Foo Fighters (album)
Encyclopedia
Foo Fighters is the debut album by the Foo Fighters
. At the time, the only official member of the Foo Fighters was Dave Grohl
, who wrote and recorded the entire album himself (with the exception of "X-Static", on which Greg Dulli
played guitar) at Robert Lang Studios
in Seattle, Washington in 1994, prior to organizing the band. It was released July 4, 1995 on Roswell Records.
, and after a brief stint with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
, musician Dave Grohl
entered Robert Lang Studios
with producer Barrett Jones in October 1994 to record some songs he had written. Grohl had been recording his own music for years prior, releasing the album Pocketwatch
in 1992, under the name Late!. Like Pocketwatch, Grohl would record all vocal, guitar, bass and drum tracks himself, with the exception of a guitar part on "X-Static" provided by Greg Dulli
of The Afghan Whigs
. Grohl had previously worked with Jones, who helped produce Pocketwatch, and the studio setting of Robert Lang was familiar, due to Nirvana having recorded what would be their final session there, just nine months earlier.
Grohl completed an album's worth of material in about a week, and soon after was handing out cassette
copies of the session to friends for feedback. Eddie Vedder
premiered two songs from the recording on January 8, 1995 during his Self-Pollution radio broadcast. The recordings quickly circulated amongst the music industry, which in turn created record label
interest. In an attempt to keep his anonymity, Grohl planned to release the songs under the name Foo Fighters, and soon recruited former Sunny Day Real Estate
members; bassist Nate Mendel
and drummer William Goldsmith
, as well as Nirvana touring guitarist, and former Germs member, Pat Smear
, to create a band that could perform the songs live.
That spring, the Foo Fighters embarked on their first ever United States
tour with Hovercraft
, supporting Mike Watt
, who had just released his debut solo album
that featured appearances by both Grohl and Smear. The tour would also be the first for Hovercraft, whose line-up included Vedder at the time. As well as performing with their own bands, Grohl and Vedder each picked up a role as a member of Watt's backing band throughout the tour, supplying drums and guitar respectively. Foo Fighters released "Exhausted
" as their first single
, issued on promotional 12" vinyl, followed shortly after by the bands first commercial single, "This Is a Call
", released on June 19, 1995, prior to the albums' release.
. To further establish the fact that Foo Fighters were now a full fledged band, photos of the entire lineup appeared in the liner notes
, despite Grohl being the album's only contributor. The band promoted the release that summer by completing another US tour and short tour of Europe
with Wool
and Shudder to Think
. Wool included Peter Stahl
and Franz Stahl
, brothers who had previously been bandmates of Grohl in Scream
, a band who issued several albums on Dischord Records
, which was also the former label of Shudder to Think. During this tour, Foo Fighters played several of their largest shows up to that point, making their debut on the festival circuit with performances at Pukkelpop
, Reading and Lowlands. Foo Fighters made their network television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman August 14, 1995 when they performed "This Is a Call", however no music video
would be made for the song.
"I'll Stick Around
" was issued as the second single on September 4, 1995 and would also mark Foo Fighters music video debut, directed by Gerald Casale
. That fall, the band continued to tour extensively, completing a European tour with Built to Spill
. Amid the tour, Foo Fighters filmed the MTV
special I'm OK, Eur-OK: Foo Fighters Live in London which featured exclusive footage recorded on November 15, 1995 at the Brixton Academy in London
, England
, with the majority of the broadcast featuring songs culled from the debut album. "For All the Cows
" was released as the third single from the album on November 21, 1995. Foo Fighters appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live
for the first time on December 2, 1995 with host Anthony Edwards
, and performed both "I'll Stick Around" and "For All the Cows". The band then closed out the year with their first trips to Japan
and Australia
.
Foo Fighters continued to tour in support of the album on into 1996, performing at the Summersault Festival that January. The band made an infamous appearance on the March 18, 1996 Rockline
radio broadcast, where they performed acoustically. Included in the set was a version of "Wattershed" that contained improvised lyrics by Grohl, delivered in the vocal style of Fred Schneider
from The B-52's
. That same month Foo Fighters embarked on yet another US tour, this time with a revolving door of supporting acts, including That Dog (stylized as that dog.), Ween
, Jawbreaker
and The Amps
. Most shows featuring That Dog on the bill included member Petra Haden
joining Foo Fighters on stage during "Floaty" to provide violin
.
