Customer Reviews

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

In the mid-90's, I saw the Foo Fighters on the "Color and Shape" tour. At the time, I was particularly discouraged by the state of live music. I genuinely felt that the time for drums and guitars had ended, and that I should "gird my loins" for the next wave of musical expression, as previously exemplified by early `90s bands such as EMF and Jesus Jones.

Attending this show singlehandedly reinvigorated my belief in rock and roll. Eloquently enough, nearly a decade later I still find the Foos engaging. The Foo Fighters are a band that has inexplicably stood the test of time in the same way that U2 and Peter Gabriel did in the early 90s. While their reinvention may not be as obvious as their predecessors, it still situates them as one of the great and longlasting bands in the increasingly fickle musical landscape of today.

The beauty in the new Foo album lies in the way in which it navigates dynamics, songwriting, and energy. Even in its mellower moments, the "Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace" brims with a subdued tension that is only relieved by explosive energy. The way in which Grohl and his cohorts navigate the dichotomy between soothing lullaby and devastating intensity within song form (in the micro) and the overall album (in the macro) expresses a compositional maturity that belies the "rock" format within which they are categorized

For the careful listener, "Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace" is driven by subtle melodic polyphony. We're not talking counterpoint here, but the interplay between bass and lead vocal on "Erase/Replace" and rhythm guitar and vocal on "The Pretender" exhibit a certain compositional depth. To get much more complex would question the Foo's status as "rock" music.

And undeniably, The Foo Fighters' new album is, to its core, rock music. Who would have thought that, out of the ashes of the band that defined the `90s, a band that defines "rock" music through the strength of their vision would continue to be both relevant and eloquent? Perhaps the one criticism that can be leveled is their use of repetition and dynamic build-up for climax. Several songs on the album use this technique. However, there are also songs that are just loud, and others that are just, well, less loud (read: guitars are not distorted). Overall, it creates a relatively diverse acoustic environment.

The lowdown: Here's where melody, songwriting, and raw energy meet. I have had this album in my car for almost a month now, and I'm to the point of feeling guilty about removing it. I seem to enjoy it every time.

This isn't a perfect album, or even the best Foo Fighters album in my opinion, but it is a damn good rock album. The Foo Fighters usually change things up from album to album. Some people like the balls out rock, while others like them when they lean toward pop, and still others like the acoustic Foos. This album has a little of everything. So if you like Dave screaming his voice out, then there is a song or two for you. A number of really catchy songs, I really enjoyed the album all the way through. The only exception was the last track "Home", which is just Dave and a piano. That one kind of dragged for me. Other than that, terrific classic rock album. One quick note is that if you buy the album from iTunes you will get a bonus track "Once & for All".

Perhaps we've all accepted the cold, hard fact that the Foo Fighters' best days are behind them. Afterall, their last two albums -- 2005's "In Your Honor" and 2002's "One By One" -- were a bit lopsided, unimaginitive and appeared to be incomplete. Despite the fact that they haven't completely lost their knack for making great music, as those albums contain some real nuggets, it has become apparent that they may never recapture the magic of the beloved sophmore album, "The Colour And The Shape," or even 1999's slightly underrated "There Is Nothing Left To Lose." Maybe Dave Grohl and company have come to realize this as well, and that's why they reteamed with Gil Norton (who produced "The Colour And The Shape") and have crafted their broadest and most "classic" album since the turn of the century: "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace."

Opening with "The Pretender," which is possibly their most instantly gratifying single since "Monkey Wrench," Foo Fighters get this album off to a rocking start, engaging the listener and getting them primed for what is perhaps the most experimental of their material. One can't help but notice the classic rock influence on the album, and it's quite obvious that while making the album, they wanted something that will live on past it's time. An album that future generations can discover and relate to. On that end, they succeed. Thankfully, the band pries it's sound wide open enough that portions of the album, such as "Stranger Things Have Happened," "Statues" and "Home," fall under the Foo umbrella, yet sound unlike anything the band has done before, making this perhaps the farthest reaching album of their career, appealing to fans both young and old. It's unfortunate, then, that the band can't help but slip into autopilot as they sometimes do, and in turn, songs like "Erase/Replace" and -- gotta love this song title -- "Cheer Up Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)" are just standard b-side tunes that don't do much to help the album. But for the most part, the album is a smashing success. It retains the core Foo sound while broadening it's range and crafting some timeless tunes. For sure, this is the album that "In Your Honor" could have been, had they not chosen to seperate the two different styles on two different discs.

