Concrete and Gold

Let me start off by saying that I really like the Foo Fighters and own their entire catalog and I am not someone with an agenda to just give a poor review because they are popular rock group. The three star rating does not mean that this is a bad album, it is actually pretty awesome at times. The problem with this album like most of their albums is that they are band that can write excellent music but have yet to make a great\classic album. Even their stronger albums such as the Colour and the Shape and Wasting Light often contain much filler and lack cohesion at times. Listeners will often get anywhere between three to four really great songs on an album and mostly forgettable ones for the rest.

I do like how they tried to mix things up a little bit on the album but it still doesn't save it from some of the weaker tracks. I also liked how this album wasn't brickwalled with loudness which gave the music more air and the album less fatiguing to listen to.

Phenomenal album...start to finish. The Foos continue to do what they want to do musically in the midst of the mediocre critical and fan reception of Sonic Highways. Concrete and Gold is the next step in the evolution of one of the greatest bands of my generation. It is not non-stop hard rock...so many will be disapointed; however, even that group of people will have no choice but to like a few of the songs on the album. This album is a gritty, melodic, chaotically harmonious collection of songs that I am thankful for the chance to enjoy.

I've been a fan of Foo Fighters since I was in high school, and have found something to like about every album they have released.

They always manage to evolve their sound while being distinctly Foo Fighters so there's always something new to appreciate in their albums.

This album though... this is a fighter for their top album thanks in part to Greg Kurstin, who helped them find a new dimension in their sound.

It's been argued that the album doesn't have any hit singles, which may or may not be true, but it's the album that's a hit. This album seems very carefully constructed, so to distill it to one or two hit songs is a mistake.

The songs are great, the album is an experience.

This new album from the Foo Fighters rocks. I hope I am not the only person to find humor in the song "T Shirt". I find it funny because I try hard to keep my tee shirt clean, and I often fall short of that goal, Keeping my tee shirt clean is a very memorable line in this song for me. "Make It Right" is a great song to work out to. The guitar riffs on this song are edgy and superb. "La Dee Da" is another up tempo song. This is the kind of song that motivates me to move. This song is a reminder to respect the privacy of another person This song also reminds me not to be overly impressed by other person's material possessions. I really like the song "Dirty Water". The first half of the song sounds relaxing and the second half of the song is fast paced. This song really makes me think about the purity of the water that I drink. "Happy Ever After" is a soothing slower tempo song that I can listen and unwind to after a stressful day at work. "Sunday Rain" sounds groovy both lyrically and musically. I love the electric guitar playing here. The song "Concrete and Gold" is a powerful song. I think that concrete and gold represent the positive and negative aspects of daily life. This song is a reminder that it can be difficult to balance the two. The lyrics of Concrete and Gold resonate with me because I strive to find balance in my life all the time. This is great new music.

I wish I liked this album more. Been listening intently to the album since it came out. Like most Foo albums, it has some good tracks. But as an album in its entirety it is disjointed and falls woefully short. I don't recall ever having to give a Foo album repeated listens to connect with it (with maybe Sonic Highways the exception... that album holds up less and less with repeated listens) but Concrete and Gold is a struggle. To me, it feels like a lesser version of One by One. Both albums start out strong. One by One's first four tracks are some of the best Foo songs made... the rest of the album is completely forgettable. Similarly the first four tracks are the strongest on this record (I don't consider T-shirt to be a track of any substance). Run is a solid opener. I really dig Make it Right, (though one can't deny the intro's similarity to Cheer Up Boys). Sky is good as is LaDeeDa (Times Like These bass track anyone?). The album's worst track is Dirty Water. The first part is bland elevator music that drags only to get to a bland rock riff at the end that could have been signature Foo riff but ultimately sounds like generic rock trash once it was over produced into oblivion. Probably one of the worst Foo songs I have ever heard. Arrows is interesting and may grow on me over time. Sunday Rain is just plain bad. Why put one of the greatest singer song writers ever to live on the drums?! Dave forgot to write a good song to go along with a bland drum track (besides, I want Taylor Hawkins drumming). The Line is solid, more standard Foo Fighters, but again, they've made better songs than this before. The title track belongs on a Pink Floyd cover band album.

I applaud Dave for trying something new, but I go by the axiom if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Seems like Dave thinks something's broken because the last three albums have been created with a conceit in mind. Wasting Light was done in garage. Turned out fantastic. Sonic Highways was done in different cities... ultimately forgettable. The hottest pop producer in 2017 made this album with them... totally stripping away the signature sounds the band is known for and at times having them sound like a cover band. Bad move. Sorry to say even the best songs on this record are ultimately just ok, not great.