Grohl showed early promise with the Foo Fighters' self-titled debut: a fun, if generic, upbeat blast of nitty gritty power punk. But since then, it's been a long slide into dull, arena rock that sounds like it has a lot more in common with late '70s bands like Foghat and Thin Lizzy than the indie bona fides of Grohl's early '90s work. He hasn't managed to record more than half a decent album (as a front man) since, including, as far as I'm concerned, The Colour and the Shape (which has the best Foo Fighter Song: "Everlong").
Press reports leading up to Wasting Light's release offered a bit of promise. Grohl, apparently, eschewed his big, private studio to record the album in his garage... After listening to Wasting Light a few times, it's pretty clear Grohl has a really expensive garage.
It was clear that Grohl wanted to recapture some of that early sound from the debut. He even hired Nevermind producer Butch Vig. But Vig was no help. Half the problem with Foo Fighter records is that they just sound overproduced. The guitars sound like they've been pressed through a room full of processors sand overpriced effects panels. And why Vig? Vig might have been the worst part of Nevermind, flattening Nirvana's songs into a weak sound that failed to really capture the band. Compare Nevermind today to Steve Albini's masterful mix of In Utero. It's not even close.
But aside from getting Albini to pump the muscle back into the Foo Fighters' sound, the other problem with with the band is that the songs are just not all that great. "Burning Bridge" is a decent opener, but soon develops into a very familiar Foo Fighter formula: Strong riff, a little screaming for the verse with an open, three-chord chorus. The following track "Rope" doesn't do any better, sounding a lot like early '90s Rush (see Counterparts). But then we get to track 3, "Rosemary," and the formula is locked in. If you're not feeling homicidal rage by track 6, "These Days," there's something wrong with you. There's nothing left to bother with. Wasting Lights is a waste of time, a chronically tired record by a middle-aged rock album punching its time card.
Grohl, of course, is stinking it up to the tune of millions of albums sold (and downloaded) and selling gazillions of concert tickets, perhaps as long as he wants to. And there's nothing wrong with being popular and accessible. Those are perfectly cool goals. And Grohl is not a guy I want to see be this bad. I really want to like a Foo Fighters record. We could use a really good, popular rock band that can put out good records and fill concert venues.
Given just how much capital Foo Fighters has to burn, it would be nice to see the band shake off the dust and push the envelop a little. Perhaps Grohl isn't capable of doing any better with the song writing, but he could get a producer to make the thing really sound like rock. How about getting his pal Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, who did a pretty neat job with the Arctic Monkeys' Humbug? Until then I expect to keep hearing Foo Fighters albums that are less rock and more of the kind of schlock I expect to see on pass for rock on American Idol. We should all expect more.
I am not even a big Foo Fighters fan but I am not sure if you and I were listening to the same album.
ReplyDeleteI think this album is much rawer than Echoes, which itself was an outstanding album in its own right.
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the hell out of Wasting Light.
This thing still sounds super slick to me. Raw to my ears is guitar that you can find on everything from Sonic Youth to The Black Keys. Even the average Jack White project is more raw to my ears. But it's a subjective call. I can see the argument that Grohl and Co. are tighter players, but my guess is that I would prefer a live recording of Foo Fighters to anything they put on record. Always felt that way about the Ramones, too. With a few exceptions, the best Ramones is live Ramones.
ReplyDeleteThe guitars are not slick at all. I'm not saying it is raw either. It's Foo Fighters. They have their own sound. And you can say whatever you want, they simply are one of the biggest rock bands in the world because of the great music they make!
ReplyDeleteIt has nothing to do with Grohls songwriting. It has to do with you ears
Well for one thing you are wrong about Butch. He wanted to make it as dirty as Kurt wanted but the record company simply wouldn't have allowed it and he wanted to keep his job. Google the Butch Vig mix of Smell Like Teen Spirit and you'll see. It's still over-processed because that was the record company's goal to begin with so the studio was set up that way but it definitely has more character, and the solo is absolutely eerie with the way he let the overtones sustain.
ReplyDeleteAs for the last few Foo records being "half-decent", I can't argue with you there but I still like the first half of this album. It's rock but you're right that it could use more unique songwriting.
Foo Fighters always had a lot to prove. Despite David Grohl's intent to break ties from the shadow of Nirvana, lyrics and song structure for the (newly) quintet were never rocket science, oriented more for the masses than for the exploring connoisseur. That's why after the departure The Colour and the Shape meant, the stagnancy of four subsequent records made the disappointment even more deafening. The same trite of loud/quiet combination and chord progression twisted to all the possible forms called for a rapid change.
ReplyDeleteKemoslobe, There's no way the "million records sold" and "gazillion concert tickets" sold is going to fly in a serious discussion. There's plenty of schlock and nonsense that sells. Is anything that sells really automatically credible? Is LMFAO credible? No. They're a joke. (I know, it's the point. But those guys ain't going to call themselves artists.) Every time I hear those over-processed, drippy, music of Grohl's it makes me cringe.
ReplyDeleteAgain, the main thing I have against Grohl is I think he could make a record that SOUNDS a whole lot better. I don't care if it's simple or not. Let's get something that sounds like rock, not spit-shined, adult alternative snooze-inducing crap.