Wretch (released in 1991) and Blues for the Red Sun (released in 1992), after which Nick soon left. The eighteen year older, but very able Scott Reeder from The Obsessed was brought in. This line up recorded the famous self-titled album Kyuss (released in 1994; due to the album front cover often referred to as "Welcome to Sky Valley", a small town outside of Palm Desert — wrongly labelled by many). Brank Bjork left after this due to personal reasons. Alfredo Hernandez was brought in. The final line-up recorded ...And the Circus Leaves Town (released in 1995). The band toured and soon disbanded. With the compilation Muchas Gracias: The best of Kyuss, one final greatest hits CD was released in 2000.
All band members still influence the genre they helped to create. The most notable is Queens of the Stone Age. Josh Homme, Nick Oliveri, and Alfredo Hernandez started this up after Josh had experimented with his famous Desert Sessions.
John Garcia took a path geared more towards traditional rock. He opened with Slo Burn. It was a harder Kyuss, and still played in drop C. That project did not last for over a year, although one EP was released. Following Slo Burn came Unida. This band was steered toward rock n' roll and away from the stoner rock genre. John has most recently been involved with the band Hermano. Many consider this the greatest post-Kyuss project. In 2010 a Garcia Plays Kyuss gig at Roadburn Festival (Netherlands), to be followed by a proper European tour, was announced. The line-up of this band includes (former) members of Agua de Annique, Celestial Season, Kong and Arsenal.
Nick Oliveri also has created waves in the music world. Apart from playing for years in Queens of the Stone Age he has played on and off in The Dwarves. He is most known for his side project, which has become his full-time band, Mondo Generator.
Scott Reeder pursued a career of producing mainly (most notably Orange Goblin's Coup de Grace). In 2006, he released a solo album called Tunnelvision Brilliance. He also played in Unida for a little bit.
Brant Bjork has the most stable musical career of them all. He turned down playing with Queens of the Stone Age to pursue a journey with his surfing buddies, Fu Manchu. He left after making numerous records with them to focus on his already blossoming solo career, playing the guitar instead of drums. He has worked with many people since, releasing records with Ché, touring as Brant Bjork and the Bros, and occasionally playing drums as well. Brant Bjork also played on some Desert Sessions.
Los Angeles based drummer Gene Trautmann played for a brief period between Brant Bjork and Alfredo Hernandez.
Alfredo Hernandez has guest starred on too many CDs and bands to count including Yawning Man, Orquestra Del Desierto, Fatso Jetson, and many others. He also played in a local band located in Palm Desert and is the drummer of Brant Bjork and the Bros.
A big influence on the sound of Kyuss was Chris Goss (frontman of Masters of Reality), who produced Blues for the Red Sun, and everything that followed.
Although Queens of the Stone Age has been, and continues to be, a great deal more popular than Kyuss or any of its offshoots for many Kyuss is considered far superior than anything the disbanded members created afterward.
A lot of bands have been inspired by Kyuss, including Electric Wizard, Monster Magnet, Orange Goblin, Beaver, Dozer, Los Natas, Truckfighters, Acid King, Fu Manchu, Clutch, Pelican, Torche.
For 2011 touring line-up, see Kyuss Lives!.
Big Bikes
Kyuss Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well burning down the street.
Here she comes a fucking the boy,
Hear the New York street
'Cause I want some pussy,
Yeah yeah yeah yeah.
From a back bitch
Big bike yeah.
He is feelin' nasty,
She is feelin' nice tonight.
Hey baby, well, I want to cool you down.
I need something tonight
'Cause I want some pussy,
Yeah yeah yeah yeah.
From a back bitch
On a big bike,
Big bike yeah.
Here she comes a ridin'
Well burning down the street.
Here she comes a fucking the feet boy,
Hear the New York street
'Cause I want some pussy,
Yeah yeah yeah yeah.
From a back bitch (mmm)
On a big bike,
Big bike.
Big bike.
Whose the?
Yes you think it wide?
