Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace

[Drew Beringer]

Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace
Release Date: September 25, 2007
Record Label: RCA

If I were to use a simile to describe the Foo Fighters, I would definitely exclaim that they’re like a fine wine. With the release of their sixth studio album Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace, the Foo is a band that just gets better with age. Produced by Gil Norton, the same man who produced the defining record of the Foo’s career (1996 The Colour And The Shape), Echoes is a hauntingly beautiful display of how good this band is.

Don’t let the opening track (also the first single), “The Pretender,” fool you, Echoes is not as rip-roaring as that track is. This is very recognizable on “Let It Die,” a song that repeatedly tip toes the line behind quiet and loud. The verses are paced by the gentle strumming of the guitar, while the bridge and ending feature Dave Grohl yelling his lungs out. And this particular song is what Echoes is in a nutshell. We still have the hard-hitting and fast-paced music that we all know and love about the Foo Fighters, but, overall, they show a mellow demeanor throughout the album.

But we should have seen this coming, especially with the past two releases from the band. The second disc of 2005’s In Your Honor and 2006’s live album Skin And Bones are strong indicators of what direction Grohl is taking his band in. While this may take a few fans aback, there is no need to worry as the Foo Fighters pull it off with style and grace.

“Long Road To Ruin” is reminiscent of “Times Like These,” as the tempo and vibe is very similar. Beauty and inspiration come together with “Come Alive,” which begins and carries on gently and poetically until midway through when Grohl, guitarist Chris Shiflett, bassist Nate Mendel and drummer Taylor Hawkins kick it up a notch, which results with numerous fist pumps from this reviewer. Another different style is showcased on the twangy “Summer’s End,” a heavily influence southern rock track that the Foo pull off well.

While “The Ballad Of Beaconsfield Miners” isn’t necessarily anything special as an instrumental, it is especially touching when you know of the background. Grohl wrote this after meeting with a survivor from the 2006 mine collapse in Beaconsfield, Tasmania, Australia, who, while trapped underground, asked for an iPod specifically loaded with all of the Foo Fighters material to keep him company. Grohl promised to record it, and proves to be a man of his word. Following this delicately plucked interlude is the dreamy “Statues,” which is paced by all sorts of different instrumentation.

“Home” closes out the album with Grohl on piano, softly singing while the keys hit emphatically in the verses. While some may view this as a very strange way to close out a Foo Fighters album, I think it’s very telling of what kind of band the Foo Fighters are today and closes out Echoes in pristine fashion.

Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace is the sum of all the previous styles the Foo Fighters have tried out on previous albums. It’s the album the band has always wanted to make, and with its variations in styles and moods, it is an essential album to pick up if you are Foo fan. Very few bands have as solid of a discography that the Foo Fighters have, and Echoes only adds to it. So take it all in, for the Foo Fighters have again shown that they always go down smooth.

Track Listing:
1. "The Pretender" – 4:29
2. "Let It Die" – 4:05
3. "Erase/Replace" – 4:12
4. "Long Road to Ruin" – 3:44
5. "Come Alive" – 5:10
6. "Stranger Things Have Happened" – 5:20
7. "Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)" – 3:40
8. "Summer's End" – 4:37
9. "Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners" – 2:31
10. "Statues" – 3:47
11. "But, Honestly" – 4:35
12. "Home" – 4:52
Produced by: Gil Norton

Foo Fighters are:
Dave Grohl - lead vocals, guitar, drums
Taylor Hawkins - drums, percussion, vocals
Nate Mendel - bass guitar
Chris Shiflett - guitar, backing vocals

Official Website (http://www.foofighters.com); Official Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/foofighters)

[cereal4life]

I'm really looking forward to gettting my hands on this!

Dave is one of those guys in rock who basically no one rips on.

[ArisonCain]

Best Foo Fighters album in years.

[TheOtherAndrew]

Very good review. I wasn't crazy about the album when I first heard it but its grown on me. Dave Grohl can do no wrong.

[heyozzie]

picking it up after class. CANNOT wait.

[Heroin Robot]

cd is boring

[sweetforever]

such an excellent album

[reiss.]

Sadly, this album did nothing for me.

[swizzle]

don't you mean sixth album
maybe your like me and don't consider that piece of shit they call a forth album a foo fighters album

[Ambien]

After two listens I'm not thrilled. On a sidenote Rolling Stone gave it only 2 and a half stars out of 5...

[imemokillme]

After two listens I'm not thrilled. On a sidenote Rolling Stone gave it only 2 and a half stars out of 5...

rolling stone actually gave it 3 and a half...

[Silver Bullets]

definitely better the second time around. Definitely not as good as Colour and the Shape, though.

[Facepeeler]

I don't like this album that much...

[tacosforcharles]

Hmmm I'll consider it.

