No.42 - ‘Foo Fighters’ by Foo Fighters (1995)

Couldn't find a way to you; Seems that's all I ever do; Turning up in black and blue; Rewarded; All the static we are left; Wait until the time has come; Figure that's where time comes from; Leaving all my senses numb; Is heaven

It is not often that the drummer of the biggest rock band in the world turns down opportunities to join other bands, for recording a 15 track demo from songs written in between gigs on tours, playing every instrument and vocal, creating arguably his best album to date, then forming a new band, who go on to become the greatest rock band for the next three decades… this is the phenomenon that is Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters.

‘Learn To Fly’, ‘Monkey Wrench’, ‘Everlong’, and ‘Breakout’ are among some of their biggest songs, but our focus is on the debut self-titled album. It often goes overlooked to the masses, with their huge songs appearing on the multiple albums that followed. Although the above are fantastic songs and bigger hits, no other album has the consistence of quality throughout. A wide scope of design for each song gives a nice alternative to their driving melodic rock. The demo-like production also gives the album a rough charm that make these songs sound even better, in my opinion.

There is a great punky energy, notably in ‘Good Grief’. Some very interesting melodies push the quality even higher. Grohl’s classic voice busts a gut on the upbeat songs, but we also hear his sweet drone in songs like ‘X-Static’, which, although played to a strong drumbeat, captures a beauty and simplicity that echoes the quality of the song writing. Give this a good listen; it is one of those albums that gets better and better with every listen. 

Foo Fighters formed after the recording of this album, in 1995. Interestingly, the name is derived from the nickname given to UFOs by aircraft pilots. They have won numerous awards and were last year inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. The album reached no.3 in the UK and 23 in the US, whilst selling over a million copies in the US alone. It has been released numerous times on vinyl, which does reside in my collection.

Favourite songs - X-Static, This Is A Call, I’ll Stick Around, Good Grief, For All The Cows