On March 25, 1996, "Big Me
" was released as the fourth single from the album, and the first commercial single made available in the US. The international version included a BBC
session, while the American version was issued as a maxi-single that gathered all b-sides
from the three previously released commercial singles, which were also included as a bonus disc to the Australian pressing of the album. "Big Me" was the second song from the album to see release as a music video, directed by Jesse Peretz
, and was a parody of the Mentos
television commercials. The final single released from the album was "Alone+Easy Target
" issued only as a promotional CD
. Foo Fighters made an appearance at the first ever Tibetan Freedom Concert
on June 15, 1996, a high-profile festival organized by the Beastie Boys
to benefit the cause of Tibetan independence, followed by a final tour of Europe that July, to close out support of the album.
In all, half of the songs from Foo Fighters would be released as singles, including four commercial and two promotional releases. The album was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 1996 Grammy Awards ceremony, but lost to MTV Unplugged in New York
, an album by Grohl's former band Nirvana. Foo Fighters also won the band their first Video Music Award for "Big Me" at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards
.
aircraft
pilots would use to describe various UFOs. This theme is further continued with the album, released on Grohl's Capitol Records imprint, Roswell Records, a reference to Roswell, New Mexico
known for the Roswell UFO incident
of 1947. The gun featured on the album cover
is the XZ-38 Disintegrator Pistol
, which was originally released in 1935 as a tie-in
toy for the Buck Rogers
comic strip and radio show. The cover was shot by Grohl's then-wife, photographer Jennifer Youngblood (married 1993, divorced 1997). The album does not include lyrics to the songs in the booklet.
. Entertainment Weekly
positively reviewed the album, saying, "[Grohl's] songs pack the riffy wallop of unpolished Nirvana demos, and his voice has Kurt Cobain's lunging, over-the-top passion." Spin magazine
stylistically compared the album to Nirvana's sophomore album, Nevermind
, "The album's first half [...] owes much to Nevermind, and it's tempting to hear it in the way Nevermind taught us to hear."
The album did receive minor criticism for its lack of intensity, which many proposed was due to the fact that Grohl played all the instruments himself. AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote, "Since he recorded the album by himself, they aren't as powerful as most band's primal sonic workouts, but the results are damn impressive for a solo musician." Robert Christgau
wrote on his review website that while "the spirit is strong [...] the identity is weak" before pointing out the better tracks on the album.
. On September 27, 1995, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA). On January 26, 1996, the album was later certified Platinum by the RIAA.
except where noted.
Additional
Production
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
. At the time, the only official member of the Foo Fighters was Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
, who wrote and recorded the entire album himself (with the exception of "X-Static", on which Greg Dulli
Greg Dulli
-Biography:Greg Dulli was born and brought up in the working-class city of Hamilton, Ohio. Although he was raised a Catholic, he is now agnostic. Dulli first came to public attention in the late 1980s with The Afghan Whigs when he joined D.C. transplant bassist John Curley and Louisville, Kentucky,...
played guitar) at Robert Lang Studios
Robert Lang Studios
Robert Lang Studios is a recording studio in Shoreline, Washington, United States, just north of Seattle. Numerous bands have recorded at Robert Lang Studios including Alice in Chains, Candlebox and Bush. Perhaps the most famous recording session at Robert Lang Studio was in late January 1994 when...
in Seattle, Washington in 1994, prior to organizing the band. It was released July 4, 1995 on Roswell Records.
Background
Following the demise of NirvanaNirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, and after a brief stint with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch...
, musician Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
entered Robert Lang Studios
Robert Lang Studios
Robert Lang Studios is a recording studio in Shoreline, Washington, United States, just north of Seattle. Numerous bands have recorded at Robert Lang Studios including Alice in Chains, Candlebox and Bush. Perhaps the most famous recording session at Robert Lang Studio was in late January 1994 when...
with producer Barrett Jones in October 1994 to record some songs he had written. Grohl had been recording his own music for years prior, releasing the album Pocketwatch
Pocketwatch (album)
Pocketwatch is a cassette album by Dave Grohl, under the pseudonym Late!, released in 1992 on the now defunct indie label, Simple Machines, as part of their Tool Cassette Series.-Background:...