[sidewacker]

rolling stone actually gave it 3 and a half...

On rollingstone.com it has 2.5 stars, so is the 3.5 you are refering to from the actual magazine, because I have seen them mess up the review scores in the past.

[AmandaLynn]

i'm going to go buy it now.

[MountainJam2113]

i really like the southern rock feel on some of the tracks.

[notoaststereo]

one of my favorite foo albums

[Shatter_Glass]

don't you mean sixth album
maybe your like me and don't consider that piece of shit they call a forth album a foo fighters album

eh, first couple of songs were good. About 4 songs from that record were good. Grohl said so himself I think. haha

[Shatter_Glass]

don't you mean sixth album
maybe your like me and don't consider that piece of shit they call a forth album a foo fighters album

Blender gave it 3 outta 5 i think. Anyway, music is objectable. That and I cannot have a missing spot in my Foo's discog!!!

[sell the sunris]

cd is boring

as is your inane negativity.

[racecar]

record is good. but. its just foo. they are amazing musicians. they(grohl) write good songs. but. IMO they haven't written anything special since everlong. i don't know that they(grohl) will write anything better than that in their(grohls) career. i am happy to see pat back with them though. that makes me feel 13 again. watching nirvava. except. this isn't as good.

[zclark]

rolling stone actually gave it 3 and a half...

nah.. it was 2 and a half

[Ruggiero2oo8]

I haven't listened to this yet, I'll have to get on that.

[TomAce]

On rollingstone.com it has 2.5 stars, so is the 3.5 you are refering to from the actual magazine, because I have seen them mess up the review scores in the past.

who cares what the fuck rollingstone said, they have no idea what theyre talking about...ever. Listen to it and form decisions for yourself, dont let some middle aged hipster with a pen tell you whats worthwhile music. rolling stone bombed most of the albums led zepplin came out with...that shows something.

[TomAce]

record is good. but. its just foo. they are amazing musicians. they(grohl) write good songs. but. IMO they haven't written anything special since everlong. i don't know that they(grohl) will write anything better than that in their(grohls) career. i am happy to see pat back with them though. that makes me feel 13 again. watching nirvava. except. this isn't as good.

IMO Best Of You is a much better song than Everlong

[Nick Rogers]

The play Pretender all the time at work, and I have yet to get sick of it

[NoseOverTail]

IMO Best Of You is a much better song than Everlong

Best Of You is the worst Foo Fighters song ever, and this is coming from a huge fan.

[Nerodrumpsycho]

can't decide whether this album is worth buying or not. i love the single, but if the single isn't any indication of the rest of the album, i'm not sure i'm down...

[banaNIP]

I think this album took what they tried to do with "In Your Honor" (in terms of tone and style) and made it more polished and cohesive. I like it, even if I consider it "In Your Honor + 2".

[Chris Fallon]

I've been a longtime Foos devotee, and consider them to be one of my favorite bands ever. Dave Grohl is immensely talented and I think he rounded up three other equally talented dudes to make this band what it is today.

With that said, this is an album that may not hit as hard as previous works, but is the Foos on the very top of their game. They have yet to grow tired and boring, and they write genuinely passionate rock songs that stand the test of time.

[Moral_Orel]

I'm pretty sure this band will never make a bad album

[Moral_Orel]

I've been a longtime Foos devotee, and consider them to be one of my favorite bands ever. Dave Grohl is immensely talented and I think he rounded up three other equally talented dudes to make this band what it is today.

With that said, this is an album that may not hit as hard as previous works, but is the Foos on the very top of their game. They have yet to grow tired and boring, and they write genuinely passionate rock songs that stand the test of time.

they will go down as one of those timeless bands.

[Enoma Otenki]

like dave grohl and company would ever release an inferior album.

[kidwithhelmet]

I want so hard to like this CD but it sounds like I am just not seasoned enough to "get it" yet. Anyone else get that feeling?

[racecar]

IMO Best Of You is a much better song than Everlong

best of you is a shit song.
and it doesn't have a good video.
stock footage of stupid shit that i see every day.
the video for everlong was directed by m.gondry.
its my favorite rock music video ever made.

sorry to be brash, i just hate Best of You.
terrible song.

[joeygiraldo]

best of you is ok, but the pretender blows it out of the water. "IS SOMEONE GETTING THE BEST THE BEST THE BEST THE BEST THE BEST THE BEST THE BEST" it's like shut the hell up already.

"The Pretender" is a straightup catchy rocker where the lyrics aren't as repetitive.

[HelpMeSleep]

Dave Grohl owns. i wanna hear this. good review.

[Andy]

God damn, I love this band.

[luvmusic1017]

I highly recomment this album. Love it.

[pulsar]

I love FF, but this album is just dull to me.

