Foo Fighters - In Your Honor
- FaceOff - עימות חזיתי
- Jun 14
- 4 min read
On June 14, 2005, "Foo Fighters" double album "In Your Honor" by was released.
This album exemplifies the varying perspectives that can arise between the band and its listeners. Throughout music history, we've encountered albums that listeners perceive as either great or terrible, while the band members who created them hold a different opinion. We believe this album fits that scenario.
Perhaps we're exaggerating a bit, but you get the idea. No standout singles or "timeless" songs emerged from this double album, aside from tracks like "Best Of You", "DOA", "Free Me", "Another Round", "Over and Out", and "Razor". Well, okay, maybe a few did, but don't hold it against us.
Nonetheless, you have to admit it's not a monumental album, even though it contains 21 songs...
We suspect there won't be a consensus here, so let's agree that this album is shouting - change -!
And it's unlike anything the band had done before.
This album is undoubtedly complex; the first part features strong, aggressive, and powerful rock tracks, while the second part is characterized by acoustic rock, soft, and touching songs. There's even a Bossa Nova-style track. It's truly complex, different, diverse, and unique.
So the story goes like this...
(Photo: Foo Fighters Official Twitter)
After a decade and four albums, Dave Grohl decided he wanted to try something different and special. He considered creating a unique album for a film and even thought about recording a solo album, but quickly set that idea aside. Instead, he brought his collection of songs to the band, deciding that together they would determine how to make the most of this material and create something truly special.
Initially, when the concept of an acoustic album was proposed, Dave was strongly against it, as he wanted to produce a more aggressive album than the band's previous works. He aimed to elevate the songs to a higher level of intensity and aggressiveness. However, after extensive discussions, the band members agreed to do both, embracing both sides of the creative spectrum. One album would be intense and hard-hitting, while the other would be gentle and soothing. Dave described them as one being the "bottle" and the other the "hangover".
The album recordings also have a story...
We've already seen Dave's fascination with studios and consoles (refer to the entries "Sound City" recorded on a historic console and "Wasting Light" recorded at Dave's home in a special studio he built himself). This time, they decided to relocate "Studio 606," Foo's base, from Dave's home in Virginia to California (incidentally, the pillows in Dave's studio were made by his mom from Dave's old T-shirts). Out of the nine months spent working on the album, three and a half months were dedicated to constructing the studio, with the band members moving in during the final month to help complete its construction.
On this album, Dave was more deliberate compared to the previous one. He and the band put a lot of effort into each song, recording at least 3-4 demo versions for each track. They dedicated a significant amount of time to rehearsing every song, striving for perfection. Each instrument was recorded multiple times until everyone, especially Dave, was satisfied. Due to the extensive time spent on recordings, they decided in the final weeks that no one would leave the studio. They recorded from noon until 8:00 the next morning, completing at least one song each day. The process was indeed tedious and exhausting, draining a lot of their energy. Interestingly, Dave mentioned in an interview that they found the acoustic part particularly challenging and stressful, reminiscent of their early days when they had to prove their authenticity as artists.
Complicated, as we already mentioned...
To enhance the acoustic album and avoid monotony, Dave decided to include artists from outside the band. A significant number of artists were added, most from different genres, which greatly enriched the songs and added diversity to the band's familiar sound. Notable contributors included Norah Jones, John Paul Jones, Josh Homme, and several other talented musicians. This resulted in a variety of genres on the album, especially in the acoustic section, leading the band into uncharted territory, which they navigated quite successfully.
The album's narrative was also challenging for the record company (not that it's struggling), as it was difficult to handle Dave's decision to sell the double album for just one dollar more than a standard album. Dave argued that the albums complemented each other as a single entity and that he didn't require additional money.
In conclusion, it's a complex album, not one of the band's most successful in our view, but still remarkable. It belongs to one of our rock legends, and we love it. Several of its songs are frequently repeated during our rehearsals and have even been featured on our podcasts.
This is the band's first album that did not win a Grammy, preventing them from continuing a winning streak since the album "The Color and The Shape". However, it is worth listening to, especially for the acoustic section that reveals another facet of the band.
Listen to the album on Spotify, Apple Music
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