Foo Fighters
Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace – Release Date September 25th, 2007
“Minimal Change, Maximum Effort, Great Album”
Knowing that the new Foo Fighter album was right around the corner I decided to listen through their Discography so I could see how this album stacks up to the past releases. Its now been two years since the Foo Fighters have put out a studio album but are starting off strong out of the gates with their new album ESP&G. Their first single from the record is “The Pretender” and right off the bat the Foo Fighters are rocking you. I can’t say that this is the hardest song that the Foo Fighters have ever made but it is definitely on the top tier of the list. Not only is it a rocking song but you’ll be jupmin, foot tappin, jamming. My wife is a rock n roll fan but watching her jam out to The Pretender was quite a site. The first five songs on this album are the in your face introduction to ESP&G. Dave Grohl and company give you a punch right in the face with songs like let it Die, Erase/Replace, and Come Alive. Long Road to Ruin is also in the play list of these stellar first five tracks but is more of a Rock Radio play then hard rock. One of the formulas that I tend to like with a few of these first five songs is that it starts of slow and acoustic and then all of a sudden it’s like a brick shattering through glass. The electric kicks in along with the hard rockin drum beats of Taylor Hawkins. Just because this fits my taste does not mean that it is a recipe for success. Sometimes it can make the song feel a little disjointed but for a song like Let it Die I think it makes the song.
From here on out though the pace changes and the acoustic sound that we all loved so much from In Your Honor (Disc 2) returns with Stranger Things Have Happened. After STHH it is a like a kiddie roller coaster of rock. We move up to the harder but not quite hard song Cheer up boys (Your Makeup is Running). This is definitely the most disappointing song on the album. I know there is a chorus in this song that should catch your attention but no, you are left thinking now what was that song I listened to earlier? It is not memorable in any way at all. Now we hit the down slope of this kiddie roller coaster and hits Summer’s End. This song is a slower electric song which has a nice hook. I could see this being a large radio hit for the boys of Foo. It is nothing spectacular but it is a memorable song which kind of grasps you and pulls you in. I particularly enjoy the solo of this song as it fits. Sometimes bands just write solos to solo. This solo is not one of those fluffy filler solos. From here we transition in to the Foo Fighter instrumental. Yes, it is an instrumental and a cool one at that. At least the first time you listen to it. It is a fast passed, deemed blue grass instrumental. It is an impressive showing of acoustic playing but in the end is a disappointment musically. There is not much depth to this song at all. It is basically the same riff played over and over and over again for two and half minutes.
The next few songs are your soft rock Foo Fighters but really finish up the album much stronger than any of the middle songs contributed to the album. Statues is another rock radio hit for the Foo Fighters eventually. It is the first time we hear the piano softly rockin along with the guys from Foo and it is a nice change of pace. As we are winding down we hit the 2nd full acoustic song of the album, But Honestly. I definitely enjoy this acoustic jam but not quite as much as Stranger Things Have Happened. It has a nice riff and some nice vocals by Dave. It is definitely a good contribution to the album. Finally we hit the end of the road with the song Home. This is definitely the largest change of this Foo Fighters album. Home is an all Piano slow jam. I think it is a great song with some nicely worded lyrics but sometimes it can sound drawn out and maybe a little too slow paced. Overall, it is a good track. So now you know the lineup and my thoughts on most of the tracks. So how does it add up to the rest of the Foo Fighters albums? I would have to say that is up there on the charts probably behind The Colour and the Shape and There’s Nothing Left to Lose. I think the album could have been set up to flow better and that could have helped it out but overall it was a solid performance by the Foo Fighters. They are still rockin, a little different, and still the top rock band of today.
4/5 Stars for Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace
