"We've made a record I consider such a move forward for the band," Grohl said at the time, noting The Colour and the Shape as Foo Fighters’ true debut as a band. Still, decades after its release, The Colour and the Shape remains one of Foo Fighters’ most popular albums and represents an important evolution in the band’s history. The album sold more than 2 million copies and was nominated for a Grammy award, but lost Best Rock Album to John Fogerty’s Blue Moon Swamp. 10 on the Billboard 200, and all three singles - “Monkey Wrench,” “Everlong” and “My Hero” - reached the alternative chart’s Top 10. The Colour and the Shape arrived on May 20, 1997, and peaked at No. "Everybody has their own two cents thrown into this one." "I know that everyone else is way more enthusiastic because the whole band has put something of themselves into the new songs," Grohl admitted before the album’s release. Even while Grohl was the group’s undisputed leader, Mendel and Smear contributed heavily to the song’s compositions. Still, if there was one overarching element that set The Colour and the Shape apart from its predecessor, it was that the album showcased Foo Fighters as a fully formed band. Sometimes, in the face of crisis, I feel fortunate to be able to feel these emotions." “A lot has happened, and it's made its way into the songs,” Grohl admitted to Alternative Press. Watch the Video for Foo Fighters' 'My Hero' The frontman’s divorce from his wife would influence tracks like “Doll,” “Monkey Wrench” and “February Stars.” “Everlong” was inspired by Grohl’s new flame, Veruca Salt singer Louise Post, while “Hey, Johnny Park!” developed out of Grohl’s attempts to reconnect with an old childhood friend. He even allowed himself to think about Kurt Cobain when penning the tracks: The late Nirvana leader became part of the inspiration for “My Hero.”
How am I going to write songs that really grab someone?”Īt Norton’s insistence, Grohl mined his personal life for lyrical inspiration. In no way do I consider myself a clever lyricist, or even a lyricist. A few songs meant a lot, but for the most part, I just needed a vocal track. "Last time the lyrics were obscure for a good reason,” he explained to Melody Maker. Lyrically, Norton challenged Grohl to get personal on the new songs, a departure from the purposely vague ones he’d written on the debut album. Watch the Video for Foo Fighters' 'Everlong' The Foo Fighters leader rerecorded every drum part that had been laid down during the initial sessions in Washington, though Goldsmith received credit for his contributions to two tracks. We became a family on the road, and William is the kind of person you kind of love very quickly." Behind the scenes, however, it was clear that Goldsmith was unable to live up to Grohl’s high standards while working on the new material. “There's no serious animosity, but it sucks. “William decided he didn't want to go on tour, and he wanted to play with different people,” the frontman insisted. In the press, Grohl gave standard rock-cliche reasons. And I’m stressing pretty hard because that’s gonna be a big problem.” “William is still up in Seattle, so he doesn’t know what’s going on," Mendel recalled. Goldsmith, who had joined the band in 1994, was still in Seattle. “So that was encouraging.”Īfter a break for the holidays, Foo Fighters regrouped at Grandmaster Recorders in Hollywood to rerecord the songs they’d worked on at Bear Creek.
“Gil called Nate and I the rhythm-less section,” Goldsmith admitted. “And William was having his own challenges.” “I was fucking terrible,” Mendel admitted of his shortcomings in the documentary Foo Fighters: Back and Forth. We were really under the gun, there was a lot of pressure to produce and have the album out soon,” Grohl recalled to Kerrang! “It was just a bad experience. Despite working on several songs there, Grohl was disappointed with the results. Initial recording sessions took place at Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville, Wash., where the band stayed in a nearby cabin.
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