Foo Fighters' "The Colour and the Shape"

Olivia
Jun 27, 2021
6 min read

Updated: Jun 28, 2021

About the Band

Foo Fighters is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1994. It currently consists of Dave Grohl (lead singer and guitarist), Nate Mendel (bassist), Taylor Hawkins (drummer), Pat Smear (rhythm guitar), Chris Shifflet (lead guitar), and Rami Jaffee (keyboardist). Foo Fighters was originally a project created by Dave Grohl, the previous drummer of Nirvana. While performing with Nirvana, Grohl had written many songs of his own, but had never shared them with the public until after Kurt Cobain's death, which signaled the end of Nirvana. Grohl decided to record some of his own songs anonymously under the name of "Foo Fighters," based on a WWII term used to describe UFOs. He played each individual part of the self-titled album on his own, with the exception of one guitar part played by Greg Dulli. Grohl ended up recruiting band members Pat Smear (former guitarist for Nirvana and the LA punk band, Germs), Nate Mendel, and William Goldsmith to tour with him on his first album. The album was a huge hit and kicked off the Foo Fighters' career which has lasted 27 years, 10 albums (as of 2021), and many lineup changes. Foo Fighters have won 12 Grammys, 4 of which were awarded to them for "Best Rock Album of the Year." They will be inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in October of 2021.

About the Album

"The Colour and the Shape" is Foo Fighters' second album released in 1996. Dave Grohl wrote all of the songs off the album. Unlike his debut album, he had band members to help record the instrumentation. Gil Norton, a producer known for his perfectionism, was called to help work on the album, in hopes that he would make it sound more polished and official. Once each of the parts was recorded, Grohl realized that William Goldsmith's drumming was not sufficient enough for the album and rerecorded the drum parts himself without telling Goldsmith. Goldsmith felt betrayed and left the band. He was replaced by Taylor Hawkins, the touring drummer for Alanis Morissette. "The Colour and the Shape" ended up being a bestselling album in the US and the UK and was nominated for "Best Rock Album" at the Grammys. The singles "Everlong," "Monkey Wrench," and "My Hero" reached within the top 10 of the US rock radio charts. The album remains Foo Fighters' biggest seller in the US, with about 3 million copies sold.

Songs on the Album

1. Doll 1:23 2. Monkey Wrench 3:51 3. Hey, Johnny Park! 4:08 4. My Poor Brain 3:33 5. Wind Up 2:32 6. Up in Arms 2:16 7. My Hero 4:20 8. See You 2:27 9. Enough Space 2:37 10. February Stars 4:49

11. Everlong 4:10 12. Walking After You 5:04 13. New Way Home 5:40

14. The Colour and the Shape

3:25

Picture of the Band at the Time of the Album's Release:

Opinions on the Album:

Before listening to "The Colour and the Shape," I had already heard the singles on either the radio or my playlist, but had never heard the full album. Despite being familiar with a few of Foo Fighters' songs, I was not expecting what I ended up hearing on the album. I realized that the only way to understand a band's style and message fully is to listen to their full albums. The first song, "Doll" was one of my favorites. It was soft, and the vocals were distant and unclear, until halfway through when the song started to build up, the vocals became loud and present. My only problem was that it was way too short (only 1 min 23 sec!). Monkey wrench is the next track on the album, and it set the album into motion. It was loud, crazy, catchy, and held the spirit of rock and roll. I loved how there was often a rest on the first beat, with the crash and guitars entering on beat two. Foo Fighters seem to really know how to propell a song forward. The chorus of the song, "I don't want to be your monkey wrench" was kind of odd at first but I then realized he must have felt someone was using him like a tool in one of his relationships. I read that it was inspired by a divorce from his first wife.

The mixing of the album was neat, especially in "Hey, Johnny Park!" where the instrumentation would move from one ear to the other. The harmonies in the song were a cool addition and sounded very 90s."My Poor Brain" was a great use of using music to convey the meaning and feeling of the song. It begins with complete chaos and quickly becomes soft and melodic, representing the struggles in the singer's mind. The album included many different styles of songs. Some, like "Wind Up" and "Enough Space" were intense and most of the lyrics on my phone were shown in capital letters because of how Dave Grohl screamed them. I was expecting "The Colour and the Shape" to be more soft and delicate, based on the title, but it was quite the opposite with harsh vocals and dark guitar riffs."February Stars" and "Walking After You," were softer."Up in Arms" had an indie feel to it that reminded me of "Trouble" by Cage the Elephant, which I enjoyed. I loved the buildups in "February Stars" and "New Way Home." The band was creative with their use of dynamics and many of the songs had cool dropouts and build ups. The song "See You" reminded me of Nirvana, especially the repetitive lyrics at the end. I thought it was an interesting take on a break up. It is very upbeat, yet the lyrics convey a feeling of sadness and regret.

I loved the drum beats in each track on the album. They were unique, artistic and essential to deliver the character of the songs. I especially liked the drums in the intro of "My Hero" and the cymbals in "Walking After You." One of my favorite lines in the album was in "My Hero," which said, "There goes my hero. He's ordinary." According to Dave Grohl, it was dedicated to all of the everyday heroes in our lives. My favorite song on the album was "Everlong." The vocal effects on this album are very neat, especially in Everlong. The song starts off very chill with a clean electric guitar and then begins to add more parts as the song continues. It is a love song about how the singer wishes the best moments in his relationship would last forever and he could feel the same way he once felt again. Whenever I hear this song on the radio or on my playlist, I always feel nostalgic and energized. I think this song could be applied to any great times someone had that they wish would last forever.

Overall this album was incredible and I can't wait to listen to it again. I loved the variety in the songs; it could definitely be compared to riding a rollercoaster. Each of the parts were recorded with precision and I could tell that heart and effort was put into creating it. The vocals and instrumentation were very passionate, personal and authentic. So many of the songs were very intense, and I feel like I have to be in the right mood to listen to them. After hearing the Foo Fighters' "The Colour and the Shape," I now have a new understanding of rock and roll. I believe Foo Fighters might be the epitome of genuine rock and roll.

PS. I cannot believe how dedicated Foo Fighters are to their music. Dave Grohl literally fell off the stage while singing "Monkey Wrench" at a concert in 2015 and broke his leg. The show continued with the drummer, Taylor Hawkins singing covers while Dave was backstage getting helped by the paramedics. A few minutes later, Dave was back onstage in a chair screaming and playing his guitar unphased. Wow!