When Dave Grohl first entered Shoreline’s Robert Lang Studios in October 1994, still recovering from the death of his Nirvana bandmate, Kurt Cobain, some six months earlier, he surely couldn’t even dream of what was in store for him. the future for your music career.
Even now, on the 25th anniversary of the Foo Fighters’ eponymous debut album release, you’re probably still trying to figure it out. Namely, after causing a pop culture cyclone with the grunge heroes, he somehow managed to overcome Nirvana’s massive success with his later band (at least commercially).
To mark that special milestone, here is NMEThe ranking of the nine Foo Fighters albums to date in order of greatness.
This was disappointing, as it happened just a few weeks after Dave and his merry men accepted the challenge of their first places in the Reading / Leeds headlines in terribly fine style. Yes, that raucous introduction to ‘All My Life’ can still send chills down the spine, but after a handful of decent singles, this one quickly runs out of steam in half. An album stemming from long and troublesome writing and recording sessions, Dave has stated that “four of the songs were good and the other seven I never played again in my life.” Oh well: done, done and in the next …
8
‘Echoes, silence, patience and grace’ (2007)
It may be the record that lifted them to two sold-out nights at Wembley Stadium, but ‘ESP & G’ is a pretty slick affair that sees the Foos sailing on autopilot. Dave sounds tired in ‘Let It Die’ and almost ready to fall asleep in ‘Stranger Things Have Happened’, the latter a completely forgettable acoustic number, and ‘Cheer Up Boys (Your Make-Up Is Running)’ is not even half Unique as its title. Singles ‘The Pretender’ and ‘Long Road To Ruin’ manage to impress, but overall it seems that the Foos are running out of ideas, having tried to mix their stronger and softer sides and fell awkwardly in the middle.
7 7
‘In your honor’ (2005)
Here we see Foo Fighters fall into the classic double album trap; namely, not having enough genuinely cool songs to go the distance. At this point in the band’s career, most would agree that Foos are better when they rock than when Dave gets comfortable with an acoustic guitar, so listening to ‘rock’ and ‘acoustic’ CDs consecutively it’s like following an exciting water ski session with a long read of poetry from your instructor. ‘No Way Back’ and ‘The Sign’ are still among the band’s best efforts, and overall there’s a good album out here somewhere … but you’ll have to look it up.
6 6
Sonic Roads (2014)
‘Sonic Highways’ initially seemed like the perfect proposition: eight songs recorded in eight different cities in the US, each influenced by the rich musical history of their location, from Nashville to Seattle. Practically for the Foos, it was also a great TV show, but, as for the album itself, the fact that it was recorded in eight different cities didn’t really seem to affect the songs except in their lyrics. So, as a guide to America’s musical history, it’s not very good, but that doesn’t mean it’s a complete disappointment. There’s a ton of rock moving through Grohl’s stadium, and on the final track ‘I Am A River’ shot in New York, things turn to cloudy eyes and the widescreen for a truly rewarding finale.
5 5
‘Concrete and gold’ (2017)
Having remained decidedly apolitical throughout his career, here he was as close as possible to Foo Fighters sticking to the main man on Capitol Hill. Coming less than a year after Donald Trump’s shocking election, it is, by Grohl’s own admission, an album born of “hope and despair.” The lyrics may remain as subtle as ever, but there is palpable anger as they deliver some of the most furious clues of his career. ‘Run’ sees Grohl and company. exchanging safe sand for a thunderous stomp, as ‘The Line’ explores the importance of hope in Trump’s America: “we fight for our lives because everything is at stake,Grohl growls stubbornly. It’s a subtle proclamation, but one that saw the Foos displaying a new and unexpectedly relevant voice as they headed into a new era.
4 4
‘Losing light’ (2011)
There is a sense of déjà-vu on this album; partly due to the slightly rougher sound (Dave insisted on using analog recording equipment), but also due to the return of former guitarist Pat Smear to the ranks. Whatever it was, it worked: ‘Wasting Light’ saw the Foos sound hungrier and more excited than in more than a decade, with Dave giving his most upset cry since ‘Enough Space’ in ‘White Limo’. Elsewhere, the ‘Rope’ riff and the powerful ‘Arlandria’ melodic pop are among the highlights of an album made by a veteran band that apparently rediscovered the simple joys of setting up, plugging in and rockin ‘. like bastards I hope they don’t lose that fire again.
3
‘There is nothing left to lose’ (1999)
This isn’t a huge departure from ‘The Color And The Shape’, but that’s not a big deal when you consider that Dave and Company’s Midas touch is still very effective. Courtney Love’s (allegedly) “ stacked actors ” who harass love seem tailor-made for large crowds of people moving back and forth at festivals, ‘Generator’ is quintessential melodic and shocking pop-rock , and serve what is possibly their best. ballad to date in ‘Next year’. As an added bonus, the band indulges their hobby for fun videos in the ‘Learn To Fly’ promo (in which Dave plays six different people, fans of the Foo Facts!).
Ad
two
Foo Fighters (1995)
It’s 1995, and while Britpop reigns in the UK, American airwaves are awash with third-tier grunge copyists, all inviting us to share their PAIN. (Does anyone remember Canadian rockers Moist? No? Luck). But what is this? It’s former Nirvana stick member Dave Grohl, flying out from behind the drums in his Superman outfit, armed with some highly addictive songs. Essentially a one-man band at this stage, the strength of ‘Foo Fighters’ lies in how damn vital and adrenalized it sounds; Dave has been sitting on these songs for some time, you see, and it must feel good to finally drop them. Certainly, the great ‘Big Me’ is the antithesis of anything in ‘In Utero’. Sure around the edges, but an impressive first salvo.
one
‘The color and the form’ (1997)
Many would argue that if you’ve never passed out with ‘Everlong’, you duped into ‘Enough Space’ or almost lost your voice while trying to yell at Dave in the “Something before Iquit …All-conquering ‘Spanner Bridge’, so you’re not a true Foos fan. They’re probably right. Foos’ first effort across the band was a more polished affair than debut, but really ‘TCATS’ was it’s about the songs, many of which are possibly now connected to the DNA of rock fans of a certain age. If we’re being pedantic, ‘See You’ and the sentimental ‘Walking After You’ aren’t an essential Foos fare, but it says Much to the point that ‘TCATS’ was their first album to receive the tenth anniversary reissue treatment, 23 years later they still have to improve it.
