Before I start this review, let me rant a bit. I am so sick and tired of people saying how crap Foo Fighters are and that they only got big because Dave Grohl was in Nirvana and how he and his music sucks and if Kurt never died Nirvana would be churning out hits and blah blah blah. Firstly, Kurt Cobain, he is dead, gone, not coming back, he is living in the sky with other legends that the fan boys want to come back, Kurt, Elvis and 2Pac share a magical musical mansion in the sky laughing at you. I dont care. Whether he shot himself, was murdered or simply was abducted by aliens, it doesnt matter, it has nothing to do with the Foo Fighters, get over it.
The self titled album was cool, and Colour and the Shape, well everyone loves that album. Nothing Left To Loose and One By One are a different brand of music however, leading up to the change of music which features on In Your Honor. Now One By One is not my favourite Foo album, but this CD spawned so many live favourites it is truely part of the musical evolution that everyone has witnessed in the Foo Fighters over the decade.
Foo Fighters are:
Dave Grohl - Vocals, Guitar
Chris Shiflett - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Nate Mendel - Bass
Taylor Hawkins - Drums, Percussion
Track 1 - All My Life
If I was the Comic Store Guy from the Simpsons, then i would be saying: Best, Opening Track, Ever. Hell it deserves it. All My Life was the track that the Foo opened everyone of their shows with for almost 3 years. Starts with some palm mutted guitar and Dave singing the start slowly, but as everyone knows it explodes into the frenzy that is All My Life. From Dave screaming out "Done! Done! Onto The Next One! Done" and the dirty heavy guitar riffs and Hawkins heavy hitting cymbal crashes. No Guitar solo here, but it doesnt need it.
5/5
Track 2 - Low
Dave Grohl and friend Jack Black running around in womens underwear would send shivers down alot of peoples spines, but the video clip (which was banned in various places around the world) highlights the lyrics of the song. The repeating up and down guitar work of the verse with Daves soft vocal work "Screws inside, turn so tight" make the song dark, heavy and mysterious. The chorus is nice, much more upbeat with higher energy than the verse, and it works nicely here along with Shifletts backing vocals and guitar effects. Solid track, but that video clip gets played in my head everytime i hear this song. Creepy.
4.5/5
Track 3 - Have It All
My favourite track of the album, and one of my favourite Foo songs ever. From the intro straight to the end, this is a great track, album standout. A live favourite with high energy and everything that we love the Foo for. "In Too Deep, Shes Spilling Over Me" the chorus goes, nice guitar work all round here from Dave and Shiflett. Personally I think that Nate's bass work doesn't stand out here on this track, which is disapointing. Great Song.
5/5
Track 4 - Times Like These
From the creepy video clip 'Low', Times Like These is the opposite, Boring as all hell. But, still a really good song. "I, I'm A One Way Motorway" goes Dave with the guitars strumming around and the drums rumbling down the hill. Times Like These is a very emotional song, very and it highlights the songwriting skill of Dave. Yeah, is he was never in Nirvana, he WOULD make it in the music world with songs like this ok, so shut up all those people who my rant was directed at. The chorus is very melodic and the bridge is nice with Dave's voice floating dreamily over it. Ends very nicely on a great note. Good Work Foo.
5/5
Track 5 - Disenchanted Lullaby
Slow, painfully slow guitar opens this track and is quickly followed by Dave singing in the soft style that is becomming a staple in this album. Instead of screaming out in tracks like 'Generator' and 'Learn To Fly' from their previous album, Dave seems to have settled on the softer voice for a few songs on this album. Soon however the song picks up and Dave goes into his trademark screams. The change from the verse into the chorus is really the only decent part in the song, it feels kind of empty.
2.5/5
Track 6 - Tired Of You
Now here is the Decent pure grade slow song that the album had been dieing for. 'Tired Of You' is simple power chords accompanied by Daves singing complex, intricate lyrics about diamonds, fire and the blues. A pure song from the heart, showcases the bands songwriting ability, but not their skills with their instruments. "Cursed By Love So Dire, One More Boy For Hire". Sadly Hawkins takes a back seat on this track, no drums or percussion here, which is a shame because he is a very talented hard hitting drummer. Still, a very solid track.
4.5/5
Track 7 - Halo
Halo is almost a step up from Tired Of You. More upbeat, but still calm, louder with drums, but maintains the great songwriting, different lyrics and good musicianship. It was a really cool XBOX game, but before that it was a really decent song. With Dave screaming 'Halo!' in earnest "God Only Knows". An emotionally powerful song, but personally I like Tired Of You Better.
4/5
Track 8 - Lonely As You
Still in slow mode, Lonely As You (sounds like Tired Of You, the title anyway) goes on for a bit in a gentle slow strumming motion. Then the verse kicks in and with backing vocals maintaining a calm pace with some rather gentle druming, at least for a while. Things pick up a bit to the chorus, but this song isnt too special. Almost filler I think. Sorry.
3/5
Track 9 - Overdrive
Overdrive picks up the pace of the album similar to what it was before Disenchanted Lullaby. Daves singing sounds a liitle like the original Foo Fighters self titled album era. Nice solid chorus, but the guitars arnt very loud, not as loud and rock as they could be. For a song titled Overdrive, it doesnt live up to the name. Oh Well.
3.5/5
Track 10 - Burn Away
Heavy guitars and drums open this track, fairly gritty, sounds like the music coming out of a teenagers garage, except someone stole Dave Grohls voicebox. The chorus is empty, and you just get the feel that absolutely minimal effort was put into this track which is sad because it could have been really, really good.
2/5
Track 11 - Come Back
More dirty guitars open this track, the final on the album. After Burn Away most people probably would have turned their CD players off, which is a shame because Come Back is significantly better than Burn Away. Nice lyrics and singing with some cool backing vocals and Hawkins druming. Nice chorus, the guitars step up and we say that this is a decent way to end the album One By One.
4/5
Now this probably isnt the Foo Fighters best attempt at an album, but it signifies a change in their music. A whole bunch of softer songs, which is eventually what we see on In Your Honor 'One Disc Loud, One Disc Not So Loud' said Dave Grohl. The first half of the album is great, explosive, nice energy with All My Life and Have It All, and the great Times Like These and the 'lets put on girls makeup and pantyhose and get drunk' Low.
Best Songs:
- All My Life
- Have It All
- Times Like These
- Tired Of You
- Low
Pros:
- Its the Foo Fighters
- One of the better rock albums from 2002
- The First half of the album
Cons:
- The second half of the album
- Burn Away
- The Low Video clip
Ok, so go out and buy this album if you love the Foo Fighters, if you dont, then why are you reading this review. Buy themselves All My Life, Have It All, Times Like These, all great songs, anyone would have been able to get big with songs like that; regardless if you played in Nirvana with Kurt Cobain.
-Auldy
