An excellent view of Foo Fighters at an early stage. This is the first album by the group as a whole. The beautiful "Miracle" is on this album, as well as a few other classic FF songs. It is somehow hard to find, but Amazon came through as usual with new and used copies. This order completed my FF collection and it is an important and satisfying album!

It seems this album has faded as time goes on, but I feel it is some of their best work.

Side 1 or A/B - 10 songs that kick your ass
Side 2 or C/D - 10 songs that you can relax to in your living room

Got this on vinyl (note that it is not 180 grams). Had never tried this one previously but other reviews, particularly claims that this was one of their best and the 2nd album really shows a different side etc made me curious. I have to agree with those rave reviews. And absolutely no complaints about the vinyl (not sure why they did not go with the 180 grams and honestly did not realize that until I got it but am definitely keeping the one I have). Also note that there are no liner notes etc but the free mp3 download (which it does include)is always a very cool and welcome.

As with other double albums like "The White Album" or Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk," "In Your Honor" takes a few listens to really get into it. The idea of splitting the songs into electric and acoustic is intriguing at first, but it does makes monotony a problem when it wouldn't otherwise. The great thing about "The Colour and the Shape" was the contrast of softer songs when sandwiched between the heavy songs, and vice versa. Now imagine bunching those songs into distinct halves, and it would suffer greatly.

That's the problem with "In Your Honor," but a simple solution would change a lot of initial opinions about the album: Give it a few more listens, decide what the fat is and trim it, then combine and mix up the two discs a bit. Then make a loaner copy... and make sure everyone you know listens to it.

The weaker stuff for me was the title track (the false ending isn't enough to save it), "Free Me" (a screamer song that just strains), "Hell," "Deepest Blues," and "Over and Out." "Friend of a Friend," an old Grohl song that is no doubt personal, just isn't interesting enough musically to warrant repeated listens.

Now onto the good stuff (in my preferred order):

"No Way Back" is a solid up-tempo song; a better intro for the album.

"Still" is a sweet-but-haunting adolescent suicide pact (with a "Mr. Kite"-ish outro).

"Best of You" sounds a little like "Times Lke These" in spots, but ultimately it's one of their best ever mid-tempo rockers.

"What If I Do" is a gentle, lazy-afternoon ditty; the "Ain't It the Life" sort of number we missed on "One by One."

"Miracle" is sheer beauty, the "Aurora" of the bunch. By the time those violins break in, you'll either have a lump in your throat or a moist eye. Maybe one of the band's all-time top five.

"DOA" is a fun, rambunctious rocker with a pseudo-tribal drumbeat. Chorus sounds a bit like a faster "Live-In Skin."

"Another Round" has a waltzy beat and a swell harmonica solo.

"The Last Song" is one of the most infectious breakup songs ever made; a simple, peppy pop-rock gem in the mold of the b-side "Fraternity."

"On the Mend" is a dreamy, ethereal acoustic number.

"Resolve" is a little long and the chorus gets a bit repetitive (problems that aren't as bad on "IYH" as they were on "One by One"). But those harmony vocals are a saving grace. Sounds a bit like a slower "Overdrive."

"Virginia Moon" is the kind of song a few macho hard-rock-types would probably love to make if they could get away with it. It took serious guts for Dave Grohl of "All My Life" fame to create a tongue-in-cheek Bacharach-type duet with Norah Jones (thank God he didn't ask Vanessa Carlton instead!). Some back-and-forth vocals in between the harmonic stuff would've made this perfect.

"Cold Day in the Sun" is something you wished Disc 2 had a lot more of by the time you get around to it. A fun, easy-going, summer song.

"End Over End" is a catchy closer, better served by following it up with the gentle "Razor," an absolutely melancholic song with a lullaby feel (appropriately enough, given Josh Homme's presence).

So, a few inevitable weak spots aside, this is easily the best album since TCATS... and a breath of fresh air amidst all of today's blustery joyless alt-rock, and bland insipid AC-pop. Give this a second chance, and you'll thank the stars these guys are still out there fightin' Foo in your honor.

This album is an amazing collection of hard-hitting rock songs of fury and an additional collection of soft and beautiful accoustic songs. But you knew that anyway...

I love both discs because you DO NOT NEED to listen to all 20 songs back to back! If you want to bang your head, you spin disc one. And if you want to lounge in a bathrobe and relax, you spin the second softer disc. What's wrong with that?

The Foo Fighters decided to give the fans options. The fan is given the choice to rock out or sprawl out. You should listen to whatever you want WHEN you want to listen.

Buy the album and choose your poison.

It's another fine record from Foo Fighters. This one is a double album, with the first side being more traditional rock n roll that we are used to hearing from this band. The second disc is more laid back. It's good, but I'm a rock guy and love the harder sound of the first side.

Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters has really out done himself with this release. Disc 1 is upbeat while Disc 2 is acoustic and laid back. Every song on Disc 1 is great. Disc 2 is good but there are a couple songs that don't hold up to the rest in my opinion. I won't offer up the titles as I don't want to sway someone one way or the other. As a consumer I apprecaite 2 cd's worth of music for under $20. I think the price is a good value. This cd is copyright protected so that's a definite BAD decision on the part of the record company. I, like most, want to be able to take this album with me in the car etc...via .mp3 player which some self appointed genius decided that I shouldn't be allowed to do. I understand the reasoning behind it but punishing those that buy the album is the very wrong way to go about it. How did I solve the problem you may ask? I downloaded a copy since it's readily available on every p2p sharing network. I hate using p2p networks but unfortunately I'm not technical enough to figure out how to get around the stupid copyright protection thing so this is a perfect example of the RIAA shooting themselves in the foot - they drove me to what neither of us want! Support the band, buy the album (and go to their shows) but if you need a copy and you're not technical like me your only option is downloading it...sad.