Foo Fighters (album)
Foo Fighters | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 4, 1995 | |||
Recorded | October 17–23, 1994 | |||
Studio | Robert Lang, Seattle | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 44:04 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Foo Fighters chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Foo Fighters | ||||
|
Foo Fighters is the debut
After Grohl completed the recordings, he chose the name "Foo Fighters" for the project to hide his identity, and passed cassette copies of the sessions to personal friends. When the tapes attracted record label interest, Grohl signed with Capitol and recruited a full band to perform the songs live. The album was promoted through extensive tours and six singles, two of which were accompanied by music videos.
Upon its release, Foo Fighters earned positive reviews, praising its songwriting and performances, and was also a commercial success, becoming the band's second-best-selling album in the United States. It also peaked within the top five of charts of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Background
In 1990, Dave Grohl joined the grunge band Nirvana as drummer. During tours, he took a guitar with him and wrote songs, but was too intimidated to share them with the band, as he was "in awe" of the songs written by frontman Kurt Cobain.[2] Grohl occasionally booked studio time to record demos and covers, issuing an album of demos, Pocketwatch, under the pseudonym Late! in 1992.[3]
Following Cobain's suicide in April 1994, Grohl entered a state of depression,[4] and found it difficult to both listen to music and play instruments.[5] He was uncertain of what to do next, and despite being invited to drum for bands like Danzig or Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Grohl almost decided to abandon his musical career: "I just couldn't imagine [playing in other bands]", he explained in a 2005 interview with Classic Rock magazine, "because it would just remind me of being in Nirvana; every time I sat down at a drum set, I would think of that."[6][7]
Grohl's first musical performance after the demise of Nirvana was with The Backbeat Band at the 1994 MTV Movie Awards in June. Soon thereafter, Mike Watt invited Grohl to play drums on his album Ball-Hog or Tugboat? (1995). Grohl enjoyed these experiences and thus decided to work on his own musical project,[8] which he believed could serve as a "some sort of cathartic therapy."[7] Grohl consequently booked six days at Seattle's Robert Lang Studios, which were located near his house, where he recorded several of his favorite personal compositions with the assistance of Pocketwatch producer Barrett Jones.[4][9] Although Grohl played all the instruments on the album, he intended to release it under a name that would make people believe it to be the work of a full band, similar to Stewart Copeland's 1980 EP Klark Kent.[5]
Recording
"The first Foo Fighters record was not meant to be an album, it was an experiment and for fun. I was just fucking around. Some of the lyrics weren't even real words."
—Dave Grohl in 2011[10]
Grohl and Jones produced the record across a period of one week in October 1994, with Grohl on vocals and all instruments. Both would arrive in the morning at Robert Lang Studios, start production by noon and do four songs a day.[7] According to Grohl, during the recording process he would run from room to room, "still sweating and shaking from playing drums and [then] pick up the guitar and put down a track, do the bass, maybe another guitar part, have a sip of coffee and then go in and do the next song". The only performance by an outsider was a guitar part on "X-Static" provided by Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs, who was watching Grohl record the songs. Grohl eventually asked him if he wanted to play and handed him a guitar.[11] Each song took about 45 minutes to be completed, and the compositions were recorded in the same order that became the album's track listing. The only song that required two run-throughs before completion was "I'll Stick Around".[9] Grohl was insecure about his singing, and added effects to his voice in "Floaty",[12] and tried to enhance the performance through double track – "You know how people double their vocals to make them stronger? That album the vocals are quadrupled."[7]
In an attempt to keep his anonymity, Grohl planned to release the songs under the name Foo Fighters,