While not being quite the perfect album or the massive creative comeback, it's definitely the best thing they have done in a good long while. Those expecting the arena-rock of Foo Fighters' past might be disappointed to find a more mature sound, but anyone willing to give it a few solid spins will see it's brilliance.

i purchased this album the day it hit the shelves. Dave Grohl just keeps getting better. After last years acoustic release the Foo Fighters took a break for the holidays and began the follow up. Gil Norton who produced the Foo Fighters masterpiece 'The Colour and the Shape' is back on board and does a great job as usual. What they did in my opinion here is they took elements of there acoustic stuff and the full on rock tracks and brought everything together and it works. There is a little bit of something for everyone. Straight up rockers like 'The Pretender' to the pop sounds of the great 'Statues'. Every track is top notch with what just may very well be the best Foo Fighters song to date, Long Road to Ruin. Long Road has a great hook and a chorus you will find stuck in your head through out the day, my five year old even loves it. Another great thing is the addition of piano, and no surprise who plays it , yes Dave Grohl. Dave is turning out to be one of the best song writters this decade and of course one of the best all around musicians in rock history. Do yourself a favor and pick this up, it just fits this time of year, it just has a very fall like vibe about it. I give 5 stars plus, hands down the best release of 2007.

It's been almost a year since E,S,P&G has run the Billboard Charts and more importantly, won the Grammy for Best Rock Album, and it remains one of my all time favorites. In my opinion, the Foo's are the best "Hard Rock" band presently in commercial existence. Track one, The Pretender is an instant favorite, in classic Foo Fighter's format, it's a quiet, demure beginning, crescendo-ing to the rocking, balls-out finish, a storyline to so many of their best songs. It won the Grammy for best rock PERFORMANCE, but it's not even my favorite song on the album.
I love the introspective, "Stranger Things Have Happened". It's the formula Grohl uses to succeed with an acoustic guitar and metronome song. We are forced to focus on the simplicity and deep introspection of his lyrical patterns. Very similar to the wonderful "Friend Of A Friend", a song he wrote early in his career while still with Nirvana. It's such a dramatic and underappreciated song. The sound of the metronome being wound and the subsequent ticking gets your attention, then comes the clean, deep acoustic guitar, carrying the simple rhythm into the lyrics. "I'm breathing in this silence like never before." We are lead into a likely wasted realationship with a disappointing outcome. "I can change, I can change, I can change, but who do u want me to be?" is the strongest line in the song, and is so symbolic of a guy trying to adapt to his mate's desires, but falling short. "I'm the same, I'm the same, I'm the same, what do you want me to be?" This solidifies the frustration felt by Dave, or the main character in this song, who has done nothing different, but apparently underperformed by the will of his suitor. That's my take on it.
"Long Road to Ruin" is my Ringtone, and I am probably responsible for selling at least 20 albums by this alone. It's most easily described as a CSNY song, but it's full of Genesis and other prog rock changes. Very refreshing and upbeat. I will end now, as I am sure that there will be others to come. I heard an interview with Dave when he said that he wanted to get out when he turned 30. I'm glad he has changed his mind. I actually like these guys better than Nirvana. Please don't kill me for that statement, I am just a bit overwhelmed with grunge and all of it's countless sound-alikes. Yes, Nirvana was a wonderful band and I was there for the whole 80's hair-band to grunge musical transformation, but this is the MOST serendipitous thing that has occurred in modern rock. Cobain's passing (Listen to "Too Cool Queenie by STP for their take on this), resulted in the formation of this amazing band. They are ever-changing, and are currently defining what AMERICAN ROCK IS in this new millenium. Tell me otherwise.

9.25.07 REVIEW: Foo Fighters~ Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace?

Excellent album. Very much reminds me of Led Zeppelin III. Every song does something good for me and hopefully you. I am very proud of the Foo for crafting this.

1. The Pretender: Perhaps the best all-around song released to radio in their history. It starts simple and pretty and progressively builds and builds into a dynamic rocker that gets you moving and wanting more. The drumming in this track is perfect. Not too much, not too little, but still present. The song is very good and very hard-charging. 5 stars. 1st out of 12 on my favorite list here.

2. Let it die: I love how innocent it starts and how it draws you in. It is a very clean song (thank you Gil for allowing us to thoroughly enjoy the elements of the music, unlike the last two records) and you just know something bigger is ahead. I love the middle of the song when it goes from mellow to crunchy instantly. Great guitar work, very nice. I read how Shiflett is all over this record....somebody is, I hope it is Shiflett. How can you tell if it is Dave or Chris on record? Obviously Long road to ruin, Summer's end, and But, honestly are Shifty, but this is a little heavier. I love the idea of the Foo allowing Shifty to have more of a presence here. These two songs are a great start to an album. I could do without the blood-curdling screech at the end, but this is a great song. 5 stars. 2nd favorite out of 12.