[twyl]

the foos are without a doubt my favorite band and they cannot come out with a song i do not like. This album is another great one. the musicianship is excellent and the songs overall are amazing. Dave Grohl never ceases to amaze me.

[Daniel Thompson]

thinking about it

[lauren<3s music]

foo is always golden. so is today the drew review show?

[jds10912]

i dont really like the review.
foo fighters are like a fine wine? come on. this analogy was completely unnecessary/trite/stupid

[FF4889]

best of you is ok, but the pretender blows it out of the water. "IS SOMEONE GETTING THE BEST THE BEST THE BEST THE BEST THE BEST THE BEST THE BEST" it's like shut the hell up already.

"The Pretender" is a straightup catchy rocker where the lyrics aren't as repetitive.

Huh? Foo Fighters are my all time favorite band and have honestly I've never disliked anything they have ever done. However, The Pretender couldn't get any more repetitive the song has just flat out annoyed me at times. At the end of the song where Dave sings "Keep you in the dark you know they all pretend" over the chorus. I think they should of cut the chorus out of the background, it would of made the song much better in my opinion.

[Westopia28]

Listening to it currently...a great mix of old and new with this disc. Dave's voice has never sounded better, and the music behind is just as great. The group show great musicianship (as they should given their past groups), and I'm sure anyone who gives this album a listen will definitely want to put this in their collection of "Year 2007 Greats".

[ManInMusicBox]

Honestly, in my opinion, NEVER listen to RollingStone. Remember the review they, originally, gave of Pinkerton to only turn around 8 years later and re-review it with a much better, deseriving, review. The magazine, in my opinion, is only a magazine to read for articles; they are completely uneven with reviews. They have given 1 star reviews to CDs that sell millions and are genuine. They have given 1 paragraph reviews, many times, to CDs...how can 1 paragraph sum up an entire album? I really do feel that they are a cop out when it comes to reviewing CD's. If you do not agree that is fine but suscribe to them for two years like I did, in the past, and you might see what I am talking about. The reviewers have always been horrible. For reviews I just hit up amazon.com and read the comments from the readers and/or I still buy the album.

Theme From My Argument: They would rate their own magazine five stars if they could.

[Ambien]

Honestly, in my opinion, NEVER listen to RollingStone. Remember the review they, originally, gave of Pinkerton to only turn around 8 years later and re-review it with a much better, deseriving, review. The magazine, in my opinion, is only a magazine to read for articles; they are completely uneven with reviews. They have given 1 star reviews to CDs that sell millions and are genuine. They have given 1 paragraph reviews, many times, to CDs...how can 1 paragraph sum up an entire album? I really do feel that they are a cop out when it comes to reviewing CD's. If you do not agree that is fine but suscribe to them for two years like I did, in the past, and you might see what I am talking about. The reviewers have always been horrible. For reviews I just hit up amazon.com and read the comments from the readers and/or I still buy the album.

Theme From My Argument: They would rate their own magazine five stars if they could.

When I made the first post I said I listened to the album and wasn't too thrilled. Then made the Rolling Stone comment because I wanted to point out that I agreed with them so far and was inquiring as to what everyone else thought. Is it better than 2.5 stars? The fact is Rolling Stone is an established and respected (maybe not around here) source of critic's material and I treat their reviews the same way as I treat user reviews on amazon, staff reviews here on AP, and any other opinionated information regarding music or art in general. I don't use it as the base of my own opinion but not everyone hears the same things and it helps me develop my opinion sometimes by pointing different things out. If it takes as much effort as it has already for the new Foo Fighters CD to "find something I truly like" about it then it's not really worth my time right now. Who knows, maybe I'll listen to it a few years down the road and hear something totally different than I do now and appreciate for reasons I just can't at right now.

[bigbadburley]

biggest disappointment of the year

[Lono407]

TCATS was 1997, not 1996.

[grayjay103]

When I first listened to this, I hated it...but eventually it grew on me. Nevertheless, I feel that with a loud and energetic single like The Pretender, Dave let us expecting a rock-hard album, but instead we got their softest one yet...I do really like the Ballad for the Beaconsfield Miners tho...

[Kid B]

IMO Best Of You is a much better song than Everlong
even justin timberlake knows that everlong kicks best of you's ass.

[pesh1011]

The Pretender is so goddamn catchy

[ilovesofie]

beautiful album, i think it's better than the previous

[IceAge/HeatWave]

the colour and the shape>in your honor>>self titled>>>>>there is nothing left to lose=echoes silence patience and grace>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>one by one.


my favorite band of all time though.

[IceAge/HeatWave]

acoustic best of you was great though. mostly cuz its just dave screaming his balls off.

[tbagurdrumset94]

I love ALL the songs on this album!

[akevinjames]

such a good one