The mixing sessions of the album began in Robert Lang Studios (which were used on the 100 tapes Grohl gave away) but eventually those mixes were discarded and the sessions moved to Rob Schnapf and Tom Rothrock's "The Shop" studio in Arcata, California. Mixes were done on a 32 channel API DeMedio console, custom built by Frank DeMedio in 1972 for Wally Heider Recording's 'Studio 4'. A Stephen's 24 track 2" tape machine was used for playback. Processors used in the mixes included an Eventide Omnipressor compressor for vocals and guitar solos, an Alan Smart stereo compressor for "squashing" the drums and mixing them back in as well as being used over the entire mix. Other processors included UREI 1176 and LA3A compressors as well as an Echoplex for delays and a "crappy digital reverb". Mixes were "nothing that crazy" Rob described, adding that he "mixed 'Big Me' in 20 minutes".[16]
During the sessions, Grohl was invited by Tom Petty to perform with The Heartbreakers on Saturday Night Live one month later. The performance was followed by an invitation to be a full-time member of the Heartbreakers, but once Petty heard about the Foo Fighters, he instead encouraged Grohl to move on with this solo project.[17] Grohl soon recruited a full band, which included bassist Nate Mendel and drummer William Goldsmith of the recently disbanded Sunny Day Real Estate, as well as Nirvana touring guitarist, and former Germs member, Pat Smear.[4]
Music and composition
Nine of the songs in the album were composed before or during Grohl's tenure with Nirvana, and existed in
Most of the lyrics on Foo Fighters are nonsensical lines written by Grohl in the 20 minutes before recording began.[28] As Grohl later explained, "I had seven days to record fifteen songs. I was just concentrating on everything being as together as possible, having everything be tight and in sync. There wasn't too much time spent sitting in a chair thinking."[6][18] Grohl would add that the gibberish was deliberate, given that "there was too much to say" following Cobain's death and "a lot of emphasis [was] placed on the meaning of the first Foo Fighters album."[17] Grohl still considered that "the things you write down spur of the moment are most revealing. Now I look at them and some of them seem to actually have meaning",[6][18] and revealed that a few songs have lyrics inspired by "personal experiences of the last four or five years", with the standout being "Big Me", an "out-and-out love song" to Grohl's then-wife Jennifer Youngblood that he described as his favorite track on the album.[12] Contrasting with the aggressive and rebellious themes of Nirvana, Grohl had positive and cheery tunes such as "This Is a Call", defined as "a 'hello' and a 'thank you'" to everyone that had played a key role in Grohl's life;[9] the playful "For All the Cows"; and "Wattershed", with a title referencing Mike Watt and lyrics that described Grohl's "love of hardcore and old school punk rock".[9]
Title and packaging
The name "
Release and promotion
In spring 1995, Foo Fighters embarked on their first ever United States tour, supporting
Foo Fighters was released July 4, 1995, on Roswell Records, distributed by
"I'll Stick Around" was issued as the second single on September 4, 1995, and would also mark Foo Fighters' music video debut, directed by Gerald Casale. That fall, the band continued to tour extensively,[31] with a European tour with Built to Spill,[33] and visits to Japan, Australia and New Zealand.[31] The tour was wrapped with a performance at the Phoenix Festival on July 20, 1996. The Foo Fighters performed nearly 100 concerts throughout 1995, and over 70 dates the following year.[31]
Three more songs of the album were issued as singles: "For All the Cows" in 1995,[34] and both "Big Me" and "Alone + Easy Target" in 1996.[35] "Big Me" was the band's first commercial single to be made available in the US; it was also the second song on the album to receive a music video. Directed by Jesse Peretz, the music video parodies the distinctive commercials used to advertise Mentos candy.[36]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [27] |
Blender | [37] |
Chicago Tribune | [38] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+[39] |
The Guardian | [40] |
NME | 9/10[41] |
Q | [42] |
Rolling Stone | [43] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [44] |
Spin | 7/10[45] |
Foo Fighters earned mostly positive reviews upon release. Many critics compared the album to Nirvana.
The album received minor criticism for its lack of intensity, which many proposed was due to the fact that Grohl played all the instruments himself.