3. Erase/Replace: To me, this song sounds very TCATS to me. Eveyone wanted that and I think this is the song that sounds most like 1997 to me. I do however, think people need to realize this isn't 1997 or 1999 or 2005. This is a new album. Don't try to say it is what it isn't. Accept the fact that the Foo's are doing what they want and doing it well. Back to this song. I like the energy here. Although this is probably my 2nd least favorite here. 3 ¼ stars. 11th favorite out of 12.

4. Long road to ruin: Very cool sounding song. Very Shiflett themed. I love the bass and the guitar solo is hands down the best we have heard on record from the Foo's. I am glad they made a song that sounds like this. People will here this and feel good. Everytime I hear this I see myself driving with the window's down and the sun visor down with the lady on my side. 5 stars. 4th favorite of 12.

5. Come alive: I was expecting something more, but nevertheless this is a quality track. The acoustic to electric thing definitely reminds me of Led Zeppelin's finest moments. This song is similar to Let it die, but not nearly as good. It does, however have a very neat guitar line in its closing moments. 4 stars. 10th favorite of 12.

6. Stranger things have happened: When I read it was just an acoustic guitar accompanying Dave I wasn't excited. Then I heard the song and fell in love. This was the first song I wanted to hit "repeat". Great lyrics and beautiful guitar work by Shiflett and or Grohl. This is a masterpiece. 5 stars. 3rd favorite of 12.

7. Cheer up, boys (your make-up is running): I had heard live versions of this song and was really looking forward to hearing it in its studio form. It doesn't disappoint as this is what every Foo fan loves: Rocking energy at a frenetic pace while maintaining a great melody. The chorus is both catchy and slightly disappointing. I am a sucker for back ground vocals and incorporating all members, but it doesn't work for me here. That may change the more I here it though. This is a great catchy rock song that will be played at stadiums near you soon. 4 ¾ stars. 6th favorite of 12.

8. Summer's end: Very cool intro and great guitar work throughout. I really like the lyrics of this song and the guitar work. Overall it hasn't excited me as much as I want it to, but it will. 4 ½ stars. 8th favorite of 12.

9. Ballad of the Beaconsfield minors: Granted, it is done for a cool reason, but my God-this song is not very good. I can't play guitar like that, but it just sounds like a bunch of foreign noise. 1 star (only because the Foo deserve a star for making any song). 12th favorite of 12.

10. Statues: I can't understand why people don't like this song much, it is beautiful. Dave sounds great, the guitar work is very good and the piano is outstanding as well. I really like the lyrics here too. Very nice sound that makes you love the Foo even more. The intro sort of gives off a Peter Frampton thing for me. I really like the potential this song brings. 4 ½ stars. 7th favorite of 12.

11. But, honestly: Freaking good song. Really good song. I love the simplicity and the beauty in this song. Another song I wanted to listen to again right away. The electric guitar work in the end is great and feels very mid-summer, sun going down kind of joy. 5 stars. 5th favorite of 12.

12. Home: Very ballsy song in that Dave goes very soft and pulls it off. I for one actually like the lyrical content of this song and the piano is nice. It is a good song to unwind with. 3 ½ stars. 9th favorite of 12.

Overall: 11 of the 12 songs are very good with 8 of them being fantastic in my mind. This may be one of the two most complete Foo Fighters albums and definitely their most wholesome and band-influenced. All four members shine on this disc and other than the ballad, you never lose focus as a listender. This may go down as a classic, it does for me. I can't wait to see these songs played live and I hope they don't hold back on stage with their new music. Ten years ago I was worried about what songs would be singles, now I could care less, but I do hope people from all realms get to hear this great disc.

I like this one much better than their last 2 offerings-- not that those were bad. This one has the right 'atmoshere' if that makes any sense. I thought their best was Nothing Left to Lose, but this one is really good. The songs are more melodic but they still retain the hard rock sound perfectly. Thumbs up!!

