Rocktober Album #10: Foo Fighters – The Colour and The Shape (1997)

One of the few positives of Kurt Cobain's death is that it indirectly lead to the formation of Foo Fighters, which I consider to be one of, if not the, best hard rock band of the past 15 years.

After their fantastic self-titled debut album, Foo Fighters followed with another collection of great, catchy hard rock songs. The Colour and The Shape is probably my favorite driving album. Most of the songs feature a breakneck beat, driving guitars, and Dave Grohl's controlled screaming.

1. Doll
The album starts off slowly, which is probably on purpose because it set you up nicely for the ensuing sonic rage.
2. Monkey Wrench
I absolutely love this song. It's fast, it's angry, it's catchy. I have no idea how Dave Grohl got the entire bridge refrain ("One last thing . . .") out in one breath. I've tried it, and I have failed.
3. Hey, Johnny Park!
This song is average compared to the rest of the album, although I do like the "Now that I've found my reward" part near the end of the song.
4. My Poor Brain
Another slower one (relatively), although it goes from soft in the verse to loud in the chorus, which I like.
5. Wind Up
A straight-forward hard rocker with some screaming.
6. Up in Arms
I like this song a lot because the first part lulls you into a false sense of security that it's going to be a slower acoustic song, which makes it even that much better when the second, fast part kicks in at around the 50-second mark.
7. My Hero
You all know this one. It's a great song and should always remind you of West Canaan, Texas.
8. See You
An acoustic reprieve with a bit of a hokey beat, but hey, Dave Grohl can do whatever he wants.
9. Enough Space
Another screamer. Just give the guy some f'n space already.
10. February Stars
I'm not sure if you can consider this a ballad, but I assume it's an ode to Punxsutawney Phil.
11. Everlong
An all-time great hard rock song, in my opinion. This is also a fixture on any running mix I've ever had. Needless to say, I haven't heard it in a while.
12. Walking After You
Another ballad, which I believe was featured in the X-Files movie.
13. New Way Home
This one is also a mainstay on my running mix. It might be my favorite song on the album, but I've not quite ready to make that commitment just yet. This also might be the only song that mentions the Kingdome.