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I'm here for it. I dig the new songs so far, it's hard to figure out where the album's gonna rank ultimately. I have a feeling it's gonna turn out "just okay" but it still sounds more interesting than if they had just kept doing identical arena rock over and over. They are at least making an effort to keep it fresh, and it all sounds good. I'm a proponent of not waiting forever in hopes of unleashing your masterpiece and just recording whatever you've got. I'm still a big fan of Concrete and Gold. The back half loses steam a bit, but at the very least it's got the best initial run of songs since their '90s albums. I remember not being so thrilled with "Run" when it first came out, but now the "T-Shirt / Run" sequence has become one of my all-time favorite album intros. Sir Lemming fucked around with this message at 16:28 on Feb 1, 2021 |
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Feb 1, 2021 16:23
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| # ¿ May 19, 2024 18:53 |
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So far I think my impression based on the singles was pretty much correct. It's a fun little romp but will probably not be considered a classic. Time will tell though. It's a little less "weird" than the last one, but that's not really a bad thing for a band like this. Still has some unexpected stuff. Certainly isn't just boilerplate Foo Fighters. I don't really like how the drums sound on "Cloudspotter" but I do like everything else about it. Title track is pretty cool, that has the "Let's Dance" inspiration they've been talking about, but more of a minor key thing. I definitely want to listen to "Holding Poison" again, there was definitely some cool stuff going on there that I didn't fully process. My assessment of "Waiting On A War" continues to be: Dave Grohl probably wrote this in his sleep, but that doesn't make it not a good song. I agree that it's surprisingly short. I figured at least one of the 9 tracks would push past the 5 minute mark. Sir Lemming fucked around with this message at 16:55 on Feb 5, 2021 |
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Feb 5, 2021 15:31
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Yeah my opinion of it definitely hasn't improved since release. Feels very much like a "we have to tour on something" record. An aging rock band could certainly do much worse though. This would be a pretty great EP. I think Cloudspotter and Holding Poison are both pretty great, I never skip those when they come up. Waiting On a War is solid although it seems like there should be some other big climactic moment after the changeup. And the opening track is pretty fun even though it's kind of cheesy. I still stick up for Concrete & Gold though. Loses some steam towards the end, but there's at least ⅔ of an album there that's the most interesting thing they've done in years. It really benefited from the album format, whereas this one, I can take it or leave it. Sir Lemming fucked around with this message at 22:47 on Aug 30, 2021 |
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Aug 30, 2021 22:45
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drat, this is extremely unexpected. They all seemed on track to just be doing this forever.
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Mar 26, 2022 13:30
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BigFactory posted:I mean, just picture in your head: “I GOT ANOTHER CONFESSION TO MAKE!” That's probably why "Best of You" is one of my least favorite Foo songs, although apparently Prince loved it, so therefore I am wrong, and I've made peace with that. Grohl has definitely been guilty of being too shouty at times, but his non-shouty voice is pretty distinct. Not an all-time great, but I could pick it out of a crowd any day. (And pretty much nobody sounds cooler with a chorus/flange effect.)
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Mar 29, 2022 14:16
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Didn't think we'd be hearing anything so soon. That song definitely strikes exactly the tone I want from them at this moment. Feeling a little bit like One By One with the angsty urgency but less of an ear-bleeding production style. (It feels somehow selfish even saying anything about what I want from them right now, but in theory this is a thing I'll be paying money for, so there you have it.)
Sir Lemming fucked around with this message at 18:46 on Apr 19, 2023 |
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Apr 19, 2023 18:34
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Apparently they were gonna perform on SNL some time this month, but the writers' strike ended that. I wonder if that would've been the official reveal of a new drummer? https://pitchfork.com/news/foo-fighters-were-going-to-perform-on-snl-before-the-writers-strike/
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May 5, 2023 12:14
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2nd single, "Under You": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seok6lO1n-8 Really old-school vibes on this one. Guitar tone seems unusual for reasons I'm not schooled enough to articulate. More upbeat than "Rescued" but lyrically I think there's some pretty serious stuff going on. Seems like it might be reaching back to that older trauma.
