Performer Notes

Foo Fighters: Dave Grohl (vocals, guitar, drums); Pat Smear (guitar); Nate Mendel (bass); William Goldsmith (drums).
Recorded at Grand Master Studios, Hollywood, California; Bear Creek, Woodinville, Washington and WGNS Studios, Washington, D.C.
THE COLOUR & THE SHAPE was nominated for a 1998 Grammy for Best Rock Album. "Monkey Wrench" was nominated for a 1998 Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance.
Personnel: Dave Grohl (vocals, guitar, drums); Pat Smear (guitar); William Goldsmith (drums, hand claps); Lance Bangs, Chris Bilheimer, Ryan Boesch (hand claps).
Audio Mixer: Chris Sheldon.
Recording information: Bear Creek Studios, Woodinville, WA; Grand Master Recorders, LTD; Grand Master Recorders, Ltd, Hollywood, CA; WGNS Studios, Washington DC.
Photographer: Josh Kessler.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Lance Bangs; Chris Bilheimer; Ryan Boesch.
Taking a cue from the old Blondie marketing slogan, the sophomore effort from Dave Grohl's post-Nirvana band was their "The Foo Fighters is a band" project -- well, at least it was intended that way, but Grohl pushed aside drummer William Goldsmith during the recording and played on the entire record. And who could blame him? When you're the greatest drummer in rock, it's hard to sit aside for someone else, no matter how good your intentions, and Grohl's drumming does give the Foos muscle underneath their glossy exterior. That slickness arrives via producer Gil Norton, hired based on his work with the Pixies, but he manages to give The Colour and the Shape almost too sleek a sheen, something that comes as a shock after the raggedness of the group's debut. Even the glossy final mix of Nevermind has nothing on the unapologetic arena rock of The Colour and the Shape -- it's all polished thunder, rock & roll that's about precision not abandon. Some may miss that raw aggression of Grohl's earlier work, but he's such a strong craftsman and musician that such exactness also suits him, highlighting his sense of melody and melodrama, elements abundantly in display on the album's two biggest hits, the brooding midtempo rockers "My Hero" and "Everlong." Elsewhere, the Foos grind out three-chord rockers with an aplomb that almost disguises just how slick Norton's production is, but everything here, from the powerful rush of the band to the big hooks and sleek surface, wound up defining the sound of post-grunge modern rock, and it remains as perhaps the best example of its kind. [Legacy's tenth anniversary edition of The Colour and the Shape was expanded by six bonus tracks, adding a clutch of non-LP B-sides, the highlight of which is a version of Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (5/29/97, pp.47-48) - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "...COLOUR has a big, radio-ready, modern-rock sound....gives the impression that Grohl is working out some romantic issues--there are lots of relationship tunes both about breaking up and about a new love..."

Spin - "[T]he first of THE COLOUR AND THE SHAPE is a furious dialogue/duel between old-guard stadium rock and DIY guitar bashing. Plus, former Sunny Day Real Estate bassist Nate Mendel adds artful dimension, throwing in hooks..."

Spin (7/97, p.113) - 6 (out of 10) - "...That's Dave Grohl, a simple rock guy in a simple rock band who occasionally manages to write some really good songs. He'll probably never come up with a godhead masterpiece, but then again, he already played drums on one."

Entertainment Weekly (5/23/97, pp.62-63) - "...The band heard on THE COLOUR & THE SHAPE is not a ragtag slacker unit but a bunch of confident, powerful pros--brawny, metallic, able to shift gears and tempos on a dime....In fact, the album often feels like the new-wave metal Metallica should have but didn't concoct with LOAD..." - Rating: B

Q (1/03, p.54) - Included in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums Ever"

Melody Maker (12/20-27/97, pp.66-67) - Ranked #21 on Melody Maker's list of 1997's "Albums Of The Year."

NME (Magazine) (12/20-27/97, pp.78-79) - Ranked #46 in NME's 1997 Critics' Poll.

Album: The Colour and the Shape
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Doll
2)	Monkey Wrench
3)	Hey, Johnny Park!
4)	My Poor Brain
5)	Wind Up
6)	Up in Arms
7)	My Hero
8)	See You
9)	Enough Space
10)	February Stars
11)	Everlong
12)	Walking After You
13)	New Way Home

Album: The Colour and the Shape
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Doll
2)	Monkey Wrench
3)	Hey, Johnny Park!
4)	My Poor Brain
5)	Wind Up
6)	Up in Arms
7)	My Hero
8)	See You
9)	Enough Space
10)	February Stars
11)	Everlong
12)	Walking After You
13)	New Way Home