Foo Fighters - Skin andBones

Thu 8th Mar, 2007 in Music Reviews

When I first heard that the Foo Fighters were putting on an acoustic show, I was thrilled. But then after thinking it through, I became a bit sceptical. It smelt suspiciously like Nirvana’s legendary unplugged session; especially when it was announced that Pat Smear would be joining the show. Was Dave Grohl just feeding on the desperation of all Nirvana fans frantic to resurrect a piece of that infamous show, just for money?

I hadn’t even touched the acoustic side of the In your Honor album, but I still diligently stood in the rain to get tickets to the Sydney Opera House performance. No matter what the reasons were behind the show, I wasn’t going to miss a rock band let loose in the Opera House. I wasn’t disappointed the show was uniquely remarkable.

When the live acoustic album, Skin and Bones, was released in time for Christmas, I was first in line to buy a copy, hoping to recreate that night at the Opera House. The album is unfortunately but predictably a recording of an American show – the performance at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood.

The acoustic shows were so exceptional because of the interaction with the audience. I had never been to a gig before where the artist-audience relationship was so intimate. Most of the songs and artists on stage had a story which created a depth to all the performed songs, new and old. I was disappointed to hear that none of this interaction had been recorded on the album. I felt that the heart of the live show had been cut out.

Nevertheless, the live album contains all the songs performed at the show, including the impossible to get, Marigold and never before heard, Skin and Bones. Both songs are simplistic and have a nostalgic feel as they were written by Dave before the formation of the Foo Fighters. The album also contains the songs from the acoustic side of the In your Honor album, performed in their true colours. The sound of the raw guitar and Dave’s voice in Razor is especially astounding.  The performance of Cold Day in the Sun by drummer Taylor Hawkins provides a breath of fresh air to the set.

The album also contains acoustic versions of old Foo Fighter favourite’s such as My Hero, Best of You and Everlong. Best of You is stripped bare with a solo performance by Dave and his guitar, which still has the same memorising effect on the album as it did watching it live.

The songs on the album are performed with an intensity and emotion which can’t be captured in a studio. The DVD of the same title as the album captures the true nature of the show with visuals and no unnecessary editing. The album however, still contains the soul of the performance. I am automatically transferred back to the Opera House every time I put on the album and hopefully everyone else who missed the show will get a taste of it.