Customer Reviews

Skin & Bones

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The LA acoustic disc is fantastic and does include 5 more songs than the cd, however, both the cd and dvd still missed off Miracle, Virginia Moon and Floaty. All amazing songs particularly Floaty where Petra Haden (violinist) takes lead vocals. I saw the London Victoria Apollo gig and she was outstanding so why they cut this song is beyond me. Overall though the LA gig is very enjoyable and sounds great.

I notice Amazon don't have a track listing so here it is:

1. Intro (Awesome!)
2. Razor
3. Over And Out
4. On The Mend
5. Walking After You
6. Still
7. Marigold
8. My Hero
9. Next Year
10. Another Round
11. See You
12. Cold Day In The Sun
13. Big Me
14. What If I Do
15. Skin And Bones
16. Ain't It The Life
17. February Stars
18. Times Like These
19. Friend Of A Friend
20. Best Of You
21. Everlong

A quick note if you plan on buying the UK editon: Although Amazon states this is Region 2 I can confirm it is Region 0, as are all UK music DVD releases, so this will play on any DVD player. So if anyone wants to import this dvd, say from America, you can play it on your Region 1 player providing that your TV can handle the PAL TV signal.

I've always been a fan of the Foo Fighters. Sure, they are loud, most of the time that is. But hey, who in rock and roll can top Dave Grohl's marvelous sense of humor? Whenever I take a plane I think of the Foo's Learn To Fly video and start laughing as the crew prepares their usual take off procedures.
Everybody knows Dave Grohl as having been Nirvana's drummer. So it is to no surprise that people compare this semi acoustic live album to Nirvana's terrific Unplugged in New York.
But Dave isn't Curt - he doesn't want to be, doesn't need to. He's an amazing songwriter in his own right and the Foo Fighters are a terrific band.
In Your Honor, the album they brought out one year previous to this one, already had one disc with just acoustic songs. They were a truly amazing set of songs.
Here they play songs from all their previous albums showing that great songs can be played in a lot of different ways. They will forever be great songs.
But don't think of this as stripped down. It's perfect the way it is. Nothing is missing. It's just another take. That's what I expect when I go to a concert, to be surprised; not another album played live with every note as I already know it.
This set has 15 songs recorded in August 2006 live at Pantages Theater, Hollywood. A perfect recording with great mastering by ... Bob Ludwig (who else)
My favorites: Razor, Over and Out and Cold Day in the Sun
Apart from Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel and Chris Shiflett, you'll find Petra Haden on violin, mandolin and vocals, Drew Hester, percussion and vibes, Rami Jaffee, piano, mellotron, accordion and organ, Pat Smear, acoustic and electrical guitar, Danny Clinch, harmonica.

Its a good live album, but it's not the full set which upsets me. The reasoning behind this is they didn't have enough space to keep all the songs on once disc. So they edited some songs out which kinda of blows.

Now, I need absolutely no convincing as to the greatness of Dave Grohl. He's one of my all time favorite artists and it comes as no suprise to me how fantastic this disc is. It's soooo good. Hooray for Dave. It easily lives up to any promise you might imagine. Anyone could enjoy this. So, why don't you? I can't wait for the DVD.

What an amazing live experience. If the Cd was good, this is even better. While the CD is abbreviated, the DVD is shown in its entirety, which does the show so much justice. The tracks flow beautifully from one to the next and watching it I think the tracks are all perfectly chosen, however I still would have liked 'miracle' to have been included, I think it is not just one of their best acoustic tracks, but one of the Foo Fighters best. I actaully like the choice as 'razor' for the opening track after watching the DVD and the inclusion of 'cold day in the sun', but sadly Taylor stays behind the drum kit to sing it. The new track 'skin and bones' is really good also.

The sound is excellent, you feel like you are actually there at the show, not just listening to it in you lounge room. It sounds brilliant with the 5:1 surround sound. Sadly there are no special features, it would have been nice to get some band interviews or a backstage pass or something like that, but the 5 minute intro is quite good.

This is a really good intimate live experience with the band that all fans will love. There is lots of playfull banter between the band members on stage, you can just tell they had so much fun performing the show which makes it even more rewarding for the audience. Released just in time for christmas, I imagine this will be under quite a few trees this year.

It is worth noting this DVD is now available from amazon.co.uk with a second disc featuring the bands Hyde Park show. It is 14 tracks featuring All My Life, One By One, Best Of You, Times Like These, Learn To Fly, Breakout, My Hero, Generator, Monkey Wrench and Everlong plus more. It is howerver region 2 and in the PAL colour format. But at approximately 20 dollars US it is a very good buy.