in 1992, under the name Late!. Like Pocketwatch, Grohl would record all vocal, guitar, bass and drum tracks himself, with the exception of a guitar part on "X-Static" provided by Greg Dulli
Greg Dulli
-Biography:Greg Dulli was born and brought up in the working-class city of Hamilton, Ohio. Although he was raised a Catholic, he is now agnostic. Dulli first came to public attention in the late 1980s with The Afghan Whigs when he joined D.C. transplant bassist John Curley and Louisville, Kentucky,...
of The Afghan Whigs
The Afghan Whigs
The Afghan Whigs were a soul-influenced American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio. PopMatters described the band as "beyond simple genre categorization, and though lauded by the music press, never got their just due."-Band history:...
. Grohl had previously worked with Jones, who helped produce Pocketwatch, and the studio setting of Robert Lang was familiar, due to Nirvana having recorded what would be their final session there, just nine months earlier.
Grohl completed an album's worth of material in about a week, and soon after was handing out cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
copies of the session to friends for feedback. Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
premiered two songs from the recording on January 8, 1995 during his Self-Pollution radio broadcast. The recordings quickly circulated amongst the music industry, which in turn created record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
interest. In an attempt to keep his anonymity, Grohl planned to release the songs under the name Foo Fighters, and soon recruited former Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. In the 1990s, the group expanded upon the grunge style that was popular in the local scene to make a more melodic sound. While not the first band to be classified as emo, they were instrumental in establishing the genre. In...
members; bassist Nate Mendel
Nate Mendel
Nathan Gregor "Nate" Mendel is an American bassist for the bands Foo Fighters, The Jealous Sound, Sunny Day Real Estate, and The Fire Theft.-Biography:...
and drummer William Goldsmith
William Goldsmith
William Goldsmith is an American drummer best known for being the drummer of the popular Seattle Alternative band Sunny Day Real Estate and for his tenure as the drummer of the alternative rock band Foo Fighters...
, as well as Nirvana touring guitarist, and former Germs member, Pat Smear
Pat Smear
Pat Smear is a rock musician who has been a guitarist in several well-known bands including The Germs and Nirvana. He is currently a guitarist for the Foo Fighters...
, to create a band that could perform the songs live.
That spring, the Foo Fighters embarked on their first ever United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tour with Hovercraft
Hovercraft (band)
Hovercraft was an instrumental experimental rock group that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1993. It was co-founded by its core duo of guitarist/samplist/tape looper Ryan Shinn, and bassist Beth Liebling. Liebling and Shinn would use the pseudonyms "Sadie 7" and "Campbell 2000", respectively,...
, supporting Mike Watt
Mike Watt
Michael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
, who had just released his debut solo album
Ball-Hog or Tugboat?
Ball-Hog or Tugboat? is the debut solo album by former Minutemen and fIREHOSE bassist, songwriter and vocalist Mike Watt. It was recorded in 1994, and came at a personal and professional career crossroads for Watt...
that featured appearances by both Grohl and Smear. The tour would also be the first for Hovercraft, whose line-up included Vedder at the time. As well as performing with their own bands, Grohl and Vedder each picked up a role as a member of Watt's backing band throughout the tour, supplying drums and guitar respectively. Foo Fighters released "Exhausted
Exhausted (song)
"Exhausted" is the first Foo Fighters release and the first single from the debut album. It was only issued as a promotional single, pressed on black 12" vinyl...
" as their first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, issued on promotional 12" vinyl, followed shortly after by the bands first commercial single, "This Is a Call
This Is a Call
"This Is a Call" is the first major single released by the Foo Fighters from their self-titled debut album. It was released in 1995. No video was made for the song.Dave Grohl said about the song: "The chorus says 'This is a call to all my past resignation'...
", released on June 19, 1995, prior to the albums' release.
Release and promotion
Foo Fighters was released July 4, 1995 on Roswell Records, distributed by Capitol RecordsCapitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. To further establish the fact that Foo Fighters were now a full fledged band, photos of the entire lineup appeared in the liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
, despite Grohl being the album's only contributor. The band promoted the release that summer by completing another US tour and short tour of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
with Wool
Wool (band)
Wool were a rock band from Washington, D.C. , specialising in a rough-hewn but melodic brand of punk-based hard rock from 1990-1996.-History:...
and Shudder to Think
Shudder to Think
Shudder to Think is an American indie rock group. Formed in 1986, they released three albums on the Washington, D.C.-based label Dischord Records and were a post-hardcore band, although they drew upon a wide range of stylistic influences, including pop....