Bought this about a year ago when I first heard "The Pretender" on the radio. The CD was the best one I bought all year and I still play it often. Every track is awesome and there is a lot of depth and variety. There is nothing weak here. It was the first Foo Fighters CD I bought (I know, where have I been?). I knew some of their songs, of course, but never liked any enough to buy the albums until "The Pretender." Since then, I've bought "The Colour and the Shape" and "One By One." Both are great especially with the extra tracks (I'm a Gary Numan and Psychedelic Furs fan, so I was pleased to see them do covers by those artists), but "Echoes..." is still my favorite (the CD title reminds me of the Husker Du song "Charity, Chastity, Prudence, and Hope"). If you haven't bought this yet, what are you waiting for, extra tracks? This one is too good to wait.

"The Pretender"--The song that turned me into a Foo Fighters fan! Rocks and has a unique sound. The lyrics always makes me think of that Sesame Street tune "One of these things is not like the other..." I'm just cooky that way.
"Let It Die"--OK this is getting A LOT of play on the radio. Usually I get sick of songs that get so much play, but this one is so amazing I don't mind hearing it two or three times a day on the rock station. I really like the delicate guitar at the beginning, especially during the repeating "Why'd you have to go and let it die." Then, of course, it explodes! Vocals are excellent, too.
"Erase/Replace"--I like the whiny guitar opening and the high octane riff. Almost punk until it gets to the slower chorus.
"Long Road To Ruin"--Sounds a little more pop and mainstream. I thought it makes a good candidate for a single (which are not always the best songs on the albums, of course), and doing some research, discovered it was the second single. I haven't heard it on the radio which is a good thing because I could see myself getting sick of this one. Good song but probably my least favorite on the CD (besides the instrumental) because it lacks the edge of the other tracks.
"Come Alive"--Nice, relaxing, laid-back track that builds up tempo and explodes at the end. I really like this one.
"Stranger Things Have Happened"--Slow, acoustic number about loneliness.

"Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)"--Drums kick on this one. The beginning sounds like the song is about to explode but it settles down and turns into a very accessible track along the lines of "Long Road To Ruin" but with an edge.
"Summer's Edge"--This one has kind of a country rock sound: "Sweet Virginia countryside, I will meet you there, bloody lips and cherry wine, moonshine in your hair."
"Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners"--Very impressive guitar work on this instrumental.
"Statues"--Great track! I like the laid-back feel with the piano and the drums that beef up the sound as well as the lyrics: "We're just ordinary people you and me, time will turn us into statues eventually."
"But, Honestly"--Mostly just vocals and strumming guitar until the other instruments kick in to the repeating "Give it to you." I like the scale guitar solo. This one is not as memorable as the others, probably because it is near the end.
"Home"--Quiet, slow song with soft vocals and piano built up with drum and orchestra. Pleasant way to end an excellent album.

"In Your Honor", the album released in 2005, was a two-disc, 20-track, landmark for the Foo Fighters. The album featured 10 "loud" tracks and 10 "not-so-loud" tracks. And together, all 20 tracks showcased the Foo Fighters' talent (with a little help from a few others).

Now, two years later, "Echos, Silence, Patience, and Grace" hits the streets and prooves that Dave and company are still on top of the game. These boys have talent. This album is both "loud" and "not-so-loud" and all 12 tracks flow nicely. Nothing is out of place. "The Pretender" is a breath-taking beginning and "Home" is an astonishing conclusion.

If you love the Foo Fighters, you will love this album. The signature sound is here: double barrel guitars, drums that attack, and Dave yelling at full volume. Aside from the signature sound, the album features acoustic guitars, pianos, and strings; Dave also sings.

This album: breath-taking and astonishing. This album is epic (albeit 12 tracks). Long live the Foo Fighters!

Foo Fighters decided to cement their ten-year history with In Your Honor back in 2005, and although that album was good, it was still the first album from them that I gave less than a four-star rating to (I gave it a three-and-a-half). Now they're back with Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace.

This album illustrates another case where although I like the first single (which also becomes a hit), what I like more is the second single that DOESN'T become a hit -- in other words, my favorite song on the album is "Long Road to Ruin". But "The Pretender" is still damn good, as are "Let It Die" and "Come Alive". This album is also pretty divided, as the more energetic tracks are on the first half of the album (with the exception of "Once & for All", which I think is only on the digital version) while the mellow songs are on the second half. Fortunately, while the songs on the second (acoustic) disc of In Your Honor were so similar that it sounded like an hour of the same song, the production in THIS case is more varied, as "Summer's End", "Home" (the song that inspired the album's title) and "Statues" easily stand out.

Maybe Foo Fighters should work with Gil Norton more often because although they have never made a bad album, Gil was also present on their best album The Colour & the Shape, and this album is right up there with that one. Pick it up if you haven't already.

Anthony Rupert