Awhile back I put up Nirvana on the chopping block and while that one was a fun one to do, this next band should’ve been next. The band is Foo Fighters and they are definitely past due for a review. So here we go……
Foo Fighters- so this album came out a couple years after Nirvana’s In Utero. Apparently Dave Grohl was so depressed over Kurt Cobain’s death that he almost gave up music entirely. Fortunately, he formed this band and kept going. Anyway, the album is not a continuation of Nirvana and is it’s own thing. I think I remember hearing songs on the Ventura county rock radio stations and liking them a lot. But then again, there were a lot of really good rock bands in the 90’s. The album itself is a good straightforward rock album. There are fast songs and a couple mellow songs throughout and overall, a good debut album just don’t expect a Nirvana clone. I will also say that Dave Grohl is not only a great drummer but a fantastic guitar player and singer. On this album he plays all the guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. I give this one 9/10
Standouts: This Is A Call, Good Grief, Wattershed
The Colour and The Shape- so this is the first album where there is actually a band playing and not Dave doing everything. On here he also got Nirvana guitarist Pat Smear in the band. If I remember right, I think I was lent a copy of this album and remember burning it and listening to it a lot when this first came out (again I was listening to a lot of rock radio at the time). Anyway, this is another straightforward rock album with its fair share of faster and ballad-y type songs and it’s a pretty good, well rounded album. I give this one 9/10
Standouts: Hey Johnny Park, Wind Up, The Colour and a The Shape
There Is Nothing Left To Lose- so far, the albums have been pretty consistent in terms of how the mellow songs sound and how the faster ones are. To me, this album is probably their slowest. It seems to me that they were experimenting on this record. In my opinion, they could’ve sped things up a bit here but I also get they were trying to do something different and new. I give it 7/10
Standouts: Generator, Breakout, Headwires
One By One- I feel like this is one of those records that when it was released, there was no escaping it. Like seriously the hit singles were always on the radio so much so that if I could go the rest of my life without hearing the title track, I think I’ll be just fine. Aside from that, the songs on this one are really good and it shows that there is more to this album than just the popular songs. Overall, a great record and it gets 9.5/10
Standouts: Overdrive, Low, Danny Says
In Your Honor- ok so as I’ve said 2005, saw a lot of bands put out a lot of great albums. This album was also released as a double album but with this one, they put out a cd of rock songs and then a cd of acoustic songs. I remember listening to Kevin and Bean and they had Dave on the show and he said he was listening to a lot of Slayer when he was writing this album. So of course after having heard his Probot record he put out a year before, I went out and bought the album. Sadly it doesn’t show. Now that’s not to say that this isn’t a decent record however, I feel like this one loses steam halfway through. Like I just got bored with it. Anyway, it’s not a terrible record but it’s just ok. I give it 4/10
Standouts: Best Of You, Hell, Free Me
Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace- with some albums, you get some really good songs with a little bit of filler. Here that’s not the case. There are more filler songs than good songs. I just couldn’t get into these songs. Like the last album, I just got bored with this one. Overall, this one is kind of boring and I give it 3/10
Standouts: Long Road to Ruin, Summer’s End
Wasting Light- I remember when this one came out and KROQ was always playing that song Rope but then again they overplay everything new that comes out. Aside from that song, this is a phenomenal album. Like seriously every song is great. I think I remember seeing the video for the song White Limo and Lemmy was in it. I feel like this one goes back to their root as little but and even has a bit of a punk edge to it. Definitely check this one out as it’s the first 10/10 of this review.
Standouts: White Limo, Bridge Burning, A Matter of Time
Sonic Highways- I thought that this was a documentary series and while yes it is the name of a documentary series, it’s also the name of the album as well. If you listen to the first song Something From Nothing, the main riff sounds like a rip off from a Dio song. The rest of the album is just ok. Like it’s not a bad album and in fact like I Your Honor, it starts off strong but then kind of dies about halfway through. Not their best but not their worst either. I give it 5/10
Standouts: The Feast And The Famine, Outside, Congregation
Concrete and Gold- there are a lot of guests on this record most notably Justin Timberlake and Paul McCartney. The album itself is pretty good and I feel like each song is so different from one another. I will say that the production seems a little off but overall, this album is ok. It’s just a very different Foo Fighters album. I give this one 6/10
Standouts: La Dee Da, Make It Right, Arrows
Overall, this band has a pretty consistent amount of good records and while I haven’t seen them live since 2005, I’d say that they are definitely a good band to see live.
Final Grade: C
Album Rankings:
- Wasting Light
- The Colour And The Shape
- Foo Fighters
- One By One
- There Is Nothing Left To Lose
- Concrete and Gold
- In Your Honor
- Sonic Highways
- Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace
Sinister Reviews 