. Wool included Peter Stahl
Peter Stahl
Peter Marc Stahl is an American vocalist known for fronting the seminal Washington, D.C. punk/hardcore band Scream with brother Franz Stahl. At one stage, Scream also featured Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl on drums....
and Franz Stahl
Franz Stahl
Franz Stahl was the guitarist of the Washington, DC hardcore punk band Scream. Stahl is the brother of Scream lead singer Peter Stahl. Stahl was also briefly a member of Foo Fighters from 1997 to 1999, replacing the band's original guitarist Pat Smear...
, brothers who had previously been bandmates of Grohl in Scream
Scream (band)
Scream is a hardcore punk band from Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia active from 1981 to 1990. As of 2009, the band has reunited to play several shows.-Biography:...
, a band who issued several albums on Dischord Records
Dischord Records
Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in the independent punk music of the D.C.-area music scene. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release Minor Disturbance by The Teen Idles...
, which was also the former label of Shudder to Think. During this tour, Foo Fighters played several of their largest shows up to that point, making their debut on the festival circuit with performances at Pukkelpop
Pukkelpop
Pukkelpop is an annual music festival which takes place near the city of Hasselt, Belgium in mid-to-late August. It is held within a large enclosure of fields and woodland—between a dual carriageway called Kempische Steenweg—in the village of Kiewit, approximately 7 km north of Hasselt...
, Reading and Lowlands. Foo Fighters made their network television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman August 14, 1995 when they performed "This Is a Call", however no music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
would be made for the song.
"I'll Stick Around
I'll Stick Around
"I'll Stick Around" is the second major single released by the Foo Fighters from their 1995 self titled debut album Foo Fighters. From its release, the song was believed to have been written about Kurt Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, with whom the surviving members of Nirvana were constantly...
" was issued as the second single on September 4, 1995 and would also mark Foo Fighters music video debut, directed by Gerald Casale
Gerald Casale
Gerald Vincent Casale , often known as Jerry Casale, is a vocalist, bass guitar/synthesizer player, and a founding member of the new wave band Devo...
. That fall, the band continued to tour extensively, completing a European tour with Built to Spill
Built to Spill
Built to Spill is an American indie rock band based in Boise, Idaho. The band has released seven full-length albums. Their most recent album, There Is No Enemy, was released on October 6, 2009.-History:...
. Amid the tour, Foo Fighters filmed the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
special I'm OK, Eur-OK: Foo Fighters Live in London which featured exclusive footage recorded on November 15, 1995 at the Brixton Academy in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, with the majority of the broadcast featuring songs culled from the debut album. "For All the Cows
For All the Cows
"For All the Cows" is the third major single released by the Foo Fighters from their self-titled debut album Foo Fighters. The band had discussed the creation of a music video for this single which would feature the band dressing up in cow costumes. No video was made, however...
" was released as the third single from the album on November 21, 1995. Foo Fighters appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
for the first time on December 2, 1995 with host Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards
Anthony Charles Edwards is an American actor and director. He has appeared in various movies and television shows, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Top Gun, Zodiac, Revenge of the Nerds, Northern Exposure and ER.-Early life:Edwards was born in Santa Barbara, California, the son of Erika...
, and performed both "I'll Stick Around" and "For All the Cows". The band then closed out the year with their first trips to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Foo Fighters continued to tour in support of the album on into 1996, performing at the Summersault Festival that January. The band made an infamous appearance on the March 18, 1996 Rockline
Rockline
Rockline is a nationally syndicated radio interview program hosted by Bob Coburn that broadcasts live via satellite every Monday and Wednesday night from 8:30pm-10pm PT to radio stations in the United States. Founded in 1981, it is considered to be the longest running, uninterrupted program in rock...
radio broadcast, where they performed acoustically. Included in the set was a version of "Wattershed" that contained improvised lyrics by Grohl, delivered in the vocal style of Fred Schneider
Fred Schneider
Frederick William "Fred" Schneider III is an American rock singer, best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well-known for his sprechgesang which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars.-Early life:Schneider was born in Newark,...
from The B-52's
The B-52's
The B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar...
