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Got it this morning (yes, I could have downloaded it weeks ago, but I don't suck). After listening to the first disc, I can safely say it's a lot better than One by One. Still no Colour and the Shape/Self-Titled, but a pretty damn good effort.
Standout tracks would be Free Me, huge, massive, heavy sound, quite easily the best song from the first disc in my opinion, No Way Back, an earlier sounding song, could easily be taken from the first disc if they got the guitar sound the same, and The Deepest Blues are Black, kinda quite but then breaks out into a wonderful track. Other tracks worthy of note would be In Your Honor, Best of You and Resolve. All good, just nothing too special.
My only real complaint so far is the fact they actually bothered to include 'The Last Song'. If anything, it seems as if they did from a lyrical point of view. Initially FFL (a Best of You B-side) had it's place, but was then cut. It would have been a perfect short, heavy track to bridge the album, but instead they include possibly the weakest track from the entire album.
I'm very glad it's not like One by One, and those who lost faith in Foos after their last album may want to take a look because there are some killer tracks tucked away in here.
Now, onto the acoustic disc. Which I already know has one of the best tracks the Foos have written, because it's been available for, ohhh, 14 years?
Right, the acoustic disc. This is 12 years in the making, and it really, really shows. After one listen I don't know if I should really judge it so early, but so far it's the best thing they've ever recorded.
They can do all the rock stuff by-the-numbers, but the acoustic disc really is up there with The Colour and the Shape. Still is fantastic, subtle music with some excellent lyrics, Miracle is also another fantastic one and Friend of a Friend easily one of the most eery songs they've ever done (although I do prefer the original recording). Hate to bring up the age-old comparison, because they are nothing alike, but that track really harks back to his days in Nirvana, when it was written.
There just isn't a weak track to speak of. Virginia Moon (with Norah Jones singing) is the only slightly weird track, but it's a nice jazzy little number and fits in the rest of the album. Cold Day in the Sun is really upbeat, as in What If I Do? and Another Round.
It really restores a whole lot of faith in the Foos after One by One. At the moment I'm torn whether or not this is up with TCATS, but after a few more listens I should know.
Even if you don't like the Foos rockier stuff (althogh you should really, even if there are a few stinkers), the acoustic disc is a completely new dimension to the band, you can hardly tell it's the same band at all. Razor, for instance, is like nothing they've ever done.
I am a very, very happy Foo fan.
Take note Nintendo.
Gameboy Color indeed!
Personally I prefer IYH to Blinking Lights, but both are good.
...
> Red Hat wrote:
> 19 13
>
> I am older than him
>
> Surely being that much older and still being that much of a spacker
> is something to be ashamed of? At least he has an excuse.
Spacker - That really made me chuckle, brightening up a slow friday afternoon, thanks :-)
This album is just getting better and probably. Best thing they've done since TCATS.