The album was nominated for
Commercial performance
Foo Fighters was a commercial success. In the United States, it debuted on the
Track listing
All tracks are written by Dave Grohl.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "This Is a Call" | 3:53 |
2. | "I'll Stick Around" | 3:52 |
3. | "Big Me" | 2:12 |
4. | "Alone + Easy Target" | 4:06 |
5. | "Good Grief" | 4:01 |
6. | "Floaty" | 4:30 |
7. | "Weenie Beenie" | 2:46 |
8. | "Oh, George" | 3:00 |
9. | "For All the Cows" | 3:30 |
10. | "X-Static" | 4:14 |
11. | "Wattershed" | 2:15 |
12. | "Exhausted" | 5:45 |
Total length: | 44:04 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "Winnebago" (Grohl, Geoff Turner) | 4:13 |
14. | "Podunk" | 3:04 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Winnebago" (Grohl, Geoff Turner) | 4:13 |
2. | "Podunk" | 3:04 |
3. | "How I Miss You" | 4:54 |
4. | "Ozone" (Ace Frehley cover) | 4:16 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Winnebago" (Grohl, Geoff Turner) | 4:13 |
2. | "Podunk" | 3:04 |
3. | "How I Miss You" | 4:54 |
4. | "Ozone" (Ace Frehley cover) | 4:16 |
5. | "For All the Cows" (Live at Reading Festival 26 August 1995) | 3:33 |
6. | "Wattershed" (Live at Reading Festival 26 August 1995) | 2:15 |
- The album was reissued in 2003 (on CD) and 2011 (as an LP and for download) with the normal track list.
Personnel
Foo Fighters
- Dave Grohl – vocals, guitars, bass guitar, drums, production
Additional musician
- Greg Dulli – additional guitar on "X-Static"
Technical
- Jaq Chartier – jacket artwork
- Steve Culp – engineering
- Curt Doughty – photography
- Tim Gabor – art direction, album design
- Barrett Jones – production
- mastering
- Charles Peterson – photography
- Jeff Ross – photography
- Tom Rothrock – mixing
- Rob Schnapf – mixing
- Jennifer Youngblood – cover photo, photography
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[86] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada)[61] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[87] | Gold | 7,500^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[62] | Platinum | 374,187[88] |
United States (RIAA)[89] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ AM (July 5, 2020). "25 Years of Foo Fighters debut album, A post grunge success story". Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ di Perna, Alan. "Absolutely Foobulous!". Guitar World. August 1997.
- ^ Bryant, Tom. "Alien Parking". Kerrang! Legends: Foo Fighters. 2007.
- ^ Back and Forth(documentary). RCA.
- ^ a b "Everyone Has Their Dark Side Archived May 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine", Mojo (April 2005)
- ^ a b c d e f g h Murphy, Kevin (July 2005). "Honor Roll". Classic Rock. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ a b c d My Brilliant Career Archived September 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Q (November 2007)
- ^ a b c From Penniless Drummer To The Bigest (sic) Rock Icon In the World Archived September 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Kerrang! (November 2009)
- ^ ISBN 978-0-85712-021-2.
- ^ "I have all these huge fucking riffs, I can scream for three hours... LET'S GO!" Archived March 1, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Classic Rock, May 2011
- ^ a b Mundy, Chris (October 1995). "Invasion Of The Foo Fighters – Dave Grohl Takes Command". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 19, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ a b True, Everett (November 1995). "The Chosen Foo". Melody Maker. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ISBN 9780063076099.
- ^ Heatley, Michael. Dave Grohl: Nothing to Lose. 2006
- ^ a b Rosen, Craig (June 24, 1995). "Time Off Re-energizes the Foo Fighters". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
- ^ Schnapf, Rob. "Gearslutz forum posting". Archived from the original on December 23, 2015.
- ^ a b c Brannigan, Paul (November 2009). "Dave Grohl: AMERICAN HERO". Mojo. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ Alternative Press(January 1996)
- ^ Mundy, Chris. "Foo Fighters: It's a Band, Damn It". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
- ^ Consindine, J.D. (May 10, 2000). "When punk meets pop, the result really rocks". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
On the first two Foo Fighters albums, Grohl generally gave into his punk side, cranking the guitars and pushing the tempo to ensure that even his most melodic tunes never sounded too sweet.
- ^ a b Foege, Alec (August 10, 1995). "Foo Fighters". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- ^ a b Norris, Chris (July 17, 1995). "Recorded Music: Foo Fighters, Foo Fighters". New York.