. That same month Foo Fighters embarked on yet another US tour, this time with a revolving door of supporting acts, including That Dog (stylized as that dog.), Ween
Ween
Ween is an American alternative rock group. They formed in 1984 in New Hope, Pennsylvania when central members Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo met in an eighth grade typing class. Ween has a large cult underground fanbase despite being generally unknown in American pop music...
, Jawbreaker
Jawbreaker (band)
Jawbreaker was an American punk rock band active from 1986 to 1996 and considered one of the most influential acts of the early-1990s emo movement...
and The Amps
The Amps
The Amps were an indie-rock band from Dayton, Ohio. Formed by Kim Deal in 1995 after The Breeders went on hiatus, they first began touring as "Tammy Ampersand and the Amps" but it was later shortened to "The Amps."Their album Pacer was released in 1995.Kim Deal originally intended to play all of...
. Most shows featuring That Dog on the bill included member Petra Haden
Petra Haden
Petra Haden is an American violinist and singer. She is or has been a member of several bands, including That Dog, Tito & Tarantula, and The Decemberists; has contributed to recordings by The Twilight Singers, Beck, Mike Watt, Luscious Jackson, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Queens of the Stone Age,...
joining Foo Fighters on stage during "Floaty" to provide violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
.
On March 25, 1996, "Big Me
Big Me
"Big Me" is the fourth major single, released in 1996, by the Foo Fighters from their self-titled debut album Foo Fighters. Although it never charted on the Billboard Hot 100, the song became a crossover hit for the band on pop radio during the spring of 1996, when it reached #13 on the Billboard...
" was released as the fourth single from the album, and the first commercial single made available in the US. The international version included a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
session, while the American version was issued as a maxi-single that gathered all b-sides
B-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
from the three previously released commercial singles, which were also included as a bonus disc to the Australian pressing of the album. "Big Me" was the second song from the album to see release as a music video, directed by Jesse Peretz
Jesse Peretz
Jesse Peretz is an American bass guitar player, feature film director, and Grammy-Award winning music video director.-Life and career:...
, and was a parody of the Mentos
Mentos
Mentos is a brand of mints, of the "scotch mint" type, sold in many markets across the world by the Perfetti Van Melle corporation. Mentos was first produced in the Netherlands during the 1950s. The mints are small oblate spheroids, with a slightly hard exterior and a soft, chewy interior...
television commercials. The final single released from the album was "Alone+Easy Target
Alone+Easy Target
"Alone+Easy Target" is a radio only single released by Foo Fighters from their self-titled debut album. It was released only as a promotional single.- Song history :...
" issued only as a promotional CD
Promotional recording
A promotional recording, or promo, is an audio or video recording distributed for free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available...
. Foo Fighters made an appearance at the first ever Tibetan Freedom Concert
Tibetan Freedom Concert
Tibetan Freedom Concert is the name given to a series of rock festivals held in North America, Europe and Asia between 1996 and 2001 to support the cause of Tibetan independence. The concerts were organized by the Beastie Boys and the Milarepa Fund...
on June 15, 1996, a high-profile festival organized by the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
to benefit the cause of Tibetan independence, followed by a final tour of Europe that July, to close out support of the album.
In all, half of the songs from Foo Fighters would be released as singles, including four commercial and two promotional releases. The album was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 1996 Grammy Awards ceremony, but lost to MTV Unplugged in New York
MTV Unplugged in New York
MTV Unplugged in New York is a live album by the American rock band Nirvana. It features an acoustic performance taped at Sony Music Studios in New York City on November 18, 1993 for the television series MTV Unplugged. The show was directed by Beth McCarthy and first aired on the cable television...
, an album by Grohl's former band Nirvana. Foo Fighters also won the band their first Video Music Award for "Big Me" at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards
1996 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1996 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 4, 1996, honoring the best music videos from June 16, 1995, to June 14, 1996. The show was hosted by Dennis Miller at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
.
