- Oct 22, 2006
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Foo Fighters Skin and Bones
Capitol Records 8697- 03239 -9 - Out Now
By Dan Fisher
Quite a few eyebrows were raised last year when the Foo Fighters decided not only to release a double album, In Your Honor, but to split the two discs into separate rock and acoustic albums. Those eyebrows probably reached peoples hairlines when it turned out that the acoustic material was a more meandering and than it should've been, at least to those more used to hearing all the guitars turned up to 11 and Dave Grohl screaming his bollocks off.
Regardless of whether you liked the results or not, there's no way they would've put all that effort into the acoustic songs and then left them out of subsequent sets. So, after a lengthy old school rock tour, they decided to embark on an acoustic tour. The results can be heard on the Skin And Bones CD and DVD.
The UK version of this DVD comes in a double disk format, featuring their sold-out headlining show at Hyde Park, London in front of 85,000 fans and a smaller, more intimate acoustic show filmed in Hollywood. Both gigs find the band in great form, revealing the two ingredients at their most basic level that has given them their reputation as a formidable live act. There are guest appearances by Lemmy on Shake Your Blood, the track he collaborated with on Grohl's side-project Probot and Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor feature on a cover of Tie Your Mother Down. The acoustic songs from In Your Honor such as Razor sound more fleshed out, vibrant and less of a snooze-fest. Older material gets a new lease of life here, most notably an alt-country version of Big Me where violinist Petra Haden duets with Dave. Interestingly, Nirvana Unplugged is also a reference point, with Pat Smears presence adding to performances of the Grohl-penned Nirvana b-side Marigold and the Kurt Cobain tribute Friend Of A Friend.
After listening to the CD I had been persuaded to think of the Hollywood gig as an acoustic show with electric energy. Well, yesterday I finally got round to watching the DVD, directed by rock photographer Danny Clinch (who steps out from behind the camera to play harmonica on Another Round) and I have to say that the CD is just the tip of the iceberg. Not only are there more songs on the DVD due to the CD format's space limitations, but you also get to witness Dave Grohl; frontman, comedian, metal head and, er crooner! His voice sounds good throughout even though he has to actually sing instead of belt it out (though he does get to howl with just his own acoustic on Best Of You).
The most surprising thing about this DVD is that it showcases Grohls comedic talents. You may have seen this side of him before from his acting in the Foo Fighters music videos or from his cameos as Satan in Tenacious D's video for Tribute and their movie The Pick Of Destiny. In Skin And Bones however, he shows that should he ever give up music, he could have a future in stand-up. You can tell that hanging out a lot with Jack Black has rubbed off, from the way he has Drew attempt to solo on his various percussive instruments, or brag that he's next door neighbours with Ronnie James Dio. When introducing Friend Of A Friend, he relates a hilarious tale of his first phone call to Kurt Cobain and his early days in Nirvana. The music always comes first, but there are some pretty swell extras here that make the package stand out.
Official Foo Fighters Website
Official Capitol Records Website
Capitol Records 8697- 03239 -9 - Out Now
By Dan Fisher
Quite a few eyebrows were raised last year when the Foo Fighters decided not only to release a double album, In Your Honor, but to split the two discs into separate rock and acoustic albums. Those eyebrows probably reached peoples hairlines when it turned out that the acoustic material was a more meandering and than it should've been, at least to those more used to hearing all the guitars turned up to 11 and Dave Grohl screaming his bollocks off.
Regardless of whether you liked the results or not, there's no way they would've put all that effort into the acoustic songs and then left them out of subsequent sets. So, after a lengthy old school rock tour, they decided to embark on an acoustic tour. The results can be heard on the Skin And Bones CD and DVD.
The UK version of this DVD comes in a double disk format, featuring their sold-out headlining show at Hyde Park, London in front of 85,000 fans and a smaller, more intimate acoustic show filmed in Hollywood. Both gigs find the band in great form, revealing the two ingredients at their most basic level that has given them their reputation as a formidable live act. There are guest appearances by Lemmy on Shake Your Blood, the track he collaborated with on Grohl's side-project Probot and Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor feature on a cover of Tie Your Mother Down. The acoustic songs from In Your Honor such as Razor sound more fleshed out, vibrant and less of a snooze-fest. Older material gets a new lease of life here, most notably an alt-country version of Big Me where violinist Petra Haden duets with Dave. Interestingly, Nirvana Unplugged is also a reference point, with Pat Smears presence adding to performances of the Grohl-penned Nirvana b-side Marigold and the Kurt Cobain tribute Friend Of A Friend.
After listening to the CD I had been persuaded to think of the Hollywood gig as an acoustic show with electric energy. Well, yesterday I finally got round to watching the DVD, directed by rock photographer Danny Clinch (who steps out from behind the camera to play harmonica on Another Round) and I have to say that the CD is just the tip of the iceberg. Not only are there more songs on the DVD due to the CD format's space limitations, but you also get to witness Dave Grohl; frontman, comedian, metal head and, er crooner! His voice sounds good throughout even though he has to actually sing instead of belt it out (though he does get to howl with just his own acoustic on Best Of You).
The most surprising thing about this DVD is that it showcases Grohls comedic talents. You may have seen this side of him before from his acting in the Foo Fighters music videos or from his cameos as Satan in Tenacious D's video for Tribute and their movie The Pick Of Destiny. In Skin And Bones however, he shows that should he ever give up music, he could have a future in stand-up. You can tell that hanging out a lot with Jack Black has rubbed off, from the way he has Drew attempt to solo on his various percussive instruments, or brag that he's next door neighbours with Ronnie James Dio. When introducing Friend Of A Friend, he relates a hilarious tale of his first phone call to Kurt Cobain and his early days in Nirvana. The music always comes first, but there are some pretty swell extras here that make the package stand out.
Official Foo Fighters Website
Official Capitol Records Website
:Smokin: