Following their self-titled debut studio album in 1995 that was really the musings of a one-man band (Dave Grohl recorded every single part on that album), Grohl entered the studio in 1997 with a new stable of musicians to aid in the recording for The Colour And The Shape. The album was somewhat of a sonic departure for Grohl– considering the sound of Foo Fighters, as well as his bonafides as drummer for grunge rock powerhouse Nirvana, many expected The Colour And The Shape to be a dialed-up grunge album. But whether it was due to the addition of new band members who added their perspective to the recording process, or the fact that Grohl wrote most of the songs in the midst of his marriage dissolving, the result was an eclectic rock and roll record that celebrated various subgenres– punk, grunge, classic rock, and alternative. There’s no contemporary musician who loves rock and roll and all its offshoots as much as Grohl, and that love for all permuations of guitar-driven music comes through clearly on The Colour And The Shape.
I can wax poetic all day about the two best Foo Fighters songs in their catalogue (both of which are found on this album)– the frenetic energy of “Monkey Wrench” simply can’t be beat, and the emotional journey that “Everlong” takes you through is indisputable (one of my favorite past times is to watch Rick Beato break down songs and their component parts and he has a tremendous one on “Everlong” that you can watch here). But The Colour And The Shape is much more than that– the album serves as somewhat of a loose concept album, with the soft-loud dynamics littered throughout serving as a metaphor for a therapy session (certainly inspired by his marriage breakup). It’s quiet in one moment and filled with rage the next, the full encapsulation of the emotional experience of a divorce. And the eclectic nature of that experience plays out nicely in a very tightly wound collection of songs.
On a final note, I’d be remiss not to comment on the drumming on this album. As dutiful readers know, I consider Grohl one of the best rock drummers of all-time (certainly not a hot take). And on The Colour And The Shape he is simply spectacular behind the kit– his drumming on “Monkey Wrench” is the pinnacle of high octane rock and roll. During early versions of this record drummer William Goldsmith was actually brought in to be a part of the band, but following initial recording sessions the band reconvened and Grohl made the executive decision to put himself in the chair for the remained of the sessions. For Goldsmith this was too much to take— he quit the band as a result, eventually paving the way for Taylor Hawkins to join the band later that year during the tour supporting the album. You can’t really blame Goldsmith or Grohl here for this set of circumstances— when you have one of the greatest rock drummers in the world sitting in the room you kind of have to use him, and the fact that it led to Hawkins joining Foo Fighters and kicking off a twenty year run of sheer awesomeness was undeniable fate.
Standout Songs: “Monkey Wrench”, “Everlong”, “My Poor Brain”, “My Hero”, “Up In Arms”, “Enough Space”