Packaging
The name "Foo Fighters" was taken from the description World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
pilots would use to describe various UFOs. This theme is further continued with the album, released on Grohl's Capitol Records imprint, Roswell Records, a reference to Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...
known for the Roswell UFO incident
Roswell UFO incident
The Roswell UFO Incident was the recovery of an object that crashed in the general vicinity of Roswell, New Mexico, in June or July 1947, allegedly an extra-terrestrial spacecraft and its alien occupants. Since the late 1970s the incident has been the subject of intense controversy and of...
of 1947. The gun featured on the album cover
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
is the XZ-38 Disintegrator Pistol
Disintegrator ray
In science fiction, a disintegrator ray is an energy beam that destroys an object by disintegrating it to its basic components, which usually disperse into the atmosphere. Ray gun is the generic term for the weapons that fire disintegrator beams...
, which was originally released in 1935 as a tie-in
Tie-in
A tie-in is an authorized product based on a media property a company is releasing, such as a movie or video/DVD, computer game, video game, television program/television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property...
toy for the Buck Rogers
Buck Rogers
Anthony Rogers is a fictional character that first appeared in Armageddon 2419 A.D. by Philip Francis Nowlan in the August 1928 issue of the pulp magazine Amazing Stories. A sequel, The Airlords of Han, was published in the March 1929 issue....
comic strip and radio show. The cover was shot by Grohl's then-wife, photographer Jennifer Youngblood (married 1993, divorced 1997). The album does not include lyrics to the songs in the booklet.
Critical reception
Critically, Foo Fighters received moderate positive reception. Many critics compared the album to Dave Grohl's previous band, NirvanaNirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
positively reviewed the album, saying, "[Grohl's] songs pack the riffy wallop of unpolished Nirvana demos, and his voice has Kurt Cobain's lunging, over-the-top passion." Spin magazine
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
stylistically compared the album to Nirvana's sophomore album, Nevermind
Nevermind
Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
, "The album's first half [...] owes much to Nevermind, and it's tempting to hear it in the way Nevermind taught us to hear."
The album did receive minor criticism for its lack of intensity, which many proposed was due to the fact that Grohl played all the instruments himself. AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote, "Since he recorded the album by himself, they aren't as powerful as most band's primal sonic workouts, but the results are damn impressive for a solo musician." Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
wrote on his review website that while "the spirit is strong [...] the identity is weak" before pointing out the better tracks on the album.
Commercial reception
Commercially, Foo Fighters was a success. The album peaked at #3 in the UK and #23 in the US on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. On September 27, 1995, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA). On January 26, 1996, the album was later certified Platinum by the RIAA.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Dave GrohlDave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
except where noted.
Personnel
- Dave GrohlDave GrohlDavid Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
– vocals, drums, guitars, bass
Additional
- Greg DulliGreg Dulli-Biography:Greg Dulli was born and brought up in the working-class city of Hamilton, Ohio. Although he was raised a Catholic, he is now agnostic. Dulli first came to public attention in the late 1980s with The Afghan Whigs when he joined D.C. transplant bassist John Curley and Louisville, Kentucky,...
– guitar on "X-Static"
Production
- Barrett Jones, Dave Grohl – producers
- Steve Culp – engineer
- Tom RothrockTom RothrockTom Rothrock is an international record producer, composer and musician. Tom Rothrock has produced albums with James Blunt, Badly Drawn Boy, R. L. Burnside, Yonder Mountain String Band, Athlete, Sloan and Roman Carter....
, Rob SchnapfRob SchnapfRob Schnapf is an American record producer and musician. He was the co-producer of Elliott Smith's albums Either/Or, XO , Figure 8 and From a Basement on the Hill, for which he was recruited by Smith's family to complete after Smith's death.Schnapf, along with Rothrock and partner...
– mixing - Stephen MarcussenStephen MarcussenStephen Marcussen is the founder and chief mastering engineer of Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California. Marcussen is one of the most sought-after mastering engineers in the music industry and his expertise has been coveted by a wide range of artists over the years...
– mastering - Tim Gabor – art direction, album design
- Jennifer Youngblood – cover photo, photography
- Curt Doughty, Charles PetersonCharles Peterson (photographer)Charles Peterson is an American photographer well known for his work with the independent record label Sub Pop. His photos are presented in the movie Kurt Cobain: About a Son...
, Jeff Ross – photography - Jaq Chartier – jacket artwork
Chart positions
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 3 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 13 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
5 |
| Finland Albums Chart | 21 |
| German Albums Chart | 33 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 18 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
23 |
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
| Finland Mid-Price Chart | 3 |