The King of Second Chances

How do you go from being in the biggest rock band in the world then to … being in the biggest rock band in the world now?! Just ask Dave Grohl!

(Dave is the prime example of what it is to be a Rock Star.)

For me, this week has been all about the new Foo Fighters album "Wasting Light." It's another great bunch of songs that just hammer home the fact that Foo is good for you! (I'm listening to the album for about the 10th time as I write this.)

In my opinion (which is always right), Dave's career is unparalleled and a paradigmatic anomaly. Usually it's hard to resurrect, let alone surpass a larger than life rock star status after a key member of your band implodes. (i.e. Led Zeppelin ended overnight when it was bedtime for Bonzo, and he decided to never wake up.)

Instead of crashing and burning out into obscurity after Nirvana ended, Dave flipped the script and rose from the ashes. Not to keep mixing metaphors, but he has really managed to kick rock's ass in the face! Not only has Foo Fighters seemingly had more hits that Nirvana even had songs, but they've managed to capture the spotlight every single time they come around with a new album.

I'm sure it's abundantly clear at this point that Foo Fighters is Dave's deal. He's created a band situation for himself where he's in charge of who comes and goes and doesn't have to push the "reset button" if anyone else in the band decides to blow their head off. This is a valuable lesson that I've taken to heart, having learned it the hard way. It's a model that I've decided I will follow in the future.

This is not to say that none of the other guys in the band (Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflet, Taylor Hawkins, and Pat Smear) are unimportant. Quite the contrary; Dave has hand picked these kick-ass musicians to create an unmistakable and legendary sound. After watching their Documentary, and seeing what it's like for them in the studio, it's clear that Dave micromanages every single note, snare hit, and scream on their recordings.

I think the most important thing gleaned from the Dave's success is that he seems to have surrounded himself with good, loyal people and he's always stuck to a clear vision of what Foo Fighters represents. If I've learned anything in my own personal experience it is: Always go with your gut, never compromise your integrity, and if anyone stands in your way -- stomp their face in.

When Kurt Cobain took his own life, he left a major void in the rock-time-continuum. It is my belief that after the way things went down 16 years ago, Dave feels the insurmountable burden and compulsion to personally fill that void in his own way. I get the feeling that he has the need to live up to his earned status, and never wants to let the fans down. Whether he was like that before Nirvana or not, he has since shown that he has a maniacal urge to constantly prove himself on every song; on every album.

There are many lyrical allusions to my hypothesis on Wasting Light, such as the line "...here comes the king of second chances" (Bridge Burning); "...Getting good at starting over every time that I return. I'm learnin' to walk again -- ...I never wanna die!" (Walk); and the song I Should Have Known which Dave says was written with Kurt in mind.

It has the refrain: "No I cannot forgive you yet, No I cannot forgive you yet, You leave my heart in debt, I should have known.

(It's nothing short of chilling to hear Krist Novoselic play the heavy
handed, nasty, bad-ass bass line in the bridge section of this track
[the "middle eight," if your British] with the legendary Nevermind producer, Butch Vig
at the helm. Pat Smear is back for this Fighting round, and happens to be one of the
few among the Foo who knew what it was like to play/tour with Nirvana. A
fittingly therapeutic step toward closure regarding the whole
fucked up shit-uation that must have spiraled out in their personal
lives after Nirvana's abrupt and untimely end.)

To me, those lyrics are a key insight to what motivates Dave's indomitable spirit. For years it seemed that Dave would rarely if ever admit to musical references to Kurt/Nirvana, but now, it seems Dave is comfortable enough to go there. It's okay to talk/write about it now. Though there's obvious bitterness still there, it seems to be what propels Foo forward. Ain't nobody gonna dictate Dave's destiny but him!

It was a wise decision to record their latest album, "Wasting Light" on old fashioned 2" tape. I learned a great lesson from Rick Rubin, (via Howard Stern, by way of Chris Rock) which is "always set yourself apart from the pack." This album is sonically unique in today's homogenized digital/Pro Tools universe. The rawness is realness. The imperfections are present, and are what give the sound its character; Its authenticity; Its purity. Something that Dave has carried over from the Nirvana days to the current state of Foo Fighters.

(I often think there is a certain kindred spirit between guys like Dave
and his Them Crooked Vultures band-mates (John Paul Jones
[Led Zeppelin], and Josh Homme [QOTSA/Kyuss]). These guys are all
great rockers who blew up in other bands, and shine when they have a vehicle to showcase their badass-itude. They all also seem to be
career-minded musicians, rather than total fuck-ups.)

This particular album pushes their sound even further. The mastering leaves some overhead for the mix to breathe. It's great to be able to hear all the layers of what was actually recorded rather than squashing it all into a modern rock sound sandwich.

Song-wise, the album just fuckin' rocks as I keep listening. Miss the Misery just came on. The 4/4+2/4 balls out rock riff immediately has my head banging. As the song plays, I'm only able to continue typing this with my pinkies and pointers as my hands have automatically and uncontrollably locked themselves in the devil horns position! \m/ \m/

(Sidebar: One time a sound engineer told me that you can't groove to a 7/8 time signature… that engineer must have never heard FF's Times like These... )

I really get the sense that Dave is constantly working at maintaining a certain level of quality. He works hard, and seems to have no limit to is desire to top their last hit. It's apparent that Dave is well aware and appreciative at how rare it is to be given a second chance at being among the gods of rock.

Evidently, Dave was always destined for greatness, despite his mid-90's hiccup. One can only infer that the secret must be in his ability to win people over with his charisma, wit, great rock songs and even more so, HARD WORK! They just don't quit.

Foos keep on Fighting.

(Thanks to my friend Keith for forwarding this link just now

and reminding me that being a class act also can help your
longevity. A good way to to put a button on this blog entry.)