First, the leader ran off to fool around with some wanton Queens (of the Stone Age). Then there was the legal battle with the lovely Ms. Courtney. Somewhere in the middle came the substance abuse trials and tribulations of drummer Taylor Hawkins, who, perhaps as part of the self-esteem component of his recovery plan, always seems to appear in interviews now, playing a team mascot of sorts to Dave Grohl's starting quarterback.
Well, true believers, it was worth the wait, because your friendly neighborhood Foo Fighters are back to save the world from the likes of Nick Carter solo projects, the dastardly Dr. Durst and anything involving an accordion.
Little by little, they are inching their way toward the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Bit by bit, they're securing their role as one of the leading forces in modern rock. "One By One," their newest album, helps further these goals even as it brings them back to their roots -- it is remarkably close in feel and construction to their superb debut. Their maturation is highlighted on a few songs, such as "Tired of You," but by and large, "One By One" offers an experience very similar to that of their self-titled LP.
It can't claim to be even slightly bizarre by today's standards, considering the dearth of incomparable weirdos who seem to have found guitars and turntables recently, but it's still not as radio friendly as, say, "There Is Nothing Left to Lose."
Of course, given the amount of attention these guys get from MTV, that's not saying much. They'll still somehow manage to pluck a single out of the lineup and eventually kill it with overexposure, but there aren't a whole lot of appropriate songs from which to choose.
Journalistic ethics mandate the emphasis of one point in particular at this juncture: This album is repetitive. This album is repetitive. This album is repetitive. The Foos seem to have moved away from the pretty songs with pretty chords, and instead present a new offering constructed largely from mildly catchy sequences of droning notes raised on a diet of riff rock and lots of protein.
While the majority of "One By One" isn't really too surprising, there are some songs that hint at impending stylistic changes. Clearly, their skills have improved, with Grohl caterwauling his way up to dizzying new heights on "Halo," and the guitars pounding away on the opening tracks with unprecedented feral intensity.
For now, everything is pretty much as you'd expect, but one can't help but wonder where this band may soon be headed after hearing the covertly introspective lyrics of "Times Like These" or the contrapuntal vocal layers of "Lonely As You."
Speaking of layers, the much-hyped contributions of Brian May are superbly executed. On "Tired of You," which is to "One By One" what '80s power ballads were to most hair metal albums, the legendary guitarist from the classic (but not quite Stone Age) rock band Queen stacks no less than 25 guitar tracks to create slow, creamy melodic lines that replace the trite use of hired string sections. It's a spectacular electric symphony.
The track sequence is a little perplexing, as the final songs are pretty weak compared to the rest of the album, and strikingly so, compared to the dessert, "Come Back." Whether referring to albums, broadcasts or set lists, conventional wisdom holds that weaker songs should be buried in the middle, because listeners tend to best remember the first and last things they hear.
This little faux pas, however, may have been intentional, allowing the Fighters to lower expectations and then come bounding back with the all the exuberance of a caffeinated puppy at dinnertime.
After fading away into a mellow, acoustic interlude, our heroes rise from the ashes and build back to the chorus for one last hurrah, a surprising twist that makes for one of the most entertaining album exits in recent memory.
Whether this is supposed to be jovial humor or a slick structural analogy is unclear, but Grohl was no doubt smiling that devilish little mustachioed grin of his from behind the mic while recording it. "I will come back," he howls again and again, as he does exactly that.
He's promising us more. Everyone will be waiting, Dave. Nobody really knows just what constitutes "foo," but whatever it may be, let's have some more. Anything to keep these guys in business is a good idea.
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