Yes you,
Yes you,
Yes you CK
Yeah
The lyrics to Kyuss's song Big Bikes are undeniably explicit and raw. The song paints a picture of a sexually charged encounter between a man and a woman on a big bike in the streets of New York. The song's opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song, "Here she comes a ridin', well burning down the street. Here she comes a fuckin' the boy, hear the New York street." The lyrics are straightforward, as the woman is portrayed as being in control, unafraid, and full of sexual desire. The man, on the other hand, is objectified as a "boy" who is submissive to the woman's sexual power.
The chorus of the song contains the repeated phrase, "Cause I want some pussy, yeah yeah yeah yeah. From a back bitch, well on a big bike, big bike yeah." The repetition of this phrase emphasizes the man's desire for the woman's sexual attention and the power dynamic between the two characters. The song's bridge, "He is feelin' nasty, she is feelin' nice tonight. Hey baby, well, I want to cool you down. I need something tonight," reinforces the sexual tension between the man and the woman.
Overall, the song Big Bikes is a vivid and raw portrayal of sexual desire between a man and a woman, with a focus on the woman's sexual power and control. The lyrics are explicit, but they are also honest and unapologetic.
Line by Line Meaning
Here she comes a ridin
A woman is approaching, riding something.
Well burning down the street.
She is traveling fast down the street.
Here she comes a fucking the boy,
She is sexually attracted to a boy on the street.
Hear the New York street
The street noise is audible and present.
'Cause I want some pussy,
The artist desires sexual intercourse.
Yeah yeah yeah yeah.
The singer expresses excitement about getting what they want.
From a back bitch
The desired sexual partner is a woman who is good at sex.
Well on a big bike,
The woman is riding a large motorcycle.
Big bike yeah.
The artist reiterates the importance of the woman's mode of transportation.
He is feelin' nasty,
The artist is feeling horny.
She is feelin' nice tonight.
The woman is in a good mood and receptive to sexual advances.
Hey baby, well, I want to cool you down.
The artist wants to relieve the woman of her sexual tension.
I need something tonight
The singer is horny and needs to satisfy their sexual desire.
Here she comes a fucking the feet boy,
The woman shows interest in having sex with a boy on the street.
Whose the?
It is unclear who the singer is referring to.
Yes you think it wide?
The artist may be asking if the listener thinks the woman's motorcycle is impressive or attractive.
Yes you,
The artist is addressing the listener directly.
Yes you,
The singer continues to address the listener.
Yes you CK
It is unclear who or what CK refers to.
Yeah
The artist expresses excitement or agreement with their own thoughts.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOSH HOMME, NICK OLIVERI, JOHN M GARCIA, BRANT BJORK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eugenio Tuorto
Simple riffs like these are the most powerful!! That's some fuckin' lot of energy being squandered. I especially love when things calm down a little bit and the bass takes hold of the song. Welcome to Sky Valley is definitely their best release, but this album (Wretch) is not too far behind as many think.
J
typo..blues sun is best, but i forgive
Slunk Bandito
Would love to hear this live.
Miscellaneous Media
@Slunk Bandito Josh Homme recently talked about wanting Kyuss to get back together and perform, and said he would be down to play with them, so it's a possibility
theaffliction21
One song I will never ever.....ever tire of. God damn I love Kyuss
Daniel
considering the age of these guys when they recorded this. the sound, details. it's just mind blowing. phenomenal.
fixxxer928
I wrote this riff a while back that i would play whenever i'm messing around on the guitar, then i heard 'When the lights go out' by The Black Keys for the first time and was shocked because it's the same exact riff NOTE FOR NOTE as it is on the record. Similar sounding, or in my case, identical sounding riffs may in fact be the source of the inspiration or just a coincidence.
theaffliction21
Probably my favorite Kyuss song ever.....that and Catamaran could listen to these all day
Rowan Melton
That guitar tone is brilliant
Carmelo Di Grazia
Love 'em since back Sons of Kyuss. Had the great experience some years ago to meet for a while Mr Garcia. We had a glass of wine and a spliff together, he introduced the rest of the band and we had a brief chat. Few minutes after he was singing his songs at the locomotiv club in Bologna, Italy. Respect