SOUNDTRACK: FOO FIGHTERS-Sonic Highways (2014).
Three years after Wasting Light, Foo Fighters gathered to make Sonic Highways. It only has 8 songs on it (3 are five minutes one is 6 and 1 is one is seven).
There is a lot of back story about this album. And I’ll use the Wikipedia summary because it is so tidy
In writing the album’s eight songs, singer and guitarist Dave Grohl traveled to eight cities across the United States to conduct interviews with musicians, recording engineers, record producers, and other individuals discussing each city’s musical history, which he used as inspiration for the songs’ lyrics. The band and producer Butch Vig then traveled to a different recording location in each city to record the songs. Each track features contributions from one or more musicians with ties to that city’s musical history.
They made a documentary about it which I have not seen, but which I feel I ought to.
I can’t say I recognize the sound or any signs of whatever city is supposed to be represented ion each song. I was initially concerned that it meant that the Foos were going try to make a “Chicago song” or, gasp, a “Nashville” song, but that isn’t the case. So perhaps in that regard the traveling part was unsuccessful, although perhaps it was good for inspiration. Plus the album is really quite good.
“Something for Nothing” [Chicago (featuring Rick Nielsen)] There’s a nice riff on this song and an interesting guitar sound (Neilsen I assume). The first 90 seconds feel like an intro to the more chugging riff that is yet another interesting part to the song. I love that the second repeat of that section includes a clavinet. And with all of those parts, I love that the song turns into a hugely metal section (“fuck it all I came from nothing”) by the end.
“Feast and the Famine” [Virginia (featuring Peter Stahl and Skeeter Thompson)] has a quick and tidy introductory riff and quickly jumps into a loud chorus. Stahl and Thompson are in Scream, the hardcore band Grohl was in before he moved to Nirvana. You can hear their influence in the cool backing vocals during the “Is there anybody there” part.
“Congregation” [Nashville featuring Zac Brown] This song does not feel Nashville at all. It has a simple but very catchy riff. There’s a nice chorus which doesn’t get too heavy. Zac Brown does “devil pickin'” and backing vocals on “Congregation.” It has a lengthy middle section which is quite different (and angry) before returning to the big chorus.
“What Did I Do? / God As My Witness” [Austin, featuring Gary Clark, Jr.] This song starts out with a big rumble of chords and then a nearly a capella vocal turn. I like the way the chords build and then stop for each line. The “What Did I Do” section feels very classic rock (the way that guitar lick is played–knowing that Joe Walsh is on the record I would have assumed he was on this song). Gary Clark plays the solos on this song. The middle of the song is just like the opening. And then it segues into “God as My Witness” which seems to elevate the song in an interesting way (this is where the much longer guitar solo kicks in.
“Outside” [Joshua Tree, featuring Joe Walsh]. This song has a great fast riff (kind of like a Pearl Jam riff, actually). The song is fast all the way through with no major distinction between verse and chorus. Walsh plays lead guitar during the lengthy jam section–mostly just quiet bass and drums while the guitar natters away. It’s a very different style of song for the Foo Fighters. And while it’s a little dull at 5 minutes, it’s not bad by any means.
“In the Clear” [New Orleans featuring the Preservation Hall Jazz Band]. Despite the location and the guests, I never would have guessed the location of the song. It has a big riff to open with but it quickly settles down to a verse that ends “god damn I swear.” It’s a simple song but it has big catchy chorus with horns playing along with the guitars. Although I wouldn’t have wanted to have a big jazz influence on the song (and they have done jazzy things before) it’s a little wasted to have the ensemble only add horns to the song. I like it nevertheless, but it feels like they could have done more.
“Subterranean” [Seattle, featuring Ben Gibbard] is a slow build of a song (with two people playing eerie e-bow). It lasts six minutes and has several stages as more musicians enter the song. Even at 6 minutes it is still quite a subdued song with no really big chorus, the chorus is actually kind of understated and very moody. And yet I can’t hear Gibbard at all.
“I Am a River” [New York, featuring Tony Visconti and Kristeen Young] The song is over 7 minutes and has a very slow introduction, with overlapping guitars and the vocals not coming in until about 90 seconds in. It seems like it’s going to take off about 2 minutes in, but there’s a delay at work and the slow verses continue. The song builds slowly to a big chorus (although it’s not a dramatic change from the verse either). I love Kristeen Young but I can’t hear her anywhere on this song (she has a unique voice too).
This is certainly not my favorite Foos’ album but it’s very solid and despite a few songs being too long, it’s a pretty tidy album (at 42 minutes) and could have been way overblown (the strings at the end of the album are almost too much but they are actually quite restrained for this concept album).
[READ: May 25, 2015] Loverboys
I know Hernandez’ brother Jaime’s work a little better than Gilbert’s. And I have to say that I like Jaime’s better as well. There’s something I find lightly offputting about Gilbert’s drawing style. It seems very boxy and childlike–despite the fact that he clearly has a great grasp of anatomy. There’s something especially odd about the faces that I just find… odd (to say nothing of the breasts on Mrs Paz and the waists on every woman in the book).
So, having gotten past that concern, what about the content of the story.
Well, I found the story a little confusing as well. I mean, the basic premise is obvious, but there were some side issues that I thought were really weird.
So the premise is that in the small city of Lagrimas (“tears”), there are a number of characters. There are some young girls who are sill in grade school, there are some mid 20s men who are out of school and working and there are some older women–successful workers. (more…)
This soundtrack came with my copy of the book, although it can be ordered 
I Just Read About That... 