The Colour and the Shape - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.co.uk
A major criticism of the Foo Fighters' self-titled debut was its supposed lack of passion despite the well-crafted songs and well-crafted rock. This time out, if it's wreckage you want, it's wreckage you get. The Colour and the Shape grows deeper the more it's played, with the band's ripping power is more than matched by Dave Grohl's fascinating examinations of pain and divorce. There is even a convincing long slow ballad, "November Stars", whose intensity should win over doubters. If that doesn't work, then the screaming "My Hero" will.--Rickey Wright

Album Description
Includes the bonus tracks Requiem, Drive Me Wild, Down In The Park, Baker St, Dear Lover and Color & Shape.

Album Details
Includes the Bonus Tracks Requiem, Drive Me Wild, Down in the Park, Baker St, Dear Lover and Color and Shape.

Customer Reviews: Read 18 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Great album - Exta tracks just a bonus July 14, 2007
20 out of 22 found this review helpful

The Foo Fighters' second album, their first as a "real band" (the first was just a Grohl solo project, essentially) has stood the test of time remarkably well. It has the all-too-rare combination of hard rock and melody. From the outstanding "Monkey Wrench" to the dramatic closer "New Way Home," the cd works as individual songs and as an album as a whole.

This edition with bonus tracks doesn't really offer anything new, but only enhances an already excellent cd by conveniently gathering together the b-sides from this era. I wouldn't describe the b-sides as necessary for anyone other than the hardcore fans (though, if you don't already own this album, you might as well get this edition.)

For those new to the Foo Fighters, this is a great place to start, but don't let the "special edition" stuff fool you: the real greatness of this cd is the main album itself.

5 out of 5 stars

great album July 15, 2007
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

I didn't really buy this again for the re-mastering because lets face it, it didn't really need to be re-mastered(you can barely make out the sound difference except for it being a little cleaned up) I bought this again for the six bonus tracks which were all b-sides. I also bought it for the packaging. Foo Fighters are a great band.

5 out of 5 stars

You must buy this! September 19, 2007
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

I hadn't bought this CD before, so I didn't already have most of the songs, but even if I had, I would have to rebuy it so I got the covers and b-sides added to the end. They are amazing! Of course I heard "Baker Street" on the radio years ago and enjoyed it, but I didn't discover Foo Fighters' version of Gary Numan's "Down in the Park" and I really think it's right up there in the realm of Gary Numan covers (the St Etienne version of "Stormtrooper in Drag" and Magnetic Fields version of "I Die: You Die" are the best). It is great how they take an electronic song and make it more "rock" by having no keyboards.

But the piece de resistance of this CD is Foo Fighters' cover of ... wait for it ... Vanity 6! I don't know that I've seen any Vanity 6 covers before, but the fact that Foo Fighters loved them enough to do a cover of "Drive Me Wild" is just a testament of what a great band they are.

So you must buy this CD!

5 out of 5 stars

Like reliving a childhood! July 19, 2007
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

I won't deny that the primary attraction of this rerelease is the amount of nostalgia I felt for the first release--it was released during a bad time in my life, and, in addition to being the first rock album I ever purchased myself, remains one of the only happy memories of the year 1997 for me.

That being said, there is a short piece in the CD's accompanying booklet by band member Nate Mendel, in which he writes, "This is I think the album we'll always be judged against. But, why?"

His answer is that the album is the most "lived in." I agree with that sentiment, and I'll elaborate my theories. Of all the Foo Fighter's works, TCATS has the most depth and range--it tackles issues like loss, relationship struggles, and feeling oppressed--in short, all the topics any angsty teen (as I most certainly was) has no trouble identifying with. Yet, at the same time, the album runs the gamut of emotions. There's the quiet angst of the opening track, 'Doll,' the dramatic reverence contained in 'My Hero,' the whimsical lightheartedness of 'See You,' and the full-out edge of rock tracks like 'Enough Space,' and 'Hey, Johnny Park!' It's as much a roller coaster ride as an album, and while no single song can stand on its own as well as later Foo works such as 'All My Life' or 'Learn to Fly,' every track is an integral part of the whole experience.

The addition of the six bonus tracks on this rerelease only adds to the experience--the four covers are all b-sides from the original album's singles, and the two additional tracks are planned tracks for the album that were left on the mixing room floor, so to speak. The title track, in particular is of note--it's the closest you'll hear Foo Fighters to sounding like Grohl's previous band, Nirvana, with all its fuzz, distortion, and beautiful disharmony.

All in all, it's a highly recommended purchase, whether you own the original or not--in addition to bonus tracks, the entire original album is remastered, and it sounds crisper and more energetic than ever.

5 out of 5 stars

Now you don't have to shell out for the "My Hero" single September 30, 2007
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

Foo Fighters' "The Colour and the Shape," the album whose singles have gotten more consistent radio airplay than any of the others in the past ten years, has been remastered with the addition of the singles' B-sides.

First, the album itself: We've all heard it, and we know what to expect. There's the hard rocker "Monkey Wrench," the one-two-three punch of "Hey, Johnny Park," "My Poor Brain," and "Wind Up," the slow to screaming "February Stars" and "New Way Home," the boring yet creepy "Walking After You," and probably the best song on the album, "My Hero."

"The Colour and the Shape" has more blatantly filler tracks than any other Foo Fighters album: "Doll," "Up in Arms," "See You," and quite possibly the stupidest Foo Fighters song ever (even stupider than "Podunk"), "Enough Space."

Then there's "Everlong." I can't go to one college open mic without some douchebag playing "Everlong" on his acoustic for his indifferent girlfriend. Oh, it's a romantic song alright, but a song best enjoyed in private. All good virgins cry along to "Everlong."

On the 2007 version, we get the B-sides. Foo Fighters probably have the best B-sides of any rock band, and I have quite a few of their singles for this reason. "Fraternity" and "Normal" are two of their best songs, and they're only available (for now) as B-sides.
14. Requiem: 6/10. It's better than some of the songs that made the album. The guitar riff gets a bit repetitive though.
15. Drive Me Wild: 7/10. The only one I hadn't previously heard, and it's rather amusing.
16. Down in the Park: 9/10. I bought "Songs in the Key of X" just to hear this one. It's a very good cover song.
17. Baker Street: 10/10. The reason you should buy the remastered version "The Colour and the Shape." Yes, it doesn't have as many instruments as the original version of "Baker Street," but the guitar alone is amazing.
18. Dear Lover: 2/10. It's like a slower version of "Walking After You," originally released on the "Scream 2" soundtrack. Coincidentally, it's about as tedious as "Scream 2."
19. The Colour and the Shape: 6/10. It's rare that a title track isn't good enough to make its own album. The only other example I can think of is Soul Asylum's "Candy from a Stranger." "The Colour and the Shape" really fits in better with the Foo Fighters' S/T, or maybe a Nirvana album.

One nice thing about the remastered version is that the booklet contains a historical account from Nate (the bassist). He says that it's not their best album, just the one the rest get compared to. He's right; in terms of quality, the album that followed, "There Is Nothing Left to Lose," is the Foo Fighters' best album (not just because it won a Grammy). Still, "The Colour and the Shape" has its own fumbling charm.

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