- ^ a b Hyden, Steven. "Foo Fighters' debut was a bridge between Nirvana and mid-'90s alt-rock". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ^ McKeough, Kevin (August 7, 1995). "Grunge Returns". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ISBN 9780595518357. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
- ^ Martins, Jorge (December 25, 2023). "Top 10 Post-Grunge Albums From the '90s That Actually Stood the Test of Time". Ultimate Guitar. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
- ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 3, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
- ^ a b Brannigan, Paul (December 2010). "Kerrang's 50 albums you need to hear in 2011 – Foo Fighters (Interview)". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on January 22, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ a b c Apter, 2006. pp. 271-4
- ^ a b Verna, Paul (July 22, 1995). "Album Reviews: Foo Fighters". Billboard.
- ^ a b c d e Apter, 2006. p. 294-8
- ^ Cohan, Brad (November 17, 2016). "The Time Mike Watt, Dave Grohl and Eddie Vedder Jammed Econo". The Observer. London. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
- ^ Hermes, Will (March 1996). "Built to Last". Spin. Archived from the original on June 27, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
- ISBN 1-85828-201-2.
- ^ Flick, Larry (June 8, 1996). "Singles". Billboard.
- ^ Reece, Douglas (March 6, 1996). "Foo Fighters Make 'Big', Fresh Clip". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
- ^ Wolk, Douglas (April 2008). "Back Catalogue: Nirvana". Blender. No. 68. New York. pp. 88–89.
- ^ Kot, Greg (July 7, 1995). "Young At Art". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 19, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
- ^ a b Browne, David (July 14, 1995). "Foo Fighters". Entertainment Weekly. New York. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
- ^ Sullivan, Caroline (June 30, 1995). "CD of the week: Life after Nirvana – the Foo Fighters". The Guardian. London.
- ^ "Foo Fighters: Foo Fighters". NME. London. June 24, 1995. p. 54.
- ^ "Foo Fighters: Foo Fighters". Q. No. 107. London. August 1995. p. 118.
- ^ a b Foege, Alex (August 10, 1995). "Foo Fighters". Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on April 27, 2011. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
- ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ^ a b Sutton, Terri (September 1995). "Foo Fighters: Foo Fighters". Spin. Vol. 11, no. 6. New York. p. 107. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (November 14, 1995). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ISBN 0312245602. Archivedfrom the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ^ "List of Grammy Nominees". CNN. January 4, 1996. Archived from the original on December 7, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2011.
- ^ "Albums of the Year". Kerrang!. December 20, 1995. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2008.
- ^ "Critics Poll: Best Albums". Rolling Stone. No. 726. January 1996. Archived from the original on July 23, 2010.
- ^ "The 1995 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2007.
- ^ "20 Best Albums of '95". Spin. January 1996.
- ^ a b Morris, Chris (December 16, 1995). "Gary Gersh's Artist Development Proves to be Capitol's Foundation". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
- ^ "Discography Foo Fighters". New Zealand charts online. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
- ^ "1995Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive – 8th July 1995". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
- ^ "This Week's Hits" (PDF). Music Week. July 8, 1995. p. 11. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ "Discography Foo Fighters". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on December 30, 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
- ^ Top Albums/CDs – Volume 62, No. 3, August 21, 1995 Archived August 14, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, RPM. collectionscanada.gc.ca Retrieved June 26, 2016
- ^ a b "Gold & Platinum – Search Results: Foo Fighters". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on July 30, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
- ^ Hughes, Kim (December 3, 2011). "Foo Fighters surpass 10 million sales mark (so yeah, they're loaded)". inMusic.ca. Archived from the original on January 21, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ a b "Canadian album certifications – Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters". Music Canada.
- ^ a b "British album certifications – Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
- ARIA Report. No. 286. August 6, 1995. p. 12. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 2735". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
- ^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. July 22, 1995. p. 13. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
- ^ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2016.
- ^ "Top Albums/CDs – Volume 62, No. 20, December 18 1995". RPM. December 18, 1995. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ "Year End Sales Charts - European Top 100 Albums 1995" (PDF). Music & Media. December 23, 1995. p. 14. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1995". The Official NZ Music Charts. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1995". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 27, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – FoocFighters – The Colour and the Shape". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- ^ Garner, George (September 22, 2017). "The Big Interview: Foo Fighters". Music Week. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- ^ "American album certifications – Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters". Recording Industry Association of America.
External links
- Foo Fighters at Discogs (list of releases)