- Album of the Year
- Best Rock Performance - "Walk"
- Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance - "White Limo"
- Best Rock Song - "Walk"
- Best Rock Album
- Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Butch Vig
- Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: Deadmau5 - "Rope"
- Best Long-Form Music Video - "Foo Fighters: Back and Forth"
Did you read my Mumford and Sons review a few weeks ago? Then you know that I'm pissed.
Give someone else a shot, or else this better be a damn good album I'm delving into here. It will probably be awesome, I'm just a tad bitter. Afterall, this is an album that Dave wanted to show their roots and get rid of the artificial recording techniques we hear so often today. Analog recording? Ok, ok, I'll give it a rightful shot. Someone remind me in the midst of all of this to watch Back and Forth, the doc on the recording and their career. If you get to the end and I haven't mentioned it, feel free to yell for a re-write.
Here's the link for the full listen on Spotify.
So we start things off with this very open electric guitar sound, almost like there's no amp involvement whatsoever. It builds in layers though, very impressive for a relatively small band on an analog recording actually, but we get back to a more simplified rock sound in a bit. I'll go on record to say this would make a good Guitar Hero song. It's steady and has some really good changes. They kind of recorded every song in this "Live on Letterman" format (you can find them all on YouTube if you look), so here's a look at this song.
Next up we've got "Rope" which was the first single from this album. It's got some heavy Zepplin influence, which is always nice to hear. In true form of our twisted day, no physical single was released on CD, but a vinyl eventually was. Go figure. This is also the song we'll hear a deadmau5 remix of later. And a note I just came across which is taking me down the Grohl worship scale quickly is that he received the NME "Godlike Genius" award. Why does that award exist?
"Dear Rosemary" was on when I walked into my room at one point in while setting up this review, and I think I was pretty okay with it. The melody is much more accessible, and the guitar at least gives you something to loose yourself in if desired. I guess it's a simpler song with a darker story, though that's not something in my hear I would have expected to hear from this band. It's not until the chorus that I remember who this is, and I'm actually not hating it. This is more of the rock band I was previously looking forward to hearing from.
I read on a message board this whole argument about "White Limo" and its status as a hard rock or metal song, but it's nominated in a category that lumps them together, so who really cares? Isn't Foo meant to be a rock band period, despite the sub-genre? Oh lord, now I'm defending their nomination classifications. Oi. Anywhos, this song definitely starts out on a harder note than the others, pumping up the intensity immediately and swallowing that mic. This has never been something I've loved, mind you. It may be as hard to listen to, for me, as hardcore rap. Here's the video, nonetheless.
"Arlandria" was actually a single for those of you in the UK. We haven't gotten it here in the US. It's about the town Grohl grow up in, and includes a lot of melodies from childhood rhymes, which he claims have a great please in rock music. I have to say, after listening to this, he's got a point. It sounds great set to these instruments. The song itself, well, I think it's more about leaving and being more than an ode to the town, but go figure. Here's a live performance:
We start off "These Days" in the fashion I have always had in my head for bands like the Foo Fighters - a guitar and a voice, with everything else being added in post-intro. It's lighter and more understandable lyrically. Actually, as the chorus comes in - this is Foo Fighters to me. This is what I was to hear, and what I was expecting when this was described as a lot like their earlier work. I'm actually excited to hear this live. Let's check it out.
"Back & Forth" gave the title to the documentary, and I think I can hear why. There's talking about the old days of what eh was, but then what he's come to now. Love the lyric "does my heaven burn like hell on you?" and can't wait to use that on someone someday. Again, this is more along the lines of what I was expecting, though in listening, it's hard for me to buy this "analog recording" thing - they must be damn good at it. There is this funny little twist throughout the build to the chorus in his voice - listen and you'll hear what I mean.
There's something old and nice about Dave's voice for "Matter of Time." The notes he's hitting just have a great sound to them. I get what it is though - it's everything we love about pop music, and why some of those songs are so infectious. In this case, it's almost only always for the verses, because the chorus is more rock, and the bridge is more alternative.
The next one is "Miss the Misery." Love this song lyrically, not enjoying it musically. "Get in don't change your mind let's go," or some form of it, just makes for awesome driving lyrics, and I'm a huge fan there. It's just kind of blah musically, but I can't totally place my finger on it. Check out the live version and let's see if the energy from the performance helps:
"I Should Have Known" slows and depresses things way down compared to the rest of the album, which I guess you need at some point. It can't be up tempo all of the time, though this change was quick. The lyrics of previous numbers have been pretty painful (I mean that in a good way, hush), but this is really just sad.
"Walk" is probably my favorite song off the album, though I doubt that's a surprise. Maybe it's because it's hitting my life at the right time - starting over after the toughness. On the regular album, it's meant to help end the whole thing on a positive note, and it's all about second chances.
"Rope - deadmau5 mix" came as a surprise to me. You don't hear too many things like this, or at least I don't. As it starts, I don't remember the song at all. It's electronic and weird and not what I needed toward the end of this album. I hate using this word for electronic music, but this sounds futuristic and not at all what the song was to begin with. I get a remix, but this is just strange.
The final song on the deluxe album is "Better Off," and by now, I have to hand it to them - they're innovative with sound. I don't think I've heard combinations quite like this album has been able to make. It would be totally cliche to say, though, that we would have been 'better off' without this song though, right? It's just got the feeling of a left-over song that we didn't need to experience in the first place really. But, gotta love the b-sides.
Added to My Playlist:
- "Rope"
- "Dear Rosemary"
- "Arlandria"
- "These Days"
- "Walk"