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May 17, 2023 17:18
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I do think at the end of the day Josh Freese will always be Josh Freese. The Foos are just his latest gig. Which kind of feels perfect to me. He doesn't have quite as much of a burden as someone less accomplished would be, because if people don't think he's as good as Taylor, who cares? He's still Josh Freese. He'll be fine. Plus he seems to be able to play anything, which obviously is the more important thing I guess.
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May 21, 2023 21:24
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Edward Mass posted:Grohl plays drums on the album Oh, has this been confirmed? I know people were speculating based on some song credits or something, but I hadn't heard anything concrete.
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May 24, 2023 11:11
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Another new song, "Show Me How". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idib1kDvPyM This one is really dreamy and vibey, along the lines of There Is Nothing Left To Lose, but with an extra helping of shoegaze/dream-pop influences. It also features vocals by Dave's daughter Violet. (as per Pitchfork) It's drat beautiful.
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May 25, 2023 14:54
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No shame double-posting, they dropped another new song already. Presumably the last one before Friday. Also, it's 10 minutes long and freaking amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MF6trC529M It's the second-to-last song from the album so you may want to hold off if you want the maximum dramatic impact. It's presumably about his mom, who was a teacher. Also, reviews of the album are dropping and they're very positive so far.
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May 30, 2023 21:26
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First impressions of the full album: "But Here We Are" is another excellent track, on par with the singles for sure. "The Glass", "Beyond Me", and "Rest" are probably gonna be growers. I only realized about halfway through "The Glass" that it's probably about his daughter, and I'm probably gonna cry like an idiot next time I listen to it. Not that these songs have to each be specifically about one person. I feel like in some sense all of the songs are about all of the people he's loved -- Taylor, his mother, Violet, and probably also Kurt. The album definitely felt a little overly loud/distorted at times, but I'll have to do some more listens (and on some more equipment) to really evaluate it and figure out what the cause is. It doesn't seem like the same type of thing that bugged me about One By One. I would still say the overall vibe I get from this is OBO with better writing and (probably) better production. "The Teacher" remains the crowning achievement here, and I've lost any doubts I had about whether the second half is necessary. The whole thing definitely holds together; the first half is this sort of dazed life-flashing-before-his-eyes thing, very impressionistic, like random phrases from his life are just popping into his head. That "Who's at the door now?" is so haunting. Then the second half is where it settles down and he learns how to breathe, grieve, and say goodbye. Really incredible stuff.
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Jun 2, 2023 17:01
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Side note, if anybody buys the vinyl and discovers that it comes with a digital download, let me know. So far I'm not finding any such language at any place where you can buy it, so I'm assuming the worst. Even Amazon looks like the album isn't available for "AutoRip" (where they give you MP3s immediately alongside any format of the album). It's a really annoying trend lately. I know in theory you're getting 2 things for the price of one, but in like, the real world, we all know it costs them next to nothing to give you MP3s. I like vinyl, and I'm particularly curious about this album where I have some questions about the mixing/mastering, but I know I would regret not having it digitally since I'm way more likely to actually listen to that on a regular basis. Having to choose between the two basicalliy kills why vinyl had become such an appealing option to me lately. I really like having a physical product (and giving more money to bands I like!) but CDs are just so lame at this point.
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Jun 4, 2023 22:52
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RestingB1tchFace posted:And it's super lame if record companies stop offering digital downloads with vinyl purchases. Unfortunately it seems to more or less already be happening. It's been a while since I got a legit digital download with any of the records I've bought. The best chance at this point is usually Amazon, but that seems to be getting more rare too.
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Jun 5, 2023 02:29
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Song Exploder just did their final podcast episode of the year, and they're going out with a bang by covering "The Teacher". Definitely worth checking out, Dave goes into a lot of detail about exactly how the song came together and when each part was written, and you get to hear plenty of snippets of demos and multitracks.
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Dec 21, 2023 13:22
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