Happy 20th Anniversary to Foo Fighters’ fourth studio album One by One, originally released October 22, 2002.
On “Come Back,” the final track of Foo Fighters’ fourth studio album One by One, Dave Grohl sings, “Dead on the inside / I’ve got nothing to prove.” This lyric aptly sums up the general malaise and apathy permeating through the band in the leadup to the recording of the album. With three months of initial recordings leaving the band feeling uninspired and at each other’s throats, there was a great concern that Foo Fighters had lost the urge to punch on.
Taking an extended and much needed hiatus, the future of the band looked uncertain. After years of constant slogging it out on the road, the passion and spark that made Foo Fighters so vital had waned. With Grohl side-stepping the pressure by taking up residency behind the skins for Queens of the Stone Age, many fans wondered what the future—or is that Foo-ture—held.
Thankfully, this detour helped reinvigorate Grohl and when the band returned to the studio there was a new focus and energy at play. With a swag of new songs plus the standouts from their previous attempt, the band sequenced an album worthy of brandishing the Foo Fighters moniker.
Leaping out of the speakers with the soul-shaking “All My Life,” any evidence of any uncertainty evaporates in the face-melting power of the grinding groove. The whole band are on point. Grohl’s vocals grab you by the throat, Taylor Hawkins’ drumming is sharp and played with a sniper’s precision, Nate Mendel’s bass work gives the sound gravitas, and guitarist Chris Shiflett —making his studio debut with the Foo—gives the sound extra breadth and punch.
As the album progresses, there are moments of pure clarity in what the band was reaching for in those varied recording sessions. Tracks like the heart-pumping “Low,” the rocking “Have It All” and the mosh pit bounce of “Overdrive” are filled with bluster and some post-punk sensibility that puts the focus more on feel than melody.
And then there are moments when the moon shot falls short and some of the tracks feel a little underbaked. “Halo” is torn between a swinging backbeat and a surf rock vibe and becomes a little forgettable as a result. “Burn Away” also seems to be left wandering for a more solid direction and doesn’t quite land. And “Disenchanted Lullaby” begins with promise as a dreamy, spaced-out vibe and then switches to an uninspired and drawn-out standard rocker that robs the track of its initial promise and potential.
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Then there’s tracks like “Lonely As You” that seems to have one foot in the past and one in the future with a Foo by the Numbers arrangement, but a hint of brilliance in the production of the stacked backing harmonies that would play a greater role in subsequent outings.
For the unevenness present, there are certainly moments that shine brightly like the raw and bristling “Tired of You” that acts as the counterpoint to “All My Life” with a similar simple strum melody and an honest declaration of wish fulfilment in a fading relationship. As Grohl sings, “Is this just desire or the truth?” you feel the aching honesty of the lyric. And as the song arrives at the chorus, it swells with melodic guitar harmonies courtesy of Queen’s maestro Brian May who gives the track an extra sense of drama and dynamics.
And then there’s “Times Like These,” a song that is worth the price of admission. One of the most iconic and melodic rock tracks of this century, “Times Like These” is full of reflection and lament. Written during the hiatus, the song recognizes the promise that comes from being in Foo Fighters and the emptiness that exists when the band are together. The other side of the coin of course was a new romantic relationship that was inspiring Grohl once more in the possibility of love. With every member firing on all cylinders this is perhaps the biggest challenger to “Everlong” as the most iconic Foo Fighters song. It’s a reminder of the genius of Grohl’s songcraft not only as a writer and performer, but also as a producer. For its inclusion alone, it makes One by One essential listening in tracking Foo Fighters’ evolution and continued ascension into the rock stratosphere, even if the ride isn’t as smooth as it could have been.
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