The Foo Fighters acoustic tour was one of the best concerts I had the pleasure of attending in the past several years. Hearing old favorites as well as the new acoustic material presented with an extended band, in a venue far more intimate than the large arenas the Foos typically play at, was certainly a treat for this fan. I was thrilled to hear the tour would be captured on DVD and CD.

However, I wondered if they would be able to capture the unique energy and atmosphere of the concert on DVD, and I have to say that in my opinion this film is only partially successful at that. There are too many quick cuts and "arty" shots to try to put visual excitement into what is a fairly static stage set-up (with virtually everyone sitting the entire time, save the keyboardist and percussionist). Instead of adding energy, this only makes viewing the film somewhat dizzying and in the end, even more static, creating distance between the viewer and the band that definitely wasn't there when seeing the show in person. There are too many ultra close-ups of hands on guitar necks and fingers on keyboards, when quite honestly a solid, single shot of Dave sitting and singing on some tracks would have been far more interesting and exciting to watch.

The sound is clear and the color great. I just feel this will probably be a DVD I put on to listen to the music and occasionally glance up to watch, instead of one where I will be riveted to the screen throughout. It is also a shame that the U.S. release does not contain the additional Hyde Park concert that the U.K. edition does.

If you didn't get to check out the Foo Fighters on last summer's acoustic tour, you missed a truly special experience. I don't know why more bands don't do this, but with the extra musicians and different interpretations, the band really put a lot of work into making this a unique show. The CD reflects that, with some of the set's best songs included on this album. Some of it is a little overdone (glad Dave got to play Marigold, but the change in tempo and addition of all the extra instruments changed the feel of the song...and not for the better), but in all this is absolutely worth buying. My only complaint is that they should have left in at least some of his between-songs banter. One thing that sets the Foo Fighters apart is how affable a frontman Dave Grohl is. He tells hilarious stories, so why not leave in at least a couple? Blink-182 knew this was a key element of their live shows, and chose to include it on their live album. The Foo Fighters should have done the same, since Dave is just as entertaining between songs as he is during them. Still, this album is worth buying.

I am normally not a huge fan of live albums, but when I heard this was an acoustic CD, I figured I'd check it out. I know that FF have done a lot of acoustic touring lately, playing their own shows and opening for Dylan, and I have unfortunately not been able to see them acoustically. This album is great! FF have once again released a solid album that is an evolution of their sound. I've seen FF live 3x, and while they are great, I had my doubts about D. Grohl's voice b/c he tends to scream a lot instead of singing. This album showcases his good voice. The Nirvana B-side "Marigold" is a pleasant surprise. They took 1 of my fave FF songs (Next Year) and made it way better. "Another Round" includes a great harmonica part. I love the acoustic "Times Like These." "Skin and Bones" is a great track as well. The album closes w/ "Best of You" & "Everlong." Unfortunately, the acoustic versions of these 2 songs do not hold a candle to the original versions. Nevertheless, I'd highly recommend this CD if you're at all interested in it. FF have yet to release anything disappointing. I think they're one of the very best rock bands of the past decade.

"Foo Fighters" is one of those bands I've always liked but never really considered myself a huge fan. When one of their songs came on the radio, I wouldn't change the station, however, they weren't the type of band I would run out and buy each new CD. Given to me as an unexpected Christmas gift, "Skin and Bones" has turned me into a full-blooded convert.

Like Pearl Jam's superb "Live on Two Legs" CD, "Skin and Bones" is essentially a live, acoustic collection of Dave Grohl and Comapany's Greatest Hits (speckled with a few compelling covers). Stripped down to the basics, their most popular songs are performed in both raw and nuanced ways so that they sound both hauntingly familiar and refreshingly new.

Highlights from the CD include:
Track 3: An aching "Walking after You."
Track 4: A gutsy, guitar-driven cover of one my all-time favorite Nirvana songs, "Marigold."
Track 8: A folksy/bluesy duet version of "Big Me."
Track 15: The definative version of the Foo Fighter's greatest song, and one of the greatest rock-and-roll songs ever, "Everlong."

"Skin and Bones" has been in my car's CD player for well over a month now. I don't forsee it leaving for any extended period anytime soon. For someone who grew up on grunge, "Skin and Bones" plays like the melancholy soundtrack to my life.

This is one of the most amazing Live albums I have ever heard. I would put it right on par with Nirvana's MTV Unplugged album. Simply amazing.